[1594/4/82]¹

Act in favour of Thomas Fowlis

Oure soverane lord, understanding that be the fyning out of mynes of gold, silver, copper, leid and utheris minerallis within this realme not onlie his majesties particular proffite may be augmentit, bot als the weill and commoditie of the realme avancit, with avise of his majestie and his theasurer depute, and with avise of Maister Johnne Lindsay, persone of Menmure, ane of the senatouris of the college of justice and maister of the mettellis within this realme and dominionis thairof, gaif and disponit to his lovit servitour Thomas Foulis, goldsmyth, burges of Edinburgh, and his aris, assignais and servitoris full pouer and commissioun, libertie and licience to serch, seik, brek the ground, wirk, win, intromettwith and ressave, cary, fyne, refyne and transport to ony pairt of this realme or outwith the same, use and dispone at thair plesour all and quhatsumevir mettallis and minerallis, alsweill of gold, silver, leid, tyn and utheris liand within quhatsumevir the landis, boundis and ground of the fourtie pund land callit the Freir Mure pertening of auld to the abbacie of Newbotle and utheris, his fewaris and takismen thairof, liand within the baronie of Craufurd Linsay and schirefdom of Lanerk, and speciallie the mynes upoun Glenonie sumtyme possest be George Douglais of Parkheid, and the mynes upoun Awand Watter, quhilkis mettallis and minerallis pertenis to oure soverane lord be the lawis of this realme and privilege of his croun, to try and fyn the same for all the dayes, space, yeris and termes of tuentie ane yeiris nixt and immediatlie following the day and dait of thir presentis. Be vertew of the quhilk gift, the said Thomas hes employit the uttermaist of his power in the finding out of the saidis mynes and minerallis, and trying of the valor and fynnes thairof, and hes brocht strangeris within the cuntrie to labour and travell thairinto; lyk as he is also of purpos upoun his chargis to bring utheris out of all pertis quha hes understanding of the said mater and to employ his haill substance thairinto, and that it wer nocht ressone that he war frustrat of his expectatioun of the said gift or ony pairt thairof or privilege contenit thairintill imparit or brocht in questioun be ony persoun, thairfoir oure soverane lord, with the advise of the estaitis of this present perliament, hes ratifiet and apprevit and ratifies and apprevis the foirsaid gift and dispositioun maid be his hienes, with avise foirsaid, to the said Thomas Foulis and his aris and utheris contenit in the samyn in all the heidis, pointis, clauses, conditionis, and privilegeis thairof contenit thairinto, and that the said gift salbe ane sufficient title and richt to him and his foirsaidis to serch, seik and brek the ground, wirk, win, intromettwith, ressave, cary, fyne and refyn or transport out of the realme at all plesour all and quhatsumevir mettallis and minerallis abonespecifiit liand within quhatsumevir part of the landis abonewrittin, dischargeing all and quhatsumevir uthair richtis and titles maid be his hienes in ony maner of way in prejudice or imparing the said gift maid to the said Thomas and his foirsaidis or ony poynt, article, heid or conditioun thairof and all utheris that salhappin to be maid heireftir, declaring the samyn to be null and of na availl be way of exceptioun allanerlie but intenting of ony actioun thairupoun.