[1649/5/318]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The estaits of parliament, taking into thair consideratioun ane supplicatioun givine in be Mr Robert Ferquhair of Munie, lait provest of Abirdein, schewing that the supplicant, out of his good affectioun to the publict, being imployed be the estaits of this kingdome in the yeirs of God 1640 and 1641, did be his credit furnish victuall and moneys to them in thair then urgent necessities far above his worth. For satisfactioun to him of ane pairt thairof, in anno 1642 the estaits wer pleasit to grant him ane warrand to receave at Londone from Sir Johne Smith four thousand pund sterling of the brotherlie assistance, which at his large expenses he causit receave thair and brought the samen be sea in on shipe from Londone to Bruntylland, not without great hazard of sea and pirats, and heaving brought the samen saiflie to Bruntylland, it pleasit the estaits to cause tak the money to supplie thair then urgent necessities, to his great greiff, hurt and prejudice, the lyk whairof hes bein done to no uther. Eftir which it pleasit them to grant ane act for payment to him at Witsonday 1643 yeirs of the soume of ane hundreth threttie thrie thousand and aught hundreth pundis Scottis money, and thaireftir, the estaits of parliament conveined at St Androis in anno 1646, taking his sufferings and hard conditioun in consideratioun, he heaving receavit no satisfactioun of principall nor annuell, they wer pleasit to grant him ane act of parliament in his favors for payment of principall and annuells, bot be reassoune of thair burdings and pressing necessities could not then fullie satisfie him. They did onlie assigne him to ane thrid of all fyns and forfaltors of malignants and delinquents be north of [the] wattir of Tay and the half of all borrowit moneys for the use of the publict benorth Taye ay and whill he sould be satisfied of his bygane annuells and the half of the principall soume, notwithstanding of which it pleasit the saids estaits to dispose of the most considerable soumes of fyns and borrowit moneys benorth Tay to other usis, so that the supplicant receavit ane verie small proportioun thairof, not on[e] yeirs rent of his principall soume. Now he heaving receavit so many discuragments and being for the publict brought to the poynt of discredit that hornings, inhibitiouns and comprysings are raisit aganis him for the soums treulie contractit be him for the publict (as is notour to some of the saidis estaits of parliament), thairfoir it is the humble desyr of the said supplicant (who is ashamed daylie to importune and trouble the saides estaits) that now at last they will be pleasit seriouslie to tak to heart his pitifull distrest conditioun for the publict and let some reall and effectuall means be found out for his present releif and satisfactioun, at leist of his bygane annuells and some considerable proportioune of his principall soume and securitie for payment of the rest, that he be not sufferit to sink undir burdeins contractit so willinglie for the good of the publict, as the said supplicatioun bears. Quhilk, with the report of the committie appointit for that effect, being takin into consideratioun be the saidis estaits of parliament, they find be the report of the said committie, eftir inspectioun and cognoscing upon the supplicant's accompt of moneyis dew to him be the publict, that be act of parliament of the 3 of Februariii 1646 thair is dew and adebtit to the said Mr Robert be the estaits of this kingdome at the terme of Mertimes 1645 of principall and annuell rent ane hundreth fiftie nyne thousand, sevine hundreth tuentie fyve punds, sexteine shillings, 8 d., whilk is then declaired be the said act to be a publict debt beiring annuell rents, and that the annuell rent thairfoir fra the said terme of Mertimes 1645 to the terme of Witsonday last 1649 (being thrie yeirs and ane half) extends to fourtie four thousand, sevine hundreth tuentie tua punds 13 sh. 4 d., whilk in the haill extends to tuo hundreth four thousand, four hundreth fourtie fyve pundis, sexteine shillings; and that the said Mr Robert hes onlie receavit thairof fra the dait of that act, conform to the particular accompts givin in be him, threttine thousand, fyve hundreth fourscoir sex pundis, fourteine shillings, 10 d., so that thair restis yit de claro to the said Mr Robert Ferquhair at the said terme of Witsonday last ane hundreth fourscoir ten thousand, eight hundreth fyftie nyne pundis, ane shilling, 2 d. Quhilk report the saidis estaits of parliament doeth heirby ratifie and approve and declair the foirsaid soume of ane hundreth fourscoir ten thousand, eight hundreth fyftie nyne pundis, ane shilling, 2 d. Scottis [to] be ane publict debt of this kingdome, and that the said annuellrent of the said soume is dew to the said Robert fra the terme of Witsonday last ay and whill payment be maid to him of the said principall soume. And in regaird of the said Mr Robert, his pressing burdings, and that he hes had severall former actes and assignments whilks hes hitherto altogidder provin ineffectuall, and als in anno 1642 the said Mr Robert, upon his awine large expense, bearing the sea hazard, did caus receave at London and bring to Bruntiland the soume of four thousand pund sterling, whilk wes takin from him for supplieing the urgent necessities of the kingdome at that tyme, the saidis estaits have assignet and assignis the said Mr Robert Ferquhair to the haill fyns and forfaltors of such delinquents as are alreadie fyned or to be fyned and the restis of any publict dews yit in the collectors handis or uther wayis restand and unupliftit preceiding the first of October last in sua far as extendis to the soume of tua thousand punds sterling, he doing the first dilligence eftir the first of October nixt. And in the meane tyme, without prejudice to those that have former assignments, to doe thair dilligence betuixt and the said first of October; quhilks failzing, the said Mr Robert Ferquhair or any of the persouns who hes prior assignments that shall doe the first dilligence eftir the said tyme to be preferrit; and appoints the committie for Lampsins to find a way to satisfie the supplicant of fyve thousand pund sterling by and attor the said 2,000 lib. and in pairt of payment of this soume dew to him be the publict.