[A1625/10/48]¹

Regarding baronets

Regarding the petition given in by the small barons purporting that they sustained very great prejudice by this new erected order of baronets and the precedency granted to them before all the small barons and freeholders of this kingdom, wherein they pretended great prejudice in their privileges and dignities possessed by them and their predecessors in all preceding ages and therefore they desired that the estates would join with them in their humble petition that his majesty might be entreated to suspend the precedency granted to these baronets until the time that the plantation for the which this dignity is conferred be first performed by the undertakers. Whereupon Sir William Alexander, chief undertaker of this plantation, being heard, and he having objected to them his majesty's royal prerogative in conferring of honours and titles of dignity in matters of this kind, importing so far the honour and credit of the country and that his majesty's prerogative would not admit any sort of opposition and that this suspension of the undertakers' precedency would frustrate the whole plantation, after that the small barons had most humbly protested that the least derogation of his majesty's royal prerogative should never enter in their hearts and that their petition was in no sort contrary to the same, and that they acknowledged that the conferring of honours did properly belong to his majesty as a point of his royal prerogative, and they undertook that if it were found convenient by his majesty and the estates that this plantation should be made that they upon their own charges would undertake the same without any retribution of honour to be given, therefore, the estates having at length heard both the parties, it was found by plurality of votes that the estates should join with them in their petition foresaid.