[1581/10/77]¹

Ratification of the burgh in barony of the town of Myretoun

Our sovereign lord, with advice of the three estates of this present parliament, ratifies and approves the infeftment made by our sovereign lord's most noble predecessor of worthy memory, King James III, after his perfect age, of the infeftment of the town of Myretoun pertaining to John Kennedy, now of Blairquhan, and to his predecessors, lying within the sheriffdom of Wigtown, erecting the said town in a free burgh of barony, and doing the same with privileges as any other free burgh in barony enjoys within this realm, according to his said infeftment granted to his predecessors thereof, and after the form and tenor of the same in all points, of the which the tenor follows:

James [III], by grace of God, king of Scots, greets all those whom this letter reaches. Be aware that on account of the gracious services given to us by our beloved and loyal John Kennedy of Blairquhan in the capture and delivery of certain rebels put to the horn by us, we have created and infefted, and by the wording of the present letter do create and infeft, the town of Myretoun, pertaining to the said John and lying within our sheriffdom of Wigtown, as a free burgh in barony in perpetuity. We have granted and by the wording of the present letter do grant to its inhabitants and to those who inhabit it in future the full and free authority to buy in that burgh wine, broad cloth, narrow cloth, linen and wool and all goods and merchandise of whatever description which come to there, with the authority and freedom to have and keep in the same burgh bakers, brewers, butchers and fishmongers, and practitioners of whatever crafts relate to the liberty of a burgh in barony or could relate to it at any time in the future. We have granted and by the wording of the present letter do grant to the burgesses and inhabitants of the said burgh of Myretoun that in the burgh they have, hold and possess a cross, and a market in perpetuity on Saturday every week, and a public fair every year in perpetuity on the eve of the festival of Saint Peter in summer [June 28], with tolls and all other freedoms and jurisdictions relating to the fair or which could validly relate in future. They are to hold and have the said burgh of Myretoun for all time in perpetuity as a pure and free burgh in barony with the foresaid jurisdictions, freedoms and concessions, and with all other freedoms, profits, advantages, easements and just pertinents whatsoever, named or not named, relating to the barony or justly relating to it in future; this as freely, quietly, fully, intactly, honourably, well and in peace, in all things and through all things, as any burgh in barony is infefted or held in times past in our kingdom, and in whatever repeal should be enacted in future, strictly prohibiting that any should presume to come to the contrary in some way, under every penalty which can be competent in this regard. In witness of this we have instructed our great seal to be applied, in Edinburgh on 10 December in the year of the Lord 1477, and in the eighteenth year of our reign.