[1609/4/44]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, remembering the good, true and thankful service done to his highness by his trusty councillor Sir Archibald Douglas of Whittingehame, knight, one of the lords of his highness's secret council and one of the senators of his majesty's college of justice, together with his earnest care and zealous affection towards his majesty's service in all times bygone, therefore his majesty and estates foresaid have ratified and approved and, by the tenor hereof, ratify and approve his highness's letters of gift under his majesty's privy seal whereby his highness gave, granted and conveyed to the said Sir Archibald during all the days of his lifetime all and whole a yearly pension of the sum of 500 merks money of this realm of Scotland, to be uplifted and taken at two terms in the year, Whitsunday [May/June] and Martinmas [11 November] in winter, by equal portions, out of all and whole the blench ferm, mails and duties of the kirk lands respectively following, namely: the sum of 200 merks out of the blench ferms, mails and duties of the lordship of Paisley due to our said sovereign lord, to be paid yearly at the terms foresaid by Claud [Hamilton], lord Paisley, and James [Hamilton], master of Paisley, now styled Earl of Abercorn, Lord Paisley, and their successors, and the sum of £200 as for the blench ferm, mails, feus and duties of the barony of Broughton due to our said sovereign lord, whereof the sum of £100 was yearly appointed to be paid by the late Sir James Bellenden of Broughton, knight, that last deceased, and the other £100 to be paid by John [Bothwell], lord Holyroodhouse, beginning the first whole year's pension foresaid of 500 merks at the feast and term of Martinmas in the year of God 1603, and so forth yearly and termly in time coming during the said Sir Archibald's lifetime; with power to the said Sir Archibald to transfer the foresaid pension in any other person he best pleased in any time of his life, which person by virtue of his said translation is appointed by virtue of the said gift to have as good right thereto, power and title to possess and enjoy the same for all the days of the lifetime of him in whom it should be transferred, as the said Sir Archibald Douglas himself had or might have in all respects by virtue of the said letters of gift, which letters of gift are of the date at Winchester, 3 October 1603, in all and sundry heads, articles, clauses, provisions and privileges whatsoever mentioned in the said letters of gift after the form and tenor thereof with all that has followed or may follow thereupon. And further, his highness and estates foresaid for the causes above-written have dissolved and by this ratification dissolve the said blench ferms, mails and duties of the said lordship of Paisley and barony of Broughton assigned and conveyed to the said Sir Archibald as said is, extending to the said sum of 500 merks, from the act of annexation of the said kirk lands, mails, ferms and duties thereof to his highness's crown made of before, to the effect the same may be conveyed to the said Sir Archibald during his said lifetime in manner underwritten. Likewise his majesty and estates foresaid, now after the said dissolution of new, give, grant and convey to the said Sir Archibald during all the days of his lifetime all and whole the foresaid yearly pension of 500 merks yearly, to be uplifted at the terms above-specified out of all and whole the blench ferms, mails and duties of the said lordship of Paisley and barony of Broughton respectively, namely: the said sum of 200 merks out of all and whole the blench ferms, mails and duties of the said lordship of Paisley, and the said sum of £200 out of the said barony of Broughton to be paid by the said John, lord Holyroodhouse, and by the heirs and successors of the said late Sir James Bellenden of Broughton, knight, equally between them and out of the readiest blench ferms, mails and duties of the said lordship and barony, with full power to the said Sir Archibald at any time during his lifetime to assign, transfer and convey the said pension in whole or in part to any person or persons he shall think expedient for all the days of their lifetimes, which person or persons to whom the said pension shall be assigned, transferred and conveyed, his majesty and estates foresaid declare to have good right to possess and enjoy the same pension during the said space of their lifetimes, in the same way and as freely as the said Sir Archibald may possess and enjoy the same during his said lifetime. Moreover, our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid decree and ordain that this ratification shall be a good, valid, effectual and sufficient right to the said Sir Archibald and the person or persons to whom he shall assign, transfer and convey the said pension for possessing and enjoying of the same in manner above-specified, and that notwithstanding of whatsoever acts or statutes special or general made or to be made in the contrary, with the which his majesty and estates foresaid have dispensed and by this ratification dispense for ever, and will and grant that the same shall make no derogation hereto, and ordain letters to be directed hereupon upon a simple charge of six days only. 24 June 1609.