Legislation: private act
Act in favour of Master Henry Keir†

†Our sovereign lord, in consideration of the long and good service done to [Mary], the queen, his majesty's late dearest mother, and to his late dearest cousin Esme [Stewart], duke of Lennox, etc., by Master Henry Keir, presently his majesty's own domestic servant, and remembering on the said late duke's special recommendations made by writ at the end of his life to his majesty in favour of the said Master Henry, and having respect to the performance of the promise made by his majesty the last year to the French ambassador requesting for him, declares and ordains in his parliament presently assembled that the mains and mill of Darnley, lying within the barony of Renfrew and earldom of Darnley, shall be reserved and excepted specially out of the new infeftment which his majesty makes presently in the said parliament to his dearest cousin Ludovic [Stewart], now duke of Lennox, etc., of the said earldom of Darnley, as also to be specially excepted out of his majesty's general revocation by this act, to the effect that the said Master Henry, his heirs and assignees, may peaceable use, possess and enjoy the said mains and mill, with the pertinents, according to the infeftment made to him and them thereupon by the said late duke, willing that by virtue thereof the said Master Henry and his aforesaids have action and power to call and pursue the tenants of the same and all others whom it appertains for the ferms and duties of the said mains and mill, of the crops and years of God 1585 and 1586, and to have intromission with this present 1587 crop, and yearly and termly in time coming, without any molestation or impediment to be made by the said Duke Ludovic, his tutors, curators, chamberlains and officers whatsoever, and that notwithstanding any gift of the aforesaid mains and mill made to the said duke or any decreet passed thereupon in the contrary, which gifts and decreets his majesty in this respect declares null from the beginning, providing always that the said Master Henry give to the said Duke Ludovic a sufficient reversion for redemption of the said mains and mill of Darnley, containing the sum of £2,000 money, and having received that sum together and at one time then to leave and give over wholly the said mains and mill to the said Duke Ludovic for ever.

  1. NAS, PA2/13, ff.152v-153r. Back
  2. Title of act written in same lighter-coloured ink as the marginal letters. Back
  3. 'P.' written in margin. Back