[1581/10/69]¹

The erection of the lands of Doune in a lordship

Our sovereign lord, understanding that [Mary], his highness's dearest mother, in her perfect age, with advice of the three estates of her parliament, gave, granted and in feu ferm heritably lent to his right trusty cousin and councillor Sir James Stewart of Doune, knight, his heirs and successors specified in the charter and infeftment of feu ferm made thereupon, all and sundry the lands underwritten, with mills, multures, fishings, parts, pendicles, tenants, tenantries and service of free tenants of the same: they are to say, all and whole the mains of Doune called Drumcampsie and Balkerach, the Kerse of Cambus, the Brae and Miltoun of Cambus, the Parktoun, Balvorist, Calziebohalzie, Caldhame, Wester Argaty, with the mill and cruives of Doune, the Easter Frew, the Middle Frew, the Wards of Goodie, Murdoch's town, Ballindronoch, Blairgairie, Coilantogle, the twenty shilling land of Cambusbeg, the Wester Brigend, Duart, Auchinhard, Grodich, the park of Doune, the keeping of the castle of Doune and forest of Glen Finglas, and all other parks and waters within the stewartry of Menteith, set to the said Sir James and his aforesaid in feu, with the fishing in the Waters of Teith, Loch Venachar, Lubnaig, annexes, connexes and pertinents thereof aforesaid, all lying within the stewartry of Menteith, together with the office of the said stewartry, as the said infeftment in the self at length purports; which charter and infeftment aforesaid, whole points, articles and clauses therein contained, our said sovereign lord, with advice of the three estates of this present parliament, ratifies, approves and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirms, excepting to our said sovereign lord and his successors the feu ferm duties specified and contained in the said Sir James's infeftment of feu ferm aforesaid owed to our said sovereign lord and his predecessors of before the said ratification. Moreover, our said sovereign lord, for the good, true and thankful service done by the said Sir James to his highness's self, his dearest mother and [James V], his late grandfather, and to give him the better occasion to continue and pursue therein, and understanding it most equitable that the advocation, donation and right of patronage of the chaplainry of St Fillan, situated within the said castle of Doune, and [the chapel of] the chaplainry of St Fillan, situated without the same, be conferred in the person of the said Sir James and his aforesaid heritable feu farmers of the aforesaid lands, therefore our said sovereign lord, with advice of the three estates of this present parliament, and by the tenor of this present act, gives, grants, conveys and confirms to the said Sir James, his heirs and successors aforesaid, the advocation and donation of the said chaplainry of St Fillan, situated within the said castle, the chapel of the said chaplainry of St Fillan, situated without the same, and all and sundry lands, houses, duties and annualrents pertaining and belonging thereto, advocation, donation and right of patronage and all other kirks, benefices and chaplainries, tenants, tenantries and service of free tenants of the same, annexes, connexes, parts and pendicles thereof aforesaid. Moreover, our said sovereign lord, having respect that the said Sir James is descended of his own blood, and being of good will and mind that he be promoted to such honour and dignity as he has merit, has erected, created, united, annexed and incorporated, likewise his highness, by this present act, with advice aforesaid, erects, creates, unites, annexes and incorporates all and sundry the aforesaid lands, offices and others particularly above-written, advocation, donation and right of patronage of the said chaplainry and of all other kirks, benefices and chaplainries, annexes, connexes, parts, pendicles, pertinents, tenants, tenantries, service of free tenants of the same aforesaid, in a lordship to be called in all time coming hereafter the lordship of Doune, decreeing and ordaining the said Sir James, his heirs and successors specified in the said infeftment in all times coming to be called and entitled lords of Doune, who shall have the honour, dignity, place and pre-eminence of a lord of our sovereign lord's parliament, in all parliaments, assemblies and other conventions, with his arms appropriate thereto, and giving to him all honours, dignities, pre-eminences, which pertained, or of right and custom, ought to pertain to a lord of parliament, without prejudice always of the duties contained in the said Sir James's infeftment owing to our said sovereign lord, and also without prejudice to the said Sir James, his heirs and successors of the assignation of one part of the said duties for keeping of the said castle, which, notwithstanding the premise, shall stand in the own force and strength, ordaining and constituting the castle of Doune aforesaid the principal dwelling and chief residence of the said lordship. And for the cause aforesaid, our said sovereign lord wills and grants and, for his highness and his successors, likewise decrees and ordains that a sasine to be given by the said lord of Doune at the said castle of Doune and by his heirs thereat in time coming shall stand, extend and be sufficient sasine for all and sundry the aforesaid lands, mills, woods, fishings, advocation, donation and right of patronage of the said chaplainry of St Fillan, situated within the said castle and without the same, and all and sundry lands, houses, duties and annualrents pertaining and belonging thereto, advocation, donation and right of patronage of all other kirks, benefices, chaplainries and others aforesaid now united, erected and incorporated in the said lordship of Doune, notwithstanding that the same be not contiguous, concerning which our said sovereign lord, with advice aforesaid, by the tenor of this present act, dispenses for ever by this act, and ordains letters of publication to be directed hereupon, if need be, in the appropriate form.