[1633/6/88]¹

Act in favour of the King's Colledge of Aberdeine

Oure soverane lord and estaits of this present parliament ordaines ane ratificatioun to be maid thairine makand mentioun that his majestie, remembering and calling to mynd the manifold actes of parliament maid be his majesties predicessors of worthie memorie in favours of the auld universities of this realme, quhilks ar the seminaries of the kirk and policie within the samyne, and his majestie being movit with fervent zeale of the propagatioun and advancement of religioun and with ane earnest love of incres of policie and having thairwith ane speciall regaird to the educatioun and upbringing of the youth within this kingdome in pietie and learning, and speciallie within the north pairts of this realme, quhairof oure soverane lords universitie and King's Colledge in auld Abirdeine hes beine speciall instructers for the space of sevinscoir yeirs or thairby since the first fundatioun of the samyne, and wnderstanding that the said universitie and colledge was of auld foundit and erectit be umquhile King James the Fourt of worthie memorie for serving the north pairts of this realme and indewit be him with most ample priveledges of teaching and professing divinitie, canon and civill lawes, medicine, philosophie and all uther lawfull faculties and liberall sciences, and als giving of degries of baccalawreatt, licentiat and doctorat to these that ar worthie and capable of the saidis degries in all and sundrie the faculties and sciences aboneexprest, with full power and libertie to the persones promotit and graduatit in the samyne to read, teach, doe and excerce all things quhatsumever the persones promoted to the same degries within the Universitie of Paris, in the Universitie of Banonia or any uther universitie quhatsumever may doe or exerce, both in the universitie quhair they receavit thair degries and also in quhatsumever uther universitie ubicunque terrarum absque alio examine vel approbatione, and generallie with all and sundrie quhatsumever uther richts, priveledges, liberties, immwnities and exemptiones givin and grantit to the saidis Universities of Paris and Banonia, or to any universitie of this realme or perteining and belanging to any universitie or generall studie, togider with conservators speciallie ordanit and constituit for conserving and mainteining of the saidis richts, priveledges, liberties, immwnities and exemptiones of the said universitie and colledge, as is at greatter lenth exprest and sett downe in the first foundationes and erectiones of the saidis universitie and Kinges Colledge of auld Abirdeine of the daittes j^M iiij^C nyntie four and j^M iiij^C nyntie sevine yeirs respective; and that the saidis universitie and King's Colledge of auld Abirdeine wer of auld giftit and dottit by the said umquhile King James the Fourt of worthie memorie and be the Bischopes of Abirdeine and certane uthers his majesties subjects, with the kirks and benefices, patronages, personages and viccarages thairof, lands and annuelrents following mortifiet, united, annexit and incorporat thairto, viz: the personage and viccarage of Aberluthnot; the personage and viccarage of Glenmuck and Glengairden; the personage and viccarage of Slaynes; the personage and viccarage of Snaw; the personage and viccarage of Achindor; the viccarage of Tullienestin, togider with the patronages of the saidis kirks, the halfe towne and lands of Drumlugus; the towne and lands of Adiell, Balmakettill, Colyine and Audiat, Berriehill, Mundurno; certane croftes and tenements of land lyand one the eist and west territories of new Abirdeine; ane annuelrent of tuentie punds out of the baronie of Balheluie; nynteine merkes out of the watters of Bamff; tuelff pund sax schilling aucht penneis yeirlie furth of the lands of Ore, Moubray, Blairschinno and Pittinbrunyeounes in Boyne; ane annuelrent of fyve punds out of the lands of Udoche; ane annuelrent of four punds yeirlie furth of the lands of Pettie; the lands of the hospitall of Sanct Germanes, with the haill fruites, rents and dewties quhatsumever belonging thairto quhairever the samyne beis or lyes within this realme; the lands quhairupon the said colledge is foundit, with the yeards, crofts and haill precinct of the samyne, with the manses, yeards and crofts of the canonist, civilist, mediciner and grammarian of the saidis universitie and colledge and others particularlie specifiet and contenit in the auld fundationes of the saidis universitie and colledge, chartors and donationes of the samyne of severall daittes respective; quhilkes priveledges and liberties with the saidis auld fundationes and mortificationes wer eftirward ratifiet and approvin by umquhile King James the Fyft, of worthie memorie, in the yeir of God, j^M v^C tuentie sevine yeirs, and be his royall dochter, umquhile Queine Marie, of worthie memorie, in the yeir of God j^M [...] yeirs, and last be his hienes umquhile darrest father, King James the Saxt, of worthie memorie, be ane act of his parliament holdin in the yeir of God j^M vj^C sevinteine yeirs. As lykwayes that his hienes said umquhile darrest father of worthie memorie, having consideratioun and respect that the meannes of the saidis auld rents and dewties being greatlie diminischit and impairit be divers alienationes and impropriatiounes and other delapidationes of the samyne was nawayes able nor sufficient to entertaine in any competent maner or measure the maisters and members of the said universitie and colledge as the samyne war first foundit, thairfor his hienes said umquhile darrest father of worthie memorie, of his majesties princelie liberalitie, love and affectioun quhilks he had to learning and vertew and to the maintenance and incres thairof within this realme, gave, disponit, unitit and annexit to the saidis universitie and colledge of auld Abirdeine, with speciall consent and assent of all having entreis, the kirkes, teinds, lands and annuelrents eftirspecifiet, to witt: all and haill the personage and viccarage of Sanct Machar callit the deanrie of the cathredrall kirk of Abirdeine, with the haill lands, teinds, fruites, rents, emoluments and dewties perteining and belonging thairto; all and haill the personage of Methlick, Furvie, Peterkirk, callit Spittell or the subchantorie of Abirdeine, with the haill mansis, gleibs, lands, rents and dewties of the saidis kirks respective, all lyand within the dyocies of Sanct Androis and Aberdeine respective; togider also with all and sundrie kirklands, teinds, annuelrents, few fermes, manses, gleibs, houses, biggings, yeards and uthers fruites, rents and emoluments quhilks pertenit of befor to the friers carmalites of Banff, the chaplanries of Wasthall and Fallaroull, the chaplanries of Sanct Magdalens altar, with all and sundrie kirklands, teinds, annuelrents, fewfermes, manses, gleibs, houses, biggings, yeards and all uther fruites, rents, emoluments and dewties quhatsumever, quhilks pertenit of befor to the saidis chaplanries, or to the auld chaplanes of the saidis universitie and colledge of auld Abeirdeine; togider with all uther lands, houses, biggings, provents, teinds, annuelrents, fewfermes, manses, gleibs, titles, richts, jurisdictiones and uthers quhatsumever perteining and adebted to the said colledge, maisters, regents, bursars and members thairof, ather givin and grantit be his hienes said umquhile darrest father, King James the Saxt, of worthie memorie, or any uthers his hienes most noble progenitors and predicessors, kings and queines of Scotland, thair regents or governors for the tyme, or be the Bischops of Abirdeine of guid memorie, or be any uthers at any tyme of befor quhilks the saidis colledge and universitie possesses, hes possest or any wayes micht posses, as in his hienes said umquhile darrest father of worthie memorie his donationes, gifts, dispositiones and mortificationes thairof at mair lenth is contenit, quhilks last mortificationes and donationes grantit be his hienes said umquhile darrest father of worthie memorie to the saidis universitie and colledge wer lykwayes ratifiet be him be ane act of his said parliament haldin in the said yeir of God, j^M vj^C and sevinteine yeirs. And oure soverane lord, following the worthie example of his hienes most noble progenitors in thair good affectioun and love of learning and vertewous educatioun of the youth within this kingdome, and being willing be all meanes possible sua far as lyes in his majesties power to promove vertew, advance the saidis universities and colledge of auld Abirdeine and corroborat the richts, titles and secuirities thairof sua that the same may the more and more floorisch in learning, discipline and guid maners, thairfor oure soverane lord, with advyse and consent of the saidis estates and haill bodie of this present parliament, ratifies, allowes, approves and for his hienes and his successors perpetuallie confirmes all and sundrie the forsaidis auld fundationes of the saidis universitie and colledge of auld Aberdeine with the haill richts, titles, priveledges, immwnities, exemptiones, jurisdictiones, friedomes and liberties of the samyne and the haill forsaidis donationes and mortificationes of kirks and benefices, patronages, personages and viccarages thairof, lands, fewfermes, annuelrents and quhatsumever uther emoluments or dewties giftit and grantit to the saidis universitie and colledge, ather be his hienes said umquhile darrest father of worthie memorie or any uthers his hienes most noble progenitors, kings or queines of Scotland, thair regents or governors for the tyme, or be the saidis Bischops of Abirdeine, or any uthers in all and sundrie the heades, pointes, articles, clauses, circumstances and conditiones thairin contenit, and eftir the formes and tenors thairof in all pointes, and wills, grants and declairs that the saidis universitie and colledge sall injoy the samyne intromett with and uplift the haill lands, teinds, fruites, rents, annuelrents, chaplanries and uthers quhatsumever abonespecifiet perteining and belonging thairto, and also all uther priveledges, immwnities, friedomes and exemptiones quhilks at any tyme the saidis universitie and colledge, or any uther universitie or colledge within or without this realme brookes and injoyes, or hes bruikit and injoyit, in any tyme bygane, or may bruik and injoy, be vertew of thair richts and donationes grantit wnto thame heirtofoir, and that this present ratificatioun of the saidis richts speciallie and generallie abonewrittine is and sall be of als great strenth, force and effect as if the saidis haill richts wer all at lenth speciallie and particularlie heirin contenit and insert, notwithstanding the samyne be not sua done; quhairanent oure said soverane lord and estates of parliament hes dispensit and be thir presents dispenses for ever. And becaus the deanrie and subchantorie of Abirdeine, with the personage of Methlick, ar unitit, annexit and incorporat to the saidis universitie and colledge, the saidis kirks and personages being benefices and members of the chaptour of the cathedrall kirk of Abirdeine, and his majestie being nowayes willing that the said chaptour be hurt, imparit or depryvit of any of the auld members and priveledges thairof, thairfor oure said soverane lord, with advyse and consent forsaid, ratifies and approves the statuit and ordinance maid be his royall father of glorious memorie in his said parliament holdin at Edinburgh, the said yeir of God j^M vj^C and sevinteine yeirs, ordaining that the said principall of the said colledge for the tyme sall in all tyme coming be deane of Abirdeine and that the subprincipall of the said colledge sall be subchantor of Abirdeine, and that the eldest regent of the said colledge sall be persone of Methlick, thay representing at the least the saidis channones and having thair places in chaptor in giving wotes and suffrages and subscryving of takes, infeftments and uthers wreattes in all and sundrie the heads, pointes, clauses, articles, circumstances and conditiones thairin contenit, and eftir the forme and tennor thairof in all pointes, provyding alwayes that the said colledge and members thairof mak and provyde sufficient stipends and provisiounes to the ministers actuallie serving the cure at the saidis kirks quha ar not alreadie sufficientlie provydit, and that the said ratificatioun be farder extendit in the best forme with all clausses necessar.