[1593/4/61]¹

²Act in favour of the Bischop of Abirdene anent the temporall landis thairof

Oure soverane lord and estaitis of this present parliament, considdering that it is speciallie provydit in the parliament haldin in the moneth of [...] the yeir of God j^M v^C lxxxvij yeiris that all prelattis and beneficit personis within this realme suld nawyis be hurt nor prejudgit in the yeirlie rent, commoditie and proffite of levingis and benefices be the act of annexatioun of kirklandis to the croun, bot that thai suld bruik, joyse and posses the samyn frelie and peceablie during thair lyftymes ay and quhill thay suld be sufficientlie recompensit thairfoir, notwithstanding the said act of annexatioun; according to the quhilk, his hienes, understanding that David, bischoip of Abirdene culd na utherwayis be satisfiit for the temporalitie of the said bischoiprik bot be the assignatioun and dispositioun of ane pairt of the fruittis thairof, quhairof the said bischoip wes in possessioun ofbefoir, all the rest of the said bischoiprik being exhaustit be ane greit nowmer of pensionis grantit be his predicessouris furth of the samyn ofbefoir, thairfoir gave, grantit and disponit to the said David, bischoip of Abirdene during his lyftyme ane pairt of the few males of the patrimonie of the said bischoiprik nocht exceding the sowme of four hundreth pundis in compensatioun and satisfactioun of his said temporalitie, with ane speciall immunitie fra the payment of all thriddis and taxationis imposit or to be imposit upoun the said benefice, as at mair lenth is contenit in the lettrez of gift maid and grantit to him of the dait the xiij day of December the yeir of God j^M v^C lxxxx yeris. And now his hienes and estaitis of this present parliament remembring the guid services and offices done be the said David, bischoip foirsaid, in the publict effayres of the kirk and commoun welth of this cuntrie, his ernest and diligent travellis sustenit be him in the office of ministrie at the new and auld townis of Abirdene, and alsua considdering that the haill rentis and patrimonie of the said bischoiprie consistis in the temporall males thairof, except the half teyndis of the Newtoun of Abirdene sett for the yeirlie payment of fourtie pundis, and thairfoir that the said David, bischoip foirsaid, be nawyis prejugeit in his patrimony or casualities of the said bischoiprik during his lyftyme, bot that he be sufficientlie satisfiit according to the meaning and intentioun of the said act of annexatioun and provisioun thairin contenit maid in favoris of the prelattis and utheris beneficit personis, have ratifiet and approvin and be thir presentis ratifies and apprevis the said lettre of gift of the dait foirsaid maid and grantit under his hienes privie seill to the said David, bischoip of Abirdene off a pairt of the few males of the same bischoiprie, extending to the sowme of four hundreth pundis as said is, with the haill clauses, immunities, privilegis, provisionis and conditionis thairin specifiet, quhilkis salbe als sufficient as gif the samyn wer insert heir word be word. And for his forder satisfactioun of the temporalitie of the said benefice, his majestie and estaitis foirsaidis declaris and ordanis all and quhatsumevir takkis and pensionis gevin furth of said bischoprie of auld, to quhatsumevir persoun or personis quhilkis hes vaikit, ar vacand or salhappin to vaik during his lyftyme be foirfaltour, dimissioun, resignatioun, rebellioun and lying at the horne attour the space of yeir and day, or be quhatsumevir uther maner of way in his hienes handes, to have pertenit and to pertene in all tymes cuming induring the space foirsaid to the said David, bischoip of Abirdene, and to returne and accress to him as ane pairt of the patrimony of the said benefice to be bruikit and joysit be him during all the dayis of his lyftyme siclyk and als frelie as the saidis pensionaris, takismen and utheris posesoris thairof bruikit and possest the same ofbefoir; with full power to him to uplift, ressave and intromett with the samyn, and to charge the tennents, fewaris and utheris addettit in payment thairof to answerit, obey and mak him thankfull payment of the samyn be vertew of his auld lettrez rasit upoun his provisioun and utherwayis as he sall think expedient. And becaus the present rent of the said benefice is sa meane and sober in the self that the samyn is not able to sustene his famelie and perticuler charge foirsaid, and mekilmair insufficient to beir out his publict chargis in the commoun effayres quhairin he is ordourlie employit in parliament and utherwayis, quhilkis publict chargis wes for the maist pert sustenit and borne out be his predicessouris upoun the casualities and superioritie of the said bischoiprie, quhilk is of litle valour and commoditie to his hienes and quhair of his majestie hes importit na commoditie nor proffite as yit in respect of the smalnes of the tennandries of the said bischoiprie, disponit to ane multitude of personis duelland far of quhat be reasone of the litle valour of thair landis and of the greit derth of new infeftmentis to be purchest fra his majestie and entrie be his hienes chancellarie may not convenientlie resort thairto; thairfoir his majestie and estaitis foirsaidis gevis, grantis and disponis to the said David, bischoip of Abirdene during the space foirsaid full power and commissioun to enter and ressave the frie tennentis and fewaris of the said bischoiprie and to grant infeftmentis to thame or ony of thame upoun thair awin resignatioun, with all and sindrie gressumes and compositionis for the samyn and entres silver, in all and be all thingis as he was wount to have the same ofbefoir the making of the said act of annexatioun. Quhilkis entres and infeftmentis foirsaidis grantit to the saidis fewaris or ony of thame being deulie maid and perfitit be the said David, bischoip of Abirdene under his awin seill and seale of the chaptour thairof, his majestie and estaitis foirsaidis declaris to be als sufficient in all respectis as gif thai wer enterit be brevis furth of the chancellarie, or as gif the samyn wer maid and grantit under his hienes greit seill, dischargeing the collectour generall and thesaurair of the new augmentationis off all trubling or molesting of the said David, bischoip of Abirdene in the peceable possessioun of the saidis few males assignit to him in his said gift, and of quhatsumevir pensionis vacand or quhilkis salhappin to vaik as said is, and of all entering of the saidis tennentis and fewaris of the bischoiprie of Abirdene, or ressaving of the compositionis thairof and ordaning the lordis of sessioun to grant and direct lettres at his instance to this effect in forme as effeiris.