The actual year of the beginning of the Marches is not known but we know that
common lands existed when David I (1128-1153) granted to Linlithgow, Lanark,
Edinburgh and Stirling the title of "Burges Meus". The Burgh received its
franchise from King Robert II on 23rd October 1389. A charter by King James VI
dated 24th May 1593 and a furthur act and ratification by Parliament of 20th
May 1661 notified the various rights and lands "whereof the said Burgh has been
in possession, according to their yearly perambulation of the same in times bygone"

The Burgh Charter also conveyed to the burgesses and Community, the Port and
Haven of Blackness, with customs, toll dues and court rights. The holding of a
court on Castle Hill on Marches Day and the appointment of a Baron Bailie continues
this old custom. The first recorded reference to a Riding is in the minute of the
Council dated 19th October 1541, (the date of appointment of the first Provost
of the Burgh and the year before the birth of Mary Queen of Scots) when the
common lands were ordered to be visited on Pasche Tuesday yearly. It is reasonable
to assume that the Marches had been ridden before this on varying dates, and that
this merely set a fixed date for the event. The council also visited other Burghs
to ride their Marches; Lanark Burgh records show that in 1586 John Bruce was paid
3/- for going to Linlithgow to see if the Provost would come to the Lanark Riding.
This long connection persists to this day with Linlithgow`s Provost participating
annually in the Lanimer Day festivities at Lanark and their Lord Cornet riding in
the Linlithgow Marches. The Marches are now held annually on the first Tuesday
after the second Thursday in June. This retains an old reference to Holy Thursday
and was fixed by the Council in 1767. The second Thurday was fixed as the date of
the Whitsunday Fair. Before this the Whitsunday Fair was a moveable date depending
upon the date of Easter Sunday.

Up to the year 1834, it was the custom for the Provost and Magistrates to ride
at the rear of the procession on Marches Day but Mr Adam Dawson, the then
Provost, reversed this. He was also the first to introduce carriages into the
Marches Procession. Before the carriages, it had been noticed by the Magistrates
that "Reckless horseman prowled the street from dawn to dusk on Marches Day,
sometimes injuring themselves and passers-by," all of which the Magistrates
said was "involuntary. The Magistrates also deplored the mean practice of
purloining bottles from the public dinners for later consumption.

The horses for the Marches were often hired at the fair at the "Horsemarket Head"
which is at the West Port between Philip Avenue and the entrance to Longcroft.
Some of the accounts in the book "Simon Moneypenny," a local tale of the Marches
published in 1877 by William Hutton, give an idea of Marches Ridings in the days
of the horse.

The form of the day was not much different then from the ceremonies which take
place today. 'The Provost would breakfast with his guests in the Star and Garter,
whilst the Dyers would breakfast at their deacon's house in accordance with the
old tradition. After breakfast they would go to the palace grounds to have a
photograph taken and fraternise before returning to the High Street where the
court was fenced.

The procession would then be formed up in the order laid down by the Council
minute of 18th April, 1687 and afterwards strictly adhered to ; the Hammermen,
Tailors, Baxters, Cordiners, Weavers, Wrights, Coopers and Fleshers. The office
of Deacon Convenor, or Lord Deacon, was held exclusively by the Deacon of the
Hammermen for many years but later by the other deacons in rotation. Today this
honour is retained by the Deacon of the Dyers. The trade deacons also took turns
of carrying the Burgh Standard. The town had two pinzels or flags; the Craft Pinzel
and the Merchant Pinzel and it was the privilege of the Incorporation of Weavers
to carry these to and from the Council House. The Burgh Treasurer carried one
of these flags for many years.