[1592/4/162]¹

Ratification to [William Kerr], laird of Cessford

²Our sovereign lord the king's majesty, with consent of his estates convened in parliament, understanding that there was an infeftment heritable made, given and granted by his highness of long time past to his well-beloved 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, tenancies 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 also of all and whole the twenty merk land of Maxton, called Gevandis Lands, lying within the sheriffdom foresaid; and that the same infeftment with all sasines, rights and other titles made to the said William and his foresaids were ratified, approved and confirmed in the parliament held at Edinburgh, 28 November 1581, his majesty's intention and final mind being that the same should stand and remain in full strength, force and effect in all time coming, notwithstanding any pretended right and infeftment made of the said lands to the late James Ormiston and his heirs contained therein, proceeding upon the revocation of the other infeftment made by his highness to the said William of before; therefore his majesty in his parliament held at Linlithgow in the Great Hall of the palace thereof, 10 December 1585, revoked, rescinded, made void and annulled all and whatsoever infeftments, charters, precepts, instruments of sasine, rights, titles and other securities whatsoever made or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 preceding 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 that his majesty since after his perfect age of 25 years complete, made and granted heritable infeftment of all and sundry the lands and barony above-written, with the tower, fortalice, mains, fishings of the same, annexes, connexes, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof to the said William Kerr in liferent and to Mark Kerr, his second son lawful, and his male heirs lawfully procreated of his body, which failing to return again to the said William and his house of Cessford, and his male heirs whatsoever bearing the arms and surname of Kerr, as in the infeftment made thereupon under the great seal at length is contained. And now his majesty, after his perfect age foresaid and last general revocation, minded and willing expressly that the said William, his son foresaid, and their heirs above-specified, shall in all time coming remain in the full integrity of their heritable right of all and sundry the same lands and barony, with tower, fortalice, mains and fishings thereof, with all their pertinents, with advice of his whole estates in plain parliament, yet as of before, has ratified, approved and confirmed and, by this present act, ratifies, approves and confirms the acts of parliament above-specified in all and sundry points and articles therein contained after the form and tenor thereof, and all and sundry the infeftments, rights, titles and securities whatsoever made to the said William and his heirs of the lands above-written, with their pertinents, either proceeding upon the resignation of the late Captain Robert Anstruther, or otherwise granted in whatsoever manner or order; and specially ratifies, approves and confirms the foresaid infeftment made by his majesty to the said William and Mark, his son, and their heirs foresaid, of the lands above-written; and decrees and declares the same with all that has followed and proceeded thereon, and all other infeftments, rights and titles thereof made to the said William and his heirs in time bygone, to have full strength, force and effect as is contained therein in all time coming, notwithstanding any revocation general or special made by his majesty heretofore, and of the said James Ormiston's infeftment proceeding thereupon, granted either to the said James, his bairns, friends or any other persons foresaid, which his majesty, with advice foresaid, retreats, rescinds, makes void and annuls, and wills and declares that the same shall never have effect in time coming.