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Act in favour of the burgh of Ayr

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, having consideration of the true and thankful service done to his majesty and his most noble progenitors of most blessed memory by the burgh and town of Ayr, ordain an act to be made ratifying and approving and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirming that charter and infeftment of the date at Whitehall, 15 March 1621, given and granted by his majesty's late dearest father, King James VI, of blessed memory, in favour of the provost, bailies, councillors and community of the burgh of Ayr and their successors, confirming to them their first original charter granted to them by his highness's most noble predecessors the late William, king of Scots, of most blessed memory, of the town and burgh of Ayr, whole privileges and immunities therein contained, as likewise that charter and infeftment granted to them by the late Robert [III], king of Scots, whereby he has conveyed to the burgesses and inhabitants of the said burgh of Ayr and their successors the same burgh of Ayr, with all and sundry lands pertaining thereto, and with the port or harbour thereof and fishings of the same, customs, mills, multures, free fairs, market days and others therein contained, of the date 12 September 1400, together with all and sundry other infeftments, charters, donations and dispositions whatsoever made and granted by his majesty's said late dearest father, or any of his most noble progenitors, to the said burgh of Ayr of all and whatsoever lands, baronies, mills, multures, free port customs, fishings, offices, free fairs, market days, liberties and privileges whatsoever contained therein, bearing likewise a dispensation touching the generality and determining the same to be as valid as if every particular charter and writ had been at length word for word inserted therein; and containing likewise therein a new gift by his majesty's said late father in favour of the said town of Ayr of the same burgh, with all and sundry lands, baronies, mills, multures, customs, fishings, annualrents and other rights, privileges and pertinents whatsoever pertaining thereto and specified in their whole former infeftments and writs, and making them and their successors heritable sheriffs and justiciaries of peace within the said burgh and whole bounds and marches thereof for ever in all time thereafter, conveying to them the whole liberties and privileges belonging to the said offices, as in the said charter under the great seal containing diverse other heads and conditions at more length is contained, together with all and sundry other charters, infeftments, gifts, dispositions and others whatsoever made and granted by our said sovereign lord or by his highness's said late dearest father or any other of his majesty's most noble progenitors, kings and queens of Scotland, to and in favour of the said burgh and inhabitants thereof of the same or of whatsoever lands, baronies, mills, multures, free ports or harbours, customs, fishings, annualrents, offices of sheriffship and justiciary, other offices whatsoever, free fairs, market days, liberties, privileges, escheats, amercements and others whatsoever pertaining and belonging thereto, or whereof they or their predecessors have been or may be in possession or in any way set down and contained in their or any of their infeftments of the said burgh of whatsoever dates, tenor or contents the same be of, in all and sundry heads, clauses, articles, obligations, points, passes, circumstances, articles and conditions of the same whatsoever specified and contained therein, dispensing with the generality above-written, and admitting, determining and declaring the same to be as valid and sufficient and of as great force and strength in all respects as if every particular charter and infeftment or other writ were specially at length word for word inserted herein. Likewise our said sovereign lord and estates foresaid of this present parliament will, grant, declare, statute and ordain that the said provost, bailies, council and community of the said burgh of Ayr and their successors shall peaceably hold, enjoy and possess the foresaid burgh, with all and sundry lands, baronies, mills, multures, free ports or harbours, customs, tolls and others particularly and generally above-mentioned, pertaining or that in any way may be known to pertain and belong thereto at their pleasure as their heritage as freely in all respects as any other burgh within this realm, after the form and tenor of the infeftments particularly and generally above-written, granted to them and their predecessors relating thereto perpetually in all time coming, without any stop, trouble or impediment whatsoever to be made or moved in the contrary by any person or persons whatsoever, notwithstanding of any defect and infirmity if any be contained in the said infeftments and donations or either of them; concerning which, our said sovereign lord, for his highness and his successors, with advice and consent of the said estates of parliament, has dispensed and dispenses, ordaining the foresaid act to be a sufficient supplement of all faults and defects if any be contained in the said infeftments and against all action and questions whatsoever that can be made or moved in the contrary. And our said sovereign lord, with advice and consent of the said estates, decrees and ordains this present act to be inserted and registered in the books of parliament, and to have the strength, force and effect of a law and statute of parliament with all execution to follow thereupon in the appropriate form, and letters of horning if need be are to be directed upon a simple charge of 10 days only.