Alexander Jeffrey

The case that established his position as a solicitor of ability arose from a dispute between the town council of Jedburgh and the town's bakers.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=jT95XuLeRo8C Court Report. 12-13 Jan 1843.] Town Council of Jedburgh vs Bakers of Jedburgh. Court report.</ref> The latter had, for over one hundred years, been obliged to mill their grain in the mills owned by the town council and also to pay tax on that grain to the council. The right of the council to make these demands had never been directly questioned, but the bakers often tried to evade these obligations. Around 1839, the council decided to apply to the [[court of session]] to have these rights formally acknowledged by law. The action, on the advice of Jeffrey, was resisted by the bakers. Jeffrey was well suited to defend the case. He had worked in the town clerk's office and also had an extensive knowledge of Jedburgh's history because of his antiquarian pursuits. The case dragged on for several years and was eventually decided in the bakers favour after a jury trial in January 1843 in Edinburgh. This resulted in the burgh's bankruptcy and the sale of all its property. The demand for Jeffrey's professional services increased rapidly as a consequence of his work on this case.

The case that established his position as a solicitor of ability arose from a dispute between the town council of Jedburgh and the town's bakers.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=jT95XuLeRo8C Court Report. 12-13 Jan 1843.] Town Council of Jedburgh vs Bakers of Jedburgh. Court report.</ref> The latter had, for over one hundred years, been obliged to mill their grain in the mills owned by the town council and also to pay tax on that grain to the council. The right of the council to make these demands had never been directly questioned, but the bakers often tried to evade these obligations. Around 1839, the council decided to apply to the [[court of session]] to have these rights formally acknowledged by law. The action, on the advice of Jeffrey, was resisted by the bakers. Jeffrey was well suited to defend the case. He had worked in the town clerk's office and also had an extensive knowledge of Jedburgh's history because of his antiquarian pursuits. The case dragged on for several years and was eventually decided in the bakers favour after a jury trial in January 1843 in Edinburgh. This resulted in the burgh's bankruptcy and the sale of all its property. The demand for Jeffrey's professional services increased rapidly as a consequence of his work on this case.

Jeffrey and the handba’ ban. The town’s magistrates passed a byelaw to outlaw the playing of [[Ba Game|Handba']] before the Candlemas game due to take place in February 1949. The justification was that cholera was rife in the country and there was a concern that a large gathering of people would lead to an outbreak in Jedburgh. The locals ignored the ban and played the Candlemas game as normal. Fourteen people were tried and found guilty of breaking the law. The penalty was a 10 shilling fine or six days in jail. Jeffrey appealed, in June 1849, to the High Court in Edinburgh. He argued that the byelaw was enacted via powers granted under a statute of George IV and that this statute was never adopted by Jedburgh (Jedburgh had adopted, during the reign of Victoria, an amended version of the George IV statute). Therefore the byelaw was not legal. The judge, [[Lord Justice Clerk]] [[John Hope, Lord Hope|John Hope]], agreed with Jeffrey and the convictions were overturned. He said, as part of his judgement, “I, for one, should hesitate to encourage the abolition of an old and customary game, which from time immemorial had been enjoyed by the community.” <ref>[https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN4liJVxlrZpoeMnfX0clKgBcTjlWTLaH5iIvlrxfV6Rr_nqQt9OCXdNKmcICiaLw?key=NmNTVDY0aEdYeUVmajA3T2dPVElNVjh4ZFhfaTlR Repeal Of Handba’ Ban.]</ref>

The magistrates of Jedburgh banned the inhabitants from playing [[Ba Game|Handba']] in 1849.<ref>[https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN4liJVxlrZpoeMnfX0clKgBcTjlWTLaH5iIvlrxfV6Rr_nqQt9OCXdNKmcICiaLw?key=NmNTVDY0aEdYeUVmajA3T2dPVElNVjh4ZFhfaTlR Repeal Of Handba’ Ban.]</ref> Jeffrey made a successful appeal to the High Court to reverse the decision.

==Local historian==

==Local historian==

Jeffrey was an acknowledged expert on the history/archaeology of the [[Scottish Borders]]. He wrote several books and contributed many articles to the publications of various [[antiquarian]] societies. He became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland on 30 November 1859.<ref>[http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_004/4.1_prelims.pdf Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland. Volume 4. 1862. p. 10.] Society's membership list.</ref>

Jeffrey was an acknowledged expert on the history/archaeology of the [[Scottish Borders]]. He wrote several books and contributed many articles to the publications of various [[antiquarian]] societies. He became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland on 30 November 1859.<ref>[http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_004/4.1_prelims.pdf Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland. Volume 4. 1862. p. 10.] Society's membership list.</ref>