[A1573/1/6]¹

The explanation of the act anent mansis and gleibis²

Forsamekle as be ane act of parliament haldin and begun at Edinburgh, the ferd day of Junii the yeir of God ane thousand fyve hundreth thre scoir thre yeiris, it wes statute and ordanit that na person, vicar, nor uther ecclesiasticall person suld set in few or lang takkis ony of thair mansis or gleibbis pertenyng to the kirkis, and alsua that thay that war appoyntit or tobe appointit to serve and minister at ony kirk within this realme sould have the principall mansis of the persoun or vicar or samekle thairof as sould be fund sufficient for staiking of thame, to the effect that thai may the better await upoun the charge appoyntit and tobe appoyntit to thame, quhether the saidis gleibbis wer set in few or tak of befoir or not, or that ane ressonable and sufficient hous wer beigit to³ thame besyde the kirk be the persoun or vicar or utheris havand the saidis mansis in few or lang takkis; and forder, samekill land tobe annexit to the saidis duelling places of thame that servis and ministeris at the kirk as thairefter with gude advysement sould be appoyntit, lyke as the said act at mair lenth proportis; quhilk being in divers poyntis doubtfull and incertane, na gude executioun hes followit thairupoune in tyme bipast. And thairfor oure soverane lord, with avise of my lord regentis grace, the thre estatis and haill body of this present parliament, findis and declaris that the mansis other pertening to the persoun or vicar maist ewest to the kirk and maist commodious for duelling, pertenis and sall pertene to the minister or redar serving at the same kirk, together with foure akeris of land of the gleib at leist, liand contigue or maist ewest to the said manse gif thair be samekill; and failyeing thairof, samekill as thair is tobe merkit and speciallie designit be the archibischope, bischope, superintendent or commissionar of the diocie or province the tyme of thair nixt visitatioun, be the advise of ony tua of the maist honest and godlie of the parochinaris quhilkis thai sall require (not being possessouris of the saidis mansis or gleibbis thame selffis) to joyne with him in executioune heirof, quhether the saidis mansis and gleibbis be sett in few or takkis of befoir or not; and upoun the said marking and designatioun, the archibischope, bischeope, superintendent or⁴ commissionar sall gif his testimoniall, bering how he, with avise of sic tua of the parochinaris, hes visited the mansis and gleib of sic a kirk and findis the same occupiit be sic personis, and that thay have appoyntit, markit and⁵ designit the said manse, with foure akaris or sic quantitie of land adjacent thairto, to the use of the minister or redar that sall serve and mister at the said kirk in tyme cuming, and upoun the minister or redaris supplicatioune quhairwithall the said testimoniall salbe presentit to the lordis of counsall and sessioun, lettres salbe direct chargeing the occupiaris and possessouris of the saidis mansis and akeris of land, quhether the same be sett in few or takkis of befoir or not, to remove, desist and ceis thairfra, and enter the said minister or redar to the possessioun of the samyn within ten dayis under the pane of rebellioun; and gif thai failyie, to put thame to the horne; and in caise thai be denuncit, captioun and utheris executoriallis according to the lawis and consuetudes of this realme tobe⁶ directit aganis thame. Quhilkis mansis and akeris of land sa markit and designit⁷ as said is, it sall not be lauchfull to the ministeris or redaris present or⁸ to cum to sell, annalie, sett in few or takkis, or to put ony in the possessioun of the same, in prejudice of thair successour, bot the same to remane alwayis fre to the use and eisment of sic as salbe admittit to serve and minister at the said kirk. And quhair ony personis upoune pretence of fewis or takkis obtenit of mansis or gleibbis hes maid sumptuous beiggingis thairon, fra⁹ quhilkis thai will think hevy tobe dispossest and removit, that than the archibischope, bischope, superintendent or commissionar, in tyme of thair visitatioune, travell to aggre the fewar or takkisman, and the minister or redar be delivering to the same minister or redar of ane uther manse, quhilk salbe als gude and ewest as the uther be just estimatioun the tyme that it was sett in few or takkis, tobe biggit betuix and the first day of October¹⁰ nixt tocum,¹¹ togidder alsua with¹² certane akeris of land adjacent thairto in maner foirsaid,¹³ for eschewing of debait and contentioun; bot gif the fewar or takkisman refuis willinglie to condiscend to the same, than the executioun to proceid for removing fra the principall manse and sa mony akeris of land as is befoir specifyit,¹⁴ notwithstanding ony beigingis maid or to be maid thairupoun, providing alwayis¹⁵ that samekill of the few maill be deducit¹⁶ to the fewar pro rata for the samin akeris gevin to the saidis ministeris or redaris, and to big the said manse betuix and the first day of September nixt tocum,¹⁷ providing alswa that the fewaris haif actioune aganis the settaris of the saidis mansis or glebis for samekle of the entress silver payit be thame secundum ratam the tyme of the setting of the saidis fewis.¹⁸