Act in favour of the burgh of Lawder

Oure soverane lord and estates of this present parliament ordaines ane ratificatioun to be maid thairin to, and in favours of, the baillies, counsall, burgeses and comwnitie of the burgh of Lawder and thair successors, ratifiand, approveand and, for his hienes and his successors, perpetuallie confirmand, lykas be the tennor heirof our said soverane lord and estates of parliament ratifies, approves and, for his hienes and his successors, perpetuallie confirmes, the chartor maid, givin and grantit be umquhile King James the [...], his hienes [...] of worthie memorie, to the burgeses and comwnitie of the said burgh of Lawder wnder his majesties great seale, of the dait at Striviling, the tuentie ane day of December, the yeir of God jM vC and tua yeirs, quhairby the said umquhile King James the [...] of worthie memorie, considering and wnderstanding that the chartors, evidents and richts of the first fundation and infeftment of the said burgh of Lawder and libertie thairof, maid and grantit be his majesties most noble progenitors to the burgeses and comwnitie of the said burgh, war distroyit and brunt be weir, assaults and fyre, quhairthrow merchandice ceissit among thame to the great hurt, decay and prejudice of the comoun weill and libertie of the said burgh and great damnage of his majestie anent his customes, borrow maills and dewties dew to be payit to him furth of the said burgh if tymous remeid war not provydit; thairfor his majestie, moved of pietie and justice and willing the reformatione of the premises, with advyse of his hienes secreit counsall, of new infeft, gave, grantit and, for his hienes and his successors, perpetuallie confirmit to the burgeses and comwnitie forsaid the said burgh of Lawder in ane frie burgh for ever, with all and sundrie lands, anuelrents and possessiones quhatsumever perteining thairto, with divers ample powers, priveledges, mercatts, fairs, tolls, customes and uthers speciallie and particularlie mentionat in the said chartor, to be bruikit, usit and exercit be the saidis burgeses and comwnitie of the said burgh siclyk and als frielie as any uther frie burgh within this realme bruiks, uses and exerces thair burgh lands and liberties thairof, and with all and sundrie liberties and priveledges of frie burgage for ever to be haldin of his majestie and his hienes successors in frie burgage, fie and heretage for ever, for payment of the borrow maills and uthers dewties usit and wont to be payit to his majestie furth of the said burgh, as the said chartour of the dait forsaid at mair length beirs, with the precept of sasing and instrument of sasing following thairupon, and als all and sundrie uthers infeftments, chartors, precepts, sasings, confirmationes, gifts, donationes, ratificationes, grants, erectiones, fundationes, acts, decreits, sentences, liberties, priveledges and immwnities thairin contenit maid, givin and grantit be any of his majesties most noble predicessors and progenitors, kings and queines of Scotland, thair regents or governors for the tyme, or be any uthers to, and in favours of, the saidis burgeses and comwnitie of the said burgh of Lawder, thair predicessors or successors at any tyme bygaine, of quhatsumever daits, tennors and contents the samyne be of, in all and sundrie the heads, pointes, pases, clauses, articles, circumstances and conditiones thairin contenit and eftir the formes and tennors thairof in all pointes. And our said soverane lord and estates of parliament wills and grants and, for his hienes and his successors, perpetuallie decernes and ordaines that this present ratificatioun of the saidis infeftments and richts of the said burgh speciallie and generallie abonewrittine is, and sall be, of als great strenth, force and effect to the saidis baillies, counsall, burgeses and comwnitie of the said burgh of Lawder and thair successors for bruiking of the said burgh lands, annuelrents, possessiones, mercatts, fairs, tolles, customes, liberties, priveledges, dewties and immwnities thairin contenit and perteining to the said burgh, and quhairof the said burgh, baillies, counsall, burgeses and comwnitie thairof or thair predicessors ar, and hes beine, in possessioun, as if the saidis haill chartour, precept and seasing speciallie abonementionat, and all uthers the chartors, infeftments and uthers richts generallie abonementionat wer all at lenth insert and contenit in this present ratificatioun; quhairanent and with all uthers defects and imperfectiones quhilks may be proponit or alledgit againes the saidis richts speciallie and generallie abonewrittine, or any of thame, or this present ratificatioun thairof and validities of the samyn, our said soverane lord and estates of parliament, for his hienes and his successors, hes dispensit and, be thir presents, dispenses for ever and that the said ratificatioun be farder extendit with all clauses necessar.

  1. NAS, PA2/21, f.93r-v.