[1540/12/55]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, to the confusion of all heresy, that all the sacraments be held and honoured as they have been in all times bygone within this realm according to the laws and doctrine of the Holy Kirk.
[1540/12/56]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, that the glorious Virgin Mary, mother of our blessed saviour Jesus Christ, be reverently worshipped and honoured over all this realm and that prayers be made to her to make intercession to God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Ghost for the succession, health, welfare and prosperity of the king's grace, [Mary of Guise], his queen, our sovereign lady,† and their prosperous successes, peace, unity and concord between our said sovereign lord and all Christian princes, and between them all to resist the enemies of the Catholic faith, and between his grace, his estates and lieges; and that his highness and people may remain constantly in the faith and follow the law of God according to the statutes and doctrine of the Holy Kirk received and kept by his predecessors, kings of Scotland, and people in all times bypast since they first received the same; and likewise prayers to be made to all saints, in special and in general, and that worship be had to them.
[1540/12/57]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, that no manner of person question nor impugn the pope's authority under the pain of death and confiscation of all their goods, movable and immovable.
[1540/12/58]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, that because of the negligence of divine service, the great dishonesty in the kirk through not making of reparation to the honour of God almighty and to the blessed sacrament of the altar, the Virgin Mary and all holy saints, and also the dishonesty and misrule of kirkmen, both in wit, knowledge and manners, are the matters and causes that the kirk and kirkmen are belittled and contempted, for remedy hereof, the king's grace exhorts and prays openly that all archbishops, ordinaries and other prelates, and every kirkman in his own degree, reform themselves, their obediencers and kirkmen under them, in habit and manners to God and man, and that they cause in every kirk within their diocese under their jurisdiction, cure and rule reparation and reparelling to be honestly and substantiously made and done to the honour of God almighty, the blessed sacrament and divine service, every kirk after the quality and quantity of their rents; and if any person, alleging themselves to be exempt, will not obey nor submit to their superior in that behalf, the king's grace shall find remedy thereof from the pope's holiness, and likewise against the said prelates if they be negligent.
[1540/12/59]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, that no one hold or allow to be held in their houses or anywhere else congregations or conventicles to commune or dispute the Holy Scripture unless they be theologians approved by reputable universities or admitted thereto by those who have lawful power; and similarly that no man, whatsoever state or condition he be of, lodge, shelter, cherish nor favour any heretic; and in case any receives or knows where they are, they shall immediately denounce and accuse them before the next lawful justice officer under the pain to be punished as heretics.
[1540/12/60]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, if any heretics have been abjured or otherwise have been admitted lawfully to penance and grace, none of them shall converse or commune with others about any matters touching our holy faith under the pain to be held as relapsed; and also that no person who has been suspected of heresy, although they be received to penance and grace, shall in this realm exercise, have or possess any honest estate, degree, office or judicatory, spiritual or temporal, in burgh or without, or in any way shall be admitted to be of our council.
[1540/12/61]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, where any persons being suspected of heresy and lawfully summoned to answer for the same are fugitive, that they shall be banished and condemned as heretics, and it shall not be lawful for any man to solicit, procure or make supplication for their purgation, reduction or grace under the pain to be punished as favourers to the heretics; and the said fugitive persons are not to be admitted to purgation or otherwise to reconciliation or yet to remain or converse in our realm. Also, we forbid all our subjects, of whatsoever estate they be of, to present requests, make any supplication, defend, supply, indite or write to, counsel, help, procure or make advocation, solicitation, labour or assist in any way heretics, fugitives or those banished thereof, or other condemned persons that are, or have been, of the said reproved sect of heresies, to have or impetrate any grace of their errors, which we will in no way is to be accorded to them, under the pain to be punished as assisters to heresies.
[1540/12/62]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, to stop the private congregation and conventicles of heretics where their errors are spread, that any man who first reveals immediately or accused anyone who has kept the said conventions, if he has been one of them himself, for the first time he shall be free therefrom and absolved thereof, so that he be a good Christian man and have the right faith, permitting him never to intromit with the said errors in time coming; in case he be not of the said congregation, then he shall have one part of the confiscation of him that he accuses as the lords think expedient to statute and ordain, and this to be extended to all those that reveal or accuse any heretics to have one part of their confiscation; and so that no man pretend ignorance thereof, that it be commanded under pains to all sheriffs, provosts and bailies of burghs to publish by open proclamation these acts at the head places of their jurisdiction twice in the year.
[1540/12/63]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
And regarding images of holy saints canonised and approved by the Holy Kirk, it is statute and ordained that none break, cast down or in any way treat irreverently or do any dishonour or irreverence to the said images.
[1540/12/64]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The king's grace, with the advice of his three estates of parliament, understanding that the institution of his college of justice and acts made thereupon are right profitable to his grace and all the whole realm and, therefore, now after his perfect age of 25 years, has ratified and approved, and ratifies and approves for himself and his successors, the institution of the said college of justice and the acts made for administration of justice therein; and also ratifies and approves the confirmation, ratification and approbation of [Clement VII], our holy father the pope, of the erection of the said college and of the gift of all benefices, rents given and to be given, assigned and to be assigned for the honest sustentation of the said college of justice, and all privileges granted and to be granted thereto by our said holy father the pope and his highness; and wills and ordains, for the causes foresaid, that the said college and institution thereof remain perpetually for the administration of the justice to all the lieges of this realm, and to be honoured as any other college of justice in other realms. And also gives and grants to the president, vice-president and senators power to make such acts, statutes and ordinance as they shall think expedient for ordering of processes and the hasty expedition of justice; and in absence of the president and vice-president wills that the eldest in order of the said senators be president for the time, to the effect that there be no stop of justice at any time through the absence of the said president and vice-president.
[1540/12/65]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, because the shooting of guns, hackbuts, hand-bows and other small artillery now commonly used in all countries, both by sea and land, in their wars is so savage and of such great danger to the high courage of noble and valiant men, whose acts and deeds cannot be shown unless they too have provision of these instruments of war and battle, it is therefore statute and ordained by the king's highness, with the advice and consent of the three estates of his realm, that every landed man within the same shall have a hackbut of found, called the hackbut of croichart,† with their cams,† bullets and pellets of lead or iron, with powder suitable thereto, for every hundred pound of land that he has of new extent, and he that has only a hundred merk land shall have two culverins, and each man having a forty pound land shall have one culverin, with cams, lead and powder appropriate thereto, with gun supports, to be at all times ready for shooting of the said hackbuts; and that every man of living foresaid shall have one man or more as he may furnish for shooting of the said hackbut and culverins and to teach others to shoot the same; and that every man have the said artillery belonging to his living, substantiously furnished as is said, ready within 18 months after the publication of this act, under the pain of doubling of the price that will buy each piece of the said artillery, to be applied to the king's grace use for buying of the same for himself; and the said 18 months being passed, that every man make his musters with the said artillery, well-furnished as is said, at the next wappenschawing thereafter to the partakers and receivers of the said wappenschawings, which being done they shall not be bound to bring the said artillery to any wappenschawings thereafter unless they be specially required thereto by the writings of his grace the king or by the sheriff or other judge ordinary under the king's grace; and that this act be extended as well to the lords of regality and their tenants as to them of the royalty, and that every kirkman furnish such artillery in the manner above-written to be shown at wappenschawings as is said after the value and quantity of their temporal lands, and that their artillery remain at the castle, abbey or mansion of the bishop, prelates or kirkmen, to be kept there and left to his successors who shall be held to uphold the same for the defence of the realm. And because it cannot be now clearly known of every burgh the value and quantity of the artillery and how much they may furnish, therefore, it is ordained that letters be written to the provost, bailies and aldermen of every burgh of this realm signifying to them this statute and ordinance of the manner of furnishing artillery to be made by the barons and kirkmen, charging them, therefore, to convene their council, advise and conclude what artillery and in what manner each burgh may furnish themselves, and refer again to the king's grace within 15 days after they have been charged thereto, that his highness may be advised therewith; with certification if they fail in the said matter, his grace shall cause them to be taxed after the value and quantity of their common good and substance for furnishing of the said artillery; and ordains that ladies of conjunct fee and liferent shall furnish according to the quantity of their living for support of the barons and other landed men in the supply of the said artillery.
[1540/12/66]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, because neither artillery nor harness can be furnished nor made ready according to the acts made thereupon unless the same be brought home by merchants, therefore, it is statute and ordained that every merchant sailing out of this realm, or sending his goods extending to a last of goods, shall bring home as often as he sails or sends his goods at every time two hackbuts of croichart† or as many as his wealth may furnish, with powder and cams† for furnishing of the same, or else as much metal as will make the said hackbuts, with powder pertaining thereto, and likewise harness for furnishing of the lieges of our sovereign lord in manner foresaid.
[1540/12/67]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Item, for the bringing in of our sovereign lord's property and casualties yearly to his exchequer, so that his treasurer and comptroller may be well furnished for achieving all such things that pertains to them to do, and that in times coming they shall have no cause to complain except due to their own default and negligence, it is therefore statute and ordained that all sheriffs, stewarts, customs officers, chamberlains and other intromitters with our sovereign lord's property compear at every exchequer where it shall be held for the time, and make their accounts and full payment equal with the rolls before their departing, each one for their own part so far as they have intromitted with or might intromit with by reason of their office, they doing diligence thereto under the pain of warding of their persons, there to remain during the king's will; and as for the casualties, ordains all sheriffs, stewarts, bailies and others that ought to make account, reckoning and payment of the same to compear yearly in the exchequer by themselves, or their suitable deputies, at the day assigned to them by the precept, and there make account, reckoning and payment of all such casualties and do their utter diligence thereto by the consideration of the lords auditors, and depart not foresaid until they have done the same under the pain foresaid.
[1540/12/68]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, regarding the execution of the acts of parliament made of before by our sovereign lord's progenitors upon those who commit slaughter, and for apprehension of our sovereign lord's rebels and diligence to be made therein by sheriffs and other officers of the realm, both in regality and royalty, it is statute and ordained that the acts made thereupon of before be put to execution in all points, and that all sheriffs, stewarts, bailies and all other officers, both to burgh and to land, as well in regality as in royalty, do their diligence to search and seek all our sovereign lord's rebels and those being at his horn, wherever they may be apprehended with their bailiaries, take and bring them to our sovereign lord's justice to be justified for their demerits under the pain of loss of their offices for three years, if they have the same in heritage, and if they have the same for years, that they shall lose the same forever, and to be accused upon their diligence in that behalf in the justice ayre or at other particular diets as shall please the king's grace; and that no manner of man within this realm wilfully or knowingly harbour, aid or maintain or do favours to any of our sovereign lord's rebels and those being at his horn within their houses, lands, bounds or bailiaries under the pain of death and confiscation of all their movable goods, and to be called and accused hereupon, either at justice courts or particular diets as is said; and if the officers of the regality be found negligent, they being required hereto, it shall be lawful to the king's sheriffs to put the said acts to execution within the said regality after the form and tenor of the same, and that the justice clerk enquire diligently hereupon and take dittay as appropriate.
[1540/12/69]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, because the crimes of theft, stealing and robbery are so commonly practiced amongst the king's lieges, and for staunching of the same, it is statute and ordained in this present parliament that where any of the king's lieges express a grievance or complain upon a thief that has reived or stolen his gear or his men's, and is in service or in submission to the authority of any man and shows the same to the man that he is in service with, and would accuse him before the law for the same, this man that this thief or reiver is in service with, or finds him with him or under his submission, shall be held and obliged to produce and bring him to the law before the justice, sheriffs or any other that has knowledge to do justice upon such persons, committers of such crimes, at days and places affixed to them to underlie the same, or else shall deliver the said thief or reiver to the complainer to be brought to the law and judged as is said; and if his master or sustainer of this thief or reiver refuses to do the same, he shall be held art and partaker of his evil deeds and shall be accused thereof as the principal thief or reiver, and also shall restore and satisfy to the complainer the goods reived and stolen from him; and if this complainer, after he has arrested this thief or delivered to him as is said, would make agreement with the said thief and take thift-bute† and put him from the law, in that case he shall underlie the law and be accused thereof as the principal thief or reiver; and if he arrests and accuses him of the said theft or robbery and is found innocent thereof, the said complainer shall be held and obliged to give to the said man who he slanders innocently £10 for amends of the said slander.
[1540/12/70]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
It is statute and ordained that no manner of person to burgh or to land buy any manner of fish in market or other places to pack or peel until 11 o'clock in the morning, and from 11 o'clock to 2 o'clock in the afternoon it shall be lawful to buy fish and pack and peel the same as they think most expedient, and nonetheless, that all our sovereign lord's lieges, cadgers and others within this time of the day be served for their money for fish to the furnishing of the country; and likewise from 2 o'clock in the afternoon to six o'clock in the evening it shall not be lawful to pack or peel the said fish, but that all our sovereign lord's lieges at the said times of day may be served all manner of fish and buy the same for their silver, for sustentation of their houses and serving of the country; and that no manner of person in this realm, merchant or others, send or have any manner of white fish out of the same, but it shall be lawful for strangers to come within this realm to buy the same from merchants and freemen of burghs with ready gold and silver, or by bartering of sufficient merchandise with the said merchants, or with the owners thereof, for the necessary sustentation of their houses only; and where any persons have any fish packed or peeled, that they be ready at all times to sell the same to all our sovereign lord's lieges for furnishing and sustentation of their houses and the country, under the pain of confiscation of the same; and to stop rising prices in markets within burghs, it is statute and ordained that the provosts, aldermen and bailies of burghs on every market day pass and visit the markets and set a price on all manner of fish according to the time, and that they diligently enquire if any manner of person gives arles† or money on any manner of fish that comes to the market, to the effect that the same may be sold upon a higher price, that they take and punish the said persons as wholesalers, forestallers and resellers against the commonwealth.
[1540/12/71]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, regarding the article making mention that the 'crown of the sun'† is commonly refused within this realm, it wanting one grain of the weight, although the same has passage in other countries and especially in the realm of France, it weighing the 'crown of the king', therefore, it is thought expedient for the common good that no manner of person within this realm refuse to take the said crown of weight in payment or for change for other money after the form of the proclamation of his grace the king, supposing the same wants one grain only, under the pain to be called and accused as breakers of the said act of parliament. And because sundry persons having white silver will not change for gold, but take thereof 12d or more for exchange of the same, in high contempt of our sovereign lord and his authority, therefore it is statute and ordained that all manner of persons having white money, that they readily change all manner of gold contained in our sovereign lord's proclamation of the pieces contained in the same, without taking of any manner of money for that under the pain foresaid and to be accused as oppressors of our sovereign lord's lieges, and that no manner of man take upon hand to clip the crown of weight, or any other gold of weight, through pretence of this act, under the pain to be accused and punished as a forger of the money of his grace the king, according to the common law and statutes of the realm.
[1540/12/72]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, touching exorbitant dearth and prices of wine, salt and timber, it is statute and ordained that the provost, bailies and council of burghs where any ships or strangers arrive, or shall happen to arrive in time coming, laden with wine, salt or timber, convene with the merchants that own the said wines, salt and timber and buy or set a reasonable price upon the same, and that no manner of man, freeman or unfreeman, buy any of the said wine, salt or timber except from the said provost and bailies or owners thereof and at the prices set by them as is said, no man to buy until the king's grace first be served and his grace and officers being content for as much as it will please them to take to our sovereign lord's use only; that all noblemen of the realm such as prelates, barons and other gentlemen of the same be served at the same prices, and thereafter all and sundry our sovereign lord's lieges be served upon the said prices; and if any man comes in contrary thereof or forestalls the said wine, salt or timber, the same to be escheated to the king's grace; and if the provost, bailies and council are found negligent in the exercising of their offices, they are to lose the same and not to possess any office or honour for the space of three years thereafter; and if any freeman or other Scotsman dwelling in this realm brings home any wine, salt or timber upon their own adventure, that the provost and bailies of burghs, at the entering of the ships in the books of the town, review and consider their merchant bills and how the said wine, salt and timber was cost and sold, and similarly consider the merchants' expenses and freight, and thereafter set a reasonable price how the same may be sold, and as they decide, that the same be sold at the same price and no higher; and that the provost and bailies do diligence to enquire and get knowledge in due time of year how wine, salt and timber is sold and cost in other countries, that they may make the prices better corresponding to the quality of the goods.
[1540/12/73]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, regarding the hospitals, it is devised, statute and ordained that the acts of parliament made thereupon of before by our sovereign lord's most noble progenitors be put to execution in all points and that certain visitors be made, to the effect that they may pass and consider the foundation of all hospitals and cause the same to be kept according to the first foundation, and the said visitors to be named by the king's grace.
[1540/12/74]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, touching the reparations and mending of the deformities within the town of Edinburgh, and especially where there are common passages and entry whereby all strangers and our sovereign lord's other lieges pass and repass, it is thought expedient and also it is ordained that the provost, bailies and council of Edinburgh give warning and charge all manner of the persons who have any lands, buildings and waste ground upon the west side of Leith Wynd that they, within a year and a day, honestly build and repair their said waste ground and ruinous houses, and that they begin to do the same within three months, and that they end the same within a year and a day, or else sell the same to others to be built within the said space, and to charge those who are known personally and others by open proclamation at the market cross of Edinburgh, with certification to them if they fail, the said provost and bailies shall cause the said lands, tenements and waste ground to be apprised and shall sell the same to anyone who will buy them and pay the prices thereof to the owners; and if no man will buy them, it shall be lawful to the said provost and bailies to cast down the said waste lands and with the stuff and stones thereof build an honest, substantious wall from the port of the Nether Bow to the Trinity College; and it shall not be lawful in time coming to any manner of person to pursue them or their successors thereof, or pretend any right or entry thereto, in time to come, neither for the principal land nor for annualrent owing furth thereof. And because the east side of the said wynd pertains to the abbot and convent of Holyroodhouse, it is ordained that the bailies of the Canongate cause the same to be done upon the said east side. And also because of the vileness that comes by the slaying of animals by the butchers dwelling on the east side and the emptying of entrails of beasts generating corruption, it is therefore ordained that the same be forbidden by the provost and bailies of Edinburgh and Canongate under the pain of confiscation of all such meat slain by them in the manner foresaid.
[1540/12/75]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, because the market of meal and other victuals of the town of Edinburgh is common upon the High Street, to the sight of all manner of persons, strangers and others, and that a multitude of vile, dishonest and miserable creatures convene to the said market daily to get their sustentation and living, therefore, it is thought expedient that the said meat market be removed from the High Street to some honest, suitable and convenient place where the neighbours of the said town and the king's other lieges may convene for the selling and buying of such victuals in time to come.
[1540/12/76]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, it is statute and ordained that, forasmuch as it has been heavily complained to our sovereign lord that his lieges have been greatly hurt in times bygone by judges, both spiritual and temporal, who have not been only judges but plain solicitors, partial counsellors, assisters and partakers with some of the parties, and have taken great gear and profit, therefore, it is statute and ordained that in time coming that all justices, sheriffs, lords of session, bailies of regalities, provost and bailies of burghs and their deputies, and all other judges, spiritual and temporal, as well within regalities and royalties, shall do true and equal justice to all our sovereign lord's lieges without any partial counsel, rewards or taking of bribes farther than is permitted of the law, under the pain of the loss of their honour, fame and dignity, if they be tainted and convicted of the same; and if any manner of person accuses any judge, temporal or spiritual, as well lords of session as others, and does not prove the same sufficiently, he shall be punished in the same manner and sort as the said judge or person about whom he complains, and shall pay a pain arbitral at the will of the king's grace or his council for the infaming of such persons, providing always if a spiritual man fails, that he be called before his judge ordinary.
[1540/12/77]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, for eschewing of inconveniences that often and at diverse times happen in this realm of the newly invented craft and falsehood committed and daily done by those who sell their lands or convey the same from a burdensome title that puts their bairns or other friends and person in state of the same before the date of the selling or giving thereof to others as is said, therefore, it is statute and ordained that whoever sells and conveys any lands or annualrents to any manner of person for any cause where warrandice may fall and puts others in a private state thereof, not by resignation in the hands of his grace the king, or by confirmation with precept passed out of the chancellery, or by plain resignation in the overlord's hands or confirmation of the overlord, and the person who happens to get their lands and possesses the same peacefully a year and a day by labouring, manuring and uptaking of the mails, profits and duties and so known heritable possessor thereof for a year and a day, the person or persons having private state and sasine of the said lands shall never be heard to claim the same against the second heritable possessor for any cause, but to pursue his interest against the principal giver and his heirs, and the person, seller or giver, to be called and declared infamous at the instance of his grace the king, and to be punished in his person and goods at the will of his grace the king; and if the overlord receives double resignations wittingly to the effect above-written, they to be punished similarly, and this act to be extended to those that make double assedations and double assignations.
[1540/12/78]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, regarding the remedy to be put to the fraud daily committed by the heritors of those who are dead and are owing great sums of money to sundry persons, their creditors, and the said heirs fraudulently delay and will not enter to their lands so that they may be distrenzied for the said debts in case they be not distrenziable in other movable goods, therefore, it is statute and ordained that letters shall be directed by deliverance of the lords of council and at the instance of any complainer to command and charge the said heritors, they being of perfect age, to enter to their lands, a year and a day being past after the death of their father or predecessors to whom they succeeded, to enter to the same with 40 days next after their charge, and failing thereof, letters shall be directed to the sheriff of the shire and his deputies to apprise the said land to the said creditors for the said debts, if they be liquid, which process of apprising shall have as great strength, force and effect as if the said heirs were entered thereto, and the said apprised lands to be held of the immediate superior thereof, providing always that it shall be lawful to the said heritors and their successors to redeem the said lands within seven years according to the act of parliament made thereupon of before and after the tenor thereof in all points.
[1540/12/79]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, it is devised, statute and ordained that the old privilege of burghs be observed and kept regarding merchants and merchandise according to our sovereign lord's laws, statutes and acts of parliament made of before, and ratifies and confirms the same in this present parliament with all privileges granted to them by our sovereign lord and his most noble progenitors of good mind, whom God absolve.
[1540/12/80]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, it is statute and ordained that no person use packing or peeling of wool, hides or skins lost or laid outwith free burghs and their privilege thereof.
[1540/12/81]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, our sovereign lord, with the advice of the three estates of parliament, ratifies and approves the acts and statutes made of before regarding the having of money outwith the realm by prelates, kirkmen and others in furnishing of their expeditions and business, but that the finance thereof be made by merchants.
[1540/12/82]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, it is statute and ordained that one kind and measure be made for salmon, herring and keeling,† and that the same be kept throughout all the realm, and that the said measure be according to the acts of parliament, and to that effect that each cooper have a burning iron of his mark to mark each barrel, and similarly the town to have a searcher who shall have the town's mark in keeping to burn each barrel, so that our sovereign lord's customs thereof be not defrauded; and if any fish and salmon be found in such barrels unmarked, the same to be escheated and similarly the empty barrels, the one half to our sovereign lord and the other to the town.
[1540/12/83]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, it is statute and ordained that if any person pursues another within burgh, that the loser of the cause pay the winner's expenses to be modified by the judge according to the common law and daily practice of the lords of council.
[1540/12/84]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, because it is heavily rumoured that all craftsmen of this realm, and especially within burghs, used such extortion upon our sovereign lord's other lieges by reason of their crafts and of private acts and constitutions made amongst themselves, contrary to the common good and in great hurt, prejudice, damage and harm to all the lieges of this realm, therefore, it is statute and ordained that, in all times coming, it shall be lawful to all our sovereign lord's lieges who have any buildings or reparations to be made for the making of policy in this realm, either to burgh or to land, to choose good craftsmen, freemen or others as he thinks most expedient for the ordering, building and ending of all such works; and if any craftsmen begins the said work and delays to end the same, that the person who causes to build the said work or reparation foresaid is to choose and take others in their places as often as need be to complete and end the said work for the policy of the realm, and that no impediment be made to such craftsmen using their craft as is said by any other of the said craft within this realm under the pain of the loss of their freedom and breaking of the acts of parliament; and that the provost and bailies of all burghs take inquisition hereupon and put this act to execution in all points.
[1540/12/85]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, it is statute and ordained regarding false finishers of cloth and dyers of false colours, that in every burgh there be a qualified man chosen to seal all cloth and shall have for his labour of each piece sealed 12d, and if any such finishers of cloth be apprehended, that one half of the said goods to be our sovereign lord's escheat and the other half to the burgh, and the said finishers within burgh for the first fault to lose their freedom for a year and a day, and for the second fault forever; and similarly those outwith burghs beating, chalking, greasing or flailing cloth, that the same be escheat and they held to refund the harm to the owners; and if the said sealer is found guilty of sealing insufficient coloured or drawn cloth, he is to lose his freedom and to be punished in his person and goods.
[1540/12/86]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, it is statute and ordained that if any forestallers be apprehended forestalling any manner of merchandise, victuals, poultry or whatever goods within the freedom of the burgh, that the officers of the said burgh escheat the same, the one half to our sovereign lord's use and the other half to the burgh according to the act of parliament made hereupon of before, and that no other officer have power thereto within the bounds of free burgh.
[1540/12/87]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
It is statute and ordained that no burgh have one weight with which to buy and another with which to sell, different in weight therefrom, but that all burghs have one universal weight of the stone both for buying and selling of all stuff in time to come.
[1540/12/88]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord, with the advice and consent of his three estates, has annexed the lands underwritten to remain perpetually with his grace and his successors as patrimony of his crown, with all clauses, restrictions and provisions such as are contained in the annexation of other lands made by his highness in his last parliament and by his predecessors kings of Scotland, and wills that the same be held as for expressed in this present act, of which lands the names follow: that is to say, all and whole the lands of Cromarty and Brae of Mar; all and sundry the lands of Hindeland,† with the tower and fortalice of the same and their pertinents, advocations and donations of kirks and chaplainries; all and sundry the lands and barony of Easter Wemyss, tower and fortalice of the same, advocation and donation of kirks, tenants, tenantries, particles, pendicles, annexes, connexes and pertinents thereof, and all other and sundry lands which pertained to the late James Colville of Easter Wemyss, knight, at the time of his death and now pertaining to our sovereign lord by reason of doom of forfeiture given thereupon; and also the lands of Buckhaven, except so much thereof as pleases the king's grace to give to the abbot and convent of Dunfermline in exchange for one part of their lands of Wester Kinghorn beside Burntisland, according to the charters to be made thereupon; and also except it shall be lawful to our said sovereign lord to set his said annexed lands in feu for augmentation of his yearly rent according to the act of dissolution made in this present parliament.
[1540/12/89]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, because it is thought by the king's grace and the whole three estates of his realm that the setting of his lands in feu, both annexed and not annexed, is to the great profit of his crown, so the same be made in augmentation of his rental, it is therefore statute and ordained by our said sovereign lord and his three estates in this present parliament that it shall be lawful to his highness to set all his proper lands, both annexed and not annexed, in feuferme to any person or persons as he pleases, so that it be not in diminution of his rental, grassums or any other duties but in augmentation of the same, and to set them with such clauses as he thinks expedient and to be given according to the condition foresaid, and that the lands that he sets in his time as is said to stand perpetually to the heirs after the form of their condition, and that this statute endure for the lifetime of the king, our sovereign lord that now is, only, so that the lands that he sets in his time with the conditions foresaid shall stand perpetually, and after his death the annexations which are made of before shall return again to their own nature, so that his successors shall not have power to alienate or set in feu more than they had before the making of this statute.