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Ratification in favour of the burgh of Rutherglen

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament ratify, approve and perpetually confirm the charter of confirmation granted by his majesty's late dearest father of worthy memory, under his highness's great seal, containing a novodamus in favour of the provost, bailies, council and community of the burgh of Rutherglen, of the date at Edinburgh, 21 March 1617, whereby his highness's late dearest father, with advice of his highness's treasurer principal and depute for the time therein nominated, ratified, approved and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirmed all and whatsoever charters, infeftments, precepts, instruments of sasine, confirmations, acts, decreets and sentences, with all donations, privileges and immunities contained therein, and granted and confirmed by his majesty's most noble progenitors to the said burgh of Rutherglen and indwellers thereof of whatsoever tenor or tenors, date or dates the same be of, and specially (without prejudice to the foresaid generality) a particular charter of confirmation by his majesty's most noble progenitors King James V, by virtue whereof he ratified and approved all and sundry charters and infeftments made and granted by the late David, William, Alexander and Robert, kings of Scotland, and others of their most noble progenitors of most worthy memory, for creation and erection of the said burgh of Rutherglen in a free burgh royal, with all privileges, liberties and immunities granted by them to the same, and to the provost, bailies, burgesses and community thereof then present and to come within the whole bounds and marches from Nethan to Polmadie, and from Garin to Kelvin, and from Loudoun to Prenteineth, and from Carneburgh² to Carron, and in all other places specified and contained in the said infeftments; ordaining also by the said charter that no person take customs or other duties belonging to the said burgh which thereto pertained in King David's days, and wherever the said provost or bailies of the said burgh or their officers and serjeants could apprehend the same person, that the lord of that land wherein the said person shall be apprehended shall help the said provost and bailies and their serjeants until they acquire their customs, rights and duties, and if the said lord or master of the said town and land fail therein, that he shall incur a fine or amercement of £10; and also inhibiting all and sundry our sovereign lord's lieges that no person take any goods to be sold outwith the foresaid bounds unless they be first brought and offered to the said burgh, and also giving and granting to the said provost, bailies and community of the said burgh and their successors that they shall be perpetually free in all parts of this kingdom of all tolls, customs and impositions of their cattle and goods, as the said charter of confirmation ratifying and approving the foresaid charters and infeftments to the said burgh of Rutherglen and their successors in form and manner above-written, of the date 12 June 1542, at more length bears; together with all and sundry other charters, infeftments, donations, privileges, immunities, sentences, decreets and other rights and evidents whatsoever made, given and granted by our said sovereign lord's late dearest father and his most noble progenitors or any other person or persons to the said burgh of Rutherglen, or in favour of the provost, bailies, council and community thereof, or their predecessors or successors, concerning the erection of the said burgh in a free burgh royal, and with all rights, titles and privileges pertaining thereto or which by the laws and customs of this kingdom are known to pertain thereto; and of all and sundry lands, tenements, houses, buildings, yards, annualrents, feu ferms, ground annuals and duties, yards, orchards, crofts, mills, woods, fishings, coals, coal pits, muirs, mosses, ways, passages, ferms or duties whatsoever, and of all and whatsoever other tenements, houses, buildings, chapels, chapel yards and annualrents whatsoever pertaining to the said chapels and kirk altars founded and lying within the territory, liberty and jurisdiction of the said burgh and pertaining and belonging thereto, and whereof the said burgh was in use and possession of before, as in the said charter of confirmation granted by his majesty's late dearest father relating thereto ratifying and approving the foresaid charters and infeftments particularly and generally above-written to the said burgh of Rutherglen and to the said provost, bailies, council and community thereof and their successors, containing the said clauses of novodamus and certain other privileges, liberties and immunities at more length is contained, in all and sundry heads, articles, clauses, provisions, conditions and circumstances whatsoever specified and contained therein, with all that has followed or may follow thereupon. Moreover, our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament will and grant that this present confirmation and generality thereof shall be as valid and of as great strength, force and effect as if the said charter of confirmation granted by his majesty's said late dearest father containing the said novodamus had been word by word inserted herein.