Ratification in favour of Doctor [James] Chalmers

Our sovereign lord and whole estates of this present parliament ratify, approve and, for his highness and his successors, perpetually confirm the charter of resignation made and granted by our said sovereign lord, with consent of his highness's treasurers, principal and depute, and other lords of his highness's exchequer of Scotland for the time, to his highness's trusty and well-beloved servant Doctor James Chalmers, physician in ordinary to his majesty and his dearest son, the prince, his highness, his heirs and assignees whatsoever heritably, of all and whole the lands of Balbithan, with the manor place thereof, houses, buildings, yards, orchards, salmon fishings upon the water of Don, with the new place of Balbithan, lands of Heatherwick and Craigforthie, with the mosses, woods, fishings, manor places, houses, buildings, yards, orchards, muirs, meadows, pasturages, tofts, crofts, outsets, insets, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof whatsoever, lying within the parish of Kinkell and sheriffdom of Aberdeen, to be held of our said sovereign lord and his highness's successors in feu ferm and heritage forever, for yearly payment of the feu ferm duties and fulfilling of the other clauses and conditions mentioned therein, as the same of the date 25 March 1635, having the great seal appended thereto, at more length bears; together with the procuratory and instrument of resignation of the said lands, precept of sasine and sasine following thereupon, with all former infeftments, charters, confirmations, procuratories and instruments of resignation, precepts and instruments of sasine and other rights, titles and securities whatsoever made and granted to the said Doctor James Chalmers, his authors or predecessors, of or concerning the said lands, fishings and others foresaid, or any part thereof, by our said sovereign lord or his highness's predecessors, their regents or governors for the time, of whatsoever date or dates, tenor or contents the same be of, and specially (without prejudice of the generality foresaid) the charter granted by his highness's late dearest father, of worthy memory, to George Chalmers of Balbithan, brother-german to the said Doctor James Chalmers, his heirs and assignees, of the said lands, fishings and others above-written, with the pertinents, of the date 15 February 1600, and sasine following thereupon, in all and sundry the heads, points, clauses, articles and conditions contained therein and after the forms and tenors thereof in all points. And declare, will and grant this act to be as sufficient as if the said charter, procuratory and instrument of resignation, precept of sasine and sasine following thereon, and former infeftments and others specially and generally above-written were all at length and word by word inserted and contained herein, notwithstanding that the same be not so done, concerning which our said sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament dispensed and, by this ratification, dispense for ever.

  1. NAS, PA2/22, f.348v-349r.