[1605/6/70]¹

²Act in favouris of Maister Johne Prestoun of Penycuke, collectour to oure soverane lord

Oure soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament, considering that his majestie, in respect of the mony gude, trew and thankfull services done to his hienes be his richt trustie and familiar counsaillouris Maister Johne Prestoun of Pennycuk, his hienes collectour generall and thesaurer of his hienes new augmentatiounes and ane of the senatouris of his majesteis college of justice, quhairof he hes gewin sufficient pruif nocht onlie in his daylie and continuall awaitting in the sessioun and secrete counsaill for administratioun of justice to his hienes lieges, bot also in diverse utheris wechtie and honorable services committit to him be his majestie, quhilkis he hes faithfullie dischargeit and effectuat to his majesteis great contentment, hes of lait gewin, grantit and disponit to the said Maister Johne during all the dayes of his lyfetyme, and eftir his deceis to Maister Johne Prestoun, younger, his eldest sone and apperand air, during all the dayes of his lyfetyme, and eftir his deceis, all and haill ane yeirlie pensioun of the fewmaillis, fewfermes and utheris underwrittin, viz: of all and haill the fewmaillis and fewferme dueteis of all and sindrie landis, mylnis, mylnlandis and utheris kirklandis quhatsumevir quhilkis pertenit of befoir to the monasterie and abbacie of Jedburgh as ane pairt of the patrimonie of the samin, extending yeirlie to thrie hundreth fourscoir pundis usuale money of Scotland, and alsua of all and haill the fewmaillis and fewferme dueteis of the landis of Evand pertening to the prebendarie of Balligurik, extending yeirlie to ane hundreth sewin pundis ten schillingis money foirsaid, togidder also with the sowme of ane hundreth and ten pundis money and tuentie four bollis meill to be payit yeirlie furth of the first and reddiest fewferme dueteis of the landis pertening to the abbacie of Halywod be Johne, lord Maxwell and the rest of the fewaris, possessouris and occupiaris of the temporall landis of the said abbacie of Halywod, togidder with the sowme of ane hundreth and threttie pundis money foirsaid to be payit yeirlie furth of the reddiest and first of the blenche dueteis of the landis sumtyme pertening to the abbacie of Northberwick and erectit in ane frie baronie to Alexander Home of Northberwick, his airis and assignais, and siclyk of all and haill the fewmaillis and fewferme dueteis of all and quhatsumevir landis, mylnis, mylnlandis and utheris quhatsumevir quhilkis pertenit of befoir to the monasterie and abbacie of Hadingtoun, extending yeirlie to the sowme of thrie hundreth and threscoir pundis money foirsaid, as in the said letter of pensioun under his majesteis privie seall at mair lenth is contenit; quhilk letter of pensioun his majestie faithfullie promittit to ratefie and appreis in his hienes first parliament, to the effect the samin micht remane with the said Maister Johne and his said sone during thair, or ather of thair, lyfetymes as ane testimonie of his majesteis favour and gudwill towardis thame in all tyme cumming. Thairfoir, his majestie and estaittis of parliament, haveing tryit and considerit the causes and respectis of the geving of the said pensioun, and finding the samin to have bene necessar and profitable causes tending to his majesteis weill and proffeitt of the haill realme, hes ratefeit and approvin and, be the tennour of this present act, ratefeis and appreves the said letter of pensioun maid and grantit to the said Maister Johne Prestoun and his said sone during all the dayes of thair, or ather of thair, lyfetymes of the fewmaillis, fewfermes and utheris particularlie abonewrittin, in all and sindrie heidis, pointis, clauses, articlis and conditionis thairin contenit, and willis and grantis and, be thir presentis, decernis, ordinis and declairis that this present ratificatioun sall be alsua valide, effectuall and sufficient in all respectis to the said Maister Johne and his said sone siclyk as gif the said letter of pensioun wer de verbo in verbum at lenth insert in this present act. And for the said Maister Johne and his said sonnes better securitie, his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis, for certane great and wechtie causes moveing thame, hes dessolvit and, be the tennour heirof, dissolvis the saidis fewmaillis and utheris dueteis foirsaidis disponit in pensioun as said is frome the patrimonie of his majesteis crowne of Northbritane during the said Maister Johne and his said sonnes lyfetymes alanerlie, and forder hes, eftir the said dissolutioun, gevin and grantit, lyk as be thir presentis, for the causes abonewrittin, geves, grantis and disponis to the said Maister Johne Prestoun during all the dayes of his lyfetyme, and eftir his deceis to the said Maister Johne Prestoun, his sone, during all the dayes of his lyfetyme all and haill the saidis fewmaillis, fewfermes and utheris dueteis particularlie abonewrittin, to be peciablie bruikit and joisit be thame during all the dayes of thair lyfetymes, and willis and decernis that thir presentis sall stand as ane effectuall and valide richt to the said Maister Johne and his said sone to the effect foirsaid, nochtwithstanding of the act of annexatioun of all kirklandis and fewfermes thairof to his hienes croun maid in the yeir of God j^M v^C fourscoir sewin yeiris, and nochtwithstanding of quhatsumevir actis and statutis maid sensyne quhairby all pensionis and dispositiounes of the fewmaillis and fewfermes of annexit landis or blenche dueteis of the erectit landis ar annullit and dischargeit, with the quhilkis lawes, statutis and utheris quhatsumevir alreadie maid or to be maid quhilkis may derogat heirto, his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis, ex certa scientia et proprio motu, dispenses be thir presentis for evir. Attoure, his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis decernis and declaris that this present gift and pensioun of the saidis fewmaillis, fewferme dueteis and utheris abonewrittin disponit to the said Maister Johne and his said sone sall nawayes be hurte nor prejudgeit be quhatsumevir erectionis and heretable dispositiounes of the saidis kirklandis, abbaceis, prioureis and utheris abone specefeit in blenche ferme to quhatsumevir persone or persones, nochtwithstanding the saidis erectiounes be maid and grantit be his majestie and his hienes estaittis in plane parliament, bot that nochtwithstanding tharof the said Maister Johne and his said sone sall have gude and indoubtit richt to the saidis fewmaillis, fewfermes and utheris dueteis of the kirklandis, abbaceis and utheris abonespecefeit, siclyk as gif the samin wer nocht erectit nor disponit in blenche ferme, and that during all the dayes of thair, or ather of thair, lyfetymes, decerning and ordaning the fewmaillis, fewfermes dueteis and utheris dueteis of the landis abonewrittin to be expreslie exceptit or reservit, lyk as his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis, be the tennour of this present act, per expressum exceptis and reserves the samin furth and fra all and sindrie erectionis and heretable dispositionis of the saidis landis to be maid in blenche ferme to quhatsumevir persone or persones, and that during the lyfetymes of the said Maister Johne and his said sone, and ather of thame in maner abonewrittin; and decernis and ordinis this present exceptioun and reservatioun to be alsua valide, sufficient and effectuall to the said Maister Johne and his said sone as gif the samin exceptionis and reservationis wer insert and contenit in the saidis erectionis and heretable dispositionis maid or to be maid to quhatsumevir persone or persones of the landis and utheris abonespecefeit, to the quhilkis erectionis and heretable dispositionis this present act sall mak express dirogatioun in favouris of the said Maister Johne and his sone during thair lyfetymes alanerlie as said is.