[1594/4/47]¹

Anent the uphalding of decayed landis within burgh

Oure soverane lord, with avise of his estaitis in this present parliament, ratifies and apprevis the actis and statutis maid be his hienes maist noble progenitouris of worthie memorie concerning the uphalding of landis gevin in conjunct infeftment, alsweill to burgh as land, and for the better executioun thairof and reparatioun of the decayed policie within burgh, statutis and ordanis that the provest and baillies of ilk burgh sall at the instance of the heretouris of the landis within the same, upoun citatioun of pairtie, tak summar cognitioun of the estait of the landis, houses or tenementis within the burgh be ane condigne inquest of the nichtbouris thairof. And gif the samyn be found auld, decayed and ruinous in ruif sklattis, durris, windois, fluringis, loftis, tymmer wark and wallis, or ony of thame, and ane lang² biggit of auld and throw lang tyme decayed in sic sort that it be alreddie inhabitable, or that within schort tyme may becum inhabitable, in that cace to decerne that the conjunctfear or lyfrenter sall repair the saidis landis and tenementis in the partis thairof decayed as salbe fund be the said inquest within the space of yeir and day nixt efter thai be requirit thairto be the heretouris; and falyeing thairoff, declaris that it salbe frie to the saidis heretouris to enter to the possessioun of the same, to have the setting, rasing, using and disponing thairupoun in all tymes cuming as gif thair wer na lyfrent or conjunctfie standing thairof, provyding alwyes that sufficient securitie³ quhair the landis or tenementis lyis be tane for termelie payment to the conjunctfearis or lyfretaris thairof induring thair lyftyme of sic maill and dewtie as the same presentlie gevis the tyme of the said cognitioun or micht ressonablie gif in that estait incace it be nocht presentlie sett, deduceand alwayes the annuellis and uther burding lyand thairupoun, and this to be extendit to all brunt and waist landis and aganis all conjunctfearis present and to cum within burgh.