burgh
A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...
s, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an
alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
or
magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...
(see
bailiff
A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary.
Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...
Leith
Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith.
The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...
and
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
. Modern bailies exist in Scottish local councils, and the position being a courtesy title, appointees are often requested to provide support to the
lord provost
A lord provost () is the convenor of the local authority, the civic head and the lord-lieutenant of one of the principal cities of Scotland. The office is similar to that of a lord mayor. Only the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Stirlin ...
or provost - the ceremonial and civic head of the council - in their various engagements.
History
The name was derived from
Old French
Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th provost. Several officials held this role often at the appointment of the Church.
The jurisdiction">provost (civil)">provost. Several officials held this role often at the appointment of the Church.
The jurisdiction of a bailie is called a ''bailiary'' (alt. ''bailiery'').
The office of bailie was abolished in law in Scotland in 1975, and today the position of bailie is a courtesy title.
Use
* Aberdeen City Council - appoints five bailies.
* Dundee City Council - appoints five bailies. The position was reintroduced in 2003.
* Edinburgh City Council - appoints six bailies. The position was reintroduced in the 2000s following the title falling into disuse after the 1975 reform of local government.
*
Glasgow City Council
Glasgow City Council (Scottish Gaelic: ''Comhairle Baile Ghlaschu'') is the Local government in Scotland, local government authority for Glasgow, Glasgow City council area, Scotland. In its modern form it was created in 1996. Glasgow was former ...
FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...
, Bailie of
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
from 1888 to 1900
*Thomas Watt, Bailie to the Baron of Cartsburn, grandfather of
James Watt
James Watt (; 30 January 1736 (19 January 1736 OS) – 25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776, which was f ...
*Bailie William Landale, winner of the silver cup at the first open championship held at St Andrews Old Course in 1754, see Timeline of golf history (1353–1850)
* "Baillie Vass" - the '' Aberdeen Evening Express'' accidentally used a picture of Sir Alec Douglas-Home over a caption referring to a baillie called Vass. '' Private Eye'' then affected to believe that Home was an imposter.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; ; ) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The additional member system produces a form of proportional representation, where ...
for
Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (historical), Britons') is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ...
.
* Jim Baillie - Scottish footballer
* Thomas Baillie - Royal Navy officer known for a celebrated libel case.
* William Baillie - Irish print maker.
*James Bailie - American real estate developer of Scottish descent.
Outside of government
Scottish
baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
s often appointed a Bailie as their judicial officer.
See also
*
Burgess (title)
A burgess was the holder of a certain status in an English, Irish or Scottish borough in the Middle Ages and the early modern period, designating someone of the burgher class. It originally meant a freeman of a borough or burgh, but later came ...
*
Deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions.
Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
*Glasgow Bailie, a type of salted
herring
Herring are various species of forage fish, belonging to the Order (biology), order Clupeiformes.
Herring often move in large Shoaling and schooling, schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate wate ...
, which is also sometimes known as a "Glasgow Magistrate"
* Bailie Nicol Jarvie, a brand of whisky named after a fictional character in Sir
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...