Black Bond

In 1772, three Stirling burgh councillors signed a secret agreement to run the affairs of the town to their own advantage. This private pact to advance their own power and finance came to be known as the Black Bond.

The discovery of the agreement led to the burgh being put under the supervision of a central government commission in 1775. The town was also disenfranchised, and barred from voting for an MP.

The governance of the town was passed back to the burgh council in 1781, with the election of the provost and officers conducted along proper lines.

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