The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 14 December 2024
[1633/6/70]1
Legislation: private act
Act in favour of [James Stewart], duke of Lennox
Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, considering and finding that there are sundry and diverse ratifications granted by his majesty and the said estates in this present parliament in favour of sundry noblemen, barons, burghs, royal burghs of regality and other of his majesty's subjects within this kingdom of Scotland of the charters, infeftments and other writs and securities granted and made to the said noblemen, barons, burghs, royal burghs of regality and other of his majesty's subjects foresaid and to their predecessors and authors of their lands, heritages, offices, privileges, liberties and others contained in their said charters, infeftments, writs and securities thereof; and that in the said charters, infeftments and other writs and securities granted to the foresaid persons and their above-written, and ratified in this present parliament, there are or may be some special gifts and dispositions or general clauses containing, or which may seem to contain, disposition of the jurisdictions, privileges, immunities, liberties, fees, casualties and others properly belonging and appertaining to the offices of admiralty and chamberlainship of this kingdom (wherein his majesty's dearest cousin and councillor James, duke of Lennox, earl of Darnley etc., stands heritably infeft as brother, son and heir to the late Ludovic [Stewart], duke of Lennox) or of the said offices themselves or some part thereof, and which may be hurtful and prejudicial to his majesty's said dearest cousin and councillor James, duke of Lennox, his heirs and successors regarding the peaceable possessing, enjoying, using and exercising of the said offices of admiralty and chamberlainship of this kingdom with the privileges, immunities, honours, and dignities belonging to the said offices and uplifting and intromitting with the fees, casualties, commodities and duties of the same offices, and being in no way willing that his majesty's said dearest cousin and councillor James, duke of Lennox and his foresaids be in any sort hurt or prejudiced regarding the said offices of admiralty and chamberlainship of this kingdom or any part thereof or regarding the privileges, immunities, honours and dignities belonging to the said offices or the free using and exercising of the said offices within the whole bounds of this kingdom or regarding the uplifting and intromitting with the fees, casualties, commodities and duties of the same offices or any part thereof, have declared, statute and ordained, likewise our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid by this act declare, statute and ordain that no ratification passed and granted in this present parliament in favour of any noblemen, barons, burghs, royal burghs of regality or others of his majesty's subjects whatsoever, nor the charters, infeftments, writs, securities, privileges and liberties respectively either generally or specially mentioned and ratified in the said ratifications, shall be in any sort hurtful or prejudicial to his majesty's said dearest cousin and councillor James, duke of Lennox and his foresaids regarding their peaceable possessing, enjoying, using and exercising of the said offices of admiralty and chamberlainship of this kingdom or any part thereof, or regarding the privileges, immunities, honours and dignities belonging to the said offices, or the free using and exercising of the said offices within the whole bounds of this kingdom, or regarding the uplifting and intromitting with the fees, casualties, commodities and duties belonging to the said offices respectively or any part thereof, but that notwithstanding of the said ratifications and of the charters, infeftments, privileges, liberties, rights and securities respectively, either generally or particularly ratified and mentioned in the said ratifications, his majesty's said dearest cousin and councillor James, duke of Lennox and his foresaids shall possess, enjoy, use and exercise the said offices of admiralty and chamberlainship of this kingdom, with the privileges, immunities, honours and dignities thereto belonging, and uplift and intromit with the fees, casualties, commodities and duties of the same offices likewise and as freely in all respects as if the ratifications above-written passed and granted in this present parliament and the charters, infeftments, privileges, liberties, rights and securities either generally or specially thereby ratified had never been made nor granted. Likewise our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid ratify and approve all charters, infeftments, rights and securities whatsoever made and granted by his highness and his predecessors to the said James, duke of Lennox and his predecessors and authors of the said offices of admiralty and chamberlainship of this kingdom, with the privileges, immunities, honours, dignities, fees, casualties and commodities belonging to the said offices, in the whole heads, articles, conditions, clauses and circumstances thereof, and ordains this general ratification to be as valid, effectual and sufficient as if the said charters, infeftments, rights and securities were specially inserted herein word by word and ratified hereby in particular. And also will, statute and ordain that the infeftments and securities granted by his highness and his predecessors to his said dearest cousin and councillor James, duke of Lennox, his predecessors and authors of the said offices of admiralty and chamberlainship above-written, with the privileges and others above-mentioned thereto belonging, shall be good, valid and sufficient rights to the said James, duke of Lennox, his heirs and assignees contained in the said infeftments and securities for possessing, enjoying, using and exercising of the said offices with the privileges and others above-written thereto belonging, notwithstanding of any acts of parliament, laws or practices of this kingdom made and set down or that may seem to be made or set down in the contrary; regarding the which his majesty and estates of this present parliament have dispensed and by this act dispense for ever.
- NAS, PA2/21, f.52v-53r.