[1641/8/197]¹

Legislation: private act

Act in favour of the town of Glasgow giving them liberty to choose their own magistrates

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, considering that the burgh of Glasgow did heretofore, in the election of their magistrates, demand the assent and approbation of the archbishop to the same, and during such time as episcopacy was not allowed of this church, of the late Ludovic [Stewart], duke of Lennox and Richmond, who was heritably infeft in the said archbishopric, with the privileges belonging thereto, and specially the nomination of the magistrates of the town of Glasgow, and now the said burgh, being one of the best peopled and prime burghs within the kingdom, it is most agreeable to reason that they should have free liberty to elect and choose such persons as should be most fit both to serve the prince and govern the burgh itself, as other burghs of this kingdom; therefore, our sovereign lord, with the advice of the estates, and of the special consent of James [Stewart], now duke of Lennox and Richmond (who has the like heritable right of the said archbishopric of Glasgow and privileges thereof granted to him as the said late Ludovic, duke of Lennox and Richmond, his uncle, had) statutes and ordains that the burgh of Glasgow, in all time coming, shall have as free liberty in the election and choosing of their magistrates yearly at the accustomed times as any other burgh within this kingdom of Scotland, with this special provision and condition: that the provost, bailies and council of the burgh and their successors shall present yearly in all time coming a candidate list of three persons to be provost of the said burgh to the said James, duke of Lennox and Richmond and his successors foresaid, of the which number the said James, duke of Lennox and his successors foresaid shall nominate one to be provost for the year following, whom they shall be obliged to receive and admit to be their provost the same year and authorise him with all commission necessary to that effect, providing the said Duke of Lennox and his foresaids, by themselves or their commissioner, be present yearly within the said burgh at the castle which belongs to the duke and his successors at the time of the election of their magistrates, and in case of their absence, in that case it shall be lawful to them to go on in the election of their provost for that year of their absence only.