[1661/1/39]¹

Act in favour of Hugh MacRone

Anent the supplication given in to the estates of parliament by Hugh MacRone, merchant burgess of Edinburgh and prisoner, showing that he has lain prisoner these seventeen or eighteen months within the tolbooth of Edinburgh in great misery for an alleged debt and, because of the want of lawful judicatories, the maliciousness of the party has augmented the supplicant's sad suffering, and having diverse times made application to the honourable lords and others of the committee of estates and they, being very sensible of the sad and afflicted condition of the petitioner, had granted several warrants ordaining the magistrates of Edinburgh to set the petitioner at liberty, one whereof is dated 24 September and another 14 December 1660, as the said warrants produced with the supplication more fully bears. Yet, nevertheless, the said magistrates of Edinburgh refuses to give obedience, alleging themselves not to be sufficiently secured by the said warrants, so that the petitioner is closed up in darkness in the very extremity of misery and, therefore, beseeching the estates of parliament to have commiseration upon his sad condition and to call for the said warrants and accordingly to grant warrant of new to the said magistrates to set the petitioner at liberty so that his life may be preserved to labour for bread to his starving family. Which supplication, with the two acts and deliverances of the committee above-mentioned, the first bearing that the supplicant has consigned in the clerk of the committee's hands an assignation of two tickets made to him by the persons therein-mentioned, for the sums therein-specified, to be made forthcoming to his creditors and therefore ordaining him to be put to liberty, and the second ordaining the magistrates of Edinburgh to obey the former order and put the supplicant to liberty, together with the report of the commissioners of parliament appointed for bills, whereby they conceive it fit that the commissioner's grace and estates of parliament should give warrant to the said magistrates of Edinburgh to the effect aforesaid in regard of the said two warrants, and that they were sufficiently informed by some of their own number, who were members of the committee of estates, that the parties were both heard before them and that the party creditor did assent to the enlargement of the petitioner, being all heard, seen and considered by the said estates of parliament, they in respect thereof ordain the provost and bailies of Edinburgh to put the petitioner to liberty furth of the said tolbooth of Edinburgh that he may pass as his majesty's free liege for doing of his lawful affairs in all time coming.