[1663/6/15]¹

Act for annexing the kirks of the deanery of St Andrews

Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of his majesty's estates of this present parliament, ratifies and approves a signature superscribed by his majesty, with the letter to be expedited thereupon under his majesty's great seal of this his ancient kingdom, in favour of the dean of the chapter of the archbishopric of St Andrews, and his successors deans thereof, of the parsonage of Kinkell, consisting of the several parish churches under written, to wit: the churches of Kinkell, Drumblade, Kintore, Skene, Kinellar, Dyce and Kemnay, parsonage and vicarage teinds thereof and whole profits and emoluments belonging thereto, lying within the sheriffdom of Aberdeen, vacant in his majesty's hands and at his majesty's gift and donation as undoubted patron of the foresaid parsonage by the death of Mr James Gordon, last parson of Kinkell, and whereby his majesty ordains the foresaid letter to be passed under his majesty's great seal of this his kingdom, suppressing the foresaid benefice and parsonage of Kinkell, and² dissolving, as his majesty, by the foresaid letter, dissolves from the same the kirks above-mentioned and teinds thereof, with the whole patrimony belonging to the foresaid parsonage of Kinkell, both spirituality and temporality, and whole patronages and others pertaining thereto, to the effect the same may be incorporated and annexed to the foresaid deanery of St Andrews, to be a part of the patrimony of the dean thereof and his successors, from time to time in all time coming, which parsonage of Kinkell consisting of the kirks above expressed, parsonage and vicarage teinds thereof, and whole profits and emoluments belonging thereto, and patronage of the same kirks; and all other patrimony both spirituality and temporality belonging to the foresaid parsonage of Kinkell his majesty, by the foresaid signature, annexed to the said deanery of St Andrews, to remain with the dean thereof and his successors as a part of the patrimony of the same, in all time coming. And in testimony thereof, his majesty made and constituted the present dean of St Andrews and his successors undoubted patrons of the whole kirks respectively above-mentioned, with full power and commission to them, whensoever any of the same kirks shall become vacant by death, demission, transplantation, deprivation or any other way whatsoever, to nominate and present persons fit and qualified for the ministry at the foresaid respective churches or any of them that shall happen to become vacant for the time, and to the manse, glebe and stipend thereof, modified or to be modified, provided that the nomination and presentation of persons to any of the said kirks is with the express consent of [James Sharp], archbishop of St Andrews and his successors, without which that nomination or presentation by the dean and his successors shall not be valid or have any effect to the person presented, and upon whose presentation, as aforesaid, his majesty requires the bishop of the diocese of Aberdeen for the time to grant admission to such persons as shall be presented by the said dean or his successors, as they shall be found qualified, and that in the ordinary way used in the like, without trouble or delay, and with command therein to the lords of council and session to grant letters of horning, upon a simple charge of ten days only, and other letters and executorials needful, as appropriate, at the instance of the said dean of St Andrews and his successors deans thereof, against all and sundry heritors, feuars, farmers, tenants, tacksmen, liferenters, rentallers and others due and liable in payment of the whole parsonage and vicarage teinds of the whole kirks respectively above-written, for causing of the said present dean during his lifetime and, after his death, his successor deans, their factors and servitors in their names, to be answered, obeyed and paid thereof over and above the stipends due or which shall be due to the minister who shall serve the cure thereat, and that of this instant crop and year of God 1663 years, and likewise yearly and termly in time coming, as the foresaid signature ordaining this present act to be passed in manner underwritten, dated at Whitehall 2 June last past, at more length purports, in all and sundry points, articles and clauses thereof, after the form and tenor of the same. And further, his majesty, with consent foresaid, suppresses and dissolves the whole kirks above-specified, parsonage and vicarage thereof and patronage of the same, from the parsonage above-rehearsed, and incorporates and annexes the same in and to the foresaid deanery of St Andrews perpetually in all time coming, to be bruiked and enjoyed by the dean thereof from time to time as is above-expressed and, if need be, ordains his majesty's treasurer principal and deputy and remaining commissioners of his majesty's exchequer of this his ancient kingdom, to pass a new signature of these matters upon the foresaid suppression, dissolution and annexation in favour of the said dean of St Andrews and his successor deans thereof, in due and competent form.