[1641/8/409]¹

Ratification in favour of William Gray of his infeftment of the baronies of Fowlis and Forgan and of the patent of honour in favour of William [Gray], master of Gray

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament ratify and approve the letters patent and gift granted by his majesty to and in favour of William, master of Gray, therein designed William Gray, younger, eldest lawful son to the said William Gray, elder, of Pittendrum, merchant burgess of Edinburgh, whereby his majesty, for the reasonable causes contained therein, has given and granted to the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray), and the male heirs then lawfully to be procreated between him and Mistress Anna Gray, only lawful daughter and bairn of Andrew [Gray], lord Gray, then his future and now his lawful spouse, which failing to the other male heirs lawfully to be procreated of the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray), his own body, which also failing to the said William Gray, elder, and his nearest and lawful male heirs whatsoever, possessing and bearing the surname and arms of Gray, the title, style, honour and dignity of Master of Gray so to be designed, placed, ranked and honoured during the lifetime of the said Andrew, lord Gray, and after his decease has given and granted to the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray), and his male heirs and of tailzie above-written, that title, style, honour and dignity of a lord and baron in parliament within the realm of Scotland now pertaining and possessed by the said Andrew, lord Gray, forever in all time coming, to be called and entitled Lord Gray to the effect the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray) and his male heirs and of tailzie above-written may be styled, designed and denominated Master of Gray, and possess and enjoy the place, rank, honour and precedency belonging thereto during the said lifetime of the said Andrew, lord Gray, and after his decease may be styled and designed Lord Gray, and may have, possess and enjoy in all time coming thereafter all honours, precedencies, dignities, pre-eminencies, privileges, immunities and prerogatives, pertaining and competent to the said Andrew, now lord Gray, in the same way, in the same place, rank and dignity and as freely in all respects as if the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray), were lawful son to the said Lord Gray, procreated of his own body and were to succeed as male heir to him, with power to the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray), his male heirs and of tailzie above-written to possess and enjoy the said styles, dignities and honours of Master and Lord Gray respectively in time coming and all precedencies, pre-eminencies, privileges, immunities and other commodities competent thereto, in all his majesty's parliaments, conventions, councils or other places and occasions whatsoever, either in private or public, and the said dignity of Master and Lord Gray to be possessed by the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray) and his foresaids by way of precedency, according to the said Andrew, now lord Gray, his rank and antiquity thereof, in the ranks amongst the nobility of the said realm and to be preferred in rank and dignity as Master and Lord Gray to all other lords and their sons created and made lords since the said Andrew, lord Gray, his predecessor, or before whom the said Andrew, now lord Gray, has precedency and rank, likewise, in the same manner and as freely in all respects as if the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray) were lawful son to the said Andrew, lord Gray, and were to succeed as male heir to him without obstacle or contradiction, as the said letters patent and gift granted by his majesty to the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray), his male heirs and of tailzie above-written thereupon, under his majesty's great seal, of the date 8 January 1639, at more length bears. And also our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament ratify and approve the infeftment and charter granted by our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of his highness's treasurers, comptrollers and collectors principal and depute and other lords and others of his highness's exchequer of Scotland, his highness's commissioners, to the said William Gray, elder, for all the days of his lifetime in liferent and to the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray), and male heirs lawfully procreated or to be procreated between him and the said Mistress Anna Gray, only daughter and bairn to the said Andrew, lord Gray, now his spouse, which failing, to the other male heirs lawfully to be procreated of the said William Gray, younger (now Master of Gray), his own body, which also failing, to return to the said William Gray, elder, and his nearest and lawful male heirs whatsoever possessing and bearing the surname and arms of Gray and their assignees whatsoever heritably, of all and sundry the lands, baronies, offices, mills, woods, fishings and others underwritten, namely: of all and whole the lands and barony of Forgan, containing and comprehending the lands and others after-specified, namely: the lands of Bullions, the lands of Sethyke, the lands of Ballbaunoke, the lands of Kinguddie, the lands of Ebray, the lands of Thirslieholme, the lands of Rashcruke, the lands of Dron, the lands of Knape, with the mill, mill lands, multures, sequels and knaveships thereof, the lands of Laurenstoun, the lands of Trottick, with the mill, mill lands, multures, sequels and knaveships thereof, the lands of Litletoune and Lochton, the lands of Mousbeed, the lands of Montronnathe, the lands of Dysart and the lands of Killibrae, with the mills, mill lands, multures and knaveships thereof, with all and sundry their towers, fortalices, manor places, woods, mills, fishings, outsets, insets, annexes, connexes, dependencies, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, parts, pendicles, privileges and pertinents whatsoever of all and sundry the said towns, lands, barony, mills and others above-written, lying within the barony of Forgan by annexation and within the sheriffdom of Perth; all and whole the lands and barony of Fowlis, containing the lands and others underwritten, namely: the manor place and mains and town of Fowlis with the mill thereof, mill lands, multures and sequels of the same, the lands of Blacklaw with all and sundry annexes, connexes, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof whatsoever, the lands and barony of Buttergask and Liggertlaw, with castles, towers, fortalices, manor places, houses, buildings, mills, mill lands, annexes, connexes, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof whatsoever, lying within the said sheriffdom of Perth; all and whole the lands called Kingslaw and lands of Lundie, with houses, buildings, annexes, connexes, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof whatsoever, together with the advocation, donation and right of patronage of the parsonage and vicarage of Lundie; with all and whole the third part of the barony of Dundee, namely: the third part of the lands of Wariston, the third part of the lands of Pitkerro, with mill, mill lands, sequels and pertinents thereof, the third part of the lands of Craigiehilton, the third part of the lands of Mylnetoun, the third part of the lands of Westfield and acres thereof, the lands within the burgh of Dundee, with mills, mill lands and multures and sequels thereof, annexes, connexes, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, parts, pendicles, dependencies and pertinents thereof whatsoever, the crag of Broughty, with castle, fortalice, salmon fishing and other fishings thereof, the lands of Gotterston, with the fishings and pertinents thereof, all and whole the lands of Balgillo with corn mills and waulk mills thereof, outsets, annexes, connexes, dependencies, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants and pertinents thereof whatsoever, lying within the sheriffdom of Forfar; together with the office of constabulary of Forfar and Montrose, fees and duties belonging thereto, with all and sundry castles, towers, fortalices, manor places, houses, buildings, orchards, yards, mills, woods, fishings, advocations, donations, rights of patronages of kirks, chaplainries and other benefices thereof, annexes, connexes, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, parts, pendicles and pertinents whatsoever, of all and sundry the said lands, baronies, mills, offices and others above-written. And also all and whole the lands of Kinness, with the tower thereof, Harbersheeles and Blakelaw with their fishings and pertinents, lying within the sheriffdom of Kincardine, the croft of Brigend, with a yearly annualrent of [...] yearly to be uplifted and taken out of the lands of Eistoun, lying within the said sheriffdom of Kincardine, together also with the advocation, donation of the chaplainry of the chapel of Barris and Kinness situated within the said sheriffdom of Kincardine; the half of the lands of Gleslandis and Blakelawes and fourth part of the lands of Fishertoune with their pertinents, as also the superiority of the lands of Nethercraigie, Easter Suantoune, Wester Suantoun, Tutherhell and Overseate of Craigie with all their pertinents, as also all and sundry the teind sheaves, fruits, rents, proviants, emoluments, profits and duties whatsoever of all and whole the said lands of Balgillo, and mill lands of the corn mill and waulk mill thereof, with annexes, connexes, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof whatsoever, lying within the parish of Monifieth and within the sheriffdom of Forfar, excepting and reserving those parts and portions of the said lands and barony of Forgan with the pertinents conveyed by the said Andrew, lord Gray to the late Patrick [Lyon], earl of Kinghorn, his male heirs and assignees whatsoever heritably and irredeemably, according to the contract passed between them relating thereto, of the date at Edinburgh, 30 June 1613, and of the infeftments following thereupon; as also excepting that third part of the lands of Dudhope, with the acres and pertinents thereof conveyed by the said Andrew, lord Gray and his predecessors to Sir John Scrymgeour, knight of Dudhope, knight, constable of Dundee, and his successors as a part of the third part of the barony of Dundee (which particular parts and portions immediately above-written of the said lands, barony and others foresaid are no way comprehended under the said charter of infeftment), and that upon the resignation of the said Andrew, lord Gray to whom the same pertained of before, made by him with consent of John [Wemyss], earl of Wemyss and Sir Patrick Douglas of Kilspindie, knight, for their rights and interest, with the new gift and disposition contained in the said charter and union, annexation, creation and incorporation of all and sundry the said lands, baronies, offices, advocation, donation, rights of patronages, teinds and others above-written, with all and sundry their castles, towers, fortalices, manor places, houses, buildings, orchards, yards, mills, woods, fishings, tenants, tenancies, service of free tenants, annexes, connexes, dependencies and other pertinents thereof above-specified in a whole and free barony, to be called the barony of Fowlis in time coming, and ordaining the tower, fortalice and manor place of Fowlis to be the principal messuage of the said barony whereat sasine is to be taken for the whole by dispensation in all time coming, to be held of our sovereign lord and his highness's successors in fee heritage and free barony forever, as follows, namely: the said whole lands, baronies, offices, mills, woods, fishings, advocations, donations, rights of patronage and others above-written with all their pertinents (except the said lands of Blakelawes and teinds of the said lands of Balgillo and mill lands thereof with the pertinents) for payment of the rights and services thereof used and wont before the said resignation; and the said lands of Blakelawes with the houses, buildings and pertinents, for payment of one penny money Scots at the feast of Whitsunday [May/June] upon the ground of the said lands if it be required only; and the said teind sheaves, fruits, rents and emoluments of the said lands of Balgillo and mill lands thereof, with the pertinents, of the sum of 12s Scots money as a part of the blench ferm duty of the abbacy of Arbroath, used to be paid forth thereof, and that for relief of the lord of the erection thereof of the said blench duty for as much at the terms of payment thereof used and wont in name of blench ferm only in manner specified in the said charter, which is under the great seal, of the date 5 March 1639, with the disposition, procuratory and instrument of resignation whereon the said charter proceeded and precept and instrument of sasine following thereupon, of whatsoever dates, tenors or contents the same be of, in all and sundry the heads, points, clauses, articles, circumstances and conditions contained in the said letters patent and charter and in the said disposition, procuratory and instrument of resignation whereon the said charter proceeded, precept and sasine following thereupon, and after the forms and tenors thereof in all points. And our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament will and grant and, for his highness and his successors, decree and ordain that this present ratification of the said rights is and shall be as effectual and sufficient and of as great force, strength and effect to the said William, master of Gray, his male heirs and of tailzie above-written, for possessing of the said style, place, honour and dignity of Master and Lord Gray and the precedence thereof as if he were lawful son, and to succeed as male heir to the said Lord Gray in manner and according to the said letters patent, and to the said William Gray, elder, during his lifetime, and after his decease to the said William, master of Gray, his son, his male heirs and of tailzie foresaid, for possessing of the said lands and barony of Fowlis, comprehending the particular towns, lands, baronies, mills, woods, fishings, teinds, patronages, offices and others above-written contained in the said charter, as if the said letters patent and charter, disposition, procuratory and instrument of sasine whereon the said charter proceeded and proceeding thereon were all at length expressly word for word and engrossed and inserted herein, notwithstanding the same be not so done; concerning which, and with all other defects and imperfections which may be proposed or alleged against the same or any of them, or against this present ratification thereof and validity of the same, our said sovereign lord and estates of parliament have dispensed and by this ratification dispense for ever.