[1481/4/12]¹

Judicial proceedings: act of the lords auditors of causes and complaints

Regarding the complaint made to the three estates of our sovereign lord's parliament by Alexander, the son and heir of the late Christian Jaffrayson, Patrick Cant, John of Douglas, Harry Napier and Henry Cant, touching a decreet and judgement given by the auditors of causes and complaints in our sovereign lord's parliament held at Edinburgh on 20 March 1478 [1479], between Sir Matthew Jaffrayson, chaplain, heir of the late John Jaffrayson, his grandfather, against the said Patrick Cant and the said late Christian, concerning the claim to land and a tenement lying in the said burgh on the north side of the street of the same, between the lands of Nicol Spethy and John Patonson, claimed by the said Sir Matthew and the said late Christian and various other persons, the aforementioned lords chosen by the entire three estates to declare on the said matter regarding the giving of the said decreet, decree and deliver that because the said auditors ordained in their judgment that the ground right of the said tenement and the decision thereupon should be put to a large assise without the consent of the parties, it not having been processed properly by the king's laws and as other parties who had interests in it were not called, therefore the said lords decree and deliver that the said decreet is of no value, force or effect for the recovery of the said land, and decide and declare that the decision of the said assise and all that followed thereupon is of no strength, force or effect in the future but is completely made void and annulled as is said.