Another commission to treat upon the laws

Item, forasmuch as there are certain constitutions and laws devised and ordained to be made and authorised which should be observed universally by all the lieges of this realm, which as yet are not thoroughly consulted and advised upon, so that the same at this time cannot be declared by our sovereign lord and estates of parliament to be established as laws; therefore our said sovereign lord, with advice of the estates aforesaid, has given and granted, likewise they by the tenor hereof gives and grants full power and commission to the earls, lords, barons and great men, commissioners of burghs and other lettered men underwritten: that is to say, James [Douglas], earl of Morton, lord Dalkeith etc., Robert [Douglas], earl of Buchan, John [Maxwell], lord Herries, William Douglas of Lochleven, Mr David Carnegie of Colluthie, William Cunningham of Caprington, Alexander Abercrombie of that Ilk, [James] Kinross of Kippenross, Patrick [Adamson], archbishop of St Andrews, James [Boyd], archbishop of Glasgow, David [Cunningham], bishop of Aberdeen, Robert [Keith], commendator of Deer, Robert [Pitcairn], commendator of Dunfermline, Alexander [Colville], commendator of Culross, Master Alexander Arbuthnott, principal of the college of Aberdeen, Master John Marjoribanks, Henry Nisbet, burgess of Edinburgh, Master James Haliburton, provost of Dundee, Master Robert Lumsdale, elder of Clova, burgess of Aberdeen, James Fleming, burgess of Glasgow, William Norwell, burgess of Stirling, Master James MacGill of Nether Rankeilour, clerk register, Master Thomas MacCalzean of Cliftonhall, James Meldrum, younger of Seggie, Master Robert Crichton of Eliock, advocate to our sovereign lord, Masters Alexander Skene and Thomas Craig, advocates, Master George Buchanan, pensioner of Crossraguel, and Master Peter Young, familiar servant to our said sovereign lord, or 43 of them together, to visit, review and consider the said laws and to reason and confer thereupon, and to that effect to convene and meet within the burgh of Stirling on 1 October 1578, and to report their proceedings and conference to the king's grace and estates of parliament, so that they all in one voice may establish the same as perpetual laws as shall be agreed upon hereafter.

  1. NAS, PA2/12, ff.6r-v. Back
  2. The number of people named above suggests that this is a clerical error; APS changed it to 'xviij' or 18. Back