[1633/6/74]¹

Act in favour of the Earle of Sutherland

Oure soverane lord, with advyse and consent of his majesties thrie estates of parliament, ordaines ane act of parliament to be maid ratifiand, approveand and, for his hienes and his successors, perpetuallie confirmand, lykas his majestie, with advyse and consent forsaid, be the tennor theirof, ratifies, approves and, for his hienes and successors, perpetuallie confirmes the chartor and appointment maid and past at Oatlanes and Halyrudhous respective, the auchteine day of July and tuentie sax day of August, the yeir of God, j^M vj^C threttie ane yeirs, betuix oure said soverane lord, the king's majestie, with advyse and consent of his majesties thesaurar principall and deputt for the kingdome of Scotland and of the remanent lords of his majesties secreit counsall and exchecker of the said kingdome one the ane pairt, and his majesties richt traist cowsigne Johne, earle of Sutherland, lord Strathnaver etc., one the uther pairt, quhairby the said Johne, earle of Sutherland surranderit in his majesties hands, and in favours of his hienes and his successors, ad perpetuam remanentiam, the heretable offices of shirefschip and crownerie of Sutherland, quhairin the said Johne, earle of Sutherlande stude infeft, togidder with the heretable richt of regalitie of Sutherland, quhairin also the said earle stoode heretablie infeft, for the quhilk, his majestie hes promitted to give to the said Johne, earle of Sutherland the soume of ane thousand pund sterling, lykas his majestie, be the said contract, hes of new erected the said cuntrie of Sutherland in ane frie shirefdome and hes addit thairto the lands and uthers eftir following, viz: the cuntries of Strathnaver, Assint and Fairintoscar, alias Sleischeles, with the haill bounds, lands, baronies, earledomes, lordschipes, watters, fischings, mylnes and uthers within the bounds limeit and mentionat in the said contract, and hes erected the saidis united lands and uthers forsaidis, togider with the said cuntrie of Sutherland, in ane haill, frie and distinct shirefdome be the selff to be callit in all tyme coming the shirefdome of Sutherland, to be governit be the shireffs and uthers officiars perteining to the jurisdictione of ane Shirefdome in all tyme coming. And quhairby his majestie ordanit the towne and burgh of Dornoche, laitlie erected in ane frie burgh royall, to be the head burgh of the said shireffdome of Sutherland and to injoy the haill liberties of ane frie burgh royall and uther liberties and priveledges mentionat in the said contract, and quhairby his majestie gave power to the frie barounes and uthers inhabitants within the said shirefdome of Sutherland in all tyme coming to elect and choyse thair awin commissioners for the said shirefdome to compeir at all parliaments, meittings and general conventiones within this kingdome at all occasiounes requisit, and they to have vote thairin, siclyk and als frilie as any uther commissioners of any uther frie shirefdome within this kingdome, and quhairby his majestie wnto the tyme the said soume of ane thousand punds sterling be payit to the said Johne, earle of Sutherland, his majestie, with consent forsaid, wodsett and impignorat to the said Johne, earle of Sutherland, his airs male and assignais quhatsumever, all and haill the richt of regalitie of all and haill the said earldome of Sutherland and offices of shirefschip and crownarie of the said shirefdome of Sutherland within the haill bounds and limeitts of the samyne mentionat in the said contract, with all and sundrie fies, priveledges, jurisdictiones, immwnities, casualities and dewties perteining and belonging to the saidis richts and offices of regalitie, shirefschip and crownerie to be haldin of his majestie and his successors for payment of the blensche dewtie and wnder reversione be payment of the said soume of ane thousand pund sterling in maner at lenth mentionat and contenit in the forsaid contract, and als ratifiand, approvand and confirmeand the chartor, infeftment and seasing following upon the said contract grantit to the said Johne, earle of Sutherland, his airs male and assignais forsaidis thairupon in the haill heads, articles, clauses and circumstances. And his majestie, with advyse and consent forsaid of his majesties thrie estates of parliament, hes of new erected the said cuntrie of Sutherland, togider with the saidis united lands and uthers forsaidis, and the cuntries of Strathnaver, Assint and Fairinetoscar within the haill bounds and limeitts exprest in the forsaid contract, in ane frie distinct shirefdome, and declairs the said burgh of Dornoch, quhilk is erected in ane frie burgh royall as said is, to be the head burgh of the said shirefdome, and declairs the said towne and burgh of Dornoche to be ane frie burgh royall and to bruik the haill liberties and priveledges of ane frie burgh royall in all tyme coming, and wills and declairs that the said burgh of Dornoche sall direct thair awin commissioners with uther frie borrowes to all generall conventiones and meittings of borrowes, and sall be obleist to stent and taxt with uther frie borrowes, and to beir proportionable burdeine with thame in all burdeines as ane frie burgh royall in all tyme coming. And wills and grants, and for his hienes and his successors, decernes and ordaines this present confirmatione to be of als great availl, force and effect to the said Johne, earle of Sutherland, his airs male and assignais forsaidis and uthers having entreis thairto, as if the forsaid contract and chartor, infeftment and seasing following thairupon wer, word be word, insert heirin, anent the quhilkes and with all defects that may fallow thairupon his majestie, with advyse and consent forsaid of his hienes thrie estates of parliament, hes dispensit and be thir presents dispenses for ever. And his majestie, with advyse and consent forsaid, ordaines thir presents to be ane sufficient warrand to the clerk of register for inserting of the said act of ratificatioun of the forsaidis wreatts, richts and securities and priveledges contenit thairin with the rest of the actes of parliament to be maid and sett downe in this nixt parliament to be haldin within the kingdome of Scotland.