[1641/8/455]¹

Ratification in favour of [John Maitland], earl of Lauderdale

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament ratify and approve the signature of infeftment passed and signed by his majesty to and in favour of his majesty's cousin and councillor, John, earl of Lauderdale, viscount of Maitland, lord Thirlestane and Bolton, ratifying and approving the rights and infeftments granted by his majesty's late dearest father to the late John [Maitland], lord Thirlestane, chancellor for the time, and to the said John, earl of Lauderdale, styled therein John, master of Thirlestane, his male heirs and assignees, of all and whole the lordship of Musselburgh and right of regality thereof, together with the kirks and teinds lying within the said lordship and patronage of the kirks of the same, together with the office of heritable bailiary and regality of the same and whole benefit thereof, in the whole heads and clauses thereof; and also giving and conveying the same of new again to the said earl and his foresaids, together with the superiority of the vassals of the said lordship, excepting of [William Douglas], earl of Morton for Sheriffhall, with the manor place and pertinents thereof, [Charles Seton], earl of Dunfermline for Pinkie, and manor place and pertinents thereof, whereof their heirs shall remain vassals to his majesty in all time coming, providing always that the said right of superiority of the said vassals and right of regality foresaid with the feu mails and feu ferm shall be redeemable by his majesty and his successors from the said earl and his foresaids by payment to him of the sum of £2,000 sterling, and that in satisfaction to him of the bygone annualrents and duties of the said lordship of Musselburgh, kirks and teinds thereof, which the said earl has wanted continuously since the decease of his majesty's late dearest mother of happy memory, and in satisfaction of the price of the feu mails of the said lordship due to him by the decreet arbitral to be held of his majesty in free blench, as in the said signature of the date 12 November 1641 at more length is contained. And his majesty and his estates will and grant and, by this ratification, decree and ordain that this present ratification shall be as valid and sufficient to the said Earl of Lauderdale, his male heirs and assignees for possessing the lordship, right of regality, lands, kirks, teinds, whole bailiary and superiority, as if the said signature of infeftment were at length expressed and set down herein, notwithstanding that the same for the prolixity thereof is not inserted herein, regarding which, and all faults and imperfections that may follow thereupon, his majesty and his three estates of parliament, by this ratification, dispense with the said earl and his foresaids for ever. And for the said John, earl of Lauderdale's further security, his majesty, with advice and consent of his said three estates of parliament, has dissolved and by the tenor hereof dissolves the said lordship, barony and regality of Musselburgh, lands, kirks, teinds and others above-written, superiority of the vassals thereof and office of heritable bailiary of the said lordship from all annexations of the said lordship to the crown, through which the same has been at any time hitherto annexed, either generally or specially, and also from all and sundry annexations general and special of the superiority of kirk lands and rents to the crown, and from all annexation of the regality of the said lordship of Musselburgh to the stewartry of Dalkeith, to the effect the same may be conveyed by his majesty in blench ferm to the said earl and his foresaids for payment of the said blench duty of £40, with a knight's service and payment of the minister's stipend, and that under and with the same provision of reversion in favour of his majesty and his foresaids in so far as concerns the said right of superiority of vassals, feu ferms and duties of the same, in no way including the said office of heritable bailiary of the said regality, which with the whole liberties, privileges, fees, escheats and others whatsoever pertaining to the said heritable bailiary and contained in the heritable infeftments thereof granted to the said earl and his predecessors are in no way comprehended within the said reversion. And his majesty, with consent foresaid, wills and ordains that upon this present dissolution, new infeftment shall pass and be completed under his majesty's great seal in due form to and in favour of the said earl and his foresaids of the said lordship of Musselburgh and right of regality of the same, with the kirks and teinds lying within the said lordship and of the right of patronage of the same kirks, and also of the said office of heritable bailiary of regality of the said lordship and whole liberties and privileges thereof above-specified.