| Administrative History | The origins of the royal burgh of Tain, in the parish of Tain, in the sheriffdom of Inverness before 1661, in the county of Ross until 1890, and in the county of Ross & Cromarty 1890-1975, are uncertain. A retour of inquest, dated 1564 suggests that the royal burgh of Tain was established by Malcolm III (1058-1093). It has been claimed that Malcolm's charter erecting the burgh was given in 1066, although evidence to support this is wanting. Such a date would make Tain the oldest burgh in Scotland. Further unsubstantiated claims would have Tain erected a burgh of barony at some point after 1314 and erected a royal burgh in 1439. Firm evidence comes only in 1588 with a charter of James VI, confirming the privileges and status of the royal burgh of Tain. Though the charter states that Tain was a royal burgh of old, erected by the king's predecessors, it does not reveal who these predecessors were.
Burghs wishing to take on extended powers over such matters as cleansing, lighting, public health and policing could obtain local acts, following Glasgow's lead in 1800, to acquire a range of responsibilities. From 1833 onwards they could make use of public legislation that made available to burghs a variety of powers over what were then categorized as policing matters. These powers, which could be adopted in whole or in part, were to be exercised by elected police commissioners, who might also be members of the burgh council. The ten-pound householders of Tain decided against adoption of the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. IV c.46), but the town did become a police burgh in 1854 when the householders adopted parts of the Police of Towns (Scotland) Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c.33). The fifteen burgh councillors - a provost, 3 baillies, a dean of guild, a treasurer and 9 other councillors - served also as police commissioners. As a parliamentary burgh Tain joined with Wick and five other burghs to return one MP to the United Kingdom parliament. From 1863 to 1867 Tain undertook a piecemeal adoption of sections of the General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Act 1862 (25 & 26 Vict. c 101) not already covered by its partial adoption of the 1850 Act. The police commissioners were abolished under the Town Councils (Scotland) Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. 49) which replaced them and the burgh council with a single town council. From 1930, under the terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo. V, c.25) Tain was classed as a small burgh, retaining this status until 1975, when its town council was abolished in accordance with the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65). Its powers were assumed by Highland Regional Council and Ross and Cromarty District Council. |