[1641/8/327]¹

Ratification in favour of the old and new colleges of Aberdeen

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, considering that forasmuch as it has pleased his sacred majesty out of his royal zeal and fatherly affection to the growth and increase of religion within this his majesty's ancient and native kingdom, by his signature of mortification, dated 8 November instant, to unite and erect the two colleges of Aberdeen, namely: the old college thereof and the new, called Marischal's College, in a joint university, to be called in all time coming King Charles University, and to found, mortify and convey to the said colleges, and to the principals, professors, regents and other members of the said university and colleges thereof the whole feu mails, feu ferms, teinds and other rents that pertained of before to the late bishopric of Aberdeen, temporality and spirituality thereof, as follows, namely: two parts thereof to the said old college and a third part to the said new college, to be distributed among the professors and founded persons of the said university by his majesty's commissioners and visitors appointed or to be appointed for that effect in manner at length specified in the said signature. Therefore his majesty and estates of parliament ratify, approve and confirm the foresaid signature and mortification, with the charter appointed to follow thereupon, in all and sundry heads, articles and circumstances thereof, and will and grant and, for his majesty and his successors, with consent of the estates of parliament, decree and ordain this present confirmation to be as sufficient and effectual to the principals, professors, regents and other members of the said joint university now present and their successors in time coming as if the foresaid signature and charter of mortification following thereupon were word by word inserted herein, concerning which and with all that may follow thereupon his majesty and estates of parliament dispense for ever. And further, his majesty and estates of parliament have dissolved and, by this ratification, dissolve all and sundry the feu mails, feu ferms, teinds, teind duties and others mentioned in the said signature from his majesty's crown and patrimony thereof and from the bishopric of Aberdeen and from all other benefices whatsoever to which the same were annexed of before, and suppress and extinguish the name and memory of the said bishopric of Aberdeen in all time coming to the effect the foresaid feu mails, feu ferms, teinds, teind duties and others foresaid that belonged to the said late bishopric of before may remain with the principals, professors, regents and other members of the said joint university of Aberdeen, called King Charles University, as a testimony of his majesty's favour perpetually in all time coming, excepting always out of this ratification the teinds, parsonage and vicarage, of the kirk of St Nicolas, with the right of patronage of the said kirk done in favour of the provost, bailies and council of the burgh of Aberdeen and their successors, to the which the said mortification or this ratification shall in no way be extended, reserving also to [William Keith], earl Marischal and his successors, his right of presentation of the principal and regents of the said college, marischal and other rights and privileges pertaining to him and his predecessors by the first foundation and erection of the said college.