[1612/10/43]¹

Ratification in favour of John Murray, groom in his majesty's bedchamber

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, remembering the long and good service done to his majesty by his highness's trusty and familiar servant John Murray, groom of his majesty's bedchamber, in his diligent attendance upon his highness's sacred person continually since the said John Murray's infancy, as is more than known and manifest to the said estates, therefore our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid ratify, approve and perpetually confirm the charters, infeftments and others underwritten, namely: an infeftment under the great seal of the date at Whitehall, 5 March 1609, made and granted by his majesty to the said John Murray and to his male heirs mentioned therein, of all and sundry the lands, baronies and others of old pertaining to the sometime abbacy of Dundrennan, generally and particularly mentioned in the said infeftment, belonging to the temporality of the said sometime abbacy, lying within the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, dissolved of before from his majesty's crown and from the act of annexation of all kirk lands to the crown, of the date 19 July 1587, by virtue of another act of parliament of the date at Perth, 9 July 1606, and also of all and sundry the teind sheaves and other teinds, as well parsonage as vicarage, fruits, rents and duties whatsoever of the parish kirks of Dundrennan, alias Rerrick, and Kirkmabreck, which of before pertained to the said sometime abbacy of Dundrennan as a part of the spirituality of the same, all united, annexed and incorporated in a free barony called the barony of Dundrennan, with diverse privileges and immunities pertaining thereto, together with the foresaid act of parliament dated at Perth touching the foresaid dissolution, whereupon the said infeftment proceeded, and according to the which act the same was granted, with the precept, instrument of sasine and all that has followed thereupon, and also that other infeftment of the date at Greenwich, 1 July last, made and granted by our said sovereign lord to and in favour of the said John Murray and his male heirs mentioned therein, of all and sundry the lands and barony of Lochmaben, comprehending generally and particularly as is set down in the said infeftment, lying within the stewartry of Annandale and sheriffdom of Dumfries, together with the heritable office of the custody and keeping of the castle and fortalice of Lochmaben with all and sundry parts, privileges and commodities pertaining thereto, with the office of the stewartry of Annandale and all and sundry duties, casualties and privileges thereto belonging, and specially the assignation of £40 3s 4d and 32 cattle contained in the said infeftment, given and conveyed to the said John Murray and his foresaids as fee and duty for keeping of the said castle of Lochmaben, all lying as said is, and united and annexed in a whole and free barony called the barony of Lochmaben, with the precepts, instruments of sasine and all that has followed upon the said infeftments in all and sundry heads, points, clauses, articles, circumstances and conditions specified and expressed in the said infeftments and securities above-written; and ordain this present act and ratification foresaid to be as good, valid and effectual to the said John Murray and his foresaids as if all the said infeftments and securities were herein expressed and set down at length and word for word. Moreover, for the causes foresaid, our said sovereign lord and estates have dissolved and disunited and by this ratification dissolve and disunite from his majesty's crown the forenamed whole lands and baronies of Dundrennan and Lochmaben and pertinents thereof, and all others generally and particularly mentioned in the said infeftments, to the effect that the same may be conveyed of new again by our said sovereign lord to the said John Murray, his male heirs and assignees heritably, to be held of his majesty and his highness's successors similarly and in the same form and manner of holding and for payment of such duties as is contained in the said infeftments made and granted to the said John Murray thereupon of before. And also our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid have dissolved from his majesty's crown the advocation, donation and right of patronage of the parish kirk of Lochmaben, parsonage and vicarage thereof, which pertained and was at his majesty's presentation as patron thereof, to that effect; likewise that the said patronage may be dissolved by his majesty by his highness's infeftment under the great seal to the said John Murray and his foresaids, and that the said patronage of the kirk of Lochmaben by virtue of the same infeftment may be united and annexed to the said barony of Lochmaben, and that the said John Murray and his foresaids may be made heritable patrons of the said kirk. Likewise our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid find and declare that the consent of the present titulars of the said kirk of Lochmaben, parsonage and vicarage thereof, is no way necessary thereto, notwithstanding of the act of parliament made in the year of God 1593, or of any other act, statute and ordinance, civil, canon or municipal whereby is required the consent of titulars to all gifts and infeftments of patronages of kirks, with the which acts, laws and constitutions his majesty and estates foresaid dispense, and that the same nor none of them shall make any derogation to this present act.