[1617/5/78]¹

Ratificatioun to the toun of Abirdene

Oure soverane lord and estaittis of parliament, perfyitlie understanding that his majesties burgh off Abirdene, being ane of the most ancient and famous borrowes of this his majestyes kingdome off Scotland, wes erectit be his majestyes maist nobill predicessoures of worthie memorye and doted with ampill priviledges and immunityes for yeirlie payment of the soume of tua hundereth threttene pundis, sex schillingis, aucht pennyes of borrow maill specifit and conteanit in the rightis and infeftmentis maid to the said burgh thairupoun, as the samyne in the selff proportis; and howbeit in ane of the saidis auld infeftmentis the said borrow maill and yeirlie dewtie be exprest to be sterling monie, yit it is of veritie that the provest, bailyeis, counsell and communitie of the said burgh off Abirdene and thair predicessouris wes nevir in use of payment to his majestie or his hienes comptrollaris bot off the soume off tua hundereth threttene pundis, sex schillingis, aucht pennyes current and usuall money of Scotland allanerlie, quahiroff compt hes bene maid in his hienes² exchekquer past memorie of man; and his majestye, considdering that giff the said burgh of Abirdene suld be urgit and burdenit with the payment of the said borrow maill in sterling money, the same wald tend to the utter ruine of the said burgh, in respect the haill commoun landis and rentis pertening thairto ar not able to pay the said borrow maill, it being comptit in sterling money; his hienes thairfore, be infeftment under the gryit seill off the date at Faulkland, the fourtene day off August the yeir of God j^M vj^C and ane yeiris, of new gave, grantit and disponit to the said burgh all and sindrie thair landis, mylnes, houses, fischeingis, watteris and the said burgh it selff, and all utheris priviledgis, liberties, immunities and utheris commodities quhatsumevir quhilk did at ony tyme of before pertene or belang to the said burgh, to be haldin of his majestie and his successoures in frie burgage for yearlie payment of the soume of tua hundereth threttene pundis, sex schillingis, aucht pennyes usuall money of the realme of Scotland, and tuentye schillingis in augmentatioun of the rentall, as in the said infeftment off the date foirsaid contening ane ratificatioun of all former rightis and evidentis grantit to the said burgh at mair lenth is conteanit; quhilk infeftment his majestie hes ratefiet in the parliament haldin at Peirth, the nynt day off Julii, j^M vj^C and sex yeiris. And now his majestie, being of mynd that the said gift and erectioun maid to the said burgh may be sua formalie exped according to his majesties lawes that the same may be effectuall to the provest, bailyeis, counsell and communitie of the said burgh and ane sufficient right unto thame and thair successoures in all tyme cuming for payment of the said yeirlie dewtie and borrow maill of tua hundereth and threttene pundis, sex schillingis, aucht pennyes usuall money of this realme of Scotland, and tuenty schillingis money foirsaid of augmentatioun allanerlie, thairfore his majestie, with advyse and consent of the haill estaittis of this present parliament, hes dissolvit and be the tennour heiroff, for his hienes and his successoures, with consent and advyse foirsaid, off certane knawledge perpetuallie dissolvis fra the croun and all annexatioun thairto the said burgh of Abirdene, with all and sindrie thair landis, forrestis, woddis, watteris, salmond fischeingis upoun Dee and Done, mylnes, thirle multeris, castellis, medowis, hillis, linkes, heavines, poirtis, blokhouses, bulwarkis, anchorages, small customes, bell customes, trone wechtis, measures, utheris proffittis, casualities and dewties quhatsumevir quhilk at ony tyme before perteanit or belangit to the said burgh of Abirdene, togidder with the said borrow maill and yeirlie dewtie of tua hundereth threttene pundis, sex schillingis, aucht pennyes money conteanit in quhatsumevir infeftmentis or evidentis grantit to the said burgh off quhatsumevir designatioun the said borrow maill and yeirlie dewtie be of, quhither sterling money or usuall money of this realme, to this effect: that his majestie may of new geve, grant and dispone to the provest, bailyeis, counsell and communitie of Abirdene and thair successoures the said burgh with all and sindrie thair landis, forrestis, woddis, wateris, salmond fischeingis upoun Dee and Done, mylnes, thirle multouris, castellis, medowis, hillis, linkes, blokhouses, bulwarkis, anchorages, small customes, bell customes, trone wechtis, measures, utheris proffittes, casualities and dewties quhatsumevir quhilk at ony tyme bigane pertenit or belangit to the said burgh of Abirdene, to be haldin of his majestie and his hienes successouris in frie burgage for yeirlie payment of the said sowme of tua hundereth threttene pundis, sex schillingis, aucht pennyes and tuentye schillingis of augmentatioune usuall money of Scotland allanerlie, with als ampill priviledgis, immunities and liberties as ony uther burgh within this realme. Lyik as his majestie ordanis ane new gift to be maid to the saides provest, bailyeis, counsell and communitie off the said burgh and utheris above specifit efter this present dissolutioun under his hienes gryit seall, quhilk infeftment swa to be exped his majestie, with consent foirsaid, now as gif the samen wer alreddye perfyittit, ratefies, affermes and apprevis in the haill heiddis, articles and clauses thairoff, and willes and declairis the said infeftment to follow upoun this present dissolutioun to be ane guid, valide and perfyit right for the saidis provest, bailyeis, counsell and communitie of the said burgh off Abirdene, present and to come, for bruikeing and joysing of the said burgh and all and sindrie landis, forrestis, mylnes, woddis, salmond fischeingis, customes, casualityes, trone wechtis, priviledgis, liberties, immunities and utheris dewties quhatsumevir thairin to be conteanit for payment of the said yearlie dewtie of tua hundereth threttie pundis, sex schillingis, aucht pennyes usuall money of Scotland and tuenty schillingis of the same money in augmentatioun of the rentell allanerlie and na farder, as giff the same wer alreddy past and expreslie sett doun in this present act, and nochtwithstanding thairoff; quhairanent his hienes, for his majestie and successoures, with advyse and consent foirsaid, hes and, be thir presentis, dispenses for evir.