[1633/6/114]¹

Act in favour of Sir Robert Douglas of Spott

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, remembering the many singular, good and thankful services done to his majesty and to the late Henry, prince of Wales, duke of Cornwall and York, his dearest brother of happy memory, and to his majesty's late dearest father of eternal memory, by his highness's trusty and well-beloved councillor Sir Robert Douglas of Spott, knight, has ratified and approved and, by the tenor hereof, ratifies, approves and confirms the charter and infeftment of feu ferm made, given and granted by his majesty under his highness's great seal, of the date at Greenwich, 29 June 1631, to the said Sir Robert Douglas, his heirs and successors specified and contained in his infeftment of the lands and barony of Spott, of all and whole the lands and that part and portion of the lordship of Dunbar bounded, meithed and marched as after follows, namely: between the burn called the Boundslie Burn on the east and therefrom passing towards the west by the arable and cornfield lands of the lands after-specified belonging to the persons after-mentioned, namely: of the lands of Kirkclaugh pertaining to [...] Cockburn of Ormiston; of the lands of Easter Galashiels pertaining to Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton, knight; of the lands called Wester Galashiels and Millknowe pertaining to [...] Home of Galashiels and therefrom passing toward the north to the arable and cornfield lands of Johnscleugh pertaining to Sir John Home of Blackadder, knight; and of the lands of Stonypath pertaining to Master William Douglas, minister at Spott, and therefrom passing toward the east by the arable and cornfield land of the lands of Deuchrie, sometimes pertaining to George Lauder of the Bass; and of the lands of Spott pertaining to the said Sir Robert Douglas of Spott, knight, until it come to the burn called Boundslie Burn, which divides the said part and portion of the foresaid lands of the said lordship of Dunbar from the commonty called the commonty of Innerwick, where the said marches began, lying within the constabulary of Haddington and sheriffdom of Edinburgh. Which lands and part and portion above-written of the said lordship of Dunbar, lying bounded, meithed and marched in manner foresaid, pertained to our said sovereign lord and became in his highness's hands and at his majesty's gift and disposition as a part of the annexed property of the earldom of March and lordship of Dunbar to the patrimony of his highness's crown, to be held of our said sovereign lord and his successors in feu ferm, fee and heritage for payment yearly of the sum of 10 merks usual money of Scotland at two terms in the year, Whitsunday [May/June] and Martinmas [11 November] in winter by equal portions in name of feu ferm, which nor no other duty the said lands never paid, with special provision and condition always contained in the said charter that the same charter shall in no way be prejudicial to any of his majesty's lieges regarding any former lawful infeftments or yet to come granted or competent to them of any part or parts of the foresaid part and portion of the lordship of Dunbar or any privilege within the bounds thereof, as at more length is contained within the said charter, together with the precept and instrument of sasine following thereupon in all and sundry heads, clauses, articles and circumstances thereof. And seeing the foresaid lands and part and portion of the said lordship of Dunbar bounded, meithed and marched in manner foresaid are a part of his majesty's property and patrimony of his highness's crown which was never rented nor paid any duty before the granting of the said charter, therefore, and for the said Sir Robert Douglas and his foresaids better right and security thereof, our said sovereign lord, with advice and consent of the estates of this present parliament, in consideration of the said Sir Robert's many good and thankful services above-written, has dissolved and, by virtue of this present act, dissolves the forenamed lands and part and portion above-written of the said lordship of Dunbar, bounded and meithed as is particularly contained before, from his majesty's crown and patrimony thereof, and from all acts of annexation of the same to the effect that the charter and infeftment thereof above-written may not only be valid and effectual and a sufficient right, title and security to the said Sir Robert Douglas and his foresaids for their peaceable holding, enjoying and possessing of the said lands with the pertinents as their heritage at their pleasure in all time coming, but likewise to the effect the same lands may be of new granted and given in feu ferm heritably by our said sovereign lord to the said Sir Robert Douglas and his foresaids for payment of the duty foresaid in manner specified and contained in the said feu charter, with the provision and condition above-written contained therein in due and competent form, and ordains this ratification to be a sufficient warrant to the clerk register and his deputes for extending an act of this present parliament thereupon in due form as appropriate.