[1612/10/40]¹

Ratification in favour of Sir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington

Our sovereign lord, estates and whole body of this present parliament, for them and their successors, ratify, approve and confirm the charter made and granted by his highness, with advice and consent of his majesty's general collector and treasurer of new augmentations for the time, to his highness's trusty and well-beloved councillor Sir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington, knight, keeper of his majesty's privy seal, and his male heirs specified therein, of all and whole the lands of Clerkington, with the manor place, houses, buildings, yards, orchards, corn mills and waulk mills thereof, and their pertinents, lying within the parish and constabulary of Haddington and sheriffdom of Edinburgh, with the precept and instrument of sasine following thereupon, in all and sundry heads, points, articles, clauses and conditions thereof, as the said charter passed under his highness's great seal, of the date at Royston, 19 January 1610, and of his majesty's reigns the 43rd and 7th years, in the self at more length purports. Likewise our said sovereign wills and declares that this present general ratification is and shall be of as great strength, force and effect to the said Sir Richard and his male heirs specified in the said charter as if the same precept and instrument of sasine following thereupon were word by word inserted in this present act, concerning which our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid dispense by this ratification. Moreover, our said sovereign, estates and whole body of this present parliament decree and declare the foresaid charter, precept and instrument of sasine following thereupon to be a valid, lawful and perfect right to the said Sir Richard and his foresaids for possessing and enjoying of the forenamed lands and others therein specified in blench ferm according to the tenor of the foresaid charter, in the same way and as freely as if the said lands had been specially and expressly dissolved by act of parliament from the act of annexation of the temporality of benefices within this realm to his highness's crown for conveying of the same in blench ferm, and as if the foresaid infeftment had proceeded and been made by virtue of the said act, notwithstanding that the said lands were held in feu ferm of before; and decree and ordain this present act to be a sufficient dissolution to the effect foresaid, and, if need be, ordain a new infeftment to be made of the foresaid lands to the said Sir Richard and his foresaids in competent and due form, to be held of our said sovereign and his successors in free blench, for payment of one penny of Scots money yearly upon the ground of the said lands, if it be asked only, and that in respect of the long and faithful service done by the said Sir Richard to his majesty, his realm and lieges of Scotland, tried by our said sovereign and his estates of this present parliament.