[1704/7/9]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Patent creating [John Dalrymple], viscount of Stair earl of Stair, read and ordered to be recorded, whereof the tenor follows.
Anne, by the grace of God, queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland, and defender of the faith, to all honest men to whom our present letters shall have come, greetings. In as much as we royally consider the extraordinary† and brilliant services done for us and our royal forebears by our most loyal and well-beloved kinsman and councillor John, viscount of Stair, and his ancestors, and the zeal and affection for our person and government shown by him and his family on every occasion; therefore for these and very many other considerations, we have decided of our kindness to confer upon this same John, viscount of Stair, some token of our royal favour; know therefore that we have made, constituted and created, and by the tenor of this patent do make, constitute and create the said John, viscount of Stair earl of Stair, viscount of Dalrymple and lord of Newliston, Glenluce and Stranraer, by granting and conferring upon the forementioned John, viscount of Stair, and the male heirs of his body, (failing whom, upon the male heirs of the late James, viscount of Stair), the title, honour, rank and dignity of earl with each and every prerogative, pre-eminence, precedence, privilege and immunity whatsoever relating thereto. By this patent we ennoble and invest the foresaid John, viscount of Stair and his foresaid heirs with these for all future time. This same John, viscount of Stair and his foresaid heirs are to hold and have the foresaid title, rank and dignity of earl, viscount and lord with each and every prerogative, pre-eminence, precedence and privilege foresaid from us and our royal successors in all parliaments, meetings of the estates, general councils and other assemblies whatsoever, public or private, in our kingdom, as fully and freely in every respect and condition as any other earl, viscount and lord of similar title, honour and dignity has enjoyed in the past, or will be able to enjoy at any time past, present or future. Moreover, we command the lyon king of arms and the brethren of his court to give [and] prescribe for the foresaid John, viscount of Stair, now earl of Stair, such additions to his coat of arms as shall seem appropriate to him and them on this occasion. We ordain and declare that these our letters patent furnished with our great seal shall be as valid and effective for him and his foresaid heirs to possess the foresaid title, honour, dignity and rank with every privilege and anything else pertaining thereto, as if he and his foresaid heirs had been invested and inaugurated with every rite and solemnity used on such occasions in earlier times. We have granted, and by this patent do grant ourself and our successors a dispensation therefrom in perpetuity. In witness whereof, we have ordered that our great seal be appended to this patent. At our palace of St James's, 8 April in the year of our Lord 1703, and in the second year of our reign. Signed by the hand manual of our supreme lady the queen.
Written to the great seal and registered 23 September 1703. Signed thus: [...]. Sealed at [...].