[1592/4/38]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Forasmuch as it is statute and ordained in the parliament held at Edinburgh, 24 October 1581, that every parish kirk, and as much bounds as shall be found to be a sufficient and competent parish for that, shall have their own pastor with a sufficient and reasonable stipend, according to the which ordinance diverse of the gentlemen dwelling to landward of the parish of St Andrews have exposed and declared to his highness and estates of this present parliament the large quantity and bounds of the parish of St Andrews of old, both to burgh and to land, exceeding seven miles of length, which cannot be sufficiently instructed by a pastor in respect of the populous congregation of the said parish and great distance of the said parishioners' dwellings from the said parish kirk, and therefore have craved the division of the said parish and a reasonable bounds of the landward of the same to be erected in a several parish for their better and more commodious instruction, offering to build a kirk and manse thereto upon their own expenses, which petition his highness and estates foresaid, finding to be most godly and reasonable, have therefore found, designed and declared the particular towns and lands after-mentioned, lying of old within the said parish of St Andrews, to be a sufficient and competent bounds for a several and distinct parish, they are to say: Byrehills, Smiddy Green, Balduff, Bonnytown, Walkmylne, Stravithie, Bannafield, Kinaldy, Kilmerston, Carngour, Lambieletham, Langraw, Feddinch, Unthank for Letham, Lathockar, Hazelden, Easter and Wester Morton; and therefore to have divided the same town and lands particularly above-mentioned from the old parish of St Andrews, and to have erected the same just as his highness and estates of parliament erect the said towns and lands presently above-specified, with the whole bounds, meiths and marches thereof, in a several and distinct parish for that part of the landward of the said parish of St Andrews dwelling upon the same, to be called in all time coming the South Kirk of St Andrews, with power to them to build a parish kirk and manse upon any part of the said lands which shall be found most commodious and convenient by the said parishioners for the resort of the said people thereto, and to convene at the said parish kirk for hearing the word of God and administration of the sacraments at all times convenient, giving, granting and conveying to the said parish kirk all liberties, privileges and commodities that any other parish kirk within this realm has, and discharge the said parishioners of all charges, imposed burdens and taxations to which they were subject of before to the old parish kirk of St Andrews and of all manner of contribution thereto, declaring them to be free thereof in all time coming, so that they shall be only burdened with the building, reparation and upholding of their said new parish kirk and other ordinary charges and expenses belonging thereto.
[1592/4/39]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, remembering that his majesty, upon certain special good and godly occasions tending to the glory of God in the month of November 1589, after his highness's perfect age of 21 years complete and general revocation made in parliament, gave, granted and, for his highness and his successors, committed to his grace's beloved John Shaw of Greenock his majesty's full power, special liberty, faculty and licence to erect and build a kirk, design a manse and yard thereto, in and upon any part or place within the bounds of his own lands and heritage where he shall think most commodious and convenient, whereat his whole tenants shall be held to convene to hear God's word and receive the sacraments in all time coming, ordaining the same to be called the parish kirk of Greenock, and therefore exempting him, his heirs and tenants of his whole lands and heritage now had and to be had by him and them from all keeping and convening to their old parish kirk in any time coming, but at their own will and pleasure; and declared them to be free and perpetually exonerated and discharged of all charge and burden of the same in stent, taxation, repairing, building or any other manner of way in time coming. And further, his majesty, upon the special respects foresaid, has exempted the said John Shaw, his heirs and tenants, present and to come, dwelling upon his proper lands and heritage of Greenock, Finnart and Spango with their pertinents, extending all to twenty eight pounds, thirteen shillings worth of land of old extent, lying in the parish of Inverkip within the sheriffdom of Renfrew, from all payment of any part of any taxation, stent, subsidy, charge and imposition whatsoever to be raised and imposed within this realm in any time hereafter, either ordinary or extraordinary, for any cause or occasion that may happen in respect the said lands are of title extent and the taxation thereof will be but small; and therefore his highness, for his grace and his successors, has decreed and declared the said John Shaw and his foresaids to be free and simply discharged thereof for ever as in the letters of erection granted thereupon under the privy seal, bearing his majesty's faithful promise in the first word not only to provide a sufficient and reasonable stipend to the minister serving the cure of the said kirk of Greenock, but also to ratify and approve the erection of the same kirk, whole privileges and liberties granted thereto in his grace's next parliament, at more length is contained; therefore our said sovereign lord, considering the foresaid erection, liberties and privileges thereof to be granted upon a good and godly intention, with advice of the estates of this present parliament and whole body thereof, ratifies, approves and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirms the letters of erection made and granted by his majesty to the said John Shaw of Greenock and his heirs for the cause and in manner above-written, whole articles, clauses, liberties, privileges, conditions and circumstances whatsoever specified and contained therein; and wills and declares and, for his highness and his successors, with advice foresaid, decrees and ordains that the same letters of erection and this present ratification granted thereupon is, and shall be, sufficient right and title to the said John Shaw, his heirs, successors and tenants for possessing and enjoying of the whole liberties, immunities and privileges contained therein in all time coming; and ordains [Alexander Hay of Easter Kennet], clerk register, and his deputes to insert herein the said letters of erection, whole articles and clauses thereof at length word by word, whereof the tenor follows:
James, by the grace of God, king of Scots, to our collectors and other under-receivers of the stents, taxations, subsidies and impositions, ordinary and extraordinary, to be raised and imposed within this realm and all our executors of any of our other letters to be directed thereupon, lieges and subjects to whom it pertains, whose knowledge these our letters shall come, greeting. Understand us, being moved with the earnest zeal and great affection our beloved John Shaw of Greenock has always had to God's glory and propagation of the true religion since the first professing of the same within our realm, and that he, continuing in that godly mind and good intention upon sundry reasonable considerations moving him, of conscience and reverence he bears to God's name, is willing not only on his own cost to erect and build a parish kirk upon his own heritage, but also to appoint and design manse and yard to the same with the whole profit and commodity he has of teind belonging to the kirk for the help and support of the sustentation of a minister thereat, so that the poor people dwelling upon his lands and heritage, who are all fishers and of a reasonable number dwelling four miles from their parish kirk and having a great river to pass over to the same, may have an ease in winter season and better commodity to convene to God's service on the Sabbath day and rest according to God's institution, being well allowed of to proceed in the same work, both by the general assembly of the kirk and synodal assembly of the province wherein he remains. And we, understanding that the accomplishing of the said godly and good work will be a large cost and expense and great pains and travails to the said John and his tenants, therefore that they trouble not, nor he hindered therein, but rather be encouraged and have good occasion to perform the same, we, after our lawful and perfect age of 21 years complete and general revocation made in our parliament, have given, granted and committed and, by these our letters, give, grant and commit to the said John Shaw of Greenock our full power, special liberty, faculty and licence to erect and build the said kirk and design manse and yard thereto in and upon any part or place within the bounds of his own lands and heritage where he shall think most commodious and convenient, whereat his whole tenants shall be held to convene to hear God's word and receive the sacraments in all time coming; and ordains the same to be called the parish kirk of Greenock and, therefore, exempt him, his heirs and tenants of his lands and heritage now had and to be had by him and them from all keeping and convening to their old parish kirk in any time coming, but at their own will and pleasure by these our letters, and declare them to be free and perpetually exonerated and discharged of all charge and burden of the same in stent, taxation, building, repairing or any other manner of way in time coming. And further, upon the cause and considerations foresaid, we, earnestly willing the said John's godly intention foresaid, and being of good mind to move him thereto and recompense him for the same, by the tenor of these our letters, exempt the said John, his heirs and tenants present and to come dwelling upon his proper lands and heritage of Greenock, Finnart and Spango with their pertinents, extending all to twenty eight pounds, thirteen shillings worth of land of old extent, lying within the parish of Inverkip and our sheriffdom of Renfrew, from all payment of any part of any taxation, stent, subsidy, charge and imposition whatsoever to be raised or imposed within this realm in any time hereafter, either ordinary or extraordinary, for any cause or occasion that may happen, and that in respect the said lands are of little extent and the taxation thereof will be but small. And therefore, we, for us and our successors, decree and declare the said John and his foresaids to be free and simply discharged of all the said stents, taxations and others foresaid for now and ever, notwithstanding any our laws, acts, statutes, ordinances, constitutions, proclamations and charges made and set forth, or to be made and set forth in the contrary, regarding which we, for us and our successors, dispense in this case and make special derogation thereto by these our letters. Moreover, we, upon the earnest zeal we bear to God's word, faithfully promise in the first word to provide a reasonable stipend for sustentation of the minister who shall serve at the said parish kirk of [...], to be built and called in manner foresaid, what time or how soon we shall have occasion offered by casualty, accident or other commodity pertaining to us, and to see the same minister have special provision or assignation for sure payment thereof, in the same way and as sufficiently as any other minister within this our realm, and to be answered of the same without any litigation, question, trouble or impediment therein; and also faithfully promise by the word of the king that, if need be, we shall cause the erection of the said parish kirk with our liberty and licence to that effect and support to the sustentation of a minister thereat and all other articles and clauses before contained, to be ratified in our next parliament with all clauses and securities necessary and requisite thereto, discharging therefore you, all our collectors and other under-receivers of the said stents, taxations, subsidies and impositions, ordinary and extraordinary, to be raised and imposed within this our realm and you, all other of our executors of any of our other letters to be directed thereupon, that you nor none of you charge, horn, poind nor trouble the said John Shaw, his heirs, nor tenants of his twenty eight pounds, thirteen shillings [land]† above-written, with the pertinents, nor any part thereof for any part of the same taxations or any of them and of your offices in that part, by these our letters given under our privy seal at Holyroodhouse, 18 November 1589, and of our reign the 23rd year, by signature by the hands of our supreme lord the king and [John Maitland, lord Thirlestane], chancellor, written below.
[1592/4/40]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Forasmuch as the parsonage of Forteviot, with the whole fruits thereof, lying within the diocese of St Andrews and sheriffdom of Perth, was, in the days of our sovereign lord's most noble progenitor King James IV of good memory, annexed to the college of St Salvador within the city of St Andrews for sustaining of a prebendary to serve and sing in the choir, which manner of service being abrogated by the laws of this realm, our sovereign lord, by his special letters under the privy seal, appointed and ordained whatsoever benefices and prebendaries annexed and founded within the said college of before for singing and serving in the said choir to be applied to the use and commodity of the provost, masters and regents of the said college, professors of letters and instructors of the youth, as in the said letters at more length is contained, by virtue of the which and of the said old annexation the said provost, masters and regents have been in possession of the said parsonage, and now our sovereign lord, for the zeal and affection which his majesty bears to the promotion of good letters within the said college, with advice of the estates of this present parliament, has of new annexed, united and incorporated and, by the tenor of this present act, annexes, unites and incorporates the said parsonage of Forteviot, fruits, profits and emoluments thereof whatsoever, to the said college, to remain therewith for perpetual memory for sustentation of the provost, masters, regents, bursars and founded persons therein, to be used and distributed by the common advice and consent of the said provost and remaining masters to the well, profit and commodity of the said college accordingly as their necessity shall require, providing always that the minister serving the cure at the said kirk be sustained upon the fruits of the vicarage so far as the same may extend and the surplus to be taken out of the fruits of the said parsonage.
[1592/4/41]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament ratify and approve the dissolution of the deanery of Restalrig and division thereof in the parsonage of Lasswade and parsonage of Dalkeith made by Master George Ramsay, dean of Restalrig, with the particular provision following thereupon made by his highness to Master Archibald Simpson, minister at Dalkeith, of the parsonage of Dalkeith, which pertained of before to the deanery of Restalrig as a part of the primary thereof; and by the tenor hereof erect the said parsonage of Dalkeith in a several and distinct parsonage by the self, to remain with the said Master Archibald and his successor ministers of Dalkeith in all time coming; and likewise erect the whole remaining fruits of the said deanery of Restalrig and which pertained thereto of old in a several and distinct parsonage to be called the parsonage of Lasswade, and unite and adjoin thereto the vicarage of Lasswade when it shall happen to fall vacant, to be possessed and enjoyed by the said Master George Ramsay, minister of Lasswade, during all the days of his lifetime by virtue of his old provision to the deanery of Restalrig, and to remain with him and his successor ministers of Lasswade in all time coming.
[1592/4/42]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, considering the great, long and earnest travails and labours sustained by his beloved orator John Durie, minister of God's word at Montrose, in the true preaching of God's word, besides the great charges and expenses made by him these many years bygone in advancing the public affairs of the kirk, and in addition to that remembering the great household and family of bairns with which he is burdened, whereby his majesty, being moved of before, gave, granted and conveyed to him, Marion Marjoribanks, his spouse, and Master Joshua Durie, their son, and the longer liver of the three respectively and successively during all the days of their three lifetimes, all and whole a yearly pension of £140 to be uplifted by them out of the feu mails of the lands and lordship of Altrie, lately erected, lying within the sheriffdom of Aberdeen, which pension his highness promised to ratify and confirm in the first word in the next parliament; which promise being called to his majesty's remembrance and estates of this present parliament, after due consideration of the cause above-written and other good and thankful service done by the said John Durie to his majesty and whole kirk of this realm, therefore his majesty and estates foresaid ratify, approve and confirm the letter of gift and pension made by his highness to the said John Durie, Marion Marjoribanks and Master Joshua Durie, their son, during all the days of their three lifetimes respectively and successively, of the date at Holyroodhouse, 7 August 1590, of the said sum of £140 to be yearly uplifted by them out of the feu mails of the said lands and lordship of Altrie in all the points, clauses and conditions thereof; and will and declare the said letter of pension to be excepted out of his majesty's general revocation made after his highness's age of 25 years, and in no way to be comprehended under the same nor any other general nor special revocations bygone; and to be as valid, good and sufficient in the self to the said persons and either of them as if the same were expressly excepted and reserved in the said revocation, notwithstanding of whatsoever acts of parliament, laws or constitutions made in the contrary, with which his majesty and estates foresaid by this present act dispense and make express derogation thereto in so far as the same may appear to be prejudicial to the said letter of pension. Moreover, his majesty and estates foresaid of new give, grant and convey to the said John Durie, Marion Marjoribanks and Master Joshua Durie, their son, during all the days of their three lifetimes respectively and successively, all and whole the said yearly pension of £140, to be yearly uplifted by them out of the said feu mails and lordship of Altrie, and for the more sure payment assign to them the said feu mails of the said lordship of Altrie, commanding the said [Robert Keith], lord Altrie, his heirs and successors, to make thankful payment of the same during the space foresaid, and discharging the collector general, treasurer of the new augmentations and comptroller, present and to come, of all calling, charging or pursuing for the said feu mails and of all stopping of the said persons in the said yearly pension and of their offices in that part; ordaining also the lords of exchequer to allow the said yearly pension to the said John Durie and his foresaids in the accounts of the feu mails of the temporal lands upon the sight of this present act and ordinance.
[1592/4/43]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
[...]†
[1592/4/44]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Our sovereign lord, now after his perfect age of 25 years complete, with advice of the whole estates of this present parliament, ratifies and approves and, for his majesty and his successors, perpetually confirms the charters, infeftments and sasines made and granted by William [Stewart], commendator of Pittenweem, and William Scott of Abbotshall respectively to the bailies, council, burgesses and community of the burgh of Pittenweem and their successor bailies, council, burgesses and community of the said burgh for the time, of all and whole that great house or great building of the monastery of Pittenweem under and above, with the pertinents containing the canons' or monks' refectory and dormitory of the said monastery, with the cellars beneath and lofts above the same refectory and dormitory; and also of the vestries of the said monastery under and above with their contents, and of the chapter chamber of the same monastery and cellar beneath the said chamber under and above, with all and sundry their pertinents, all lying in the said monastery of Pittenweem within the sheriffdom of Fife, on the west part of the inner close of the said monastery, between the same close on the east, the new gallery at the east end of the hall of the said monastery on the south, the common gate, kirkyard and house pertaining to James and William Stevenson respectively on the west and the west garden of the said monastery on the north parts; and that for the edifying and building of the minister's manse, grammar school, tolbooth, prison, weigh house and custom house of the same burgh and other necessary houses to the public use of the said burgh and kirk of the same in all and sundry points, passages, articles and clauses, immunities, privileges, liberties and circumstances whatsoever contained in the said charters, infeftments and sasines; and decrees and declares for his majesty and his said successors that the same charters, infeftments and sasines are, and shall be, in all time coming effectual, good, valid and sufficient to the said bailies, council, burgesses and community of the said burgh and their said successors for the peaceable possessing and enjoying of all and whole the said great house or great building containing as said is, under and above, with their contents, and of the said vestries, chapter, chamber and cellar beneath the same, under and above, with their contents and others mentioned in the said charters, infeftments and sasines, with all liberties and privileges specified in the same, perpetually and in all time coming according to the tenor and substance thereof in all points, notwithstanding whatsoever his majesty's revocation already made or to be made in any time hereafter, or any other of his highness's acts, laws, statutes or constitutions, general or special, made or to be made to the prejudice or derogation thereof or any of the liberties or privileges expressed in the same under the which the said infeftments, charters and sasines nor any part thereof shall never be comprehended by any manner of way, and also notwithstanding of whatsoever other infeftments or securities made or granted to any other person or persons of the said great house and others foresaid or any part thereof in hurt and prejudice of the said bailies, council, burgesses and community of the said burgh and their said successors relating thereto, which his majesty, with advice foresaid, for his highness and his successors, expressly revokes, makes void and annuls by the tenor of this act, and decrees and declares the same to have been from the beginning and to be in all time coming null and of no value, force nor effect, as if the same had never been made. And further, our said sovereign lord, with advice of his said whole estates, ordains to the effect foresaid a new charter, infeftment and gift to be made with consent of his highness's officers requisite thereto under his highness's great seal in the most ample and due form; and that freely without payment of any composition of the said great house or great building, vestries, chapter, chamber, cellars, lofts and others foresaid to the said bailies, council, burgesses and community of the said burgh of Pittenweem and their said successors to the effect foresaid, to be held of our sovereign lord and his successors by virtue of the act of annexation for the yearly payment of 6s 8d usual money of this realm at two terms in the year, Whitsunday [May/June] and Martinmas [11 November] in winter, by equal portions in name of feu ferm, which new charter, infeftment and gift to be made as said is, our said sovereign lord, with advice of the said estates, ratifies and approves and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirms in all and sundry points, passages, articles, clauses, immunities, privileges, liberties, immunities and circumstances whatsoever therein contained; and decrees and declares for his majesty and his said successors that the same shall be in all time coming effectual, good, valid and sufficient to the said bailies, council, community and burgesses of the said burgh of Pittenweem and their said successors to the effect foresaid, and as effectual, good, valid and sufficient as if the same were already made and passed and duly by this foresaid act of parliament confirmed and registered in the same.