[1641/8/302]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament ratify and approve to and in favour of the provost, bailies, burgesses and community of the burgh of Renfrew and their successors, provost, bailies, council and community thereof, a charter of confirmation containing a new disposition granted by the late King James VI of blessed memory to and in favour of the provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Renfrew, whereby his majesty ratified and confirmed to them all and sundry charters, infeftments, precepts, instruments of sasines, confirmations, acts, decreets and sentences, with all donations, privileges, liberties and immunities contained therein made, given, granted or confirmed by the said late King James VI, or his most noble progenitors, to the said burgh of Renfrew and inhabitants thereof, whatsoever tenor or tenors, content or contents, date or dates the same be, and specially (not excluding the generality foresaid) ratifying and confirming to them a charter granted by the late Robert [I], king of Scots, of most worthy memory to the burgesses and community of the said burgh of Renfrew and their successors of all and whole the whole fishings of the water of Clyde, pertaining to the said burgh by law and custom, according to the old meiths and marches thereof, together with the ferms of the said burgh and small customs and tolls of the same whatsoever, as well within the said burgh as outwith the same, within the whole barony of Renfrew, with mill, multures and sequels of the same, with courts and profits thereof whatsoever; as also granting to the said burgesses and their successors that no market thereafter be held within the said barony of Renfrew but in the market of the said burgh under the pain of forfeiture; as also granting to them and their successors that they and their successors be as free and exempt in time coming from all tolls and small customs as any other burgh within the kingdom of Scotland, as in the said charter granted by the said late King Robert of the date at Linlithgow, 10 November [1313], and of his majesty's reign the eighth year, at more length is contained. And also a charter and foundation given and granted by the said late King James VI, with advice and consent of the late James [Douglas], earl of Morton, regent for the kingdom of Scotland and subjects thereof for the time, to the said bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Renfrew and their successors for ever, of all and sundry lands, tenements, buildings, chapels, houses, yards and annualrents whatsoever pertaining to whatsoever chaplainries, kirks and altarages underwritten, founded within the liberty of the said burgh and pertaining thereto, namely: the altarage of St Marie pertaining to Sir William Jackson, possessor thereof for the time, the altarage of St Christopher, of old possessed by the late Sir Thomas Robertson, the altarage of St Ninian and Andrew, of old possessed by Sir Matthew Knox, the altarage of St Bartholomew, of old possessed by the late Sir Harry Hall, the chaplainries and altarages of St Thomas, of old possessed by the late Sir Robert Oystler, and another of the said St Thomas possessed of old by Sir David Neil, and the chaplainry of St Marie, of old possessed by the late Sir Thomas Robertson, together with the obit silver† of the said burgh, extending yearly to the sum of 40s, and also all and whole the chaplainry called Our Lady's Chapel within the said burgh, with the whole ground, yard and pertinents of the same, as in the said charter granted by King James VI, with consent of his said regent, of the date 5 February 1575 at more length is contained. Together with all and sundry other charters, infeftments, donations, privileges, immunities, sentences, decreets and other writs and evidents whatsoever, granted by the said late King James VI and his most noble progenitors to the said provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Renfrew or their predecessors or successors or in their favour concerning the erection of a royal burgh, with all rights and privileges belonging thereto by the law and custom of the said kingdom of the said lands, annualrents and others above-written, with the pertinents, and also of new gave and granted to them and their successors their said burgh with the whole liberties, privileges and others thereof above-written, with the pertinents, together also with diverse and sundry other liberties, privileges and immunities particularly set down in the said charter of confirmation containing the said clause of novodamus, given under his majesty's great seal at Edinburgh, 11 August 1614, as the same in the self at more length purports, in all and sundry the heads, points, clauses, articles, circumstances and conditions contained therein and after the form and tenor thereof in all points. And our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament will and grant and, for his highness and his successors, decree and ordain that this present ratification is and shall be as valid and sufficient and of as great strength, force and effect to the said provost, bailies, council, burgesses and inhabitants, community of the said burgh of Renfrew and their successors, for possessing of the said burgh, whole customs, lands, tenements, houses, muirs, fishing, annualrents, fruits, rents, emoluments and duties whatsoever, specially and generally above-written, and of the altarages, prebendaries and chaplainries foresaid, and the said power, liberty and jurisdiction of his highness's public ways and gates without and about the said burgh of Renfrew and within the bounds foresaid and liberties foresaid and others contained in the said charter of confirmation above-written, as if the same whole charter was at length and specially engrossed word for word in this present ratification, notwithstanding that the same be not so done; concerning which, and with all other defects, imperfections and objections whatsoever which may be proposed or alleged against the said charter and validity of the same or this present ratification thereof, our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament have dispensed and, by this ratification, dispense for ever.