[1703/5/170]¹

Petition: recommendation

Petition by Sir William Douglas anent his arrears and some reparation for the loss of his estate in France, read and the petitioner thereupon recommended to the lords commissioners of the treasury for his arrears, and to the queen's majesty for the said reparation in manner fully after-mentioned.

Recommendation in favour of Sir William Douglas

Her majesty's high commissioner and the estates of parliament, having heard the petition of Sir William Douglas humbly showing to them that the petitioner, having had his regiment disbanded at the late peace, and great sums of both subsistence and arrears owing him at that time, he was necessitated to contract debts upon the credit of the public which he has since partly paid out of his own, and is likely to be distressed for the remainder. He humbly begged leave to represent that during the late war he was forfeited of his whole estate in France, and never had any consideration in lieu thereof, and that in June 1702 he was to have been paid of near the half of the said estate which he sold when last in France, but the declaration of this present war has frustrated him of it, which, having been represented to the queen her majesty, has been graciously pleased to show a good intention to do for him. Therefore, humbly craving his grace and the honourable estates to consider the petitioner's singular case in laying down a way that his arrears of £2,590 sterling (as it appears by the stated accounts of the lords of her majesty's treasury) may be paid him, and that he may, in consideration of the loss of his estate and as a just premium due to his long faithful services, have such a recommendation from his grace and the honourable estates to her majesty that something may be done to keep him and his family from starving, having nothing left him but their equity and justice to depend upon, as the said petition bears. Which her majesty's high commissioner and the said estates, having this day fully considered, they have recommended and do, by these words, recommend the petitioner to the lords commissioners of her majesty's treasury for the payment of his above arrears. As also, they have recommended and hereby recommend him to her majesty's grace and favour for some reparation for the loss of his estate.