[1389/3/14]¹

Legislation: roll of parliament (cont.)

Thereafter on the seventh day of the aforesaid month of April in the same parliament, Sir Archibald Douglas, lord of Galloway, presented a single charter of the king, by the tenor of which charter it became apparent evidently that all and singular of the under-written lands, namely all the lands of Douglasdale, Selkirk Forest, Lauderdale, Bedrule, Eskdale, Stablegordon, Buittle in Galloway, Rommano, and the farm of Rutherglen, with all their pertinents, pertained to the same Archibald by tailzied infeftment and pertain [to him] by hereditary right. He was seised by brieves of sasine of the same royal chapel according to the tenor of the charter [after] inquests had been made in the presence of the sheriffs in their bailiaries with regard to some of these lands, and concerning the other [lands, following inquests] in the presence of the sheriffs in this same parliament, in the presence of the lord guardian, and [after the inquests were] retoured to the king's chapel, because the guardian himself, in order that the disagreements and dissensions of parties and the harm to the people through the country be avoided, had forbidden inquests to be made within certain sheriffdoms by his letters, since they can be done better and more peacefully in parliament where the magnates of the kingdom and many trustworthy persons have assembled. Wherefore, having considered and paid attention to these things diligently and maturely, it was then delivered and given to the chancellor [John Peebles, bishop of Dunkeld] as a command by the three communities in the same parliament that, in the proposed case that, at the request of any letters of inquest which he shall perchance release himself from the chancery hereafter concerning the aforesaid lands with the pertinents, or concerning any of them, namely in general or in particular, nevertheless the consequent letters of sasine should by no means be released nor handed over contrary to the tenor of the said charter, regardless of how those inquests are fully answered by retours, or how it shall be rightly answered in full to them by the retours themselves, so the dissensions of the magnates and the harms to the community may be avoided. Since it is now manifestly well known by the same lord chancellor and the communities, and ought not to disappear from the memory of the chancellor, that the said Sir Archibald is legitimately seised, as aforesaid, in these lands with the pertinents, according to the tenor of the aforesaid charter (but if anyone shall wish to bring a suit against those lands, they should proceed by pleadable brieves as is customary), if any such sasines are handed over or released concerning the said lands through negligence or otherwise henceforth, contrary to the terms of the said charter, it was decreed by the aforesaid parliament that they shall be of no strength, but thoroughly useless and void, and ought and can do no prejudice to the said Sir Archibald and his heirs as [they are] forbidden by decreet of parliament.