[1581/10/71]¹

Act for changing of the assumption of the third of the abbey of Scone

Forasmuch as it has pleased the king's majesty, our sovereign lord, with advice of his three estates convened in parliament, upon the resignation of the abbot and convent of Scone of the temporal lands of the said abbey, whereof a great part pertained of old to the earldom of Gowrie, to infeft heritably his right trusty cousin and councillor William [Ruthven], now earl of Gowrie, lord Ruthven and Dirleton, his highness's treasurer, in the said temporal lands and feu mails thereof, erecting the same in an earldom, to be called the earldom of Gowrie in time coming; through which the said abbot and convent are not able to pay the full third of the said abbey according to the first assumption, they being now denuded of the said temporal lands which for the most part were assumed of before in payment of the said third; wherefore his majesty, by advice of his three estates in this present parliament, ordains and commands his collector general and lords auditors of his highness's exchequer to alter the assumption of the third of the abbey of Scone and to take the just third of the whole rents of the said abbey resting in addition to the yearly feu mails and duties of the said temporal lands, assuming the said third of the readiest of the duties, either money or victuals paid for the kirks and teinds of the said abbey, beginning of the crop of 1581, and so forth yearly in time coming, until further order be taken concerning the third of the said abbey by his highness, with advice of his estates in parliament; and that there be no more assigned to be paid out of the third of the said abbey, either in ministers' stipends or in payment of whatsoever pensions, gifts or other assignations accustomed to be paid out of the third of the said abbey of before except according to the said third now to be assumed thereof of this present year and crop and in no other way; and ordains letters of publication to be directed hereupon, if need be, in the appropriate form.