The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 29 March 2024
[1597/11/56]1
2Ratification in favour of [Ludovic Stewart], duke of Lennox
Our sovereign lord and estates in this present parliament, understanding that the greatest number of the vassals, free tenants and heritable feuars of the temporal lands pertaining to the archbishopric and priory of St Andrews and to the archbishopric of Glasgow are of such mean rent and quality that they are in no way able to make the expenses upon the resignation of their lands in our sovereign lord's hands and entrance thereto by his highness's chancellery, which gives occasion to many of the said feuars to lie out unentered to their said lands; in consideration whereof, that his highness's dearest cousin, Ludovic, duke of Lennox, earl of Darnley, lord Tarbolton, Methven and d'Aubigny being provided to the said priory of St Andrews whereof the rent and patrimony, likewise the rent and patrimony of the said archbishoprics, is heavily exhausted by tacks, pensions and other dispositions, so that little or no commodity thereof remains except the superiority and casualties of the same; therefore our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid give, grant and convey to his highness's said dearest cousin during all the days of his lifetime the right of the superiority of the whole temporal lands, mills, multures, woods, forests and fishings of all and sundry the said archbishopric and priory of St Andrews and archbishopric of Glasgow, together with all wards, reliefs, non-entries and other casualties whatsoever of the whole lands, lordships, mills, multures, woods, fishings and others whatsoever pertaining and belonging to the said benefices and every one of them, together also with the escheats and marriages of the whole vassals, feuars and free tenants thereof, whole profits and commodities of the same which pertained of old to the titulars and possessors of the said benefices lying within their regalities, bounds and jurisdiction and were at their dispositions wherever the same has fallen since the annexation thereof to our crown or shall happen to fall hereafter during the said Ludovic, duke of Lennox's lifetime. With full power to him and his commissioners, one or more, specially constituted or to be constituted by him to that effect during his said lifetime, to receive and enter all and sundry the said vassals, feuars, freeholders, tenants and their heirs or other persons whatsoever succeeding to their right either by resignation or confirmation, and to give and grant to them new infeftments and dispositions of the lands and others above-specified. With power also to him and his foresaids to uplift and intromit with the said escheats and marriages, whole profits and commodities thereof and to apply the same to his own use or to convey thereupon at his pleasure, declaring the said infeftments, new dispositions and entries of the foresaid vassals, feuars, freeholders, tenants, their heirs and successors with the gift and disposition of the said wards, reliefs, non-entries, escheats, marriages and other casualties whatsoever to be given, granted, made and conveyed by his highness's said dearest cousin or his commissioners, one or more, to be appointed by him as said is under his own proper seal and subscription to be as valid, good and sufficient to the receivers thereof for holding, enjoying and possessing of the same lands, mills, multures, woods, fishings with the said wards, reliefs, non-entries, marriage, escheats and other casualties above-written in all time coming, as if the same or any thereof had been given, granted, made and conveyed to them by his highness, with advice of the treasurer of new augmentation, or whatsoever others of his highness's officers or councillors, discharging them of all troubling and molesting of the said Ludovic, duke of Lennox or his foresaids in the premises during his said lifetime and of their offices in that part notwithstanding of the act of annexation of all ecclesiastical lands to the crown made in the parliament held at Edinburgh, 29 July 1587, to the which this present act makes and shall make express derogation in so far as the same may be extended to the superiority of the lands and others above-rehearsed pertaining to the said archbishoprics and priory with the whole casualties above-mentioned during the said Ludovic, duke of Lennox's lifetime; and ordains letters to be directed hereupon if need be in the appropriate form.
- NAS, PA2/15, f.74r.
- The hand of the mss reverts here to that before the bottom of f.68v.