[1592/4/24]¹

Act in favouris of Rachaell Makgill

²Oure soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament, having sene and considerit the supplicatioun gevin in and presentit be Rachaell Makgill, relict of umquhile George Stewart of Rossyth, and now spous to Archibald Vauchoip, sumtyme apperand of Nudrie Merschell, makand mentioun that quhair the said Archibald for his tressounable being in cumpanie with Frances, sumtyme erle Bothuell, in the tressounable assegeing of his majesties palice of Halyruidhous, for taking of his hienes maist noble persoun upoun the xxvij day of December last bipast, is now foirfaltit in this present parliament, quhairby the small portioun appointit to the said Rachaell for hir conjunctfee and terce of the leving of Rossyth, acquirit be umquhile Maister James Makgill of Rankelour Nather, clerk of register, hir father, for greit soumes of money debursit be him in name of tocher with hir, to the said umquhile George Stewart, is apperandlie to cum in danger sa lang as the said Archibald naturalie levis; and that the band of mariage sall stand betuix thame indissolvit, albeit it be notourlie knawin to all the cuntrie in quhat miserable estate scho wes in during the tyme of the said Archibaldis remaning in this cuntrie be ressoun of his awin leving and hirs being all consumit in his vane uses and ungodlie fantasies, the said Rachaell wes left indigent of hir sustentatioun with hir bairnis and scho had mony occasionis for quhilkis scho mycht haif persewit dissolutioun of the said mariage, quhilk now at last scho is forceit to persew, and thairby the benefite of the law will not onlie gif to hir hir awin leving, bot als mekle of his as wes appointit be contract hir to haif bene infeft in for hir conjunctfee; thairfoir, and in respect of hir innocency as nawayes giltie nor suspect of hir said housbandis vicked and tressounable misdeidis, deservand maist humbly his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis that scho be not hurte of that small portioun of lyff provydit to hir furth of the hous of Rossythe, bot that scho may frelie bruik the same according to hir richtis and infeftmentis thairof, quhilk supplicatioun and desyre thairof being sene and considerit as said is, oure said soverane lord and his saidis estaittis in this present parliament, for his hienes and his successouris, hes confermit, ratifiet and approvin all and quhatsumevir infeftmentis, charteris, preceptis and instrumetis of seasing with quhatsumevir uther evidentis maid in favouris of the said Rachaell Makgill, off all and sindrie hir conjunctfie and terce landis of the hous and leving of Rossyth and all thair pertinentis mentionat in hir infeftmentis of the same, to be peceablie bruikit, josit and occupiet be hir during all the dayes of hir lyvetyme, notwithstanding the foirfaltour led aganis the said and hir spous; and decernis and ordanis the same to stand in the full force, strenth and effect to the said Rachaell for hir lyvetyme as said is, in all pointis, headis, articles and clausis thairof according to the tennour of the same.