[1633/6/115]¹

Act in favour of Sir William Anstruther

Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of three estates of this present parliament, ratifies and approves the charter made and granted by his majesty after his highness's lawful and perfect age of 25 years complete, and after resignation and demission made by Thomas [Erskine], earl of Kellie etc. and the late Alexander [Erskine], lord Fentoun, his son, of the lordship and barony of Pittenweem, comprehending the lands and others united and annexed in the said lordship and barony which pertained of old to the priory of Pittenweem in the hands of his majesty, their immediate lawful superior thereof, to remain perpetually under the great seal, of the date at Greenwich, 16 June 1631, in favour of his highness's trusty servant Sir William Anstruther of that Ilk, knight, one of his majesty's master households within this realm of Scotland, his heirs and assignees whatsoever heritably, of all and whole the mill called the Mill of Pittenweem, with the mill lands thereof and acres adjacent thereto, extending to 18 acres of land or thereby, with houses, buildings, yards, tofts, crofts, outsets and all their pertinents as the same were occupied and possessed of old by the late John Scott and Euphame Clephane, tenants and tacksmen thereof, together with the whole astricted and free multures, sucken and knaveship pertaining to the said mill and chiefly with the astricted multures, knaveship and sucken of all and whole the lands and barony of Pittenweem; and also of all and sundry the acres of land underwritten, namely: six acres of land called Steill and Wacheland then possessed by Walter Airlie; four acres of land possessed by the heirs of the late William Foullar; three acres of land and a half possessed by the heirs of the late David Robertson; one acre of land possessed by the heirs of the late David Anderson; two acres of land possessed by the heirs of the late Thomas Cook; 12 acres of land possessed by James Scott in Mylnetown; two acres and a half possessed by the heirs of the late Simon Gray; one acre of land possessed by the heirs of late Margaret Wilson; four acres of land and a half possessed by the heirs of the late George Smith; three acres and a half of land possessed by the heirs of the late John Gibson; all and whole that house lying within the town of Anstruther Wester back and fore, with the yards and pertinents of the same, called Fishhouse, then possessed by William Strang; all and whole these houses, with the yards and pertinents thereof, lying within the town of Mylnetown then possessed by the said James Scott, with that piece of arable land called Pardykis, with the pertinents, then occupied and possessed by the said James Scott, with tenants, tenancies and services of free tenants of the lands and others above-written, all lying within the said lordship and barony of Pittenweem and sheriffdom of Fife; as also of the office of bailiary of the whole lordship and barony of Pittenweem, with all and sundry privileges, fees, profits, casualties and duties whatsoever pertaining and belonging to the said office particularly and generally mentioned in the said charter, containing a new gift with supplement of all defects in ample form to be held of his majesty and his successors in feu ferm, fee and heritage for the yearly payment of the feu duty mentioned in the said charter under the deduction therein specified, after the forms and tenors thereof. And wills, declares, decrees, statutes and ordains that this present confirmation thereof is, and shall be, as valid, effectual and sufficient in all respects as if the same were at length and word by word inserted herein, dispensing with the not inserting thereof. As also that the charter, precept and instrument of sasine and this present ratification thereof are, and shall be, sufficient and valid rights and securities to the said Sir William and his foresaids for possessing and enjoying of the lands and others above-written with the pertinents in all time coming, according to the said charter and for payment of the feu duty therein contained under the deduction therein specified, with provision always that this present ratification nor no part of the same shall in no way be prejudicial to Thomas, earl of Kellie etc., his rights and infeftments which he has granted to him or whereof he or his predecessors have been in possession, but that the same shall remain and have that same force and effect as of before.