Act in favour of William Murray

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, understanding that his majesty for the good, true, long and acceptable service done to his highness by his well-beloved servant William Murray, groom of his highness's bedchamber, ever since his highness's infancy and tender years, his majesty, by his highness's letters of gift under the privy seal of the date 5 May 1631, with advice and consent of the lords of exchequer and commissioners within the kingdom of Scotland, gave and granted to the said William Murray, his heirs and assignees all and whole the sum of 40,000 merks usual Scots money, to be paid out of the first and readiest of the treasury, comptrollery and casualties within the said kingdom of Scotland appointed to have been paid at the feast and term of Whitsunday [29 May] 1631; and in the meantime, until the forenamed sum be completely paid, his majesty, with advice of the said lords, conveyed and assigned to the said William Murray and his foresaids the yearly feu mails, feu ferms and duties of all and whole the lands and barony of Bambreich particularly specified in the infeftment made and granted to Mungo [Murray], now viscount of Stormont, then styled Sir Mungo Murray of Drumcairn, knight, and Dame Agnes Murray, his spouse, thereupon, and also the feu mails, kanes and duties of the lands and barony of Strathbraan mentioned in the charter and infeftment granted thereupon to Sir William Stewart of Grandtully, knight, together with the feu mails of the towns and lands specially expressed in the said gift pertaining heritably to John Graham of Balgowne, as the said letter of gift, containing special reservation of the feu mails and duties assigned to the said Mungo, viscount of Stormont during his lifetime for keeping of the house of Huntingtower, at more length purports. And our sovereign lord, understanding that his majesty by his highness's charter under the great seal of the date the [...] day of [...], 1633, has given, granted and conveyed to the said William Murray, his heirs and assignees whatsoever heritably, the heritable office of constabulary and keeping of the castle, tower and manor place of Huntingtower and of the forestry and keeping of the whole woods, meadows, hainings, yards, orchards, parks, plantings and pertinents thereof, and heritable office of stewartry and bailiary of all and whole the lands and barony of Bambreich, containing the special towns, lands and others contained in the charter and infeftment made and granted to the said Mungo, viscount of Stormont and Dame Agnes Murray, his spouse, thereupon, together with certain yearly fees and duties for discharging of the said offices mentioned in the said charter, as in the same at more length is contained. Therefore our sovereign lord and estates foresaid and whole body of this present parliament have ratified and approved and, by this act, ratifies and approves the foresaid letter of gift and charter in all and sundry heads, articles, clauses, provisions, conditions and circumstances thereof after the form and tenor of the same in all points; and his majesty and estates foresaid determine, will and declare that this present ratification is, and shall be, as good, valid, effectual and sufficient in all respects to the said William Murray, his heirs and assignees as if the foresaid letter of gift and charter were herein at length word by word inserted and expressly ratified by virtue of this present act; and dissolves and separates from the crown and patrimony thereof the foresaid duties until the said sum be completely satisfied and paid, dispensing, likewise by this act his highness and estates foresaid dispense, with all and whatsoever acts of annexation and acts of parliament made in 1597 made regarding dispositions and alienations of his highness's annexed property, and generally with all and whatsoever other acts of parliament, general laws or practice of this realm prejudicial to the foresaid gift and charter; and declares the same to be a valid and sufficient right whereby the said William and his foresaids may hold, enjoy, possess and intromit with the foresaid duties and others contained in the said gift and possess and enjoy the offices above-written, intromit with and collect the fees and duties whatsoever given and conveyed for using and exercising the said offices, and to use and convey thereupon at their pleasure in all time coming without any question or action to be moved against the same, until the foresaid sum be completely satisfied and paid; and, if need be, ordains a letter to be made hereupon under the great seal in due form, and that this act shall be a sufficient warrant to the said great seal and writers thereof without any further passing thereof through the register, signet or privy seal, and to the clerk register for inserting and acting of the same in the books of parliament to have the strength of an act of parliament.

  1. NAS, PA2/21, f.99r-v. Back