[1609/4/65]¹

²Act in favouris of the Erle off Mortoun

Oure soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament, remembering and perfytelie understanding the gude, trew and thankfull service done be his hienes richt traist cousing Williame, erle of Mortoun, lord Dalkeythe, and his predecessouris, not onlie in his hienes privat and particular affairis sen his majesteis infancie, bot also in the publict affaires of this realme of Scotland, graittumlie tending to the commoun weill, peax and tranquilitie thairof and liegis of the same, in the honorabill discharge of sindrie grait commissionis concredeit to thame be his majestie, his counsall and estaittis of the said kingdome, as also haveand respect to the notabill and faithfull service done be his said richt traist cowsing to his majestie in accumpaneing and attending upoun his hienes maist sacred persone in his jornay frome this realme of Scotland to the cuntrie of Ingland eftir his hienes preferment to the croun of baith the saidis kingdomes, and remaning thairefter with his majestie imployit in his service during his hienes gratious plesour, quhilk service is sufficientlie tryit, verifeit and knawin to his majestie and estaittis of this present parliament to haif bene verie profitabill to his hienes, this realme and lieges thairof; in the quhilk service the said Williame, erle of Mortoun hes sustenit and deburst grait charges and expenses notour to his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis. In recompence quhairof, oure said soverane lord and estaittis of this present parliament ordanis ane act to be maid in dew and compitent forme dissolvand, lyke as his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis dissolvis all and sindrie the landis and utheris particularlie underwrittin, viz: all and haill the landis of Colquhair, alias Couloquhair, all and haill the land of Cowrie, all and haill the landis of Yetbyris, all and haill the landis of Kirkfeild, all and haill the landis of Cristelshaw, all and haill the landis of Blakisuill, all and haill the landis of Powdono, all and haill the landis of Powmonk, all and haill the landis of Powcleif, all and haill the landis of Glendargie, all and haill the landis of Cassope, all and haill the landis of Finglen, all and haill the landis of Aberlosk, all and haill the landis of Middillawheid, all and haill the landis of Raburne, all and haill the landis of Herwoode, all and haill the landis of Middilburne, all and haill the landis of Tynnynghill, all and haill the landis of Johnestoun, all and haill the landis of Vaccariote, all and haill the landis of Todishawhill, all and haill the landis of Vattirokgrang, all and haill the landis of Garnaldhous, all and haill the landis of Crewkithewich, all and haill the landis of Dunfedling, all and haill the landis of Cubinburne, all and haill the landis callit the Kirkland, with all and sindrie the teyndschawes of all and sindrie the foirnamit landis, quhilkis teyndschawes of the haill³ landis abone specefeit, with the pertinentis, wer never seperat fra the stock lyand within the regalitie of Melrose, stewartrie of Annanderdaill and schirefdome of Drumfreis respective, with all and sindrie towres, fortalices, milnes, multures, wooddis, fishinges, annexis, connexis, outseattis, pairtis, pendicles and pertinentis quhatsomever off all and sindrie the landis, teyndschawes and utheris abonespecifeit lyand as said is, quhilkis wer abefoir unite, creat and incorporat in ane haill and frie tennendrie callit the tennendrie of Dunfedling, togidder with the few mailles and dewteis of the samyn landis abonewrittin, with the pertinentis and teyndschawes thairof includit, fra the act of annexatioun maid in the parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the tuentie nyne day of Julii the yeir of God ane thousand fyve hundreth fourscoir sewin yeiris, annexand the temporalitie of all benefices within this realme to the patrimonie of his hienes croun. And als his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis, understanding that the commendater and convent of the said abbacie of Melrose haife lauchfullie dimittit the paroche kirk of Watstirker, personage and viccarage thairof, lyand within the said stewartrie of Annanderdaill and schirrefdome of Drumfres foirsaid, with all and sindrie teyndschawes and utheris teindis, fruittis, rentis, emolumentis and dewteis quhatsumever pertening and belonging thairto to the effect eftir specifeit, thairfoir our said soverane lord and estaittis foirsaidis hes dissolvit and, be thir presentis, dissolvis the foirsaid paroche kirk of Watstirker, personage and viccarage thairof, with all and sindrie teyndschawes and utheris teyndis, fruittis, rentis, emolumentis and dewteis quhatsumever pertening and belonging thairto fra the abbacie of Melrose and benefice thairof, quhairunto the same pertenis and pertenit of auld as ane pairt of the patrimonie thairof, to the effect his majestie may gif, grant and dispone to the said Williame, erle of Mortoun, his airis maill and of tailyie contenit in the infeftment of the erledome of Mortoun and lordship of Dalkeyth heretablie, all and sindrie the landis and utheris particularlie abonewrittin with the teyndschawes thairof includit, and all and sindrie thair towres, fortalices, milnis, multures, woodes, fishinges, annexis, connexis, outsettis, tennentis, tennendreis, service of frie tennentis, few fermis, pairtis, pendicles and pertinentis of the same quhatsumever lyand as said is, togidder with all and sindrie the teyndschawes and utheris teyndis, alsweill personage as viccarage, fruittis, rentis, emolumentis and dewteis quhatsumever of the said paroche kirk of Watstirker, personage and viccarage thairof, and pertinentis of the same, and all richt, titill, enteres and clame of richt quhilk his majestie, his predicessouris or successouris haid, hes or ony wayis may clame thairto or ony pairt thairof be ony maner of way in tyme cuming, and to the effect the same may be of new erectit, creat and incorporat in ane haill and frie tennendrie to be callit now and in all tyme cuming the tennendrie of Dunfedling, and ane saising to be tane upoun the ground of the saidis landis of Dunfedling to be sufficient saising for all and sindrie the landis, teyndis and utheris particularlie abonewrittin. And forder, our said soverane lord and estaittis foirsaidis decernis and ordanis that the landis, teyndis and utheris abonewrittin sall never be taxt heireftir amongis the kirklandis or kirklevingis with the prelattis or ecclesiasticall estait in ony taxationis, contributionis or uther burdinges to be imposit upoun this haill realme, bot that the same salbe taxt according to the just valour and rent thairof with the barronis and temporall lordis of this realme, and that the samyn landis, teyndis and utheris abone specifeit, with thair pertinentis, salbe estemit, judget and retourit in all services and retouris in all tyme cuming and in the saidis taxatiounis to the sowme of fourtie pundis money of this realme of Scotland of auld extent, and to the dowbill awaill thairof, extending to the sowme of fourscoir pundis money foirsaid of new extent alanerlie. Attoure, his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis ordanis sufficient and qualifeit ministeris to be nominat and presentit be his majestie and his hienes successouris to serve the cure at the said kirk of Watstirker, and that they for thair stipend and honest satisfactioun sall haif thankfullie payit to thame be the said Williame, erle of Mortoun, his airis meall of tailyie and successouris to him in the landis and utheris abone specifeit the sowme of fyve hundreth merkis money foirsaid, togidder with ane sufficient manse and gleib at the said kirk alanerlie. Lyke as his majestie, with advyse foirsaid, renunces all richt and titill quhilk his hienes or his succesdouris⁴ haid, hes or onywayis may have or clame in and to the thriddis of the said kirk of Watstirker and of the landis and utheris abonespecefeit with thair pertinentis, togidder with the monkis portionis, first yeiris fruittis and fyft penny of the same or ony pairt thairof of all yeiris and termis to cum; declaring, decerning and ordaning that the samyn landis, teyndis and utheris above writtin to be frie of all payment of the saidis thriddis, monkis portionis, first yeiris fruittis and fyft penny in all tyme cuming, notwithstanding of quhatsumever actis or lawis maid in the contrair, and dischargeing all his hienes officeris present and to cum fra intromissioun thairwith in ony tyme heireftir, to be haldin of our soverane lord and his successouris in frie blenshe, fre heritage and frie tennendrie for ever, payand thairfoir yeirlie to our said soverane lord and his successouris the sowme of fourtie merkis gude and usuell monie of this realme of Scotland at the feast of Witsonday in name of blenshe ferme, and als payand yeirlie to the minister serving the cure at the said kirk of Watstirker the yeirlie dewtie abone expremit at the termis of payment usit and vont, and furnessing bread and wyne yeirlie to the celebratioun of the comunioun yeirlie within the said kirk, and relevand the said minister of all taxatiounis to be imposit upoun the teyndis, fruittis and rentis of the said kirk and of the reparatioun and bigging of the same kirk in all tyme cuming allanerlie.