Burrough, Borow, or Burgh, is frequently used for a town or corporation which is not a city.

in its original Saxon borge, or borgh, is by some supposed to have been primarily meant of a tithing or company consisting of ten families, who were bound and combined together as each other's pledge. Afterwards, as Vertegan informs us, borough came to signify a town that had something of a wall or inclosure about it: so that all places which among our ancestors had the denomination borough, were one way or other fenced or fortified. But, in later times, the same appellation was also bestowed on several of the ville insigniores, or country towns of more than ordinary note, though not walled.

The ancient Saxons, according to Spelman, gave the name burgh to those called, in other countries, cities. But divers causes being made for removing the episcopal fees from villages and small towns to the chief cities, the name city became attributed to episcopal towns, and that of borough retained to all the rest; though these too had the appearance of cities, as being governed by their mayors, and having laws of their own making, and sending representatives to parliament, and being fortified with a wall and castle, and the like.

or burgh, is now particularly appropriated to such towns and villages as send burgesses or representatives to parliament. Boroughs are equally such, whether they be incorporate or not; there being great numbers of our English boroughs not incorporated; and, on the contrary, several corporations that are not boroughs; e.g., Kingston, Deal, Kendal, &c.

BOROUGHS, in Scotland. See Law, No. clviii. ii.

Royal Boroughs, in Scotland, are corporations made for the advantage of trade, by charters granted by several of their kings; having the privilege of sending commissioners to represent them in parliament, besides other peculiar privileges. The Royal Boroughs are not only so many distinct corporations, but do also constitute one entire body, governed by, and accountable to, one general court, anciently called the court of

four boroughs, held yearly to treat and determine concerning matters relating to the common advantage of all boroughs. The four boroughs which composed this court were, Edinburgh, Stirling, Roxburgh, and Berwick; which two last falling into the hands of the English, Linlithgow and Lanark were put in their places; with a saving to the former, whenever they should return to their allegiance. But this court not being sufficient to answer the necessities of the royal boroughs, they were all empowered, under James III. in 1487, to send commissioners to a yearly convention of their own, which was then appointed to be held at Inverkeithing, but is now held at Edinburgh, under the denomination of the convention of boroughs, vested with great power, and having for their object the benefit of trade, and the general interest of the boroughs.