[1585/12/55]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, with advice of the three estates convened in this present parliament, ratifies, approves and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirms the gift and commission made by his highness by his letter under the privy seal to Sir James Home of Cowdenknowes, knight, of the captainship of the castle of Edinburgh, artillery, ammunition and of the sceptre, sword and crown according to the same gift, of the which the tenor follows:
James, by the grace of God, king of Scots, to the lords of our council and session and all others, our lords of our exchequer, all and sundry the ordinary gunners and other officers restricted to make residence within our castle underwritten or having any charge therein, lieges and subjects whom it concerns, whose knowledge these our letters shall come, greeting. Know you us to have made, constituted and ordained and, by these our letters, make, constitute and ordain our well beloved Sir James Home of Cowdenknowes, knight, captain and keeper of our castle of Edinburgh and of all our artillery and ammunition being therein, as also of our sceptre, sword and crown for all the days of the said Sir James's lifetime, and for keeping and custody of our said castle and sustaining of the officers and servants necessary therefore, have given, granted, assigned and conveyed and [by]† these our letters, give, grant, assign and convey to him during the space aforesaid the sum of £800 money, to be paid monthly by equal portions out of the readiest of our great customs of the tron of our burgh of Edinburgh by our customs officer thereof, present and being for the time; and also the victual underwritten of the readiest and first of the surplus of the thirds of benefices after-specified: that is to say, the whole third of wheat of the archbishopric of St Andrews, seven chalders, two bolls, three firlots, one peck; the rest of the third of the wheat of the abbey of Scone, three bolls; the whole third of the wheat of the Charterhouse, two chalders, five bolls, three parts boll; the whole wheat of the third of Lindores, three chalders, four bolls, three firlots, three pecks; the whole third of the wheat of the kirk of Monifieth, one chalder, five bolls, three parts boll; out of the third of the barley of the archbishopric of St Andrews, eight chalders, five bolls, three parts peck; out of the third of the barley of the abbey of Scone, one chalder, two bolls, one firlot, two parts peck; out of the third of the barley of the priory of Charters, three chalders, three bolls, two pecks, three parts peck; out of the third of the barley of the abbey of Lindores, six chalders, nine bolls, one firlot; out of the third of the barley of the abbey of Arbroath, one chalder, nine bolls, three firlots, three parts peck; out of the third of the barley of the bishopric of Dunkeld, four chalders, thirteen bolls, three parts boll; the third of the meal of the archbishopric of St Andrews, four bolls; out of the third of the meal of the abbey of Scone, eleven bolls, one firlot; the whole third of the meal of the priory of Charterhouse, two parts boll; out of the third of the meal of the abbey of Lindores, four chalders, eleven bolls, three firlots, two parts peck; out of the third of the meal of the bishopric of Dunkeld, four chalders; the third of the peas and beans of the archbishopric of St Andrews, one boll, three parts boll; beginning the first month's payment of the said month on 30 November 1585 and the first payment of the said victual at the time of payment used and wont of this crop and year of God 1585, and so forth yearly and monthly as is above-written during the said Sir James's lifetime; with power to him, by himself, constable and officers, which we give him power to make and for whom he shall be held to answer for, to use and exercise the said office of captainship of our said castle with all rights, profits and commodities belonging thereto, likewise and as freely as any other captains had or possessed the same of before. Wherefore we charge straightly and command you, all and sundry the ordinary gunners and other officers restricted to make residence within our said castle, or having any charge therein, that you readily answer, intend and obey to our said captain as you and every one of you will answer to us, upon your obedience, at your uttermost charge and peril; commanding also you, the lords of our council, session and exchequer, that you grant and direct our other letters for answering and obeying of our said captain, his factors and servants in his name, of the whole assignations of money and victual above-specified within ten days after the charge, the terms or any time of payment being bygone, likewise as is used and ought to be given and granted for payment of our property. Moreover we, by the tenor of these our letters, revoke all gifts and dispositions made of the money and victuals written before, given and assigned for furnishing and sustenance of our said castle, and whereof the same has been in possession this time bygone, willing our said captain to be answered, obeyed and paid thereof in time coming and no others according to the effect and meaning of our act of parliament made thereupon, as if no manner of dispositions had been made or given of the same; ordaining this our present commission, gift and assignation to be ratified, approved and confirmed in our next parliament; given under our privy seal at Linlithgow, on 15 November 1585 and of our reign the19th year.