[1641/8/316]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament ratify and approve to and in favour of Sir William Douglas of Cavers, knight, sheriff of Teviotdale (styled in the charter underwritten William Douglas, fiar of Cavers) and to his heirs and assignees whatsoever a charter granted by the late King James VI, under the great seal, of the date at Holyroodhouse, 31 July 1618, whereby the said late King James VI gave, granted and conveyed to the said Sir William Douglas of Cavers, then styled William Douglas, fiar of Cavers, sheriff of Roxburgh, his heirs and assignees whatsoever heritably, all and whole those five merk lands called the kirk lands of Cavers underwritten, namely: the three merk land of Cruike, one merk land of Whitriggs, called Husie, and one merk land in Cavers, called Beige, with houses, buildings, yards, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof whatsoever, together with advocation, donation and right of patronage of the parsonage and vicarage of the parish kirk and parish of Cavers, with the teinds, fruits and rents thereof whatsoever, lying within the parish of Cavers, which five merk land and kirk of Cavers above-written, with the pertinents, of before pertained heritably to the late John [Ramsay], viscount of Haddington, lord Ramsay of Melrose and Barns, and were held by him of his majesty and his successors immediately, and as a part of the temporality, patrimony and property of the lordship of Melrose, and were by him and his procurators and letters patent lawfully resigned and given over in his majesty's hands, and the lords of his majesty's secret council, having his majesty's power and commission to receive resignations within this kingdom, as in the hands of his superior of the same, made by virtue of the act of annexation of all kirk lands of this kingdom to the crown, and by virtue of the act of parliament dissolving the said lordship of Melrose and erecting and creating the same and several lands thereof in a free and temporal lordship to be held blench of his majesty purely and simply as is usual, with all right he had thereto, in favour and for new heritable infeftment to be given and made by his majesty to the said Sir William Douglas and his foresaids, which infeftment contains a clause of novodamus and bears to be held of his majesty and his successors in feu, heritage and free blench ferm in all time thereafter by all right, meiths and marches thereof whatsoever; as also bearing in the clause of reddendo to be paid by him to his majesty of £3 10s at the feast of Whitsunday [May/June], and to the minister the sum of 500 merks money, as the same charter containing the foresaid clause of novodamus under the great seal of the date foresaid in itself at more length bears 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 force, strength and effect to the said Sir William Douglas, his heirs and successors for possessing the said five merk lands called the kirk lands of Cavers above-designed and whole fruits, rents, emoluments and duties whatsoever above-written, with advocation and donation and right of patronage of the said parish kirk and parish of Cavers, teinds, fruits and rents thereof whatsoever and others contained in the said charter above-written, as if the same whole charter were at length specially engrossed and inserted 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.