[1661/1/228]¹

Act for [John Leslie], earl of Rothes anent fairs at Leslie

Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament, taking to their consideration that the town of Leslie is situated near the middle or centre of the shire of Fife, six miles distant from any royal burgh and is environed with landward bounds very populous, and that it will be necessary and convenient for his majesty's subjects and inhabitants of the shire that there be free markets or fairs held yearly at the said town of Leslie, whereunto all his majesty's lieges may resort for buying and selling of such horse, nolt, sheep and all sorts of merchant commodities whatsoever as shall be brought thereto by any persons; therefore, his majesty, with advice and consent of his estates of parliament, does allow to John, earl of Rothes, his heirs and successors, to have three fairs yearly kept and held at the said town of Leslie in manner following, to wit, on upon the Tuesday before Easter, the second upon the Thursday before Whitsunday [May/June], and the third upon the Thursday before Lammas [1 August], each of them to endure the space of two days, with full power to the said John, earl of Rothes, his heirs and successors, by themselves or such as they shall appoint, to collect, gather, intromit with and uplift the tolls, customs, casualties and other duties of the said fairs used and wont conforming to the ancient customs in like cases, and recommends to the lords of his majesty's exchequer to pass a signature hereupon in favour of the said John, earl of Rothes and his foresaids in due and competent form as appropriate.