[1641/8/213]¹

Act regarding the superiority of lands and others which formerly held of bishops and their chapters, to be now held of the king

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, for removing all doubts and questions that may arise regarding the superiorities of these lands, mills, fishings, heritable offices and others which were held of the late pretended bishops or of their chapters, by reason of the abolishing of bishops and chapters foresaid out of this kirk and kingdom, and to the effect the subjects and vassals of these holdings may be put in assurance hereafter thereupon, have statute and ordained and declared, and by this act statute, ordain and declare, that all these superiorities which formerly pertained to the said pretended bishops and their chapters now abolished as said is do now pertain and belong, and shall hereafter pertain to our sovereign lord and his highness's successors in all time coming; and that the vassals of these lands, mills, woods, fishings, heritable offices and others which were formerly held of the same bishops and their chapters do now, and shall in time coming, hold the same of our sovereign lord, the king's majesty, and his successors in the same form and manner of holding as they formerly held of the said bishops and their chapters, according to the said vassals, their infeftments and rights made and pertaining to them, which are hereby declared to be unprejudiced by the abolishing of the said bishops and their chapters, their former superiors. And also our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament declare that all those services of heirs to their deceased predecessors to any of the lands and others held of the said bishops (since the excommunication of bishops), whereby those heirs are served to the said lands to be held of the king's majesty, to be valid and lawful services led and done, and ordain all such services as are to be led and deduced hereafter for serving of the heirs of the vassals of the lands and others foresaid, as heirs in the same lands to be served heirs therein to be held of the king's majesty and his successors foresaid as their superiors of the same lands and others above-mentioned in all time coming, with this provision: that the feu duties of these lands held of the chapters now retained in title shall pertain and be paid them during the present titular's lifetimes. And it is declared that this present act shall not be prejudicial to the infeftments granted by his majesty to [James Stewart], duke of Lennox of the superiority of the whole lands and baronies which pertained to the temporality of the archbishopric of Glasgow, but that the said infeftment shall stand valid in the self and the vassals to hold their lands of the said Duke of Lennox and his successors as their superiors thereof in time coming. And also declares this legislation, neither act nor reservation foresaid, shall not be extended to the deanery or sub-deanery of Glasgow, nor nothing held of the dean or subdean, as also without prejudice to [John Maitland], earl of Lauderdale of his infeftment of Stobo and Eddleston which is in no way prejudiced by this act nor reservation foresaid, providing that this provision shall not better nor strengthen the Earl of Lauderdale's right and infeftment foresaid, but the same to be in the same condition as before the date of this act.