[1646/11/430]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forsamekle as the estates of parliament, being verie sensible and taking into ther serious consideration the prejudice, skaith and losse quhilk the merchands and traders by sea of this kingdome hes susteand and ar likelie more and more to susteane by these pirats, frigots and friebuters that infests thir coasts, impeding all schippes and barkis from trading, taking the schippis and guidis and killing the men, whiche undoubtedlie will rwine the merchand trade and barre all commerce and benefite by sea without remeid be provyded for the same; for remeid quherof the estates of parliament have thocht fitt and ordanis that thair be two sufficient shippis of warre (eache of them at least carieing auchtene peece of ordinance, and ilk schip haveing aboard thriescore sufficient mariners and souldiors, togidder with ane pinage to attend the saids shippis) of ten peece of ordinance and threttie men presentlie furneist and outreiked for guarding of the sea coasts, safetie of the merchandis shippis and barkis and suppressing of the foresaids pirats and friebuters; and that the foresaids shippis and pinage be conduced with and takine on for the space of thrie monethis to the effect aforesaid. And the estate appointis and ordanis Archbald Syidserfe, baillie and commissionar for the burgh of Edinburgh, George Gardine, commissionar for the burgh of Bruntyland, and Robert Whyte, commissionar for the burgh of Kirkcaldie, with all diligence to provyde the foresaids shippis and pinage of the burden abonespecefeit, with sufficient mariners, souldiors and ordinance respective beforerehearsed, and to outreik, conduce and tak them on for the space of thrie monethis to the effect abonewrittin. And gives heirby power and warrand to the said Archibald Syidserfe and the uther tua commissionars abonenamed if neid beis to command and press schippis and men for this service as they sall find necessitie. And ordanis the generall of artilliarie to give sick ordinance with ball correspondent as salbe fund necessar for outreiking of the saids two shippis and pinage and as the said Archbald Syidserfe sall desire and demand for that effect. And ordanis all diligence and expedition possible to be done and care and panes to be tane for outreiking of the foresaids two schippis and pinage for the service foresaid and all and everie one having interest to be assisting therintill. And the estates, haveing also tane in consideration the expenses of interteaning of the foresaid two schippis and pinage during the space foresaid, they find the expenses therof will extend monethlie to fyve hundereth pund sterling, inde for the saidis thrie monethis to fyiften hundereth pund sterling, quhilk sowme they ordane to be provided and payed as followis, viz: the erle of Crawfuird Lindsey, principall thesaurer, offered of his awne frie will to provyde and advance the sowme of twa hundereth and fyiftie pund sterling out of his awne propper moneyis upon publict securitie, and ordanis the thesaurer of the excise to advance presentlie the sowme of uther tua hundereth and fyiftie pund sterling, quhilk compleitis the first monethis pay of the thrie monethis abonementioned, and quhilks tua sowmes the estats ordanis the erle of Crawfuird Lindsey, thesaurer, of his awne consent and James Stewart, thesaurer of the excise, presentlie to advance and pay to the said Archbald Syidserfe upon his ticket of recept, to be imployed be him to the effect abonespecefeit. And the estates gives heirby precept and warrand to the said James Stuart for this effect, and alse ordanis the generall commissar to doe all diligence for getting in and making up of the uther two monethis pay, extending to ane thousand pund sterling, and to pay the samen to the said Archbald Syidserfe upon his ticket of recept out of the remander of the first monethis mantenance yit unpayit and not assigned to be imployed be the said Archbald to the effect beforerehearsed.