[1612/10/61]¹

Ratification in favour of William Nisbet of his infeftment of Dean and poultry-land

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament ratify, approve and perpetually confirm the two charters respectively underwritten, namely: the one thereof made and granted by his majesty under his highness's great seal, with consent of his highness's treasurer for the time, to and in favour of his majesty's beloved William Nisbet of Dean, his male heirs and assignees whatsoever, of all and sundry the lands and others underwritten, namely: of all and whole the lands of Dean, with the corn and waulk mills thereof, mill lands, multures and sequels of the same, all and whole the muir called the Highland Muir, being proper part and pertinent of the same lands of Dean, lying within the bounds, meiths and marches after-specified, namely: between the lands of Ravelston on the west and north parts, and the proper arable lands of Dean on the east and south parts, with all and sundry their houses, buildings, yards, orchards, dovecots, fishings, outsets, annexes, connexes, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, parts, pendicles and pertinents of the same lands and others foresaid whatsoever, lying within the sheriffdom of Edinburgh and near the burgh thereof, which are united and erected in a free barony called the barony of Dean, to be held of our sovereign lord and his successors by service of ward and relief, with the marriage when it should happen; which ward, non-entries, relief and marriage is taxed by the said charter to the sums of money following, namely: the said ward and non-entries yearly to the sum of 40 merks, and the said marriage to the sum of 500 merks, as the said charter of the date at his highness's court of Royston, 26 April 1610, at more length bears; and the other of the said charters made and granted by his majesty under his highness's great seal, with consent of his majesty's treasurer for the time, to the said William Nisbet and Janet Williamson, his spouse, the longest liver of the two in conjunct fee, and to the male heirs lawfully procreated or to have been procreated between them, which failing, to the nearest and lawful male heirs of the said William Nisbet and his assignees whatsoever, of all and whole the lands of poultry-land, with sequels, pasturage of goods and their pertinents lying in and beside the town of Dean and of old within the sheriffdom of Linlithgow, and now naturally and locally lying within the said sheriffdom of Edinburgh and near the said burgh thereof, together with the office of his highness's poulterer, to be administered and exerted by the said William Nisbet, his male heirs foresaid and their deputes in all time coming, to be held of our said sovereign lord and his successors in free blench, fee and heritage for ever, for the yearly payment of the sum of 5s usual money of this realm of Scotland at the feast of Whitsunday [May/June] upon the ground of the said lands and service of the said office of poulterer in name of blench ferm, if it be asked only, as the same charter of the date at Edinburgh, 1 November 1610, more fully purports, in all and sundry points, passages, heads, articles, clauses and conditions whatsoever contained in the infeftments respectively above-written, and either of them after the forms and tenors thereof, together with all and sundry other infeftments, rights and securities whatsoever made to the said William Nisbet and his authors of the lands and others above-specified with their pertinents or any part thereof; likewise his highness and estates foresaid declare that this present general ratification shall be as sufficient as if the said infeftments, rights and securities were at length engrossed in this present act. And further, our said sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament statute, decree, declare and ordain that the two particular infeftments above-written, of the dates respectively above-specified, with the precepts and instruments of sasine following thereupon, are and shall be good, valid, lawful and effectual rights and securities to the said William Nisbet, his said spouse and their foresaids for possessing and enjoying of the lands, barony and others above-specified therein contained, with their pertinents, according to the tenors thereof, as their heritage in all time coming, ordaining to extend an act of parliament hereupon, and to insert at length therein the infeftments respectively foresaid in the more form.