[1592/4/115]¹

Ratification to [Ludovic Stewart], duke of Lennox regarding the superiority of the priory of St Andrews

²Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, understanding that diverse of the free tenants and heritable feuars of the temporal lands of the priory of St Andrews, being for the most part mean vassals, have been entered to their lands by his highness's trusty cousin and councillor Ludovic, duke of Lennox, commendator of the priory of St Andrews, and his steward since the making of the late act of annexation of all ecclesiastical lands to the crown that being in good faith that the right of the superiority continued in the person of the said commendator; and considering that a great number of the said vassals are of so mean rent and quality that they are not able to make the expenses upon their resignation and interests at his highness's chancellery, and also in respect that a great part of the patrimony of the said abbey is exhausted by tacks and pensions taken out of the same so that little or no commodity thereof shall remain with the said commendator if he be excluded from the superiority thereof; therefore our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid grant and convey to the said commendator, during all the days of his lifetime, the right of the superiority of the temporal lands of the said priory of St Andrews, with power to him and his commissioners and others in his name specially constituted to that effect according to the old use and custom used by the said commendator and his predecessors in the said prelacy, to receive all and sundry resignations to be made by whatsoever heritable tenants or feuars of the said temporal lands and to give interests to them and their heirs of the said temporal lands according to their old infeftments made to them thereupon; and also ratify and approve all and whatsoever resignations made in any time bygone since the said act of annexation to whatsoever feuars of the said lands in the hands of the said commendator, his steward and commissioners foresaid with all and sundry interest made and given by them in time bygone, declaring all and sundry resignations and interests of the free tenants of the said priory made, or to be made, to be as good, valid and sufficient to the receivers thereof for possessing and enjoying of the said lands as if the same had been given and granted by his highness, or if they had been entered by his highness's chancellery, notwithstanding of the said act of annexation, to the which this present act shall make express derogation in so far as the same may be extended to the superiority of the said lands during the said commendator's lifetime.