[1598/10/6]¹

Act regarding the Lewis adventurers

Our sovereign lord and estates presently convened, considering that the barons and gentlemen venturers, contractors with his majesty for conquering of the Lewis, are now ready to depart to prosecute and follow forth their enterprise, importing not only a singular benefit to his majesty in augmenting of the rent of his highness's patrimony and crown, but also is likely to be a good means and instrument of establishing of peace, quietness and obedience in those parts and other bounds next adjacent to the same by rooting out of the barbarous inhabitants, occupiers of the same of before, void of all religion and humanity; and seeing the said enterprise cannot be sufficiently accomplished unless the said barons and gentlemen venturers pass there in proper person with sufficient number of other gentlemen and followers who may be a power after the conquest of the same to retain and hold the possession thereof, at the least their presence after their arrival will be very necessary for a certain space thereafter; and where in the council held 7 July last there was granted to the said gentlemen venturers an exemption and dispensation in their own persons from all and whatsoever actions and causes to be intended and pursued against them for the space of one year after their arrival; and now in this present convention the said gentlemen venturers, craving of his majesty and estates presently convened their said exemption and supersedere to be amplified and to be granted, as well as to themselves as to their followers, and as well as for causes to be intended as already intended, our sovereign lord and estates, fearing that under the pretext of the said supersedere if the same was granted, as is presently craved, there might be inferred a great prejudice to sundry of his highness's lieges in so far as the said gentlemen adventurers and their followers, suffering their names to be used in actions and causes wherein they have no interest themselves, by that fraud and subterfuge process, may be delayed and parties frustrated of justice, the said estates have requested his highness most humbly to deal with the senators of the college of justice immediately after the down-sitting of the session and by their special advice and council to conclude how far the said supersedere and exemption granted to them of before may be amplified and enlarged without the defraud of his highness's subjects and of their just and lawful pursuits. And whatever be concluded by his highness, with advice foresaid, the said estates declare that the same shall be held firm and stable and have the same strength, force and affect of an act of this present convention.