[1633/6/100]¹

Act in favour of the burgh of Glasgow

Oure soverane lord, being sufficientlie informit of the great charges and expenses that the proveist, baillies, counsall and commwnitie of the burgh and citie of Glasgow hes sustenit thir many yeirs bygaine in making of the river of Clyde, quhairupon the said burgh and citie is foundit and situat, portable for shipes, boattes, barkes and uther veshels for importing and exporting of forraine and hameward commodities, to the great comfort of his majesties lieges lyand within the bounds and shirefdomes nixt adjacent thairto, and for advancement and incres of policie of the commoun weill of this his hienes kingdome of Scotland, and in beitting, repairing and uphalding of the brige of Glasgow over the said river, quhilk is ane verie proffitable meanes for intertainment of commerce, as lykwayes of the great cair, paines and chairges sustenit be thame in upholding of the great kirk of Glasgow and edifice thairof eftir the auncient maner and first fundatioun of the samyne; and siclyk calling to mynd quhat great and sumptuous charges, cair and expenses they have beine at laitlie in building of ane tolbuith for administratione of justice and uther effairs tending to the advancement of the commoun weill and decoratioun of the said kingdome, and in bigging and repairing of churches within the said burgh and citie with steiples ansuerable thairto, as als of the great cair, diligence and expenses sustenit be thame in bigging and reparing of certane brigges over rivers and watters in sundrie pairts quhair straingers may have commodious travelling to and fra his majesties kingdome of Ireland and uther pairts within the kingdome of Scotland, not onlie to the comfort and proffeit of the lieges of all sorts of thes his majesties kingdomes, bot lykwayes to the great comfort of all straingers and forrainers resorting in thes pairts. And his majestie, being myndfull of thes thair commendable and commoun warkes tending to the commoun weill of his majetties kingdome, and to give thame occasione to continew in prosecuting of thair guid intentiones, and for the knawin guid service done to his majestie and his most noble progenitors be the proveist, baillies, counsall and commwnitie of the said burgh and citie of Glasgow and thair predicessors in tyme bypast, thairfor oure said soverane lord, with consent and advyse of the thrie estates of this present parliament, hes ratifiet, approvine and confirmit and, be the tennor heirof, ratifies, approves and confirmes all and sundrie chartors, infeftments, confirmationes thairof, gifts, donationes, mortificationes and all uther evidents, wreatts and secuirities quhatsumever of quhatsumever natur, kynd and qualitie the samyne be maid and grantit be his majestie or any of his most noble progenitors to and in favours of the proveist, baillies, counsall, and commwnitie of the said burgh and citie of Glasgow; and in speciall (but prejudice of the generalitie forsaid) his majestie, with advyse and consent abone specifiet, hes ratifiet and approvine and, be thir presents, ratifies and approves ane chartor, gift or donatioun grantit be his hienes most noble progenitor Alexander, king of Scottes, of and concerning the liberties and priveledges of the said burgh, burgeses and inhabitants thairof, of the dait at Maden Castell, the auchteine day of Junii and tuentie saxt yeir of his raigne. Item, ane uther chartor grantit be King Robert, his majesties most noble progenitor, confirmeand the forsaid chartor wnder the great seale, daitit the fyfteine day of November and tuentie thride yeir of his raigne. Item, ane uther chartor grantit be King Robert to the proveist, baillies, counsall and commwnitie of the said burgh of Glasgow, confirmeand the forsaid chartor and grantand certane new liberties thairto, daitit at Scone the tuentie aucht day of July in the auchteine yeir of his raigne. Item, ane uther chartor grantit be Marie, queine of Scottes, his majesties darrest guiddame, to and in favours of the proveist, baillies, counsall and commwnitie of the said burgh of Glasgow of certane lands, tenements, kirks, chappells, chaplanries, prebendaries, alterages and uthers mentionat thairintill, daittit the sevinteine day of Marche, j^M v^C thriescoir sax yeirs. Item, ane uther chartor grantit be his majesties darrest father of eternall memorie wnder his great seale, ratifiand all the former gifts, donationes, priveledges and uthers maid in favours of the said proveist, baillies, counsall and commwnitie, daitit at Roystoun, the aucht day of Apryll, the yeir of God j^M vj^C and ellevine yeirs. Item, ane decreit of parliament pronuncit in favours of the said burgh of Glasgow, daitit the tuentie nynt day of November, j^M four hundreth thriescoir nyne yeirs. Item, his majesties ratificatioun of the said decreit, daitit the first day of December, the yeir of God j^M 4^C thriescoir nynteine yeirs. Item, ane act of secreit counsall in favours of the said burgh concerning thair liberties, daitit the tent day of September, the yeir of God j^M vj^C yeirs. Item, ane act of interloquitor of the lords of sessioun givin in thair favours upon the tuentie fyft day of July, the yeir of God j^M vj^C and sevine yeirs. Item, ane decreit of the lords of counsall and sessioun givin in favours of the said burgh upon the fourt day of Junii, the year of God j^M v^C thriescoir fyfteine yeirs anent ane laidle full of all sorts of cornes sauld in thair mercatt, in all and sundrie heads, articles, clauses, conditiones and circumstances thairof quhatsumever, willing, declaring and ordaining that this present ratificatioun of the particular evidents and wreatts abonewrittine and generalitie thairof is, and sall be, als valeid, effectuall and sufficient to the proveist, baillies, counsall and commwnitie of the said burgh of Glasgow and thair successors for ever in judgement and outwith as if they and everie ane of thame war at lenth, word be word, ingrost and insert heirintill. And farder, our said soverane lord, with advyse and consent forsaid of his estates of parliament, ratifies and approves all and quhatsumever gifts, richts and secuirities maid and grantit in favours of the proveist, baillies, counsall and commwnitie of the said burgh be his majesties predicessors or be quhatsumever uther persone or persones of quhatsumever kynd and qualitie the samyne be of, off and concerning the trone of the said burgh, river and brige of the samyne, tolles and customes thairof uplifted be thame and quhairof they and thair predicessors ar, and have beine, in use and possessioun thir many yeirs bypast for intertaynment of thair brige over the said river of Clyde, and declairs that thair auncient possessioun of the customes thairof sall be als sufficient as if the gifts or donationes grantit to thair predicessors of the samyne war produicit in this present parliament, and generallie ratifies and approves all and quhatsumever uther chartors, infeftments, confirmationes thairof, gifts, donationes, mortificationes and all uther evidents and wreatts quhatsumever maid and grantit be his majestie or any of his most noble progenitors, kinges, queines, princes and stewarts of Scotland, thair regents, governors and protectors of this kingdome for the tyme to, and in favours of, the proveist, baillies, counsall and commwnitie of the said burgh of Glasgow, burgeses and inhabitants thairof, of and concerning all and quhatsumever lands, houses, biggings, tenements, annuelrents, dignities, offices, liberties, priveledges, kirks, chappells, chaplanries, alterages, preben-daries, dewties and annuelrents quhatsumever belonging thairto, trones, watters, rivers, briges and customes belonging to the same, admittand, declairand and ordainand that this present ratificatioun and generalitie thairof is, and sall be, als guid, valeid and sufficient to thame and thair successors in all tyme coming as if everie particular wreatt and evident grantit to thame thairupon war particularlie and at lenth de verbo in verbum ingrossit and insert heirintill; quhairanent, and with all that may be objectit thair againes, his majestie and estates forsaidis of this present parliament hes dispensit and, be thir presents, dispenses for ever, with expres declaratione alwayes, lykas our said soverane lord and estates forsaidis be this present act declairs, statuites and ordaines that the chartors, infeftments, acts, decreits and uthers richts and secuirities, speciallie and generallie abonementionat, grantit to the said burgh of Glasgow with this present ratificatioun thairof, sall nowayes be prejudiciall nor hurtfull to his majesties deirrest cowsigne and counsallor James, duke of Lennox, his airs and successors, anent the heretable richt and infeftment of the office of bailliarie and justiciarie of the baronie and regalitie of Glasgow and all the pairts thairof, alsweill within as without the burgh of Glasgow, bot that, notwithstanding of the saidis chartors, infeftments and uther richts speciallie and generallie abonementionat, and this present ratificatioun thairof, his hienes said darrest cowsigne and counsallor James, duike of Lennox, his airs and successors sall bruik, joyse, use and exerce the said office of bailliarie and justiciarie of the baronie and regalitie of Glasgow abonewrittine and all the pairts thairof alsweill within as without the burgh of Glasgow, and sall uplift and intromett with the fies, casualities, commodities and dewties belonging to the said office of bailliarie and justiciarie of the said baronie and regalitie of Glasgow siclyk and als frielie in all respects as if the chartors, infeftments and uthers richts speciallie and generallie abonementionat, and this present ratificatioun thairof, had nevir beine maid nor grantit, as lykwayes with this expres declaratioun: lykas our said soverane lord and estates forsaidis, be this present act, and also with consent of the proveist and one of the baillies of the said burgh, in name of the remanent haill counsall and commwnitie of the said burgh of Glasgow, declairs, statuites and ordaines that the chartors, infeftments, decreitts, actes, possessiones and uthers richts and secuirities speciallie and generallie abonementionat, grantit to the said burgh of Glasgow with this present ratificatioun thairof, sall nawayes be hurtfull nor prejudiciall to the richt reverend father Patrick, archibischope of Glasgow and his successors anent his and thair richt of the electioun and nominatione of the magistrats of the burgh of Glasgow, nor anent the richt of any lands, teinds, priveledges, liberties or others quhatsumever perteining to the Archibischop of Glasgow and his successors. And last with expres declaratioun that this present ratificatioun sall be nawayes prejudiciall to the liberties, priveledges and immwnities of the universitie of Glasgow, bot that the samyne sall be reserved to thame with the lands, tenements, yairds and uthers apperteining thairto according to the ratificatioun grantit to thame in this present parliament and to the declarationes and reservationes exprest in the samyne ratificatioun and no utherwayes.