[1605/6/114]¹

Act in favouris of my lord great commissionar anent the landis of Cowgask

Oure soverane lord and estaittis of parliament presentlie convenit, calling to rememberance and haveing sufficientlie tryit in the said parliament the monyfald great, proffitable, gude, trew and thankfull services monywayes done to his majestie and in the publict affairis of the realme of Scotland, to the proffeitt and commoditie thairof, be his richt trest cousing and counsaillour Johne, erle of Montrose, lord Grahame and Mukdok, lait chancellar of Scotland and now his majesteis commissionar generall within the said kingdome, continewalie sen his majesteis birth and coronatioun, and specialie in the cairfull, diligent and faithfull exerceing of the said office of chancellarie, alsweill in secrete counsaill as in sessioun and utherwayes thir mony yeiris bigane, and namelie sen his majesteis passing furth of the said kingdome of Scotland to the realme of England, to his majesteis great contentment and to the peax, tranquilitie and commoun weill of the said realme of Scotland, as also to the singular weill and proffeitt of his hienes liegis and subjectis thairof, as alsua the said Johne, erle of Montrose his passing laitlie furth of Scotland to the pairtis of England and remaning thairintill ane lang tyme at his majesteis desyre as the principall commissionar nominat and appointit be his majestie, with advyse of the estaitis of Scotland, for treting upoun the unioun betuix the saidis tua realmes, in the quhilk service and in exerceing of the said office of chancellarie and commissionarie foirsaid the said erle hes nocht onlie sustenit great travellis and paynis in his persone, bot alsua hes debursit great sowmes of money, charges and expenses quhairby he hes greatumlie burdenit his landis, rentis and heretages to the great hurte and harme of the estait of his house, quhairout of thair hes heirtofoir procedit mony moist worthie and gude memberis of the commoun weilth and quha, in former ages, hes done maist honorable services baith to thair princes contentment and for thair countreyis benefite; in recompense quhairof, and for the helping of the estait of the said house of Montrose, hurte be his said cousingis great charges, and for ane perpetuall memorie and rememberance thairwith of his majesteis royall and princelie liberalitie, and for the causes abonewrittin, being proffitable and sene causes tending to the weill of the said haill realme of Scotland, sa nochtourlie knawin, fundin, tryit and declairit be the saidis estaittis of parliament, oure said soverane lord, with advyse of the saidis estaittis and all with ane consent, have dissolvit and, be the tennour heirof, dissolvis the act of annexatioun of the erledome of Gowrie and lordschip of Ruthvene to his hienes crowne, maid in his hienes parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the fyftene day of November, the yeir of God j^M sex hundreth yeiris, and all utheris actis of annexatioun of the landis following to his hienes propirtie insafar as the samyn actis or ony of them ar extendit or onywayes may concerne the landis and utheris eftirspecefeit: they ar to say, all and haill the landis of Cowgask, with the teyndscheves thairof, with mylnis, multures, woddis, fischingis, pairtis, pendiclis and pertinentis of the samyn; the landis of Peill; the landis of Lethame; the landis of Eister Lethem; the landis of Goodlieburne; the Hoill of Huntingtour; the landis of Halyland; the landis of Few; the landis of Wester Lethem, with all thair houses, biggingis, yairdis, orchardis, doucattis, mylnis, multuris, woddis, fischingis and thair pertinentis quhatsumevir, alsweill nocht nameit as nameit, all lyand within the schirefdome of Perth, stewartreis of Stratherne and Huntingtour respective, quhilkis landis and utheris particularlie abonewrittin pertenit of befoir to umquhile Johne, sumtyme erle of Gowrie, and pertenis to his majestie throw proces and dome of foirfaltour led and deduceit aganis him and wer annexit to the crowne as said is. And that to the effect his majestie, with consent of his ordinar officiaris, for the saidis gude and sene causes abone writtin, may dispone the samyn landis and utheris abonementionat to his saidis richt trest cousing and counsaillour Johne, erle of Montrose in lyfrent and Johne, maister of Montrose, his sone, fear of the said erledome, and his airis maill, and of tailyie, heretablie, to be haldin of his majestie and his successouris in frie blenche for payment of ane penny Scottis money yeirlie upoun the grond of the said landis at the feist of Witsonday, gif it be askit, alanerlie. And his majestie and the saidis estaitis findis and declaris that the said infeftment to be grantit to the said Johne, erle of Montrose in lyfrent and to the said Johne, maister of Montrose, his sone, in fie is disponit to them inrespect of the said noble erle, his gude, trew and paynfull service, fundin and tryit be the saidis estaittis to have bene maist proffitable services for the commoun wealth of Scotland and for sene causes worthie of the said gift; and thairfoir findis and declairis and decernis that the said infeftment sall nawayes fall under the danger of the act of annexatioun, nor of ony uther act or actis maid heirtofoir, bot that nochtwithstanding the samyn the said infeftment sall be ane sufficient richt and heretable titill to the saidis Johne, erle of Montrose, Johne, maister of Montrose, his sone, and thair foirsaidis, for bruiking and possessing of the foirsaid landis and utheris abone specefeit heretablie and perpetualie in all tyme cuming.