[1587/7/136]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Forasmuch as it [is]† not lawful to any of the king's vassals to sell and transfer their lands in prejudice of his majesty, their superior, even so it is found expedient, statute and ordained by our sovereign lord and three estates in this present parliament that it shall not be lawful to any of his highness's free burghs to sell or transfer their freedom and privilege, in whole or in part, to any other burgh or otherwise whatsoever, without express licence and consent of his highness and three estates in parliament, under the pain of omission and loss of the freedom of the burgh either buying or selling the said freedoms in whole or in part as said is.
[1587/7/137]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of the three estates of this present parliament, ratifies and approves the gift granted by his highness, under his privy seal, of the date of 3 January 1586 [1587], to the deacon and master of the goldsmith craft and their successors and whole privileges, liberties and immunities therein specified concerning the said art and craft, providing always the same gift and ratification thereof in this present parliament in no way shall be prejudicial to the appointment and decreet arbitral lately given and pronounced by his highness and certain other judges, arbitrators, between the merchants and craftsmen of Edinburgh, and likewise that the power granted to them therein for convening of whatsoever person, contravener of their acts, etc., in no way shall be further extended but to such persons that dwell, remain and contravene any of their acts within the said burgh of Edinburgh, liberty and jurisdiction thereof.
[1587/7/138]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, understanding that the creation and erection of the port and town of Burntisland in a free burgh regal is not only very commodious and convenient for the policy and ornamentation of this realm, but also is and has been most profitable, as well to his highness's subjects as to other strangers for sure harboury and safety of their ships, vessels and goods repairing to the same; as also considering that his highness in the late charter of confirmation and erection of the said burgh has, in the word of a prince, faithfully promised to ratify and approve the erection and creation of the said burgh and port by a special act of parliament after his perfect age, therefore, with advice of the three estates and whole body of this present parliament, his highness, now in his perfect age, for him, his heirs and successors, by this act, ratifies, approves and confirms the letters of demission, resignation and surrender made by the late George [Dury], archdean principal of St Andrews and commendator perpetual of the abbey of Dunfermline and convent thereof, in favour of his highness's dearest grandfather, King James V of most noble memory, his heirs and successors, of all and whole the said port and harbour of Burntisland (called the Port of Grace) and of the stone house, tower and fortalice, sometimes called the Abbothall, with the lands adjacent thereto, whereupon the said town is built, as the said letters at length bears. Item, the charter, infeftment, precept and instrument of sasine granted by the said King James V of the said burgh to the provost, bailies, burgesses and inhabitants thereof, erecting, making and constituting the same a free port and burgh regal with all privileges, freedoms and liberties of a free burgh, together with the late act of parliament made with advice of the three estates thereupon at Linlithgow, [...] December 1585, and the ordinance contained in our said act concerning the receiving and admitting of the commissioners of the said burgh in all parliaments, conventions, councils and assemblies where burghs have vote, as freely as the commissioners of any other burgh within this realm, with all things that have followed thereupon; and in special, with advice aforesaid, ratifies and approves for his highness and his aforesaids the said late and new charter of confirmation, disposition and erection lately granted by our said sovereign lord, with advice of the lords of his highness's secret council, to the provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh and their successors heritably of all and whole the same burgh and port, lands, tenements, burgh roods and communities thereof, and their whole liberties and pertinents, with all bounds, meiths and freedoms, clauses, circumstances and articles contained therein, as the said charter bears; together with the letters of ratification and approbation of the whole premises made by Patrick [Gray], master of Gray, then commendator of the said abbey of Dunfermline and convent thereof, for them and their successors, with the renunciation and discharge contained in the same letters of all action, right, title or claim which they or their successors had, or may have, against the said port or burgh, or any part thereof, in favour of the said provost, bailies, council and community and their successors, and all other points and clauses contained in the same letters registered in his highness's books of [...] bears; and ordains the same to be effectual in all times coming, and also, with advice aforesaid, ordains the burgesses and freemen of the said burgh admitted and to be admitted to be used, accepted and handled in all parts and places of this realm likewise and as freely in all respects, privileges and liberties as the burgesses and freemen of any other burgh within this realm.
[1587/7/139]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord and three estates of this present parliament, understanding that the burgh of Crail is infeft of old by his highness's late dearest predecessor, Robert, king of Scots, in the liberty, privilege and freedom of a free burgh, bounded between the middle water of Leven to the burn of Putekin, with a free market to be held upon Sunday, as the extract of their infeftment under the great seal at more length purports; and his majesty, having consideration that all markets held upon Sundays are discharged by act of parliament, therefore our said sovereign lord, with advice of the three estates of this present parliament, alters and changes the said market of Crail, which was held upon Sunday of before, to be held now and in all time coming upon Saturday, discharging by this act all other markets to be held to burgh or to land between the said middle water of Leven and the burn of Putekin aforesaid outwith the said burgh of Crail forever, which bounds are the proper liberty and privilege of the said burgh of Crail, granted thereto of old by the said infeftment and now found and declared by this present act to be sufficient in all time coming, under the pain of escheating of all manner of goods that shall be apprehended to be sold at any part within the said bounds upon any day whatsoever outwith the said burgh of Crail forever, the one half to his highness's use and the other to the common good of the said burgh; and ordains letters to be directed thereupon in the appropriate form.
[1587/7/140]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, understanding that in the parliament held in December 1585 there was an act made erecting the town of Anstruther in a free burgh regal, with all privileges belonging thereto, which privileges the inhabitants thereof have possessed, according to their said liberty, and are most willing to contribute and bear such charges for their part proportionally as other free burghs of royalty having the like immunities granted to them; therefore his highness, with advice of the estates of this present parliament, considering how profitable the said erection has been to the common good and lieges of this realm, especially to the burghs thereof in paying of taxes and imposts with them, has therefore created, erected and confirmed the said burgh of Anstruther in a free burgh royal, with all privileges, liberties and immunities granted thereto, to be possessed by the present inhabitants within the same and their successors in all time hereafter as freely as any other free burgh of royalty is within this realm, which ratification our said sovereign lord and three estates aforesaid declare by this act shall in no way be prejudicial nor hurtful to the rights of other barons.†