[1592/4/79]¹

Prescriptioun of the act of repossessing

²Forsamekle as in the pacificatioun concludit in the parliament haldin in the greit hall of the palice of Linlithgw, the tent day of December, the yeir of God j^M v^C fourscoir fyve yeiris, ratifiet and apprevit in the parliament haldin at Edinburgh in the moneth of Julii, j^M v^C fourscoir sevin yeiris, for unioun of all his hienes subiectis to his obedience, thair wes ane generall pacificatioun maid and concludit contening dyvers heidis and articles: speciallie that all and sindrie personis being on lyve and the aris of thame quha wer deid and wer dispossessit of thair landis and possessionis throw and be the occasioun of the commoun civile truble occurring of befoir, suld be effectuallie repossessit fra the croip and proffite of the yeir of God j^M v^C fourscoir fyve yeiris, including the Mertimes terme thairof; sen the quhilk tyme it may appeir that all the personis quha wer dispossessit have socht the remedie of the said pacificatioun be the repossessioun aganis quhatsumevir possessour, howbeit the possessour aganis quhome the repossessioun wes socht wes nocht alluterlie the same persoun quha dispossessit thame; and be the rigour of the same act, the personis seikand the said repossessioun hes obtenit the uttermaist byrun proffeittis continwallie sen the said feist of Mertimes inclusive the yeir of God j^M v^C fourscoir fyve yeris, albeit the said repossessioun wes not socht frome thame ane lang space thaireftir, and sum personis in the meantyme estemit thame selffis to have bruikit bone fide; thairfoir oure soverane lord and estaitis of this present parliament statutis and ordanis that all actionis competent to quhatsumevir persoun or personis be vertew of the foirsaid act of repossessioun be intentit and persewit befoir the juge ordinar within yeir and day nixt eftir the publicatioun heirof at the marcat croce of Edinburgh, with certificatioun that tyme and space being expyrit nevir to be hard thaireftir to intent or persew actioun upoun the said benefite of repossessioun; and forder that be reasone of the tumultis occurring in the saidis commoun troubles, it hapnit that sum personis wer foirfalt, denuncit rebellis and put to the horne or trublit for the commoun caus, and for the same caus wer dispossessit be sic personis as wes schortlie thaireftir foirfalt, put to the horne or trublit be reasoun of certane variences arrysing in the said commoun trubles be changeing of factionis and parties as thai thocht occasioun requirit; thairfoir it wes statute and ordanit be the said pacificatioun that he quha wes first dispossessit be reasone of the first truble suld be effectuallie repossest aganis all utheris, be the quhilk it was planelie menit that the persoun quha dispossessit the uther, being thairfoir dispossest him selff, suld nevir be hard to acclame ony repossessioun of that quhilk he acquirit be the saidis trubles, seing it manifestlie appearis be the former act that the acclaming of the repossessioun be him quha wes dispossessit in the secund place can not stand with the effectuall repossessioun of him quha wes first dispossessit; thairfoir his hienes, with advise of the saidis estaitis, decernis and declaris that the persoun quha obtenit his possessioun throw the foirfaltour, horning, rebellioun or truble of ane uther persoun for the commoun caus sall nevir be hard to clame repossessioun nather agains the said persoun quha wes first dispossest, nor aganis ony uther persoun quhatsumevir, bot that the persoun quha wes first dispossessit, his airis, assignais and successouris sall effectuallie bruik his said possessioun without ony truble to be movit to thame be virtew of the said pacificatioun and repossessioun thairin contenit, and sall nevir be quarrellit be the persoun dispossessit in the secund place, but prejudice of ony partiis richtis to be decydit be the juge ordiner as is appointit be the said act.