[1597/11/66]¹

Ratification to Andrew [Keith], lord Dingwall

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, having seen and considered the letters of pension made, given and granted by his majesty under the privy seal, after his perfect age of 25 years complete, to his trusty cousin Andrew, lord Dingwall, during all the days of his lifetime, of all and whole a yearly pension of £1,000 money of this realm, to have been and to be yearly uplifted out of the readiest of the mails, ferms, profits and duties of his majesty's property; and, for sure payment thereof, assigning and conveying to the said Andrew, lord Dingwall yearly during the said space the whole silver duties, mails, ferms, kanes, customs and duties of the lands and lordship of Dingwall comprehending the towns, lands, mills, fishings and others thereof specified at more length in the charter of feu ferm given and granted by our said sovereign lord under the great seal to his said trusty cousin and his heirs upon the said lordship of Dingwall, as the said letter of pension made and granted thereupon of the date at Holyroodhouse, 8 January the year of God 1591 [1592] at more length purports. And our said sovereign lord, with the estates foresaid, having now sufficiently tried and considered in this parliament the causes specified in the said letters of pension for the which the same was made and granted, and namely the said Andrew, lord Dingwall's good, true, honourable and faithful services therein mentioned done, as well as within this realm as in foreign nations without the same, in our said sovereign lord's most honourable and weighty affairs, specially in his most honourable marriage with the queen's majesty, his dearest spouse, within the realm of Denmark, has now found and declared and by this ratification finds, decrees and declares the same, with the other causes specified in the said letters of pension, to have been and to be of truth and that the same, with the said Lord Dingwall's continuance in the same true, thankful and honourable services and other good causes and pleasures done by him to our said sovereign lord, as well as within this realm as in foreign nations, to have been and to be seen cause tending to the advancement of his majesty's honour and to the profit of this realm. Therefore, and for sundry other good causes and considerations, our sovereign lord and estates above-mentioned, by the tenor hereof, ratify, confirm and approve the said letters of pension in all points, clauses and contents thereof, and find, decree and declare the same to have been lawfully made and granted and to have been always from the beginning and to be in all times coming during the said space good, valid, sufficient and effectual right and title to the said Andrew, lord Dingwall for holding, enjoying, possessing, uplifting and conveying to his own commodity of all and whole the said yearly pension above-designed and of all and sundry the said mails, ferms, kanes, customs and duties of the said lands and lordship of Dingwall, with the fishings, pertinents and others thereof mentioned in the said infeftment of feu ferm assigned in sure payment of the said yearly pension yearly and termly, as well as of all years bygone so far as are not already collected by our sovereign lord's comptroller and applied to his majesty's own proper use, as of all years and terms to come during the said Andrew, lord Dingwall's lifetime only; and that notwithstanding of whatsoever acts of annexation, other acts of parliament or secret council, laws, statutes, decisions and proclamations made or to be made in the contrary, with which his majesty and estates foresaid dispenses for ever by this present act.