[1597/11/80]¹

Ratification of the resignations and dissolution of the kirks of North Berwick²

Our sovereign lord and his three estates of parliament, understanding that the whole temporality of North Berwick, with the mansion, manor place, houses, buildings and yards thereof and their pertinents, with the parish kirk of North Berwick, advocation, donation and right of patronage thereof, were all erected in a free barony wherein the late Alexander Home of North Berwick, for himself, his heirs and successors specified therein, were heritably infeft by our sovereign lord's charter under his highness's great seal, which lands and temporality are excepted out of the general annexation of the kirklands to the crown, whereby the said monastery is already effectually suppressed and the remaining kirks of the patrimony thereof in effect dissolved therefrom, namely: the kirks of Largo, Kilconquhar and Maybole lying in the sheriffdoms of Fife, Stirling and Ayr respectively, which kirks and patronages thereof are already resigned in our sovereign lord's hands by the late Dame Margaret Home, prioress of the said monastery, for erection thereof in several rectories, to be served by special ministers and rectors as other benefices of cure accordingly as his highness should think most expedient to provide and convey the same; which demission and resignation of the said patronages his highness received and admitted, so that now there remains no proper rent nor patrimony in the said abbacy of North Berwick, neither temporality nor spirituality to which any successor may be provided in time coming. Therefore our said sovereign lord, with advice of the said three estates, ratifies and approves the said demission and resignations made of the kirks foresaid and every one of them, and has dissolved and dissolves the same perpetually hereafter from the said abbacy that they be no part of the patrimony thereof, suppressing the said abbacy and monastery forever, and that there be no successor provided thereto in time coming.