[A1641/8/51]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
To the king's most excellent majesty and the honourable estates of parliament, the humble supplication of Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton, Sir William Douglas of Cavers, William Drummond of Riccarton, John Smith, bailie of Edinburgh, Master Alexander Wedderburn, town clerk of Dundee and Hugh Kennedy, burgess of Ayr, humbly showing that where we, the said Sir Patrick Hepburn, Sir William Douglas, John Smith and Master Alexander Wedderburn were this last year bygone entrusted with a commission and employed in the treaty of peace begun at Ripon and still did continue under the same burden and charge until the treaty was transferred to London, at which time we your said whole six petitioners were authorised with a commission to proceed in the said negotiation, which we undertook and have undergone until the happy conclusion of the said treaty. After the which, having now returned to this honourable meeting of parliament the whole proceedings and articles of the treaty, we, and every one of us, do in all humility lay down that commission laid upon us at the seat of his majesty and this high court of parliament and do most willingly and humbly submit ourselves, our whole actions and deportment in that great and weighty charge to your examination and consideration, wherein we offer ourselves ready to give an account and make answer to the effect that if we or any of us have been remiss or negligent in the discharge of our duties and obedience to the commandments and instructions given to us, or if we have for fear of any hazard or upon hope of any benefit, preferment or anything else whatsoever done anything contrary to your instructions or prejudicial to the public, we or any of us who has been defective may undergo that censure which the wrongdoers of the country and abusers of such great trust deserve. And if your majesty and this honourable house shall find that we have acquitted ourselves faithfully of that charge and trust was laid upon us then do we all and every one of us most humbly crave (seeing our negotiation is now at an end, and that by God's assistance and blessing the treaty of peace is closed) that as our weak endeavours have been truly and sincerely contributed to the service of this kirk and kingdom, so we may be exonerated and discharged of that weighty burden we have so long lain under, and that our proceedings therein may be approved. And the answer of his majesty and this honourable house humbly we crave.†
[A1641/8/52]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
To the king's most excellent majesty and the honourable house of parliament,
I, Master Robert Barclay, provost of Irvine, humbly show that where I was directed by those who were entrusted by the parliament in November 1639 as one of the commissioners from them in company with [Charles Seton], earl of Dunfermline, [John Campbell], lord Loudoun and [Sir William Douglas of Cavers], sheriff of Teviotdale, for clearing the imputations laid upon the said parliament and to give satisfaction to his majesty regarding their proceedings at that time, in the which negotiation I studied to behave myself as become one who was entrusted with such an honourable charge. And albeit the Earl of Dunfermline, the sheriff of Teviotdale and I at our return to Scotland did render an account of our proceedings, yet in respect of the troubles of the time those entrusted in the affairs of the kingdom had not time to examine particularly my particular carriage and either to have approved or censured me accordingly as I should have been found to demerit, this makes me now, in all humility, to entreat your majesty and this honourable house to take trial of my carriage in the said employment and either to censure me if I shall be found to have omitted anything entrusted to me in charge or to have committed anything to the prejudice of your majesty and the kingdom; or otherwise to approve my proceedings if they shall be so found to deserve. And I shall ever as I am bound pray etc.†
[A1641/8/53]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
My lords and others of the estates of parliament, to your lords humbly means and shows your lords' servant, John Chisholm, apparent heir of the late James Chisholm of Cromlix, my brother-german, that where by an act of this current parliament and by sundry former acts of parliament of this kingdom made by his majesty's predecessors of blessed memory it is statute and ordained that whosoever should happen to be slain or take sickness through which they should die at the army or coming therefrom, that their heirs should freely have their own wards, reliefs and marriages conferred on them to be conveyed upon by them as they should think expedient, and that freely without any composition. And true it is that the said late James Chisholm, my brother, being employed in the public service when made captain of a foot company in my Lord Drummond's regiment and continued captain therein until his decease; likewise my said late brother being in the said service at Newcastle contracted sickness thereat and died at Kelso. And therefore I should have the benefit of the said acts of parliament conferred on me to have my own ward, relief and marriage granted to me freely without any composition, I being only brother-german and apparent heir to my said late brother. Therefore I beseech your lord to have consideration of the premises and to recommend the passing of a gift of my ward, relief and marriage in my own favour, freely, without any composition, according to the tenor of the foresaid acts of parliament. And your lords' answer.
23 September 1641
Read in presence of his majesty and estates of parliament, who ordain [Sir James Carmichael], treasurer depute, and lords of exchequer to pass the gift written within to the supplicant or any other to his benefit whom he shall desire freely, and ordain the clerk to give forth the duplicate hereof under his hand if need be.
[John Elphinstone, lord] Balmerino, in presence of the lords of parliament