[1649/5/228]¹

Act in favour of Lieutenant Colonel John Erskine

The estates of parliament, having heard and considered a supplication given in to them by Lieutenant Colonel John Erskine, showing, as it is well-known to [Archibald Campbell], lord marquis of Argyll and several others then upon the committee of estates, that the supplicant came from Durham here and did give intelligence to the committee of estates that James Graham, then called the earl of Montrose, was upon his march coming to this kingdom with an army, as he came very shortly thereafter to the town of Dumfries, and upon the said supplicant's coming to this kingdom, it pleased the committee of estates to support him in their service and did command him to go to the north under my lord marquis of Argyll and was at the taking of [Sir John Gordon], laird of Haddo and several others in the north. After and upon the incoming of Alexander MacDonald with the Irish to this kingdom, the said supplicant was commanded by the parliament then sitting to go to the isles and there to receive my lord marquis of Argyll's order, where it pleased my lord marquis to give him the command of his own regiment of Lorne and was with his lord until his coming to Perth with his army, when it pleased the committee of estates, with his lord's advice, to command the said supplicant to stay in the town of Perth, where he had the command of the garrison for a time, and was still in the public service until that unhappy conflict at Kilsyth, where he was and has still until this time attended the said estates' service, and as yet he has received very little satisfaction for all his said services and attendance, by means whereof he is reduced to a very necessitous and sad condition; yet notwithstanding whereof and of many allurements to undertake in the late unlawful Engagement, he still refused all manner of compliance, which is well-known to several well-affected in this city. It pleased the committee of estates in October last to appoint the said supplicant a locality out of the shires of Forfar and Kincardine of 100 merks per month and ratified in parliament in February last, which is proven altogether ineffectual, by means whereof the said supplicant is driven to extreme necessity. The premises tenderly considered, his humble request is that the said estates of parliament would be pleased to take his miserable and sad condition into their serious consideration and give order that he may forthwith receive some satisfaction for his bygone service and attendance and be provided for in time to come as the said estates of parliament shall think fit, as at more length is contained in the said supplication. Which, with the report of the committee relating thereto, being taken into consideration by the said estates of parliament, they have ordained and ordain the committees of war of the sheriffdoms of Forfar and Kincardine to cause pay the said Lieutenant Colonel Erskine the sum of 333 merks out of the free rent lying within the said shires due to the supplicant for 3 months and 10 days' pay according to a former act, and ordain the commanders of troops and companies lying in these bounds to be assisting to the said Lieutenant Colonel Erskine to quarter upon the said committees of war within 10 days after intimation of this act to them, they failing to cause pay the said sum to the said supplicant.