[1617/5/78]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, perfectly understanding that his majesty's burgh of Aberdeen, being one of the most ancient and famous burghs of this his majesty's kingdom of Scotland, was erected by his majesty's most noble predecessors of worthy memory and endowed with ample privileges and immunities for yearly payment of the sum of £213 6s 8d of burgh mail specified and contained in the rights and infeftments made to the said burgh thereupon, as the same in itself purports; and albeit in one of the said old infeftments the said burgh mail and yearly duty be expressed to be sterling money, yet it is of verity that the provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Aberdeen and their predecessors were never in use of payment to his majesty or his highness's comptrollers but of the sum of £213 6s 8d current and usual money of Scotland only, whereof account has been made in his highness's exchequer past memory of man; and his majesty, considering that if the said burgh of Aberdeen should be compelled and burdened with the payment of the said burgh mail in sterling money, the same would tend to the utter ruin of the said burgh, in respect the whole common lands and rents pertaining thereto are not able to pay the said burgh mail, it being accounted in sterling money; his highness therefore, by infeftment under the great seal of the date at Falkland, 14 August the year of God 1601, of new gave, granted and conveyed to the said burgh all and sundry their lands, mills, houses, fishings, waters and the said burgh itself, and all other privileges, liberties, immunities and other commodities whatsoever which did at any time of before pertain or belong to the said burgh, to be held of his majesty and his successors in free burgage for yearly payment of the sum of £213 6s 8d usual money of the realm of Scotland, and 20s in augmentation of the rental, as in the said infeftment of the date foresaid containing a ratification of all former rights and evidents granted to the said burgh at more length is contained; which infeftment his majesty has ratified in the parliament held at Perth, 9 July, 1606. And now his majesty, being of mind that the said gift and erection made to the said burgh may be so formally issued according to his majesty's laws that the same may be effectual to the provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh and a sufficient right to them and their successors in all time coming for payment of the said yearly duty and burgh mail of £213 6s 8d usual money of this realm of Scotland, and 20s money foresaid of augmentation only, therefore his majesty, with advice and consent of the whole estates of this present parliament, has dissolved and by the tenor hereof, for his highness and his successors, with consent and advice foresaid, of certain knowledge perpetually dissolves from the crown and all annexation thereto the said burgh of Aberdeen, with all and sundry their lands, forests, woods, waters, salmon fishings upon Dee and Don, mills, thirl multures, castles, meadows, hills, links, harbours, ports, forts, bulwarks, anchorages, small customs, bell customs, tron weights, measures, other profits, casualties and duties whatsoever which at any time before pertained or belonged to the said burgh of Aberdeen, together with the said burgh mail and yearly duty of £213 6s 8d money contained in whatsoever infeftments or evidents granted to the said burgh of whatsoever designation the said burgh mail and yearly duty be of, whether sterling money or usual money of this realm, to this effect: that his majesty may of new give, grant and convey to the provost, bailies, council and community of Aberdeen and their successors the said burgh with all and sundry their lands, forests, woods, waters, salmon fishings upon Dee and Don, mills, thirl multures, castles, meadows, hills, links, forts, bulwarks, anchorages, small customs, bell customs, tron weights, measures, other profits, casualties and duties whatsoever which at any time bygone pertained or belonged to the said burgh of Aberdeen, to be held of his majesty and his highness's successors in free burgage for yearly payment of the said sum of £213 6s 8d and 20s of augmentation usual money of Scotland only, with as ample privileges, immunities and liberties as any other burgh within this realm. Likewise his majesty ordains a new gift to be made to the said provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh and other above-specified after this present dissolution under his highness's great seal, which infeftment so to be issued his majesty, with consent foresaid, now as if the same were already perfected, ratifies, affirms and approves in the whole heads, articles and clauses thereof, and wills and declares the said infeftment to follow upon this present dissolution to be a good, valid and perfect right for the said provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Aberdeen, present and to come, for possessing and enjoying of the said burgh and all and sundry lands, forests, mills, woods, salmon fishings, customs, casualties, tron weights, privileges, liberties, immunities and other duties whatsoever therein to be contained for payment of the said yearly duty of £213 6s 8d usual money of Scotland and 20s of the same money in augmentation of the rental only and no further, as if the same were already passed and expressly set down in this present act, and notwithstanding thereof; concerning which, his highness, for his majesty and successors, with advice and consent foresaid, has and, by this act, dispenses for ever.