[A1661/1/53]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Patrick Craigie in Kirkwall, George Spence, David Corner, John Edmiston, Patrick Halcro, Thomas Wilson, Patrick Spence and John Pottinger, inhabitants in the said town of Kirkwall, being summoned to appear before the parliament by an order of the late committee of estates for allegedly usurping the office of magistracy within the said town by virtue of a warrant from the usurper, and for their non-compearance were declared fugitives and denounced rebels. And having complained that the same was done by the means of William [Douglas], earl of Morton most unjustly, did obtain suspension of the said decreet of parliament and warrant to summon the said William, earl of Morton before the parliament and commissioners for bills for hearing the reasons of the said suspension discussed and decreet of parliament and all that had followed thereupon simply suspended. The said commissioners for bills, after hearing of the said complainers' process and the process of the said William, earl of Morton debated upon the reasons of the said suspension, do conceive it fitting to remit the discussing of the said suspension and grounds thereof to the judge ordinary; and in the meantime to discharge the suspenders to exercise any other power or jurisdiction than they did before the time of the usurpers within the said town of Kirkwall, and that it be declared still permissible to them to exercise any power they were in use of then before the time of the said usurpers.
22 March 1661
Read and approved and an act ordained to be extracted hereupon.
[William Cunningham, earl of] Glencairn, chancellor, in the presence of the lords of parliament