[A1641/8/133]¹

[Report of the committee for trial of those cited to parliament]

Report regarding those cited to the parliament²

13 November 1641

[John Maitland], lord Lauderdale, [Robert Balfour] lord [Balfour of] Burleigh and [James Elphinstone], lord Coupar for the noblemen; [Sir Robert Graham], laird of Morphie, [Sir Gilbert Ramsay of] Balmain and [Sir Alexander Abercrombie of] Birkenbog for the barons; [Master Robert Cunningham], the commissioner of Kinghorn, [George Gardyne, commissioner for] Burntisland and [Master George Gray, commissioner for] Haddington for the burghs, having met together for taking trial what was to be laid to the charge of those who were cited to the parliament and what information was or might be had against them, and having chosen my Lord Lauderdale for president, they sent word to the bodies of the barons and burghs advertising them that if any of their number knew any information of any crime that could be laid to the charge of such as were cited to the parliament, according to the crimes libelled in their summons, that they would come to the said committee and make the same known to them.

Thereafter it was declared by Master Thomas Nicolson that he had received no particular information in the way of his charge for filling up the subsumption of the summons against the said persons cited as said is, except only that at the making of the roll of the persons cited there was verbal information in general made by the gentlemen and burgess commissioners out of the north that almost all the north country men contained in the roll were in arms against the country.

Thereafter having considered the roll, they found no particular information against any person contained therein (except such as are excepted out of the act of oblivion as incendiaries), saving that the north country men, all of them almost as is informed, have risen in arms against the country. And some of them, namely: [John Gordon], laird of Haddo, have committed slaughter and plunderings for the which there are particular sentences already obtained, and that others kept houses against the country.

15 November 1641

Read in audience of his majesty and estates of parliament, who appoint a copy thereof to be given to every estate to be advised until tomorrow.