[1584/5/79]¹

Anent landis, lordschipis, heretages, takis and possessionis of landis and teyndis cumand in oure soverane lordis handis be foirfaltour, and quhairof the evidentis and rychtis of the personis foirfaltit ar maliciuslie abstractit in defraude of his hienes

Forsamekle as be the commoun law and lawis of this realme, the landis and heretages of all personis convictit of tressoun haldin immediatlie of oure soverane lord ar adjugit to pertene to his hienes and to returne as propertie to his croun, and als his hienes hes rycht and powar to dispone quhatssumevir uther landis and heretages pertening to the personis convict of lesemajestie, quhilkis ar immediatlie haldin of any of his subjectis be presentatioun of ane heretable tennent to the ovirlord, and inlykmaner hes rycht and title to all takis and possessonis of teyndis and landis bruikit be the saidis personis before thair convictioun; and as the crymis of tressoun growis within this realme, sua the fraudfull inventionis, to the hurt and prejudice of oure said soverane lordis escheit, dalie mair and mair incressis be abstracting of the evidentis, infeftmentis and sesingis of the landis and heretagis, takis and utheris rychtis appertening to the personis quhilkis ar convictit and foirfaltit for lesemajestie, tending thairby to draw oure soverane lord and his successoris and the personis to quhome the saidis landis and heretagis foirsaidis ar and salbe heirefter disponit in questioun of thair heretable rychtis and titillis of thair rowmes and possessionis, nocht haveing in thair handis the evidentis of the saidis personis convictit or to be convictit as said is. For remeid quhairof, it is statut and ordanit be oure said soverane lord and his thrie estaitis of this present parliament that all landis, lordschippis, baroneis, annuelrentis, mylnis, multuris, fischeingis, tennentis, tennendreis and service of frie tennentis and utheris heretages quhatsumevir quhilkis haif bene or heirefter salbe peceablie bruikit and possessit be quhatsumevir personis foirfaltit or that heirefter salbe foirfaltit for crymis of tressone and lesemajestie committit, or that heirefter salbe committit, aganis his hienes and his successoris, or be thame to quhome oure soverane lord and his successoris suld succeid be ressoun of the foirfaltour of thair nerrest airis as thair heretage be lauboring the samine with thair awin gudis, setting the samine to tennentis and uplifting of the mailles thairof as thair heretage, and sua reput, haldin and estemit heretable possessour thairof be the space of fyve yeiris immediatlie preciding the proces and sentence of foirfaltour led, or to be led, aganis thame be the space of fyve yeiris immediatlie preciding the deceis of the personis to quhome oure said soverane lord suld or may succeid as air, throw foirfaltour led, or to be led, aganis thair nerrest airis, that all and sindrie the saidis landis, lordschippis, baroneis, annuelrentis, tennentis, tennendreis and service of frie tennentis, mylnis, multuris, fischeingis and utheris heretages quhatsumevir hes appertenit and sall appertene to oure said soverane lord and his sucessoris, hes becumin and salbecum in thair handis as escheit to be disponit and usit be thame as thair propertie in all tyme cumming, sa that heirefter na question salbe movit to his hienes and his successoris nor yit to the personis quhilk haif alreddie obtenit, or heirefter sall obtene, heretable rycht of the saidis landis, lordschippis, annuelrentis and utheris abonespecifiit be thair dispositioun, notwithstanding that thay be not able to schaw nor produce in jugement the heretable rycht and title thairof or contractis, renunciationis and utheris securiteis maid thairanent to the personis foirfaltit or to be foirfaltit as said is, or thair predecessoris. And to the effect that the said fyve yeiris possessioun of the saidis personis as heretable possessoris may be sufficientlie verefeit and provin, our said soverane lord and his successoris sall, at all tymis neidfull and convenient, at the instance of his advocat, or quhatsumevir utheris his lieges haveand enteres, direct comissionis under the testimoniall of the greit seill in dew and competent forme, makand sik personis as his hienes, be the advise of the lordis of his secreit counsale, sall find maist meit and expedient his schireffis in that part, to tak cognitioun be ane condict²assyise of the schirrefdome quhiar the landis lyis, or utheris leist suspect quha best knawis the veritie quhat landis, lordschippis and utheris heretagis war bruikit and possessit be the saidis personis convict or to be convictit of tressone and wer bruikit be thame in maner foirsaid as heretable possessoris thairof, sa commounlie haldin, reput and estemit be the space of the saidis fyve yeiris immediatlie preciding the procesis and sentencis of foirfaltour led and to be led aganis thame, quhilkis ar, or salhappin to be heirefter, convictit of tresson as said is, and quhat landis wer bruikit be the personis to quhome oure said soverane lord and his successoris may or suld succeid as aires throw foirfaltoris led or to be led aganis thame for tressoun as said is, and to call all parteis haveand or presendand enteres; quhilkis personis of assyise all gif thair finell determinatioun thairupon befoir the juge, quha sall interpone his decreit and auctoritie thairto, and thairefter sall reture the samine to his hienes chancellarae under the seillis of the saidis assyise, quhair the samine sall remane ad perpetuam rei memoriam, and sall in all tymis thairefter mak als full fayth in jugement as outwithe and be of als greit strenthe, force and effect to oure soverane lord and his successoris and utheris haveand rycht be thair dispositioun for bruiking of the saidis landis, lordshippis, heretagis and annuelrentis as gif the heretable infeftmentis, charteris and sesingis thairof maid to the saidis personis foirfaltit or to be foirfaltit as said is, or thair predecessoris, wes schawin and producit in jugement. And as concernig takis and possessionis of landis and teyndis bruikit and possessit be the saidis personis foirfaltit or the personis to quhome oure said soverane lord and his successoris suld or may succeid as airis throw foirfaltoris led or to be led aganis thair nerrest airis, it is statut and ordanit that lettres be directit be deliverance of the lordis of his hienes secreit counsale at the instance of his hienes comptroller, or sic as hes obtenit or salhappin to obtene be oure soverane lordis gift the rycht of the saidis takis and possessionis, chargeing the possessoris of the saidis landis and teyndis to enter the said comptroller or donatour thairto, to be peceablie possessit and bruikit be thame ay and quhill they be lauchfullie callit and ordourlie put thairfra be the law within ten dayis nixt efter the charge, under the pane of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horne; and gif they failyie thairin, the saidis ten dayis being bipast, to denunce thame rebellis and escheit all thair moveable gudis to his hienes use, and that they sall nocht be alterit, hichtit in maill or dewtie or remove fra the saidis takis or possessionis of landis or teyndis for the said space of fyve yeiris, that in the mentyme they may haif tyme and commoditie to serche and seik out the takis, rychtis, titillis and provisionis of thame quhome of thair rycht and securitie procedis and quhais place they succeid into be foirfaltour and escheit as said is, quhairby to mantene and defend thair rycht or possessioun of the landis or teyndis acquirit as said is, and that alwayis the fruitis of the saidis landis, rowmes and possessionis for the said space of fyve yeiris sall appertene and remane with oure said soverane lord and his donatour for evir, becaus his majestie and his donatouris may be gritlie defraudit, as also vassallis and subvassellis to fewaris hurt, throw the absenting and abstracting of the evidentis and rychtis of personis foirfaltit, sum pretending to clame annuelrentis and few dewteis of landis fallin in foirfaltour of mony yeiris presiding, quhilkis probablie ar takin away be posteriour rychtis of discharges concilit or abstractit be the saidis personis foirfaltit. Thairfoir, it is statut and ordanit be oure said soverane lord and his thrie estaitis that na persone presentit be oure soverane lord to few landis foirfaltit nor ony vassall of ony fewar foirfaltit sall be compellit to produce the acquittancis of few mailles or annuelrentis of thay foirfaltit landis of ony yeiris preceding the foirfaltour of his immediat superiour, nor yit of ony yeiris sen the same landis come in his hienes handis be ressoun of foirfaltour, notwithstanding ony claus irritant contenit in the infeftmentis or titillis of the foirfaltit personis quhilkis war obscure to the personis presentit be his hienes and subvassellis foirsaidis, they alwayis payand the saidis annuelrentis or few dewteis for the tyme to cum how sone it salbe verefeit that the landis war sa oblist be the infeftmentis of the saidis personis foirfaltit abstractit as said is.