[1607/3/16]¹

Act anent the kingis blensche dueteis in erectionis and ministeris stipendis of the kirkis erectit

²5. Oure soverane lord and estaittis of parliament, considering that thair wes in the parliament haldin at Perth in the moneth of Julii j^M vj^C and sex yeiris diverse benefices pertening of auld to abbottis, priouris and nwnnes erectit to sindrie persones in lordschippis and baroneis, and that the patronages of kirkis pertening to the samyn benefices ar gevin and annexit to the saidis lordschippis and baroneis to the foirsaidis persones, as alsua that thair is sindrie utheris patronages of benefices gevin and disponit be his hienes, with consent of the saidis estaittis in that parliament, to sindrie utheris particular persones, at the quhilk tyme our said soverane lord and estaittis, being willing that thair sould be ane yeirlie duetie contenit in everie ane of the saidis erectionis to be payit to oure soverane lord and his successouris, and that the ministeris serveing or that heireftir sould serve at the kirkis of everie personage and vicarage quhairof the patronage wes disponit to whatsumevir persone, ather in thair erectiounes or utherwayes, be provydit of sufficient stipendis; thairfoir, oure said soverane lord and estaittis foirsaidis gaif full power and commissioun to Johne, erle of Montrose, great commissioner, Alexander, erle of Dunfermeling, chanceller of this realme, Alexander, erle of Lynlythgw, George, erle of Dunbar, thesaurar, David, lord Scone, comptroller, Mark, lord Newbuttill, Maister Johne Prestoun of Pennycuk, collectoris generall, Schir Thomas Hammyltoun of Bynnie, knycht, advocat, Schir Johne Cokburne of Ormestoun, knycht, justice clerk, Schir Richard Cokburne of Clerkingtoun, knycht, lord privie seall, and Schir Johne Skene of Curryhill, knycht, clerk of register, (or to ony sex of them, the said lord commissionar being alwayes ane of thame) to modefie, decerne and declair the yeirlie duetie to be contenit in everie ane of the saidis erectionis to be payit yeirlie to oure said soverane lord and to his hienes successouris; and siclyk gaif full power and commissioun to the said Johne, erle of Montrose, great commissioner foirsaid, the said Alexander, erle of Dunfermeling, chancellar, Johne, erle of Wigtoun, lord Flemyng, George, archibischop of Sanctandrous, John, [...], bischop of Ross, James, bischop of Orknay, Schir Robert Melvill, [...] Maister Johne Prestoun of Pennycuk, collector generall, Schir Thomas Hammyl[...], Schir Johne Cokburne of Ormestoun, knycht, justice clerk, Maistir Patrik Galloway, Maister James Nicolsoun, Maister Andro Lamb (or to ony aucht of thame, the said lord commissioner or the said lord chancellar being alwayes ane) to modefie, decerne and declair to everie minister serveing or that heireftir sall serve at everie ane of the saidis kirkis the cure thair yeirlie stipendis in all tyme cumming, as at mair lenth is contenit in the said first act of parliament of the date foirsaid. And now oure said soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament, considering that the said Johne, erle of Montrose wes specialie designit in baith the saidis commissionis as sine quo non, and that throw his sicknes and disease quhilk did befall to him verie schortlie eftir the date of the said commissioun, the rest of the foirsaidis commissionaris for the inlaik of his presence culd nawayes procede nor do ony thing at all in thair saidis commissionis and meittingis; thairfoir, our said soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament, to the effect that the said sicknes of the said Erle of Montrose or ony suche lyk incident in the persones of ony one man be not ane hinderance and impediment to the progress of that work anent the modefeing of his blenche dueteis in the saidis erectionis and of the ministeris stipendis serveing the cure of the kirkis foirsaid, conforme to the tennoure of the said first commissioun in all pointis, hes nominat, electit and chosin and, be the tennoure heirof, electis, nominatis and cheisis the saidis Alexander, erle of Dunfermeling, chancellar, Patrik, erle of Kinghorne and Mark, erle of Louthiane, and declares that ony of the saidis thrie erlis now nominat, electit and chosin shall be of the quorum in the foirsaid commissioun in place of the said Johne, erle of Montrose, alsweill for setting doun of the blenshe dueteis as for modificatioun of the saidis ministeris stipendis of all erectiounes and patronages of benefices gevin, grantit and disponit in the foirsaid first parliament haldin at Perth in the said moneth of Julii j^M vj^C and sex yeiris, and als of all erectionis and patronages grantit or confermit in this present parliament, and that notwithstanding the absence, sicknes or deceis or ony twa of thame, that the presens of the thrid shall be sufficient with ane dew number of the rest of the saidis commissionaris to procede in that busines conforme to the tennoure and contentis of the said first commissioun in all pointis. And to the effect foirsaid, the saidis estaittis ordanis the foirsaidis commissionaris nominat in the said first parliament and in this present parliament in maner foirsaid to begin thair meittingis at Edinburgh for modefeing of the saidis blenshe dueteis and ministeris stipendis, conforme to the tennoure of the saidis commissionis, the first day of November nixtocum, and to continew daylie thareftir in tyme cumming in thair meitingis sua oft as the saidis commissionaris sall think expedient for effectuating of the premises.