[1641/8/406]¹

Ratificatione in favoures of the Erle of Seaforthe of his infeftmente of the Leuis, with a dissolutioune

Our soverane lord and estates of parliament ratifies and approves to and in favoures of his hienes ryt trust cusigne and counsellour George, erle of Seaforth, lord Mckeenzie of Kintaill, the chairtour and infeftment made and granted be our soverane lord, with advyse and consent of his hienes thesaureres, comptrolleres and collectoures or thesaureres of his hienes new augmentationes of this kingdome, principall and deputie thairinnamed, and of the remanent lordis of his hienes exchekker of Scotland, his hienes commissioneres, to the said George, erle of Seaforth, his aires maill and assigneyes whatsomevir heritablie, off all and haill the landis and barrony of Lewes, comprehending the landis and ile of Lewes, alsweell the castle of Stornoway and tuentie merk land nixt adjacent thairto, as the remanent landis of the said ile of Lewes and the landis and iles of Rannalewes, Ilandshant, Gryte Barnerarie, Barnerarievig, Iland Flannes et lie tua Cuninges Ilandis, with all ther parts, pendicles and pertinentes, and with all and sindrie castelles, toures, fortalices, wodis, mylnes, fishingis, alsweell salmond fishingis as other fishingis, alsweell in freshe as salt wateres, annexis, connexis, dependences, tennentes, tennendries, service of free tennentes, advocationes, donationes and rightes of patronages of benefices, kirkis and chaiplanries, pairtes, pendicles and pertinentes whatsomevir off all and sindrie the saidis landis and otheres abovewrittin; togidder with all and sindrie mynes, mettalles and mineralles of whatsomevir kynd and qualitie (gold and silver onlie except) to be fund, win and gottine in all and sindrie the boundis of the isles and landis abovewrittin, and within any pairt or pairtes of the samene, all lyand within the shereffidom of Innernes (reserveing allwayes to his hienes and his successoures the toune of Stornoway and burgh of barrony therof, with the said castle of Stornoway and heaven and port thairof, with als much of the landis and territorie of Stornoway as shall be sufficient for the generall societie and fishings and accommodatione thairof lyand about and contigue to the said toune of Stornoway and that within the particular boundis, meethes and merches wnderwrittin, viz: with the boundis lying about the present toune of Stornoway one everie pairt for making of plantatione and accommodacion of houss and yairdis for planters, togidder with pasturage, fewell and foggage in the groundis nerrest adjacent to the said toune of Sternoway, as it shall please his hienes and his successoures for the good of the said associatione and plantatione to determine and declaire to be usit and applyed be his majestie and his successoures, for the accommodatione and associatione of the saidis fishingis in the seaes wpoun the north and south pairtes of the said kingdome of Scotland and to be erected be our said severane lord in ane free burghe royall for reduceing of the inhabitants of the said ile of Lewis to civilitie, and for increase of policie within the same ile or otherwayes to be used and disponed upon at his majesties pleasoure), and that upoun the resignatione of the said George, erle of Seaforth himselffe, to whom the samene perteaned heritablie of before, haldin of his majestie, and for fulfilling of ane pairt of ane clause conteaned in ane contract mentionat in the said chartour made betuixt his majestie, with consent foirsaid, one the ane pairt, and the said George, erle of Seaforth one the other pairt, anent his majesties granting of the said infeftment to him and his foirsaidis therwpoun in maner thairinconteaned; and the new gifte and disposition thairinmentionat and unioun, erectioun, creatioune and incorporatione of all and sindrie the saidis landis, barrony, wodes, fishingis, patronages, mynes, mineralles, portes, heavenes, herboures and otheres abovewrittin with all ther pairtes, pendicles and pertinentes abovementionat (reserveing and excepting as is befor reserved and excepted) in ane haill and free barrony, to be callit the barrony of Lewes in tymecomeing; and the ordinance and dispensatione therinconteaned for taking of seasing in all tymecomeing at the said castle of Sternoway or upoun any other pairt of the saidis landis abovewrittin, to stand and be sufficient for the haill in maner specified in the said chartour, to be haldine of our said soverane lord and his hienes successors in few ferme, free heritadg and free barrony for evir, for yeerlie payment of the soume of tua thowsand pundis usuall money of Scotland at tua usuall termes in the yeer, Whitsonday and Mertimes in winter, be equall portiones in name of few ferme, without doubling of the said fewferme dewtie at the entrie of the air to the saidis landis and otheres foirsaidis in maner specified in the said chartour, quhilke is wnder his majesties great seale of the dait the therteene day of Merche j^M vj^C thertie sevine yeeres; and the said contract mentionat in the said chartour made betuixt his majestie one the ane part, and the said George, erle of Seaforth one the wther pairt, off the deat at Theobaldis and Edinburgh, the [...] day of October j^M vj^C therttie sex, and the said therteene day of Merch the said yeere of God j^M vj^C therttie seavine yeeres, anent his majesties granting and passing of the said infeftment to the said George, erle of Seaforth and his foirsaidis in maner thairinconteaned, and his procuratorie and instrument of resignatione mentionat in the said contracte (wpon and conforme to the quhilkes contract and resignatioune the said chartour proceedit and wes granted), and the precept of seasing and instrumentes of seasing falloweing wpoun the said chartour, off whatsomevir daites, tennoures or contentes the saidis procuratorie and instrument of resignatione, precept and seasing be of and beeres, in all and sindrie the heedis, poyntes, articles, circumstances and conditiones therinconteaned, and eftir the formes and tennoures therof in all poyntes. And our said soverane lord and estates of parliament willis, grants, decernes and ordeanes that this present ratificatione is and shall be als effectuall and sufficient and of alse great strenth, force and effect to the said George, erle of Seaforth, his aires maill and assigneyes foirsaidis for bruiking of the saidis landis, barrony and wtheres abovewrittin, conteaned in the saidis rightes, with there pertinentes, heretablie and perpetuallie, in all tymecomeing as if the saidis chartour contract, procuratorie and instrument of resignatione wheron the samene proceedit, precept and seasing falloweing therwpoun wer all at lenth de verbo in verbum insert, ingrossit and conteaned in this present ratificatioun, notwithstanding the samene be not sua done; quhairanent, and with all other defectes and imperfectiones and objectiones whatsomevir quhilkis may be ony wayes proponit or alledged aganes the saidis rightes or any of them and validities therof, or this present ratificatione of the samene, our said soverane lord and estates of parliament hes dispensit and be thir presentes dispenses for evir. And sicklyke our said soverane lord, according to his obleisment conteaned in the said contract therby made to the effect wnderwrittin, with advyse and consent of the saidis estates of parliament, hes of new dissolved all and sindrie the saidis landis, barrony and otheres abovewrittin from his hienes croun and patrimony therof, and from all actes of annexatione quhairby the saidis landis, barrony and otheres abovewrittin were annexit to his majesties croune, to the effect that the samene may be of new disponit and sett in fewferme to the said George, erle of Seaforth and his foirsaidis, with ane new gifte and with all the priviledges and liberties mentionat and conteaned in the former infeftmentes abovementionat, to be haldin of our said soverane lord and his hienes successoures in fewferme for yeerlie payment of the few dewtie abovewrittin, in maner specified in the former infeftment abovewrittin in all poyntes.