Legislation
Anent provisioun for armoure

Oure soverane lord and estaitis presentlie convenit ratifeis, approves and confermes the act of counsall maid at Haliruidhous, the tuentie sex of Februare lastbypast in the haill pointis and articles of the samyn, and ordanis the samyn to haif the force, strenth and effect of ane act of this present conventioun, and ordanis his hienes thesaurare to be cairfull and diligent in uplifting and intrometting with the penalteis quhilk salhappin to be incurrit be ony persoun in not observeing of the said act, and the samyn penalties to be applyit haillelie to the furnesing of armour and of all uther weirlyke provisioun for his majesties house, of quhilk act the tennour followis: At Haliruidhous, the tuentie sex day of Februare the yeir of God jM vC fourescoir sevintene yeiris. Forsamekle as it is maist requiseit that in tyme of peax provisioun be maid and cair takin for the weir quhen at Godis pleasour the samyn salhapin to fall out; and his majestie and lordis of his secreit counsall, considering that thair is diverse gude and lovable lawis and actis of parliament maid and set out be his hienes maist noble progenitouris, and speciallie be King James the fyft, his hienes guidschir of worthie memorie, anent harneis, wapounis and armour that everie man be armit according to his rent and of generall mustouris and wapinschawingis and towardis the premunitioun thairof, and sindrie utheris ordouris tending to the preparatioun for weir and defence of the realme, quhilkis of a lang tyme bygane hes not bene dewlie observit and put to executioun, to the grit hurt and prejudice of the commoun weill; thairfoir his majestie, with avyse of the lordis of his secreit counsall, hes thocht meit, concludit and resolvit that everie erle, lord, barroun and utheris his hienes leigis of the rank, degrie and substance heirefter specifeit salbe furnischit and armit as is heirefter prescrivit within the space of ten monethis nixt efter the publicatioun heirof at the mercat croces of the heid burrowis of this realme: that is to say that everie erle be armit and furnist with corslet of pruif, heid peaces, vanbraces, teslettis and ane Spanische pik, and that he be furnist with tuentie stand of armour in maner foirsaid for his awin houssald. That everie ane of the saidis lordis be alsua armit in the samyn forme and maner and furneist with ten stand of the samyn armour for his awin houssald. That everie barroun be lyikwyis armit as said is and furnist with ane compleit stand of the foirsaid armour for everie fyftene chalder of wictuall that he may spend. That everie barroun and gentilman quhais leving dependis not upoun wictuall salbe provydit and furnist with ane compleit stand of the foirsaid armour for everie thowsand merkis of his yeirlie rent. That everie gentilman vailyeant in yeirlie rent thrie hundreth merkis owther in wictuall or silver be furnist with ane licht corslat and pik or ells ane muscat with forcat, bedroll and heid pece; and this to be extendit alsweill to thame duelland to burgh as to landwart. That the provestis, baillies and counsall duelland within everie burgh tak ordour, everie ane of thame within thair awin boundis and jurisdictioun, that everie ane of thair nychtbouris, burgeses, induellaris within thair toun worth fyve hundreth pundis of frie geir, be furnist with ane compleit licht corslet, ane pik, ane halbert or tua handit suorde or ells ane muscat with forcat, bendrole and heidpece, and that for everie licht corslat and pik within thair burgh thair be tua muskattis, and that everie schiref and sic utheris as salbe appointit commissionaris to this effect tak the lyke ordour with all and quhatsumever persounis duelland to landwart within thair boundis and jurisdictioun being of the lyke rank, estait and substance. Attoure his majestie, with avyse of the saidis lordis, for the mair spedie effectuating of this ordour, hes alsua thocht meit to appoint ane generall mustouris and wapinschawing to be maid be all his hienes leigis universallie throw all the pairtis of this realme upoun the first day of Maii in the yeir of God jM vC fourescoir nynetene yeiris, to be ressavit be the schireffis, stewartis, baillies of regaliteis and ryalteis assistit with sic commissionaris in everie schyre as it sall pleis his majestie be his missive lettre to appoint, and be the provestis and baillies within burch; and to the effect nane sall pretend ignorance heirof, ordanis lettres to be direct to officiaris of armes, schireffis in that pairt, chairgeing thame to pas and mak publicatioun and intimatioun of the premises to all and sindrie his hienes leigis be oppin proclamatioun at the mercat croces of the heid burrowis of this realme and all utheris places neidfull, and als to command and charge all the saidis erles, lordis, barronis, gentilmen and utheris particularlie abonespecifeit to prepair and furneis thameselffis and thair houssaldis with the severall armour befoir expressit within the said space of ten monethis nixt efter the publicatioun heirof at the mercat croces of the heid burrowis of the schirefdomes quhair thay dwell under the panes following: that is to say, everie erle under the pane of tua thowsand merkis, everie lord ane thowsand merkis, everie barroun for everie fyftene chalder of wictuall that he may spend ane hundreth merkis, and everie uther persoun of the rank and substance abonewrittin fourtie pundis; and siclyke to command and charge the foirsaidis personis and all utheris his hienes leigis duelling alsweill to burgh as to landwart, regalitie as ryaltie, to prepair and address thame selfis weill and substantiouslie provydit, furneist and armeit, ilk ane of thame particularlie as is abone prescrivit, to geve and mak thair mustouris and wapinschawingis upoun the said first day of Maii in the yeir of God foirsaid, in presence of the saidis schirefis, stewartis, baillies of regaliteis and ryalteis and sic utheris as salbe appointit his hienes commissionaris within everie schirefdome for ressait of the samyn mustouris, certefeing thame that failyeis in ony point of the premises or salbe fund absent fra the same mustouris, or yit that beis present sall not be armit according to the tennour of thir presentis in everie point, thay being of the rank or substance abonespecifeit, that not onlie sall the panes abonementionat be uptakin of thame, bot that thay salbe notit, repute and estemit as nocht compeirand to the saidis mustouris and wapinschawingis and the panes prescrivit be the saidis actis of parliament maid thairanet salbe execute aganis thame with all rigour and extremitie in exampill of utheris. Sic subscribitur, James R[ex], W. Elphingstoun, secretarie.

  1. NAS, PA8/1, f.8v-9v. Back