Legislation
[Anent the ward, relief and marriage of the heirs of those that die in the host against Englishmen or the traitors to the realm]†

On the which day [John Stewart, duke of Albany], my lord governor, with advice of the three estates of the realm, has statute and ordained in this present parliament that if any man is slain or mortally injured in a host or army against our old enemies of England or traitors of Scotland in pursuing or defending now in a time of war moved or to be moved between this realm and the realm of England, in that case the heirs of those that are slain shall have the ward, reliefs and marriages of the king's grace and my lord governor free, dispensing with their age whatever age they be of, to be applied to the utility of the wives, heirs and bairns of those that are slain, for the upholding and sustentation of the said wives, heirs and bairns, so that through the death of their husbands they remain not wholly in poverty and desolation. And similarly, all the lords spiritual and temporal have consented and consent that all persons that hold lands of them that be slain or mortally wounded as said is shall have and enjoy the privilege of the act, and also all vassals and subvassals who hold lands of barons or other overlords and happen to be slain or mortally wounded in the said host or army, their wives, heirs and bairns are to enjoy the effect and privilege of the said act as is before written, and that letters be directed thereupon in due form as is fitting.

  1. NLS, H.33.c.32(1), Sir John Skene, The Lawes and Acts of Parliament maid be King James the First and his Successors Kings of Scotland, visied, collected, and extracted furth of the Register (Edinburgh, 1597), f.100v. Back
  2. Act titles given in printed version, which almost certainly would not have been contained in the original manuscript register. Back
  3. NLS, H.33.c.32(1), Sir John Skene, The Lawes and Acts of Parliament maid be King James the First and his Successors Kings of Scotland, visied, collected, and extracted furth of the Register (Edinburgh, 1597), f.100v. Back
  4. Act titles given in printed version, which almost certainly would not have been contained in the original manuscript register. Back
[Regarding the tacks and steadings of those that are slain, as said is]†

Item, it is statute and ordained by the whole three estates of parliament that whatsoever tenant gentleman, unlanded or yeoman, having tacks or steadings of any lords or lairds, spiritual or temporal, who happens to be slain by Englishmen in our sovereign lord's army or service, or gets deadly wounds in the same, the wives and bairns of those who shall happen to be slain or wounded to the death, as said is, shall enjoy their tacks, mailings or steadings for their sustentation during the space of five years next after the slaughter or wounding to death of the said tenants, grassum free, paying only customary mails, duties and service owed and due.

  1. NLS, H.33.c.32(1), Sir John Skene, The Lawes and Acts of Parliament maid be King James the First and his Successors Kings of Scotland, visied, collected, and extracted furth of the Register (Edinburgh, 1597), f.100v. Back
  2. Act titles given in printed version, which almost certainly would not have been contained in the original manuscript register. Back
  3. NLS, H.33.c.32(1), Sir John Skene, The Lawes and Acts of Parliament maid be King James the First and his Successors Kings of Scotland, visied, collected, and extracted furth of the Register (Edinburgh, 1597), f.100v. Back
  4. Act titles given in printed version, which almost certainly would not have been contained in the original manuscript register. Back