[1612/10/45]¹

Ratification in favour of St Leonard's College of the lands belonging to the patrimony thereof

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, considering that the college of St Andrews called St Leonard's, which was first erected by the prior of St Andrews for the time and founded for the instruction of the youth in humanity, philosophy and divinity, and since ratified by his majesty and his highness's most noble progenitors and augmented by sundry gifts, donations and dispositions of the lands and rents for maintenance of the masters, regents, bursars and other members of the same, has so flourished by the mercy of God within his highness's kingdom of Scotland these hundred years bygone, that not only has the same brought out and produced good spirits adorned in all literature and knowledge for service of the common good, but also is a singular ornament to this his majesty's kingdom, worthy to be maintained as a seminary of virtue and learning, therefore his highness, following that ordinary zeal which his majesty bears in the advancement of such colleges and incorporations, and estates of this present parliament, ratify and approve the original erection and foundation of the said college, with all privileges, liberties and immunities thereof granted in favour of the masters, regents, bursars and whole members of the same, together with all gifts and donations of lands, rents, teinds and kirks conveyed thereto by his majesty and his highness's most noble progenitors or by whatsoever persons, secular or ecclesiastical, with all ratifications interposed thereto, in the whole heads, articles, clauses and provisions of the same, and will and grant that this present confirmation is and shall be as effectual as if the whole tenors of the same were specially expressed, and specially without prejudice of the general ratification foresaid, his majesty and estates foresaid ratify and confirm the gift and donation made by his highness to the masters, regents and bursars of the said college of all and whole the benefice of the priory of St Serf's Isles within Loch Leven, alias Portmoak, whole lands, teinds, kirks and other pertinents of the same, proceeding upon the demission of Master John Winram, prior thereof for the time, together with the said Master John's demission whereupon the same proceeded; and also ratify and confirm the infeftment granted by his majesty to them of the lands called Monydie Rodger, lying within the sheriffdom of Perth, and of the whole teinds, fruits, rents and emoluments which pertained to the prebendary of Monydie²; and will and grant that the said infeftments, gifts and donations are and shall be as valid and sufficient rights to the said masters, regents and their successors for holding, enjoying and possessing of the foresaid lands, rents, kirks, teinds and others generally and particularly above-specified. Moreover, his majesty and estates foresaid of new give, grant and convey to the said masters, regents and other members of the said college of St Leonard's and their successors all and whole the said lands, rents, kirks, teinds, annualrents and other profits and commodities whatsoever contained in their said old infeftments and rights made and conveyed to them by his majesty and his predecessors, or by whatsoever other person or persons, and specially give, grant and convey all and whole the said benefice of the priory of Portmoak, whole lands, kirks, tenants, annualrents, fruits, rents and emoluments, and other commodities whatsoever which at any time have been possessed by the priors of Portmoak as part of the patrimony thereof, together with the said prebendary of Monydie, whole lands, teinds and commodities of the same, with the said lands of Monydie Rodger pertaining thereto; and also give, grant and convey to them and their foresaids all and whole the prebendary of Durey and Rungallie, which was sometime possessed by Master William Russell and was demitted by him in their favour, and whereof, at the least of the most part thereof, the said masters and regents are presently in possession, together also with the whole fruits, rents and emoluments which pertained to the friars predicators of St Andrews and are now held and possessed by Master John Russell, advocate, to the which he is provided by his highness, with this condition: that the same shall be annexed to the said college of St Leonard's to be possessed by them after his decease. And to this effect his majesty and estates foresaid suppress the names and titles of the said priory of Portmoak and prebendary foresaid, and dissolve the same and whole rents thereof from his highness's crown, and from all annexations made thereto in time bygone, to the effect the same may remain with the said college of St Leonard's as a part of the patrimony thereof for ever, to the which his majesty and estates foresaid unite, annexe and incorporate the same.