[1597/11/75]¹

Regarding the feuing of the houses within the abbey of St Andrews

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, understanding that the houses, buildings, girnels, orchards, yards, dovecots, tennis court, cloister and whole office situated within the bounds and precinct of the priory and abbey place of St Andrews and the walls thereof called the abbey walls are for the most part already decayed and daily decays and becomes ruinous in such sort that the same, by process of time, will all utterly decay, to the great hurt of the policy of this realm and to the prejudice of the inhabitants thereof; likewise the whole greens and waste ground lying within the said walls and precincts are now altogether unprofitable. For remedy whereof, and for the policy of this realm, our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid give and grant full power and liberty to his highness's dearest cousin Ludovic [Stewart], duke of Lennox, commendator of the said priory, to set in feu ferm for payment of such feu mails as he thinks expedient whatsoever particular part or parts of the place within the said precinct of the said abbey, lodging, girnels, office, houses, orchards, yards, dovecot, tennis court, cloister and greens and whole waste bounds lying within the said walls and precinct, and to make infeftments and securities thereupon. The which infeftments, rights and securities already made by the said Ludovic, duke of Lennox, commendator foresaid, or his predecessors, priors of St Andrews, or to be made by him, are and shall be in all time coming sufficient security and effectual heritable rights to the feuars and possessors thereof, their heirs, successors and assignees of our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid, have ratified and presently ratifies all the foresaid rights and infeftments (as well as made as to be made) by our said dearest cousin or his predecessors of any part or parts of the foresaid houses, buildings, girnels, orchards, yards, dovecots, tennis court, cloister and whole office, houses and greens and waste bounds as said is.