Commissione for reveising the registeres

Oure soverane lord and estates of parliament, considering that this long tyme bygone the registeres and recordis of parliament have not bene visited so that some of the ancient recordis might have bene abstracted, viteat or disordered, therefore our soverane lord and estates foirsaidis gives full power and commissione to the persones falloweing, viz: the lord chancellour, the Erle of Argyle, Erle of Lauderdaill and clerke register to meet when the lord chancellour shall appoynt, to take inspectione and to reveise and looke over all the whole registeres and recordis of parliament, asweel these thats in the castle as these that is in other menes custody, and to call for the old inventoures therof and compaire them with the registeres, and to make tuo new authentike inventares therof without copying the saidis registeres and recordes which inventoures shall be subscryved by the most pairt of the visitores, the one wherof shall be delyvered to the clerke register to be keeped by him, the other inventor shall be laid wpe ather with the honores or some other lockefast place wherof the lord chancellour for the tyme shall keepe the key. And to cause make press, boxes, boistes or otheres necessaries fitting for keeping the saidis registeres and recordes, and also to consider of the place and house wher the saidis registeres ly, and to advyse and appoynt the best wayes and meanes for preserveing and sure custodie of the saidis registeres and recordis. With power also to them to mark and observe any defectes and wantes in the saidis registeres and recordes and the visieationes therof if any bee, and sicklyke to marke, nomber and put in perfyte order the saidis registeres and recordes. With power also to make a perfyte index of all the wnprented actes of parliament which doe not conserne particularly privat persones, bot such as import and conserne only generally the whole leiges. And sicklyke gives full pouer to the persones foirsaidis to lay wp the principall lat treatty amongest the saidis recordis and registeres, and generally to doe all and sindrie other thinges wherby the saidis registers and recordis may be preserved and ther perfectiones or imperfectiones may be notified, and ordeanes them to mak report of ther faithfull and exact diligence heirintill at the nixt parliament. And our soverane lord and estates foirsaid declaires thir presentes to be nowayes prejudiciall to the clerke of register of receiveing, keeping and wsing the saidis registeres and keyes therof in the meanetyme, conforme to his right and place.

  1. NAS, PA2/22, f.185r.