[1585/12/81]¹

Ratification of the lands of Ormiston to [William Kerr], laird of Cessford

²The king's majesty, with consent of the three estates convened in parliament, understanding that there was infeftment granted of long time past to William Kerr of Cessford, warden of the middle marches of this realm, and his heirs heritable, of all and whole the lands and barony of Ormiston, with annexes, connexes, parts, pendicles and pertinents, outsets, tenants, tenantries and service of free tenants, together with the tower, fortalice, mains and fishings of the same and all their pertinents, lying within the sheriffdom of Roxburgh, and likewise all and whole the twenty merk land of Maxton, called Gevan's Lands, lying within the sheriffdom aforesaid, which infeftment, with all sasines, rights and other titles made to the said William and his aforesaids, was ratified, approved and confirmed in the parliament held at Edinburgh on 28 November 1581, likewise his majesty's intention and full mind is that the same shall stand in full strength and force in all time hereafter, albeit lately there was a pretended right and infeftment made of the said lands to James Ormiston and his heirs contained therein, proceeding upon the revocation of the other infeftment made by us to the said William of before; therefore our said sovereign lord, willing that the said William shall be fully re-established in his right of the said lands in plain parliament, has revoked and annulled and, by the tenor hereof, revokes, rescinds, abrogates and annuls all and whatsoever infeftments, charters, precepts, instruments of sasine, rights, titles and other securities made or granted to the said James, his bairns' posterity or friends in whatsoever manner or order or any other persons whatsoever of the said lands or any part thereof, with all and whatsoever following or proceeding thereupon at any time since the first right thereof acquired by the said William, which was granted to him upon good and weighty considerations, and for the true and thankful service done by the said William to his majesty at all times and in recompense thereof; and to the effect the said William and his heirs may remain in the full integrity of their right aforesaid, our said sovereign lord, with advice of his whole three estates in present parliament, ratifies, approves and confirms all and sundry the infeftments, rights, titles and securities made to the said William and his aforesaids of the said lands, with their pertinents, either proceeding upon a resignation of the late Captain Robert Anstruther or otherwise granted in whatsoever manner or order, decreeing and declaring the same to have full force, strength and effect as is contained therein in all times coming, notwithstanding of any revocation, general or special, made by his grace heretofore and of the said James Ormiston's infeftment proceeding thereupon, granted either to the said James, his bairns, friends or any others persons aforesaid, which his majesty declares shall never effect in time coming; but the said William and his heirs to be in such estate and condition as if the same had never been made, and as the said William's infeftment had been made in his majesty's perfect age and shall not be subject to any revocation in time coming.