The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 29 March 2024
[1592/4/39]1
For approving of the kirk built by John Shaw of Greenock
2Our sovereign lord, remembering that his majesty, upon certain special good and godly occasions tending to the glory of God in the month of November 1589, after his highness's perfect age of 21 years complete and general revocation made in parliament, gave, granted and, for his highness and his successors, committed to his grace's beloved John Shaw of Greenock his majesty's full power, special liberty, faculty and licence to erect and build a kirk, design a manse and yard thereto, in and upon any part or place within the bounds of his own lands and heritage where he shall think most commodious and convenient, whereat his whole tenants shall be held to convene to hear God's word and receive the sacraments in all time coming, ordaining the same to be called the parish kirk of Greenock, and therefore exempting him, his heirs and tenants of his whole lands and heritage now had and to be had by him and them from all keeping and convening to their old parish kirk in any time coming, but at their own will and pleasure; and declared them to be free and perpetually exonerated and discharged of all charge and burden of the same in stent, taxation, repairing, building or any other manner of way in time coming. And further, his majesty, upon the special respects foresaid, has exempted the said John Shaw, his heirs and tenants, present and to come, dwelling upon his proper lands and heritage of Greenock, Finnart and Spango with their pertinents, extending all to twenty eight pounds, thirteen shillings worth of land of old extent, lying in the parish of Inverkip within the sheriffdom of Renfrew, from all payment of any part of any taxation, stent, subsidy, charge and imposition whatsoever to be raised and imposed within this realm in any time hereafter, either ordinary or extraordinary, for any cause or occasion that may happen in respect the said lands are of title extent and the taxation thereof will be but small; and therefore his highness, for his grace and his successors, has decreed and declared the said John Shaw and his foresaids to be free and simply discharged thereof for ever as in the letters of erection granted thereupon under the privy seal, bearing his majesty's faithful promise in the first word not only to provide a sufficient and reasonable stipend to the minister serving the cure of the said kirk of Greenock, but also to ratify and approve the erection of the same kirk, whole privileges and liberties granted thereto in his grace's next parliament, at more length is contained; therefore our said sovereign lord, considering the foresaid erection, liberties and privileges thereof to be granted upon a good and godly intention, with advice of the estates of this present parliament and whole body thereof, ratifies, approves and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirms the letters of erection made and granted by his majesty to the said John Shaw of Greenock and his heirs for the cause and in manner above-written, whole articles, clauses, liberties, privileges, conditions and circumstances whatsoever specified and contained therein; and wills and declares and, for his highness and his successors, with advice foresaid, decrees and ordains that the same letters of erection and this present ratification granted thereupon is, and shall be, sufficient right and title to the said John Shaw, his heirs, successors and tenants for possessing and enjoying of the whole liberties, immunities and privileges contained therein in all time coming; and ordains [Alexander Hay of Easter Kennet], clerk register, and his deputes to insert herein the said letters of erection, whole articles and clauses thereof at length word by word, whereof the tenor follows:
James, by the grace of God, king of Scots, to our collectors and other under-receivers of the stents, taxations, subsidies and impositions, ordinary and extraordinary, to be raised and imposed within this realm and all our executors of any of our other letters to be directed thereupon, lieges and subjects to whom it pertains, whose knowledge these our letters shall come, greeting. Understand us, being moved with the earnest zeal and great affection our beloved John Shaw of Greenock has always had to God's glory and propagation of the true religion since the first professing of the same within our realm, and that he, continuing in that godly mind and good intention upon sundry reasonable considerations moving him, of conscience and reverence he bears to God's name, is willing not only on his own cost to erect and build a parish kirk upon his own heritage, but also to appoint and design manse and yard to the same with the whole profit and commodity he has of teind belonging to the kirk for the help and support of the sustentation of a minister thereat, so that the poor people dwelling upon his lands and heritage, who are all fishers and of a reasonable number dwelling four miles from their parish kirk and having a great river to pass over to the same, may have an ease in winter season and better commodity to convene to God's service on the Sabbath day and rest according to God's institution, being well allowed of to proceed in the same work, both by the general assembly of the kirk and synodal assembly of the province wherein he remains. And we, understanding that the accomplishing of the said godly and good work will be a large cost and expense and great pains and travails to the said John and his tenants, therefore that they trouble not, nor he hindered therein, but rather be encouraged and have good occasion to perform the same, we, after our lawful and perfect age of 21 years complete and general revocation made in our parliament, have given, granted and committed and, by these our letters, give, grant and commit to the said John Shaw of Greenock our full power, special liberty, faculty and licence to erect and build the said kirk and design manse and yard thereto in and upon any part or place within the bounds of his own lands and heritage where he shall think most commodious and convenient, whereat his whole tenants shall be held to convene to hear God's word and receive the sacraments in all time coming; and ordains the same to be called the parish kirk of Greenock and, therefore, exempt him, his heirs and tenants of his lands and heritage now had and to be had by him and them from all keeping and convening to their old parish kirk in any time coming, but at their own will and pleasure by these our letters, and declare them to be free and perpetually exonerated and discharged of all charge and burden of the same in stent, taxation, building, repairing or any other manner of way in time coming. And further, upon the cause and considerations foresaid, we, earnestly willing the said John's godly intention foresaid, and being of good mind to move him thereto and recompense him for the same, by the tenor of these our letters, exempt the said John, his heirs and tenants present and to come dwelling upon his proper lands and heritage of Greenock, Finnart and Spango with their pertinents, extending all to twenty eight pounds, thirteen shillings worth of land of old extent, lying within the parish of Inverkip and our sheriffdom of Renfrew, from all payment of any part of any taxation, stent, subsidy, charge and imposition whatsoever to be raised or imposed within this realm in any time hereafter, either ordinary or extraordinary, for any cause or occasion that may happen, and that in respect the said lands are of little extent and the taxation thereof will be but small. And therefore, we, for us and our successors, decree and declare the said John and his foresaids to be free and simply discharged of all the said stents, taxations and others foresaid for now and ever, notwithstanding any our laws, acts, statutes, ordinances, constitutions, proclamations and charges made and set forth, or to be made and set forth in the contrary, regarding which we, for us and our successors, dispense in this case and make special derogation thereto by these our letters. Moreover, we, upon the earnest zeal we bear to God's word, faithfully promise in the first word to provide a reasonable stipend for sustentation of the minister who shall serve at the said parish kirk of [...], to be built and called in manner foresaid, what time or how soon we shall have occasion offered by casualty, accident or other commodity pertaining to us, and to see the same minister have special provision or assignation for sure payment thereof, in the same way and as sufficiently as any other minister within this our realm, and to be answered of the same without any litigation, question, trouble or impediment therein; and also faithfully promise by the word of the king that, if need be, we shall cause the erection of the said parish kirk with our liberty and licence to that effect and support to the sustentation of a minister thereat and all other articles and clauses before contained, to be ratified in our next parliament with all clauses and securities necessary and requisite thereto, discharging therefore you, all our collectors and other under-receivers of the said stents, taxations, subsidies and impositions, ordinary and extraordinary, to be raised and imposed within this our realm and you, all other of our executors of any of our other letters to be directed thereupon, that you nor none of you charge, horn, poind nor trouble the said John Shaw, his heirs, nor tenants of his twenty eight pounds, thirteen shillings [land]3 above-written, with the pertinents, nor any part thereof for any part of the same taxations or any of them and of your offices in that part, by these our letters given under our privy seal at Holyroodhouse, 18 November 1589, and of our reign the 23rd year, by signature by the hands of our supreme lord the king and [John Maitland, lord Thirlestane], chancellor, written below.
- NAS, PA2/14, ff.16r-17r.
- Written in margin: 'P'.
- APS interpolation.