10 April 1389

Legislation: roll of parliament (cont.)

By the word of the friars of Ayr

Item, on the tenth day of the said month of April it was decreed, determined and ordained by the lords of parliament concerning the complaint of the Friars Preachers of Ayr that the guardian of the kingdom [Sir Robert Stewart, earl of Fife] ought to cause, and that he should bring about in effect, those friars and their successors to be given satisfaction diligently henceforth concerning the sum of money due to them and granted in perpetual alms by the king from the fermes of the burgh of Ayr, according to the tenor of the king's charter which they have thereupon, notwithstanding the obstacle, objection or impediment made to them hitherto by the king at the suggestion of anyone in pursuit of acquisitions, as it was made known clearly to these same lords, after having noted the fact especially that the late lord Cardinal [Walter de Wardlaw, bishop] of Glasgow, had made a full enquiry concerning this by the king's special commission delivered to him, as is fully clear by his letters made to the same friars thereupon.

  1. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7r. These acts appear below the acts of December 1388, separated by a line. Back
  2. Walter de Wardlaw was created 'cardinal without title' by Pope Clement VII on 23 December 1383 (Watt, Fasti, 147). Back
  3. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7r. These acts appear below the acts of December 1388, separated by a line. Back
  4. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7, v. APS, i, 556-7, misplaced this act with the material from the March session of parliament. The phrase 'videatur a tergo' (omitted from APS) indicates that the April acts are continued on the verso. This final act on the verso was written with the same ink as those on the recto, and is a full act rather than the royal agenda of business which forms the rest of the material on the verso for the March session. Back
  5. NAS, RH1/1/2/1, 'Folder of transcripts/photostats, Robert II, 1371-1390', second section from rear of volume. A 17th-century copy consisting of two folios, entitled on rear 'Copie King Robert's charters of the earldome of Angus, baronie of Innermeikle'. Back
  6. Ord. Surv. NO3263. The editors would like to thank Dr Simon Taylor for his assistance with identifying the places in this document. Back

Item, concerning the complaint of the Friars Minor, it was ordained by parliament that the guardian [Sir Robert Stewart, earl of Fife] should direct his letters to the sheriff of Edinburgh and his bailies of Haddington and Linlithgow that they should cause the Friars Minor of Haddington and Dundee to be paid promptly each year with regards to the king's alms to them from his bailies, according to the tenor of the charter which they have thereupon, both with regards to past times and the future, without any difficulty or default, under the penalty which applies. And it is ordained that the guardian should see himself that his letters are put into effect, otherwise let the same penalty punish those who have been found in default.

  1. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7r. These acts appear below the acts of December 1388, separated by a line. Back
  2. Walter de Wardlaw was created 'cardinal without title' by Pope Clement VII on 23 December 1383 (Watt, Fasti, 147). Back
  3. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7r. These acts appear below the acts of December 1388, separated by a line. Back
  4. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7, v. APS, i, 556-7, misplaced this act with the material from the March session of parliament. The phrase 'videatur a tergo' (omitted from APS) indicates that the April acts are continued on the verso. This final act on the verso was written with the same ink as those on the recto, and is a full act rather than the royal agenda of business which forms the rest of the material on the verso for the March session. Back
  5. NAS, RH1/1/2/1, 'Folder of transcripts/photostats, Robert II, 1371-1390', second section from rear of volume. A 17th-century copy consisting of two folios, entitled on rear 'Copie King Robert's charters of the earldome of Angus, baronie of Innermeikle'. Back
  6. Ord. Surv. NO3263. The editors would like to thank Dr Simon Taylor for his assistance with identifying the places in this document. Back

See the reverse side

Moreover on the part of Sir [John Stewart], earl of Carrick, for the lady, his sister, [Margaret Stewart], lady of Islay, it was complained in full parliament that grave injuries, numerous harms and unjust burdens had been caused to his said sister, and outwith the form of justice, by her sons and their men and adherents, wherefore it was decreed and ordained by parliament that the lord earl of Fife, guardian of the kingdom, by himself is held and ought to provide, by royal authority and by virtue of his office, the rule and remedy of law and justice to the same lady according as the transgressions shall demand. And let this be done as speedily as it can be done, lest for default of justice she should have further cause of complaint.

  1. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7r. These acts appear below the acts of December 1388, separated by a line. Back
  2. Walter de Wardlaw was created 'cardinal without title' by Pope Clement VII on 23 December 1383 (Watt, Fasti, 147). Back
  3. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7r. These acts appear below the acts of December 1388, separated by a line. Back
  4. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7, v. APS, i, 556-7, misplaced this act with the material from the March session of parliament. The phrase 'videatur a tergo' (omitted from APS) indicates that the April acts are continued on the verso. This final act on the verso was written with the same ink as those on the recto, and is a full act rather than the royal agenda of business which forms the rest of the material on the verso for the March session. Back
  5. NAS, RH1/1/2/1, 'Folder of transcripts/photostats, Robert II, 1371-1390', second section from rear of volume. A 17th-century copy consisting of two folios, entitled on rear 'Copie King Robert's charters of the earldome of Angus, baronie of Innermeikle'. Back
  6. Ord. Surv. NO3263. The editors would like to thank Dr Simon Taylor for his assistance with identifying the places in this document. Back
Charter: grant of the earldom of Angus and other lands to Sir George Douglas, following a resignation by Margaret Stewart, countess of Mar, in parliament on 10 April

Robert, by the grace of God king of Scots, to all good men of his whole land, clerics and laymen, greeting. Know that we have given, granted and confirmed by this our present charter to our most beloved George de Douglas the whole and entire earldom of Angus, along with the demesnes of Abernethy in the sheriffdom of Perth and of Bunkle in the sheriffdom of Berwick, with all their lands and pertinents, except the lands of Ludynche and of Wester Lednathie, with an annual rent of 30s 4d from Baldovie with the pertinents in the barony of Kirriemuir, and the lands of Little Pottie, Pitversie, Pitblae and Pitmedden with the pertinents in the said demense of Abernethy in the sheriffdom of Perth. Which very earldom of Angus, with the pertinents, and the demesnes of Abernethy and Bunkle, with the pertinents, were Margaret, countess of Mar's, our most beloved kinswoman, and which she, not through force or fear, or having lapsed into error, but because of her own pure and spontaneous desire, the above lands and annual rent excepted, returned back and resigned purely and simply by rod and staff in her own person in our parliament held at Edinburgh on the monastery of Holyrood on 9 April 1389, and altogether quitclaimed in perpetuity all right and claim which she had or may have in the said lands with the pertinents for herself and her heirs. The said earldom [and] demesnes, except the lands and annual rent abovesaid, with the tenantries, services of freeholders, patronages of churches of the priory of Abernethy, of the prebends, canonries, chapels and chaplainries, to be held and had of us and our heirs by the said George and his heirs legitimately procreated of his body, who perchance failing, Sir Alexander de Hamilton and Elizabeth, sister of the said lady countess, and the heir procreated or to be procreated legitimately between them, and failing them, the legitimate heirs of the aforesaid Elizabeth whomsoever, in fee and heritage, with all and singular liberties, profits, easements and lawful pertinents whatsoever which pertain, or may pertain in future, in any way to the said earldom and demesnes, as freely and quietly, fully, integrally and honourably in and by all ways as the same Margaret, our kinswoman, held the said earldom, with the pertinents, and the abovesaid demesnes, with their pertinents, of us before the resignation of the same was made to us, having reserved the freehold of the said earldom and demesnes to the same countess for the whole time of her life, with all rents, services and tenantries of the freeholders, with bonds and bondages and natives, with the presentations to the churches of the priory of Abernethy and of the prebends of the same church and of the other chapels and chaplainries, with courts, escheats, wards, reliefs and marriages, since they pertain to the aforementioned earldom and demesnes with the pertinents. The said Margaret, performing thereupon the due and customary services to us and our heirs for the whole time of her life, and after her death, the said George and the aforesaid heirs, and failing them Sir Alexander de Hamilton and Elizabeth, the sister of the aforesaid countess, and their aforesaid heirs, and failing them, the true and legitimate heirs of the said Elizabeth [shall perform] the due and customary services. In testimony of which matter we have ordered our seal to be appended to our present charter. Witnesses, the venerable fathers in Christ Walter [Trail], bishop of the church of St Andrews, and John [de Peebles], bishop of the church of Dunkeld, our chancellor, John [Stewart], earl of Carrick, our firstborn, Robert [Stewart], earl of Fife and Menteith, guardian of Scotland, George [Dunbar], earl of March, our kinsman, Sir Archibald de Douglas and Sir Thomas de Erskine, our kinsmen. At Edinburgh on 10 April in the nineteenth year of our reign [1389].

  1. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7r. These acts appear below the acts of December 1388, separated by a line. Back
  2. Walter de Wardlaw was created 'cardinal without title' by Pope Clement VII on 23 December 1383 (Watt, Fasti, 147). Back
  3. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7r. These acts appear below the acts of December 1388, separated by a line. Back
  4. NAS, Roll of Parliament, PA1/7, v. APS, i, 556-7, misplaced this act with the material from the March session of parliament. The phrase 'videatur a tergo' (omitted from APS) indicates that the April acts are continued on the verso. This final act on the verso was written with the same ink as those on the recto, and is a full act rather than the royal agenda of business which forms the rest of the material on the verso for the March session. Back
  5. NAS, RH1/1/2/1, 'Folder of transcripts/photostats, Robert II, 1371-1390', second section from rear of volume. A 17th-century copy consisting of two folios, entitled on rear 'Copie King Robert's charters of the earldome of Angus, baronie of Innermeikle'. Back
  6. Ord. Surv. NO3263. The editors would like to thank Dr Simon Taylor for his assistance with identifying the places in this document. Back