[1644/6/309]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The estates of parliament, presently convened by virtue of the last act of the last parliament held by his majesty and three estates in 1641, understanding that by an act made in the late convention of the estates of this kingdom upon 15 August 1643 anent the loan and tax mentioned therein all debtors of money upon annualrent were appointed to have retention at the term of Candlemas [2 February] last of 6 of each 100 merks or pounds for which he was liable of annualrent to his creditors at the said term, and also by the said act it was declared that no exemption should be granted to any person whatsoever from the said tax and loan but only of the lands, rents, annualrents and other duties mortified to colleges, schools, hospitals and for upholding of kirks and bridges; and in a similar manner, by a special act made by the committee of estates of the date 1 March 1644, they declared all money belonging to Heriots Hospital and lent in name of the treasurers of and to the use of the same hospital to be free of the said retention, as the said acts respectively purport; and seeing that the lands, teinds, feu ferms and others which pertained to the late bishopric of Orkney and sundry other lands, teinds, rents and others are mortified and conveyed to the provost, bailies, council and community of the burgh of Edinburgh for the use, help and supply of the maintenance of the ministers of the same burgh, likewise certain feu mails, feu ferms, other mails, ferms, teinds and others which pertained to the late bishopric of Edinburgh are conveyed and mortified to the said provost, bailies, council and community of the burgh of Edinburgh and their successors for the maintenance and supply of King James' College situated within the said burgh of Edinburgh, in respect whereof the said teinds, feu ferms and others which pertained to the said late bishoprics of Orkney and Edinburgh respectively are now conveyed and mortified to the said provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Edinburgh and their aforesaids to the pious uses above-mentioned and all and sundry other lands, teinds, rents and others which are mortified to pious uses aforesaid or for any other pious use ought likewise to be freed and exempt from all loan, tax and other impositions whatsoever. Therefore the estates of this present parliament ratify and approve the aforesaid exemption contained in the said act of the convention of estates made anent the aforesaid retention of the said tax and loan and the aforesaid other act of the committee of estates declaring all money belonging to the said Heriots Hospital and lent in the name of the treasurers of and to the use of the same hospital to be free of the aforesaid retention of six per cent at the said term of Candlemas last in all points, and by this act newly exempt all lands, sums of money, teinds, rents, annualrents or other duties mortified and pertaining to whatsoever colleges, schools and hospitals and allotted for upholding of kirks and bridges pertaining to the said provost, bailies, council and community of the burgh of Edinburgh and mortified or provided to them for the pious uses aforesaid or for any other pious use whatsoever, and especially without prejudice of the generality aforesaid the lands, sums of money, rents, teinds, annualrents and other duties mortified to the said Heriots Hospital and the lands, teinds, feu ferms and others which pertained to the said late bishoprics of Orkney and Edinburgh respectively now conveyed and mortified to the said provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Edinburgh and their aforesaids to the pious uses above-mentioned, and all and sundry other lands, sums of money, teinds, rents or others mortified and pertaining to the said provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Edinburgh for pious uses aforesaid or for any other pious use whatsoever from the tax and loan aforesaid and retention above-written and from all other retentions, loans, taxes and other impositions whatsoever bygone, present and to come.