The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 28 March 2024
[1592/4/201]1
Ratification to John Livingstone of Abercorn
2Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, having seen and considered a charter and infeftment of feu ferm made and granted by his highness after his lawful and perfect age, complete and general revocation made in parliament, with dissolution therein for good causes and considerations mentioned in the same, to his highness's beloved daily and familiar servant John Livingstone, one of his highness's master stablers for the time and since, and now master stabler to his majesty's dearest spouse, [Anne], the queen, in recompense and reward of his long and continual faithful service done by the said John to [Mary], his highness's late dearest mother, in the office foresaid, and to his highness's self and to his dearest spouse foresaid in the same office, setting and in feu ferm letting, with advice of his highness's comptroller for the time, to the said John Livingstone, his male heirs and assignees whatsoever, all and whole his highness's lands and mains of Abercorn, otherwise the Halbarnis, with the decayed house and manor place of the same, orchards, yards, coal, coal pits, mill, dovecot of Abercorn, sea fishing and common pasture in the common muir of Duntarvie Muir used and wont, with four acres of land of the foresaid mains, which were conveyed of before to the friars of the town of the Forie in which the said John is in possession presently, together with that piece of land called Breid Meadow, of all parts bounded with the lands of Duddingston with free ish and entry to the common muir, called the Muir of Abercorn, alias Halbarnis Muir, with all and sundry their parts, pendicles and pertinents, together with the astricted multures of all and sundry the corns which grow or shall happen to grow upon the said lands and barony of Abercorn and within Linlithgow, which were wont to be brought to the said mill to be ground thereat in times bygone; and also together with the heritable office of bailiary of all and sundry his highness's lands lying within the said lordship of Linlithgow, with all and sundry freedoms and privileges specified in the said infeftment, to be held of his highness and his successors in feu ferm heritably for payment of certain mail and duty, with augmentation for that of the yearly duty thereof specified and contained in the same, under his highness's great seal of the date 10 October 1587, and of his highness's reign the 21st year, granted thereupon, shown and produced to his highness and estates of parliament foresaid. And his highness, in consideration thereof and of his long and continual faithful service made as said is, and to give the said John and his foresaids good occasion to continue therein hereafter, not willing therefore to alter nor hurt his infeftment foresaid, but rather to amplify and confirm the same in all points, therefore his highness, with advice and consent of the said estates of this present parliament, has ratified, approved and confirmed, likewise by this present act, ratifies, approves and confirms for his highness and his successors perpetually the foresaid charter and infeftment, effect thereof and all points, clauses and privileges contained therein; and wills and grants and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually decrees and ordains that the said charter and infeftment of feu ferm was from the beginning, is now and shall be in all time coming of strength, force and effect to the said John Livingstone, his male heirs and assignees whatsoever, of all and sundry the lands, houses, yard, mill, coal pits, fishings, multures, offices and others particularly above-written contained therein heritably in all time coming, notwithstanding whatsoever union and annexation made to his highness or his predecessors of the same in property of before; regarding the which his majesty, with advice and consent of the estates foresaid, plainly dispenses, for making express dissolution to the effect foresaid, without any revocation or contradiction whatsoever to be made by his highness or his successors of the same in hurt or prejudice of this present ratification in any time hereafter; and ordains this present ratification, together with the said infeftment of feu ferm, if need be, to be inserted therein, to be registered and inserted in his highness's books of parliament and to have the strength, force and effect of an act and decreet of parliament in all time coming, providing always that this present ratification in no way hurt or prejudice James [Lindsay], lord Lindsay of the Byres, his infeftments of any lands, mills, multures, coals, coal pits and others whatsoever lying within the barony of Abercorn, but that the same remain in the own strength and full integrity in all respects as if the said ratification had not been granted.
- NAS, PA2/14, ff.85v-86r.
- Written in margin: 'P'.