[1643/6/39]¹

Procedure: commission to James Brown and James Blair

Commission against Irish and Dunkirk frigots

Forsameikle as the conventioun of the estaits of the kingdome of Scotland, taking into thair consideratioun the lait spoyleing, robbing and burning of the shippes and goods perteining to his matie[s] good subjects of the kingdome of Scotland travelling toward Ireland with victuall for supplie of the Scottisch airmie thairwith, committed upon them by certane friggotts manned with Dunkirks and Irisch rebells and furnisched with all hostille provisione, who lye at wait for them upon the north and west pairts of this kingdome and els quher to catch thair advantage against his maties said subjects of this kingdome, intending thairby not only to stop thair course of treade and commerce by sea, but especially to dissapoynt the airmie in Ireland for thair necessarie provisione of victuall from this. And the estaits finding it very necessarie and expedient that the remedies provydeit by the law of natiounes in such caices in so important ane exigent shalbe now useit for reparatione of his maties honor against such delinquents and secureing of his good subjects from thair oppressiones, thairfoir the estaits of this present conventioun hes geven and granted, and by the tenor heiroff gives and grants full pouer and commissioun, expresse bidding and charge to James Broun, capitane of the ship callit the James of Salquot, and to [...] of Irveing, captain of the ship callit the Providence, to arme and furnisch thair saids shippes with men, victualls and artailliarie greate and small, and with poulder, leid, lunt and all other warlyk furnitoure and provisioun, and to mak thair addresse to the sea; and in speciall to cleire the west and north west betuixt Scotland and Ireland, or any place else quher thei can learne these friggottis to be still turneing to and againe betuixt the west cost of Scotland and the coast of Ireland; and shall not goe in to any hairbrie nor lye therin except upon extreame necessitie; and thair to seik, follow and persew with all hostilitie the friggottis of the qualitie abovewrittine who have alreadie or shalbe in the act of committing any of the oppressiounes foirsaids against quhatsumever [of] his maties good subjects or that have commissioun to that effect, or shalbe lying at await for them in any pairt quhatsumever; and to apprehend or tak such or destroy the saids friggotts as the saids capitanes shall find necessarie; and to bring the shippes and goods to be takin from them to any port or herbrie to be disposed upon be the estaits and the saids James Broun, capitane of the ship callit the James of Saltcottis, and [...] of Irveing, capitane of the said ship callit the Providence in thair charter partie, the company and equippage of the said companie of the said friggottis to use as profest enemies to his matie, and to execute such militarrie lawes against them as is usual in materes of these kynd. And more particularlie if they shall have occasioun of rancountering these friggottis, they shall not be deficient thairin for any feare or danger quhatsumever; and if they shall enter in combat, that they shall still fight till the death, never rendering thair shippes, bot shall mantaine and defend them till they be ather brunt or sunk. And if occasioun offer that the saides capitaines bies deteined further in his voayage then the tuo monethes for which they are now to be victualled, in that caice it shall be lawfull to the saids capitaines to tak and receave victualls wherever they can have them, and give thair tikets therupon, whilk shalbe thankfullie refoundit by the saids estaits, the saids capitaines useing alwayes diligence to perfytte that service within the saids tuo monethes. And generallie all and sindrie other things towards the executioun of this commissioun to doe, exerse and use quhilk are requisite and necessarie, firme and stable halding all quhatsumever thing shall be lawfullie done therin.