[A1625/10/48]¹

Anent barounetts

Anent the petitioun gevin in be the small barronis proporting that thay sustenit verie grite prejudice by this new erectit ordour of barronettis and the precedencie grantit to thame befoir all the small barronis and freehalderis of this kingdome, whairin thay pretendit grite prejudice in thair priviledgeis and dignityis possest be thame and thair predicessouris in all preceiding aiges and thairfore thay desyrit that the estaittis wald joyne with thame in thair humble petitioun that his majestie might be intreatted to suspend the precedencie grantit to thir barronettis untill the tyme that the plantatioun for the whilk this dignitie is conferred be first performed be the undertakeris. Whairupoun Sir Williame Alexander, cheiff undertaker of this plantatioun, being hard, and he haveing objectit unto thame his majesties royall prerogative in conferring of honnouris and titlis of dignitie in matteris of this kynd, importing so far the honnour and credite of the cuntrey and that his majesties prerogative wald not admitt ony sort of oppositioun and that this suspensioun of the undertakeris precedencie wald frustratt the whole plantatioun, after that the small barronis had most humblie protestit that the least derogatioun of his majesties royall prerogative sould never enter in thair hairtis and that thair petitioun wes in no sort contrair to the same, and that thay acknawledged that the conferring of honouris did properlie belong to his majestie as a poynt of his royall prerogative, and thay undertook that if it wer fund meete be his majestie and the estaittis that this plantatioun sould be maid that thay upoune thair awne chargis wald undertak the same without ony retributioun of honnour to be gevin, thairfore, the estaittis haveing at lenth hard bothe the pairtyis, it wes fund be pluralitie of voittis that the estaittis sould joyne with thame in thair petitioun foirsaid.