Burgess of Edinburgh

Historically, to be a Burgess was to be a 'free man' or 'citizen' of the burgh, who could own land (known as a burgage), contribute to the running of the town and not be under the jurisdiction of any feudal lord.

With the eventual power of the Merchant Company and Incorporated Trades, it was therefore essentially impossible to conduct business in Edinburgh without having been granted a Burgess ticket.

[1][2] Today, the burgess-ship of Edinburgh is still awarded but no longer carries many substantive rights and takes on a predominantly prestigious ceremonial function.

[3] From the late medieval era, Burgess tickets were issued by the Lord Dean of Guild (an ancient office within the City of Edinburgh).

Occasionally when someone of note was made a Burgessm such as a Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the Burgess ticket would be presented in a boxm known as a 'Freedom Casket'.