[1641/8/173]¹

Act of approbation to the committee of estates

Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of the estates of parliament, considering that forasmuch as the estates of parliament in June 1640, for the reasons and considerations moving them at that time, did nominate, elect, choose and appoint the late John [Leslie], earl of Rothes, John [Kennedy], earl of Cassilis, Charles [Seton], earl of Dunfermline, John [Fleming], earl of Wigtown, William [Kerr], earl of Lothian, John [Lindsay], lord Lindsay², John [Elphinstone], lord Balmerino, Robert [Balfour], lord [Balfour of] Burleigh, James [Elphinstone], lord Coupar, John [Carnegie], lord Loure, Sir Alexander Gibson of Durie, Sir John Hope of Craighall, Sir John Scott of Scotstarvit, senators of the college of justice, Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton, Sir David Home of Wedderburn, Sir Patrick Murray of Elibank, Sir Patrick Hamilton of Little Preston, Sir William Cunningham of Caprington, Sir William Douglas of Cavers, Sir Thomas Nicolson of Carnock, James Chalmers of Gadgirth, Sir Thomas Hope of Kerse, [William] Drummond of Riccarton, John Forbes of Leslie, Master George Dundas of Manner, John Smith [of Grotehill], Edward Edgar, Thomas Paterson, Richard Maxwell, burgess of Edinburgh, Master Alexander Wedderburn, clerk of Dundee, Master Alexander Jaffray [of Kingswells], burgess of Aberdeen, or Master William More in his absence, William Hamilton, bailie of Linlithgow, James Sword, burgess of St Andrews, George Porterfield, bailie of Glasgow, Hugh Kennedy, bailie of Ayr, James Scott [of Logie], burgess of Montrose, and John Rutherford, provost of Jedburgh, and certain other persons to be commissioners from the said estates, to whom they gave and granted full power, warrant and commission to do, order, direct, act and put in execution everything necessary, expedient and incumbent as well for the preservation and maintenance of the armies, both horse and foot, by sea and land, as for the ordering of the country and whole body and inhabitants thereof, deciding of questions and debates which should happen to arise or fall out in any business which should occasion or offer within the kingdom concerning the peace and quiet thereof, without prejudice of the ordinary judicatories established within this kingdom by acts of parliament; and with power to them to borrow, uptake and levy monies for the use of the public and to give and prescribe orders for disbursing thereof, and generally did give them full power to do all and sundry other things requisite regarding the ordering, directing, managing, prosecuting and executing of all affairs and business of this kingdom which might or should conduce to the well of the same or any part thereof, and which might or could be needful to be done by them for maintenance and preservation of the true religion and liberties of this kingdom regarding the premises, as the said commission of 11 June 1640 in the same at more length bears. And also the said estates did nominate and constitute Master Adam Hepburn of Humbie to be clerk to the said commission, and gave him power to substitute deputes, one or more. And his majesty and the said estates now presently convened, having taken to consideration the pains taken by the said noblemen, barons, burgesses and others particularly above-rehearsed, as well those who remained at Edinburgh as those who went along with the army and resided at the camp or were sent as commissioners to Ripon and London, and of the said Master Adam Hepburn and Robert Hepburn, his colleague, who served as clerks in the said commission, they find that they have walked uprightly, faithfully, diligently and carefully in the discharge of the said commission, answerable to the trust imposed upon them, and therefore his majesty, with advice and consent of the said estates, has approved, and by this act approves, their proceedings and carriage therein and declares them and every one of them to have done good service to his majesty and this kingdom, and that they have behaved themselves as good Christians, loyal subjects and well deserving patriots.