[1607/3/21]¹

Act regarding the burgh of Stonehaven in the Mearns

10. Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament ratify and approve the act made of before in his highness's parliament held at Edinburgh, [...] November 1600, whereof the tenor follows: Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, understanding the great prejudice sustained by the lieges of this realm where the judgement seats of sheriffs and other judges are not so commodious neither in building nor situation as the sheriff, other judges and their deputes may conveniently sit nor the parties may resort thereto, and specially that the sheriff of the Mearns, alias Kincardine, and his deputes have been in use these many years to sit at Kincardine where there is neither a tolbooth nor any house to parties to lodge into for their entertainment, nor yet is the place in the midst of the shire, whereby the lieges of the said sheriffdom are greatly damnified; for remedy whereof, it is statute and ordained that the sheriff of the sheriffdom of Kincardine in all time to come shall sit and hold their courts at Stonehaven, as place most fit and convenient to them and to the whole lieges within the said shire, and that all precepts to be directed shall be to warn all parties within their jurisdiction to compear, to pursue and defend in their courts at the said burgh of Stonehaven in all time hereafter. And further, his majesty and estates foresaid decree, statute and ordain the said burgh of Stonehaven and market cross thereof to be in all time coming the head burgh of the said sheriffdom of Kincardine, and the market cross thereof to be the place at the which all citations, charges, denunciations of hornings and others whatsoever, comprisings by virtue of whatsoever decreets, publications of inhibitions, interdictions and of all other charges and executions whatsoever which properly belong and appertain to be done, used and executed at the market crosses of the head burghs of any sheriffdom within this realm, to be used and done within the said sheriffdom of the Mearns, alias Kincardine, shall be used and executed in all time coming; and declare all citations, denunciations, publications, comprisings and other executions of the like nature to be used at any other place within the said sheriffdom of the Mearns than at the said market cross of Stonehaven to be null and of no [value] nor effect in all time coming.