Black Bond
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The Black Bond was a 1773 agreement by three councillors in the Scottish burgh of Stirling to illegally influence the elections of councillors and magistrates and the appointments of council officers. The agreement came to the attention of the authorities and the men were tried at the Court of Session. They were found guilty and the election of Michaelmas of 1773 was annulled and the burgh council dissolved. The burgh also lost its right to elect a Member of Parliament. The rights were restored and a new council elected in 1781.
Three members of the Stirling burgh council, including the Provost of Stirling and a bailie, elected at Michaelmas in 1773, entered into an unlawful agreement.[1] This agreement, which became known as the "Black Bond", was that no person should be selected to sit on the council without the agreement of all three persons, and that each man would support the other during elections.[1][2] They also agreed that any appointments to council officer positions (such as that of Deacon) should be by agreement of the three men, this being carried out by their vetting of a shortlist of candidates.[1] They agreed to maintain the bond, which effectively gave full control of the council to the three, throughout their lifetimes.[1][3] Two of the men were elders of the Church of Scotland and one in the Secession Church (Stirling being unusual in having a milder civic oath that permitted the election of Anti-Burghers to public office).[3][4]