[1587/7/96]¹

Act in favour of [Robert Montgomery], master of Eglinton

²Forasmuch as David Cunningham of Robertland, Alexander Cunningham of Aiket, John Cunningham in Corshill and the remainder of their accomplices, committers under trust of the most vile, cruel and detestable murder of the late Hugh [Montgomery], earl of Eglinton, etc., being duly and orderly denounced our sovereign lord's rebels and put to his highness's horn for not finding caution to underlie the laws for the crimes aforesaid and others contained in the letters raised thereupon, whereupon letters of caption were directed, charging all and sundry sheriffs, stewarts, bailies and other magistrates within this realm to search, seek, take and apprehend and present the aforesaid rebels before the justice and his deputes to be punished for their demerits, and in the meantime, the committers aforesaid of the horrible and unmerciful fact above-specified, fearing apprehension, having the houses and places of Robertland and Aiket pertaining to them, lurked and conversed therein, to such time as his majesty and lords of his highness's secret council, having considered the lamentable estate of the cause aforesaid so abominably committed under trust, and that all occasion of their further residence and remaining in the country might be removed and their tyranny and insolence suppressed by act and decreet of secret council, it was decreed and ordained that the houses and places aforesaid should be detained and kept by his majesty's trusty and well beloved cousin Robert, master of Eglinton, and his servants in his name during the time of the rebellion of the said rebels, and further, until his majesty declared his express will in the contrary, and for the better keeping thereof during the said space, appointed six persons to be placed within the said place of Robertland and four persons within the place of Aiket, to be sustained upon the expenses of the readiest of the livings of Robertland and Aiket, allowing to every one of them £6 monthly, as at more length is contained in the said act and decreet of secret council of the date 13 August 1586; and albeit by these means the country where they made residence was some part pacified and the rebels aforesaid, for fear of apprehension, not resorting therein so publicly and openly as they were accustomed before the deliverance and taking of their houses, nonetheless, they yet not being content with the bloody and odious fact already committed by them, but also by their threatenings and daily watches and spies in the country intend not only to have the houses and places rendered to them, at the least their favourers and friends in their names, under colour of escheat or precept of some other pretended right, but also to commit the like bloody enterprise upon the said master of Eglinton and others, his friends and favourers in the country, to satisfy their blood thirsty appetite, tending through that as godless and lawless people to possess their rooms and be dominators of the whole country, such tumult may arise that the country hereafter is never able to be put to tranquillity without substantial remedy be provided thereto in time; our sovereign lord and three estates of this present parliament, having consideration of the premises and merits thereof, ratify, approve and confirm the aforesaid act and decreet of secret council and all and sundry points, articles and clauses contained therein, and decree and ordain the same to be put into further execution in all points after the form and tenor thereof. Moreover, his majesty, with advice and consent aforesaid, wills, declares and ordains the houses and places aforesaid to be still retained and kept by the said Robert, master of Eglinton, his friends and servants, to be sustained and kept upon the expenses of the readiest of the livings aforesaid by the number of persons contained in the said act, allowing to every one of them the sum of money monthly specified therein, and that until the rebels aforesaid have abidden and underlied the laws for the crimes aforesaid, notwithstanding of whatsoever relaxation, if any, shall happen to be procured in the meantime or any gift of escheat of the liferent of the persons aforesaid or other right granted or to be granted to whatsoever person or persons in the contrary.