[1581/10/114]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of the three estates of this present parliament, ratifies, approves and confirms the provision and gift made to Alexander, commendator of the priory of Coldingham, by his highness, with advice and consent of his late dearest grandfather, Matthew [Stewart], earl of Lennox, lord Darnley, etc., regent to his grace, his realm and lieges for the time, of the said priory and benefice thereof, to be possessed and enjoyed by him, with the whole profits, emoluments, teinds and fruits whatsoever pertaining thereto, during all the days of his lifetime, after the form and tenor of the said provision in all points, of the which the tenor follows:
James, by the grace of God, king of Scots, gives greetings to all good men whom this letter reaches. Let it be known that we, with the advice and authority of our dearest grandfather Matthew, earl of Lennox, lord Darnley etc., our lawful tutor and regent of our and our people's realm and of our lieges, have given, granted and conveyed, and, by the contents of the present document, do give, grant and convey to our beloved Alexander Home of Manderston, for all the days of his life, our monastery, house and priory of Coldingham, with, all and singly, its lands, lordships, baronies, mills, multures, woods, fisheries, annex and connex, annualrents, tenants, tenancies, services of freeholders, teind sheaves, other teinds, fruits, rents, rights, incomes, emoluments, advocation and donation and right of patronage of churches, benefices and any chaplaincies and any others relating or capable of relating to the said house and priory; with regality and all freedoms and privileges of the same, and all their pendicles and pertinents, wherever they lie within our realm, together with an annual pension of 500 merks of currency of the realm of Scotland, from the contributors of teinds, fruits and rents of our said monastery and priory, with which Master Thomas Maitland, brother of the late John [Maitland], prior of Coldingham, was provided. This monastery and priory of Coldingham, with, all and singly, the lands, lordships, baronies, mills, multures, woods, fisheries, annex and connex, annualrents, tenants, tenancies, services of freeholders, teind sheaves, other teinds, fruits, rents, rights, proceeds, emoluments, advocation and donation and right of patronage of churches, benefices, chaplaincies and any others mentioned above, with the said regality, all freedoms, advantages and privileges of the same, and all their pertinents, were in the name of the said John, formerly prior of Coldingham, and now belong to us, and came into our hands by reason of escheat, through the privileges of our crown and realm and our laws and practice, on account of the legal process and judgment or finding brought and carried against the foresaid John, for several crimes of treason and lese-majesty committed by him, for which he stood convicted in our parliament. The foresaid annual pension belonged formerly to the foresaid Thomas Maitland, and now belongs to us, and came into our hands by reason of escheat, as has been said, on account of the process and judgment or finding of forfeiture, by the processes and judgments or findings properly brought and carried, as said before in more detail, against the foresaid John and Master Thomas respectively. Also we name and establish the foresaid Alexander Home, younger, as commendator of our said monastery and priory; we give and grant the house, power of recommendation, and preferment of a commendator or prior for all time to come. Our forementioned monastery, house and priory of Coldingham, wholly and completely, are to be held and had, as well as the foresaid annual pension of the same, with, all and singly, the lands, lordships, baronies, mills, multures, woods, fisheries, annex and connex, annualrents, tenants, tenancies, services of freeholders, teind sheaves, other teinds, fruits, proceeds and emoluments, advocation and donation and right of patronage of churches, benefices, chaplaincies, and any others specified above which do or could relate to the said abbey, priory and pension, their chamberlains, factors and servants in his name; also, all and singly, blench ferms and other ferms, victuals, kanes and dues, with the said regality and all freedoms, advantages and privileges of the same and all their pertinents - in favour of the foresaid Alexander Home, the foresaid commendator, for all the days of his life. There will be authority for him, his chamberlains, factors and servants in his name, to collect, demand, receive, intromit, levy as mentioned above and convey at his pleasure, all and singly, any blench ferms, other ferms, victuals, kanes, dues, teind sheaves, other teinds, fruits, rents, emoluments and profits which belong or relate in any way to the foresaid monastery and priory, together with the said annual pension, at the usual and accustomed terms, for all time to come during the lifetime of Alexander himself. They will also have the authority to use, occupy and convey the house and priory. He will also have the authority to rent, hire or convey, as shall seem expedient to the said commendator, all and singly, the lands, baronies, lordships, mills, multures, woods, fisheries, teind sheaves, other teinds, fruits, rents and any profits of our foresaid monastery and priory, in total or in part, to any person or persons in feu ferm, hereditarily, liferent, or on short or long rentals, or in other ways. Also he will have the authority to reduce, quash or as by law annul, all and singly, any pretended hereditary infeftments or feu ferm rentals, rents, pensions, hires or titles through the said John, formerly commendator, or his predecessors, by themselves or with the consent and assent of the community of our said monastery or in any other way to any person or persons, regarding any lands, lordships, baronies, mills, multures, woods, fisheries, teind sheaves, other teinds, fruits, rents and any profits of the same priory which have been given or rented out in diminution of rental of the same, or loss or prejudice of our said monastery and priory and of the said commendator and community of the same and their successors. He will also have the authority to give and convey, all and singly, tenancies of ward, ferm or blench ferm of the said priory which are vacant, or when they happen to be vacant, with marriages if there are any or any occur; also to use and exercise all profits of the same, the entry of freeholders into the said regality as is agreed, with all freedoms and privileges of the same in all respects; with courts and their outcomes, heritage payments, bloodwit and marriage of women, and with, all and singly, the other freedoms, advantages, profits, easements and any just pertinents, whether specified or not, relating or capable of justly relating in any way in future to the foresaid monastery, house, priory and pension, with, all and singly, the lands, baronies and their respective pertinents mentioned above, freely, quietly, fully, completely, honourably, well and in peace, and as freely in all and through all as the said John, formerly commendator of Coldingham, or any of his predecessors as priors or commendators of our said monastery and priory had or possessed before the said forfeiture. We therefore instruct George Gray in Coldingham and Thomas Gray in Eyemouth, jointly and separately, to go to the said house and our monastery of Coldingham and there confer the institution and possession thereof, with, all and singly, the lands, lordships, baronies, mills, multures, woods, fisheries, teind sheaves, other teinds, fruits, rents and any profits of the said priory with tenants, tenancies and services of freeholders, advocation and donation and right of patronage of churches and chaplaincies of the same and of the said regality, and all their pertinents, upon the foresaid Alexander, commendator of Coldingham, or his legitimate procurator in his name, for all the days of his life, following the form and content of our present donation and disposition. Further, we instruct the lords of our council and session to grant our charter in all four forms at the instance of the said commendator, and ensure that he, his chamberlains and servants in his name are to be answered to, obeyed and are to receive goodwill, payments and disposal, in respect of, all and singly, the blench ferms, other ferms, profits, dues, fruits, rents, rights and other emoluments of our said monastery and priory and the foresaid annual pension, at the usual and customary terms, for all times to come during the lifetime of the said Alexander, and no others, in the due and full form, following the form of our said donation and ordinance. In testimony of this, we have instructed our great seal to be applied to the present document. At Holyroodhouse on 19 May in the year of the Lord 1571 and in the fourth year of our reign. And ordains the lords of council to direct letters of publication hereupon, if need be, in the appropriate form.