[1670/7/12]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forasmuch as the disorderlie cariage of some persons, in the withdrawing from the ordinances of the Sacraments in ther oune paroch churches and procureing ther childrine to be baptised by persons not publictlie authorized or allowed, is heighlie scandalous to the Protestant religion and tends exceidinglie to the incress of schisme and profanitie; therfor the king's majestie, with advyce and consent of his estates in parliament, doth statute and prohibit all his majesties' subjects that none of them, of whatsoever degree or qualitie, presume to offer ther children to be baptized by any but such as are ther oune paroch ministers, or else by such ministers as are authorized be the present established government of the church, or licenced by his majesties' councill upon a certificat from the minister of the paroch if he be present or in his absence by one of the nighbouring ministers, and declars that the father of any chyld which shall be otherways baptized shall be lyable to the pains and penalties following viz, everie heretor, lyfrenter or propar wodsetter shall be fined in a fourt part of his valued yeerly rent; everie person above the degree of a tennent, haveing a personall but no reall estate, in one hundred punds Scots; everie considerable merchant in one hundred punds; everie inferior merchant or considerable tradsman and everie tennent labouring land in fiftie punds; everie meaner burges, tradsman, inhabitant within burgh and everie cottar in tuentie punds Scots, and everie servant in halff a yeers fee. And his majestie, with advyce forsaid, requires the shirrifs, stewarts, lords of regalities and ther deputs and magistrats of burghs royall, within ther severall bounds and jurisdictions, to be carefull to put this act in execution, and that upon information from the bishop of the diocess, or any other they call befor them, and judge the persons contraviners therof, and uplift the penalties forsaids. Lykas his majestie, for the further encouragement of the saids shirrefs and others forsaids to doe ther dutie heerin, doth allow them to retaine for ther oune use the fines of the severall persons abovementioned, except these of the heretors for which they are to be comptable to the commissioners of his majesties' thessaury.
[1670/7/13]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our soveraign lord, with advyce and consent of the estates of parliament, statuts and ordains that the register of sasins, reversions and other wreits, which be the 16[th] act of the 22[nd] parliament, King James the sixt, are appointed to be registrat, shall be keeped at the burgh of Lauder for the haill lands lyeing within the sherrefdom of Beruick and bailliarie of Lauderdale, and that the clerk present and in tyme comeing who shall be deput and appointed to keep the said register, shall be resident within the said burgh, conforme to the appointment of the forsaid act of parliament, and that under the paine of deprivation of his said clerk's place and service; and his majestie, taking to consideration that by act of parliament bearing date the thrid of Appryle 1661, relative to severall infeftments and former ratifications, the toune of Dunce, as lyeing in the midle and most convenient part of the shire of Beruick, is declared to be the place wher the shirref courts are to be keept and held, and the mercat crose therof to be the place wher all denunciations, publications and other legall executions within the shyre of Beruick is to be used, and withall considering that the said burgh of Lauder is a royall burgh and the only burgh within the shyre, and that the west part of the said shire in some places lyes nearer to Lauder then Dunce; therfor, our soveraign lord, with advyce and consent of the estates of parliament, for the ease of such of the inhabitants of the shyre and his majesties' leidges whom it concerns, and for the good and encouragement of the said burgh of Lauder, declars, statuts and ordains that it shall be arbitrarie to the saids inhabitants, others concerned in all tyme coming, to use and exerce all hornings, poindings, compryseings, publications of inhibitions and interdictions, and all other legall diligences requisite and necessarie, as they shall judge fittest for ther conveniencie, and that aither at the croces of Lauder or Dunce in ther option and election, which being done at ather of the saids croces shall be good and sufficient, notwithstanding of the forsaid act of parliament or any others limiting and restricting the saids legall dilligence to the crose of Dunce. And his majestie, with consent forsaid, heerby ratifies the forsaid act of parliament in favors of the toune of Dunce, in the haill heads therof, except in so far as it is heerby innovat by the libertie and choice abovewrittin. It is always provyded that when any goods, horse, nolt, sheep, cornes or others shall be poinded for debt furth of the burgh of Lauder, or bailliarie of Lauderdale, that the same shall only be comprysed upon the ground of the lands and at the mercat crose of the burgh of Lauder, and shall not be caried to Dunce, notwithstanding of the arbitriment and ratification abovespeit, otherways the saids poindings are declared to be null. Lykas his majestie, with consent forsaid, statuts, ordains and appoints other tuo fairs to be keept at the said burgh of Lauder more nor are appointed alreadie, the one upon the tuentie-nynt day of August yeerlie, to be called St Johns day, and the other upon the sixtein day of November, to be called St Margretmess day, and that yeerlie in tymecoming, with pouer to the said burgh of Lauder to uplift the customs according to use in ther other fairs and to have the haill priviledges for the saids tuo fairs as other burghs hes.
The commissioner adjournes the parliament till Saterday at ten hours, being the 20[th] day.