[1612/10/27]¹

Ratification in favour of Sir James Douglas of Spott

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament ratify, approve and confirm the infeftment granted by his majesty under his highness's great seal, with consent of his highness's treasurer, collector general and treasurer of his majesty's new augmentations, remaining officers of state and lords of his majesty's secret council, to his highness's beloved Sir James Douglas of Spott, knight, and his male heirs and of tailzie and provision therein specified and assignees whatsoever, of all and whole the lands and barony of Spott, comprehending the lands and others underwritten, namely: all and whole the lands of Easter Spott with the parts and pendicles thereof, namely: the 14 husband lands of the town of Spott with the cottages thereof, with the east and west mills of Spott, the lands of Lochhouses, the Mains of Doon and Brownisknow, the lands of Helden and Dunley, the lands of Easter and Wester Broomhouse, together with the four husband lands called Paulis lands, and the two husband lands called Pookis lands lying in the town and territory of Spott, and also the lands of Reidpethnuke, with tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, mills, woods, thickets, annexes, connexes, parts, pendicles, pertinents and dependents of all the lands and mills above-written whatsoever, lying within the sheriffdom of Edinburgh and constabulary of Haddington, together with the advocation, donation and right of patronage of the prebendary of Spott situated of old within the college kirk of Dunbar, comprehending the parsonage and vicarage of Spott, which are by the said infeftment united and erected in a whole and free barony called the barony of Spott, to be held of our sovereign lord and his successors likewise at more length is contained in the said infeftment of the date at Edinburgh, 9 August 1605, with the precept and infeftment of sasine following thereupon. And also our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid ratify, approve and confirm the letter of chamberlainship and bailiary granted by his majesty under his highness's privy seal, with consent of his majesty's comptroller for the time, to the said Sir James Douglas of Spott, knight, whereby he was made and constituted during his lifetime his highness's chamberlain and bailie of all his majesty's lands and lordship of Dunbar, with parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof whatsoever, for exercising and using of which office his majesty gave and granted to the said Sir James Douglas of Spott, knight, in fee, 20 bolls of wheat and 20 bolls of barley, to be yearly uplifted by him during his lifetime of the readiest ferms of the said lands and lordship of Dunbar, as the said letter of chamberlainship and bailiary granted to the said Sir James Douglas thereupon of the date at Newcastle, 13 April 1603, at more length bears, in all and sundry points, passages, heads, articles, clauses, conditions and circumstances whatsoever contained in the said infeftment and letter of chamberlainship and bailiary respectively above-written, after the forms and tenors thereof with all that has followed or may follow thereupon. Likewise his majesty and estates foresaid statute and ordain that this present ratification is and shall be as valid, effectual and sufficient in all respects as if the foresaid infeftment and letter of chamberlainship and bailiary respectively above-written of the dates respectively above-specified were at length and word by word engrossed in this present act. And also his majesty and estates foresaid will, grant, statute and ordain that the foresaid infeftment and letter of chamberlainship and bailiary respectively above-specified, and this present ratification thereof, are and shall be good, lawful, valid and effectual rights and securities to the said Sir James Douglas, his male heirs and assignees foresaid, for possessing and enjoying of the lands, barony and others above-written with the pertinents contained in the infeftment above-specified, as their heritage in all time coming, and for using and exercising of the said office of chamberlainship and bailiary of the lands and lordship above-written with the pertinents during the space above-specified, and for uplifting of the foresaid yearly duty of 20 bolls of wheat and 20 bolls of barley, to be yearly uplifted of the readiest ferms of the lands and lordship above-written, during the said space of his lifetime, after the forms and tenors of the said infeftment and letter of chamberlainship and bailiary respectively above-mentioned.