[1609/4/41]¹

²Ratification in favour of James Maxwell regarding the lands held by him of [John Maxwell], lord Maxwell

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, having consideration that his highness's trusty and well-beloved servant James Maxwell, gentleman usher of his highness's privy chamber, has pertaining to him heritably all and sundry the lands underwritten, namely: the five pound land of Munbellie of old extent, with the pertinents, lying within the provostry of Lincluden, stewartry of Kirkcudbright and sheriffdom of Dumfries, the lands of Auchenbedrig, extending to a forty shilling land, the twenty shilling land of Stanneris, the twenty shilling land of Conhestes, the forty shilling land of Rispottage and the merk land of Poleskine, all of old extent, with the pertinents, lying within the stewartry of Annandale and the said sheriffdom of Dumfries, held by the said James Maxwell or his authors of the Lord Maxwell, against whom there is a process and doom of forfeiture led and deduced for certain crimes of treason and lese-majesty committed by him, through which his whole vassals and tenants have lost and forfeited their holdings, tenancies and the property of such lands as they hold of him; nonetheless, for the good, true and thankful service done to his majesty by the said James Maxwell, his domestic servant, his majesty, with full deliberation, advice and consent of the estates of this present parliament, has ratified and approved and perpetually confirmed and, by the tenor hereof, ratifies and perpetually confirms all and sundry the infeftments, charters, sasines and other evidents whatsoever made and granted to and in favour of the said James Maxwell, his heirs and assignees, of and concerning the lands particularly above-named, and decrees and declares the same to be good and valuable rights and securities for them to possess, enjoy, use and convey the said lands as their heritage at their pleasure, notwithstanding of any crimes of treason done and committed by the said John, lord Maxwell, his predecessors or others, the said James, mediate or immediate superiors of the foresaid lands, or any conviction of doom and process of forfeiture led and deduced against them thereof, and this present ratification to be as good, valid and sufficient to the said James and his foresaids as if his and his authors' whole infeftments and securities of the said lands were particularly inserted and set down herein; and also decrees and declares that the said James Maxwell, his heirs and assignees shall hold the foresaid lands of the next immediate superiors or of our sovereign lord and others having right of superiority thereof likewise and after the same form and manner as the said James Maxwell now holds the said lands and held the same before the forfeiture.