[1587/7/107]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, with advice of his three estates of parliament, now after his perfect age of 21 years complete, ratifies and approves and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirms the gift and donation made by his majesty before to John Ruthven, son lawful of his late right trusty cousin and councillor, William [Ruthven], earl of Gowrie, lord Ruthven and Dirleton, etc., of the gift of the abbacy of Scone, whole fruits, profits and emoluments thereof, for all the days of his lifetime, as then vacant in his highness's hands for the reasons and causes contained in the said other letters of gift, which are of the date at the castle of Stirling on 7 May 1580; and further, our said sovereign lord, now after his perfect age of 21 years complete, of new gives, grants and conveys to the said John, for all the days of his lifetime, the said abbacy, with all fruits, profits and emoluments thereof in the estate wherein the same now stands, to be possessed by him during the space aforesaid without any revocation. And forasmuch as by the erection of the said earldom the lands, lordships and baronies thereof which of before pertained to the abbacy of Scone are separated from there, our said sovereign lord, with advice of his said three estates in the parliament held at Edinburgh on 29 November 1581, ordained and commanded the collector general and lords auditors of his highness's exchequer to alter the assumption of the third of the said benefice of Scone and to make the just third of the whole rents thereof resting over the yearly feu mails and duties of the said temporal lands, of the which the said earldom was erected as said is, and to assume the said third out of the readiest of the duties, either money or victuals, paid for the kirks and teinds of the said abbey beginning at the crop and year of God 1581, and so forth yearly in time coming, until further order were taken by his highness, with advice of his estates in parliament, and that there should [...]† more be assigned to be paid out of the third of the said abbey, either ministers' stipends or in payment of whatsoever pensions, gifts or other assignations accustomed to be paid out of the third of the said abbey of before but according to [the third]† to be then newly assumed, as the said act of parliament of the date aforesaid at [more]† length purports; according to the command whereof, the lords auditors of our sovereign lord's exchequer, on 20 April 1586, received the rental of the said abbacy of Scone, as the same now stands, and interposed their decreet thereto that the same might stand for the just rental of the said abbacy in the estate wherein it now is in time coming, as an act made thereupon of the date aforesaid at more length purports; which act of parliament and act and decreet of the said lords of exchequer following thereupon, our said sovereign lord and his said three estates of parliament ratify and approve. And further, by the authority of this present parliament, our said sovereign lord, with advice of his said three estates, statutes and ordains that the said act of parliament and act and ordinance of the said lords of exchequer following thereupon shall stand in full strength, force and effect in all time coming, and that the said abbacy shall be no further burdened with the third nor any other charge or burden which may be laid upon the said abbey but according to the present estate of the fruits thereof, nor yet shall the same be in any way stented and taxed in any other charges or impositions but proportionally as the same now is of value; excepting the canons' portions, which of the consent of the said commendator and Sir Lewis Bellenden of Auchnoull, knight, justice clerk, his administrator, are liquidated, every one of them to the sum of 50 merks yearly, whereof they shall make yearly payment to the treasurer and his deputes according to the act of parliament made [concerning]† monks' portions, canons' and nuns' portions after the form and tenor thereof, and ordained the same to be extended in the best form with all clauses needful.