[1388/8/2]¹

Letters: to the freeholders and inhabitants of North Berwick

Robert, by the grace of God king of Scots, to our faithful lieges the freeholders of the barony of North Berwick, the inhabitants of the same and the warden or constable of Tantallon Castle and the others living and dwelling in the same castle, greeting. Because, in our council held at Linlithgow on the present Tuesday 18 August, it was declared from the deliberation of our council that the barony of North Berwick, which our most beloved son the late James [Douglas, 2nd] earl of Douglas, held of our most beloved son Robert [Stewart], earl of Fife, ought to pertain to this earl of Fife as a tenancy held of him, until the true heirs of the aforementioned late James shall have recovered the sasine and standing of this barony with the castle and the pertinents according to common justice thereupon; we instruct and command each of you and yours as far as pertains to him, in the faith and fidelity by which you are bound to us, that in the mean time you shall answer and obey in all ways the aforementioned earl of Fife as the superior lord of the same barony with the castle and pertinents of the same, and, seeing these letters, release and resign the same castle to him immediately without any excuse or raising any difficulty. And you and any of yours should not disregard this under every penalty which can occur by that cause. Given at the place and on the day mentioned before in the eighteenth year of our reign [1388].

[See also RMS, i, no. 808, which makes reference to a resignation of Norman Lesley in this council.]