[1581/10/53]¹

Addition to the act of disinheriting of the posterity of the persons forfeited for the murders of [Henry Stewart, lord Darnley], the king, our sovereign lord's father, and [James Stewart, earl of Moray and Matthew Stewart, earl of Lennox], his two regents

Our sovereign lord, with advice of his three estates and whole body of this present parliament, ratifies, approves and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirms the act made in his highness's parliament held and begun at Edinburgh on 20 October 1579, touching the disinheriting of the posterity of those that are convicted of the murders of the king, our sovereign lord's dearest father, and his two regents, and ordains the said act to have full effect and execution in all time coming, not only against the persons specially nominated therein and their posterity, but also against James [Douglas], sometime earl of Morton and Master Archibald Douglas, sometime parson of Glasgow, who are forfeited for the said crimes since, and all others of the surname of Hepburn, Hamilton and Douglas that are already or shall happen to be convicted in time coming for the said crimes or any of them, with these additions: that our said sovereign lord and his successors shall not only have the right and escheat of all lands, heritages, towns and possessions really appertaining to the aforesaid persons convicted or to be convicted for the said crimes, or any of them, and whereof their infeftment, right or title may be shown, but also of all other lands, rooms or possessions to the which the aforesaid persons convicted or to be convicted for the crimes aforesaid, or any of them, might succeed as heirs of line, tailzie or provision to whatsoever persons, notwithstanding that their rights, titles, infeftments and sasine of the aforesaid lands be not recoverable by the fraud that may be used in abstracting thereof; and likewise that our said sovereign lord and his successors shall succeed to all persons which are deceased or shall happen to decease at his faith and peace in all lands, heritages and possessions to the which the aforesaid persons forfeited or to be forfeited as said is might or should have succeeded, in case they had not been forfeited in manner aforesaid; and declares by this present act all lands and heritages which may fall to the aforesaid persons convicted or to be convicted, as heirs to whatsoever persons not culpable of the said crimes, or any of them, now to have come in our sovereign lord's hands and under his highness's disposition, to be possessed by his majesty and the persons to whom he has conveyed or shall convey the same, their heirs and successors in time coming; likewise also it is statute and ordained that in case any persons be already deceased or shall happen to decease hereafter of the aforesaid surnames of Hepburn, Douglas or Hamilton, and that either themselves or their apparent heirs, male or female, of line, tailzie or by provision, is or shall happen to be forfeited for art and part of the said treasonable murders, or any of them, through which their said apparent heirs may not succeed by the laws of this realm to the persons so deceased, in that case the same persons deceasing shall have no other heirs but our sovereign lord, and his highness shall succeed as the last heir, as well to the persons forfeited as to all other persons bearing the names of Hepburn, Douglas or Hamilton whose apparent heirs are or shall happen to be forfeited for the causes aforesaid, as having the right in the matter; likewise his majesty and the persons that are or shall be infeft in their lands, livings, honours, offices and possessions shall enjoy and use the same in all time coming, utterly secluding the said apparent heirs, their posterity and all others pretending title by line, tailzie or other provision whatsoever, from all possibility of succession in the causes aforesaid.