[1641/8/370]¹

Ratification to Master William Wardlaw

Our sovereign lord, remembering the good, true and thankful service done to his highness's late dearest parents of worthy memory and to his majesty himself in the office of chamberlain of the earldom of Ross and lordship of Ardmeanach by the late Sir Henry Wardlaw of Pitreavie, knight, and by his majesty's beloved Master William Wardlaw of Balmule, his son, therefore, and for other good causes moving his highness, his majesty, with advice and consent of the estates of this present parliament, has ratified and approved the letters of gift granted by his majesty under the privy seal of the date at Whitehall, 17 February 1634, whereby his majesty, with consent of his highness's treasurers principal and depute, and the other commissioners of exchequer, made and constituted the said late Sir Henry Wardlaw and the said Master William Wardlaw, his son, the longest liver of the two, during their lifetimes, his highness's chamberlains and receivers of the whole mails, ferms, kanes, customs and other duties belonging to his majesty within the said earldom of Ross and lordship of Ardmeanach, with the pertinents, their entry thereto beginning for the crop and year of God 1631, Whitsunday [May/June] and Martinmas [11 November] terms thereof, and so forth yearly thereafter during their lifetimes, allowing to them in yearly payment the sum of 1,000 merks money of this realm, as the said gift produced before the said lords of exchequer and seen and admitted by them and registered in their books of exchequer according to the order upon 25 August 1634 at more length purports, in all and sundry the heads, articles and clauses of the said gift, to the effect the said Master William Wardlaw may hold and possess the said office of chamberlain of the earldom and lordship foresaid during all the days of his lifetime, for the which his majesty wills he shall have allowance of the yearly fee above-specified. Moreover, our said sovereign lord wills and grants that this present ratification is and shall be as valid and sufficient to the said Master William as if the gift foresaid were herein at length mentioned and engrossed, notwithstanding the same is not inserted herein.