[A1570/10/1]¹

Legislation

Taxatioune

Forsamekill as thair is certane nobilmen of this realme and utheris of guid credit to be direct to the queenis majestie of Ingland for treating of sic materis as sall tend alsweill to the advancement and furtherance of the kingis grace auctoritie as to the suiretie of his faythfull subjectis professing the same, as als to the quyetnes of the commoune weill of this realme, and seing the mater to be of sic importance, quhilk for the wechtines thairof may nocht be lychtlie regairdit, the mair honorabill messinger is requirit thairto and the langar attendance sall depend thairupoune; quhilk being exponit to ane guid nowmber of the prelattis, nobilitie and commissioneris of burrowis laitlie convenit, and at length ressonit in thair presence, thay all, with ane avise and consent, frelie and voluntarlie grantit that, for releif of the expenssis to be maid in the said message, and in respect thairof, ane taxatioune of twelf thowsand pundis suld be payit be the saidis estaittis at the dayes and within the spaces efter specifeit: that is to say, sex thowsand pundis be the spirituale estait, provyding that the thrid thairof be taikin up of the thriddis of benefices, swa that thay sall onlie be astrictit in payment of the twa pairt of the same, fowre thowsand pundis be the barones and friehalderis, and the sowme of twa thowsand pundis in compleit payment of the said haill taxatioune of xij thowsand pundis be the burrowis. And for inbringing of the spirituale mennis pairt of the said taxatioune, that letters be direct chairgeing all and sindrie bischoppis, abbottis, and utheris beneficeit persones contenit in the taxt roll, thair factouris and chalmerlanes, personallie or at thair dwelling places, and, failzeing thairof, be oppin proclamatioune at the principall paroche kirkis of the benefice upone ane Sonday befoir none in tyme of devyne service and at the mercat croce of the head burche of the schyre quhair the benefice lyis, to mak payment of the twa pairt of that sowme that thay and ilk ane of thame ar stentit to to the collectour of the scherefdome quhairin thair beneficeis lyis, at the dayes and within the spaces particularlie efter specifeit, under the paine of rebellioune and putting of thame to the horne, and gif thay failzeit thairin, the said day being bypast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and escheit and inbring all thair moveabill guidis to our soverane lordis use for thair contemptioun, provyding alvayes that thair be ten dayes frie at the leist betuixt the day of the chairgeing and the executioune of the horning thairupoune; and that letters be direct alswa chairgeing the said collectour to bring and mak payment of the sowmes contenit in the taxt rolls particularlie delyverit to thame for the spirituale estait, viz., the twa pairt of thair pairt of the said taxt to be uptakin of the twa pairt of the benefices quhair thair is na speciall assumptioune of the thriddis, and thair the collectouris to be² the thrid of the taxatioune furthe of the assumit thrid of the benefice, and quhair thair is na assumptioun the beneficeit men to pay the haill taxatioune effeirand to thair pairtis, the collectouris alvayes allowand the thrid of thair pairt of the taxt in thair thrid of the benefice off this instant crop and yeir of God j^M v^C threscoir ten yeiris, at the leist letters dewlie execut and indorssat upoune the persounes astrictit to pay the same to Jhonne Cunninghame of Drumquhassill, collectour generall appointit to the said haill taxatioune, under the paine of rebellioune and putting of the saidis collectouris to the horne, and gif thay failzie thairin, the said day being bypast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne and escheit and inbring all thair moveabill guidis to our soverane lordis use for thair contemptioune; provyding alwayes that the horning now to be execut at this tyme for this occasioune upoune kirkmen and thair factouris sall nocht prejudge thame and thair successouris anent the privilege grantit to thame be act of parliament maid in the tyme of our soveranes derrest guidames regiment toward the horning of kirkmen for taxt. And, for the barones and friehalderis pairt, that thair be upliftit of everie pund land within our realme of auld extent 4 s., our soveranes propirtie and kirkland pertening to the kirk being exceptit, for payment quhairof that letteris be direct chairgeing all and sindrie schereffis, stewards and bailzeis that thay and ilkane of thame within the boundis of thair offices raise and uplift the said sowme of foure schillingis of everie pund land of auld extent (except befoir exceptit) and inbring and delyver the samin to the said collectour generall, under the said paine of rebellioun, and failzeing thairof to putt thame to the horne and escheit and inbring, etc.; and for thair releif that letters be direct chairgeing all and sindrie erlis, lordis, barrones and friehalderis to mak payment and delyverance to the said schereffis, stewartis and bailleis, ilkane of thame within thair awin boundis, of the said sowme of foure s. of everie pund land of auld extent at the day underwrittin appointit thairto, under the paine of rebellioune, and failzeing thairof to put thame to the horne, swa that thair be alwayes ten dayes betuix the day of the chairgeing and the executioune of horning, or ellis that the schereffis, stewartis and bailleis poind and distrenzie thairfoir as thay sall think maist expedient, and that the saidis erles, lordis, barones and frehalderis have siclyk letteris for thair releife aganes the ladeis of terce, lyferentaris, conjunct fearis and subvassellis. And, for inbringing of the burrowis pairt, that letteres be direct chairgeing the provest and bailleis of ilk burche to mak payment of the taxt and extent thairof to the said collectour generall at the said day appointit thairto, under the said paine of rebellioune and putting of thame to the horne, and gif thay failzie thairin, the said day being bypast, to put thame thairto; and, for thair releif, that letteres be direct chairgeing all and sindrie the inhabitantis of ilk burche to convene and elect certane persones to stent thair nychtbouris, and to chairge the persones electit to accept the chairge upoune thame, in setting of the said stent upoune the nychtbouris of ilk burche, and to convene and sett the samin and mak ane stent roll thairupoune as effeiris within xxiiij houris nixt efter thay be chairgeit thairto, under the paine of rebellioune and putting of thame to the horne, and gif thay failzie thairin, the said xxiiij houris being bypast, to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horne; and siclyk, the said extent being sett, to chairge the burgessis, nychtbouris and inhabitantis of ilk burche to mak payment of thair pairt of the said extent to the saidis provestis and bailleis, conforme to the taxt roll maid and gevin out thairupoune, within the space underwrittin, under the paine of rebellioune, and failzeing thairof to put thame to the horne, and gif neid be to poind and distrenzie thairfoir. And that the saidis prelattis and beneficeit men, for thair releif, have letteres to chairge the friehalderis, vassellis, subvassallis, ladeis of terce, conjunct fearis and lyferentaris to mak payment of thair pairt of the said taxatioune pro rata at the day underwrittin appointit thairto, under the paine of rebellioune, and failzeing thairof to put thame to the horne. And to chairge the schereffis to inbring the haill taxatioune of the spiritualitie and baronis on this syd of the Watter of Dee at the fytene day of November nixttocum, the provost and bailzeis of [ilk] burche siclyk within sex dayes and, for thair releif, the inhabitantis of ilk burche within thrie dayes efter the chairge; and on the northe syd of the Watter of Dee the taxatioune of the spiritualitie and baronis at the xx day of November nixttocum, and the provost and bailzeis of ilk burche siclyk within sex dayes and, for thair relief, the inhabitantis of ilk burche within thrie dayes nixt efter the chairge, under the paine abonewrittin.