[1649/5/364]¹

Act in favour of Helen Erskine

The estates of parliament, having heard and considered a supplication given in to them by Helen Erskine, widow of the late Captain William Bruce in [Colonel James Campbell], laird of Lawers' regiment, showing that whereas after many miseries and sufferings by her said late husband in the said estates' service in Scotland, England and Ireland, it pleased God to suffer him to fall into the hands of Irish rebels, by whom he was killed at the battle of Auldearn, his whole goods, baggage and monies were plundered and taken and a little before their house in Montrose was plundered and all they had taken by the said Irish rebels, so ever since the death of her said late husband she has lived in great misery and poverty, and the same daily increasing enforces her to call to the said estates of parliament for some charitable supply. Therefore humbly supplicating the said estates of parliament, after consideration of the premises, to be pleased to grant her some sum for her present subsistence until such time as course be taken for payment of her said late husband's arrears and common course taken for those whose husbands were killed in the service, as the said supplication bears. Which being taken into consideration by the said estates of parliament, they have ordained and ordain £100 sterling to be paid to the supplicant, and for that effect seriously recommend her to the committee of monies to be paid out of any borrowed monies from such persons as she shall give in a list of or any other way the said committee shall think expedient.