[1661/1/477]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of his highness's estates of this present parliament, ratifies and approves the charter made and granted by his majesty's deceased royal grandfather King James VI, of glorious memory, under the great seal of his ancient kingdom of Scotland, to the deceased James [Stewart], earl of Moray, lord Abernethy and Doune, grandfather to Alexander, now earl of Moray, and to the said deceased James, earl of Moray's heirs male and of tailzie mentioned in the foresaid charter, which is of the date at Royston, 16 April 1611, of all and whole the lands, lordship and earldom of Moray, comprehending all and sundry the lands, baronies and others expressed in the said charter, and especially without prejudice of the generality above-mentioned of the burghs of barony of Darnaway, Doune, alias Douncampsie, and Fisherton of Petty, with all their houses, biggings, yards, acres, tofts, crofts, outsets, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof, together with the power and privilege to buy and sell wine, wax, cloth, narrow and broad, linen and woollen, and all other sorts of merchandise used and wont to be sold in any other burgh of barony within this kingdom, and to make and create free burgesses within the foresaid burghs of barony, and to have therein bakers, brewers, maltmen, butchers, fishmongers and all other artificers required in a free burgh of barony, as also to choose and elect bailies and other officers for the government of the same burghs, and to build and erect therein market crosses, with tolbooths for administering justice to the burgesses and others concerned, together likewise with parish churches for preaching of the word and administering of sacraments, and also to have and hold within the foresaid burgh of Darnaway two free fairs yearly upon the days respectively underwritten, namely, one thereof upon 22 September, and the other of the same upon 22 October, and a weekly market upon Friday, and likewise to keep and hold, within the foresaid burgh of Doune, alias Douncampsie, two free fairs yearly upon the days respectively after-mentioned, namely, one thereof upon 24 July, on the Parktonmuir of Doune, and the other on the Castlehill of Doune, upon 16 October, with a weekly market upon Friday, and also to keep and hold within the foresaid burgh of Fisherton of Petty two free fairs yearly upon the days underwritten, to wit, one thereof upon 31 August and the other of the same upon 15 October yearly, together with a weekly market upon Friday for selling and buying of horse, nolt, sheep, victual and all other sorts of merchandise, with all and sundry the tolls and customs of the foresaid free fairs and weekly markets, and all privileges, liberties, profits and commodities whatsoever belonging to free burghs of barony, as such and as freely in all respects as any other of his majesty's free barons within the foresaid kingdom has bruiked and possessed or may bruik and possess their free burghs of barony of his majesty and his predecessors or successors in any time bygone or to come; together likewise with the precept and instrument of sasine following upon the foresaid charter, and all that has followed thereupon, in favour of the said Alexander, now earl of Moray, and the deceased James, earl of Moray, his father, in all and sundry points, articles and clauses therein-contained, after the forms and tenors of the same, and declares, statutes and ordains that this present general ratification thereof shall be as valid, effectual and sufficient, in all respects, as if the same were at length inserted herein, and had been before the death of the said deceased earls of Moray, father and grandfather to the said Alexander, now earl of Moray, with the which and anent all other defects and imperfections, which may be alleged against these matters, and this present ratification thereof, our sovereign lord, with advice and consent foresaid, has dispensed forever. And further, our sovereign lord, with advice and consent foresaid, hereby declares that it shall be rightful to the said Alexander, now earl of Moray, his heirs male and successors, to bruik and enjoy the burghs of barony respectively above-specified, with the free fairs, weekly markets, tolls, customs, liberties, privileges and immunities particularly and generally above-rehearsed, as such and as freely as any other heritor of any burghs of barony within this realm has bruiked or may bruik the same, notwithstanding that the keeping and holding of the foresaid free fairs have been interrupted by the late troubles, and ordains publication to be made of the same free fairs and weekly markets at the market crosses of the burghs of Elgin, Forres, Inverness and all other places needful.