[1706/10/347]¹

Charter: patent

[Patent in favour of John [Gray], lord Gray]

Anne, by the grace of God, queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland, and defender of the faith, to all honest men to whom our present letters shall have come, greetings. In as much as we, being aware of the very many great and very loyal services done and provided for us and our royal predecessors by the lords Gray and other members of that family who, since they were entrusted with very grave offices of trust of this kingdom, always carried themselves as good and loyal subjects at home and abroad, as was required; and in particular considering the good and most loyal services done for us and our predecessors by John Gray of Creichie who, since he was married to the late Mistress Marjory Gray, only daughter and child of Patrick [Gray], lord Gray, and in any case is so closely related to the said family that, after the said Patrick, lord Gray and Master Charles Gray, his only surviving brother, and their male descendants, he is the next male heir upon whom the honours of the said family could devolve, and who has resigned the honours in our hands as described below; know therefore that we, of our own free will and action, have given and granted, and by the tenor of this present letter patent do give and grant to the foresaid John Gray of Creichie, for the whole of his life; and after his death to the foresaid John Gray his oldest legitimate son begotten of him and the foresaid late Mistress Marjory Gray, and to the heirs of the body of the said John Gray the younger (failing whom to the oldest sons and male heirs begotten of the said marriage, and the male heirse of their bodies, failing whom, to the oldest female heir, the oldest daughter succeeding without interruption; and with the various provisos, conditions, and irritances concerning the said sons and female heirs in the case of their succession described in more detail in the guarantee of resignation hereinafter mentioned; and, failing all children begotten of the foresaid marriage between the foresaid John Gray of Creichie and Mistress Marjory Gray, and the heirs of their body, to the nearest male heir of the said Patrick, lord Gray, and the male heirs of the body of the said heir; failing whom, the male heir of the body of the said John Gray of Creichie from any other marriage; failing whom, any other male heir whomsoever); [to him and them we grant] the whole and entire title and dignity of lord Gray, baron and free lord of parliament, with each and every dignity, privilege, precedence and prerogative relating thereto, just as was possessed by the foresaid Patrick, lord Gray, or any other of his preceding lords Gray at any time in the past. This honour, title and dignity of lord Gray, baron and free lord of parliament, with each and every dignity, privilege, precedence and pre-eminence relating thereto and which belonged to the foresaid Patrick, lord Gray, in earlier times; and through him with the consent of Master Charles Gray, advocate, his only brother, and of the foresaid late Mistress Marjory Gray, his only daughter and child; and through the said Master Charles Gray and Mistress Marjory Gray for themselves and for that and every right they had or could have had to the foresaid honours; and through them all with unanimous consent and assent, at least through their legitimate proxies in their names by means of a proxy letter of resignation legally granted by them thereon and signed on 12, 18 and 31 December 1690, specifically placed in our hands in due form on 20 February instant in return for a fresh safeguard and letter patent of this same foresaid John Gray of Creichie during all the days of his life, and after his death, of the foresaid John Gray his oldest son and his heirs of entail above-mentioned in the order and with and under the provisions and conditions contained in the said guarantee; [this honour] they have duly and legally resigned by their gift and grant, as the original document placed in the hands of James Irving, public notary, explains in more detail. The said John Gray of Creichie during all the days of his life, and after his death, the said John Gray the younger, his son, and the heirs of entail succeeding in the order above-written and according to the terms of the foresaid resignation, are to hold and have the said honour, title and dignity of lord Gray, baron and lord of parliament, with each and every dignity, privilege, precedence, prerogative and immunity relating thereto from us and our royal successors in all parliaments, meetings of the estates, general councils, private and public assemblies and meetings with right, place and power to sit and vote therein, as fully and freely, and in the same place, order and fashion, as any former lord Gray has been accustomed to do at any time in the past; and we wish and declare that, notwithstanding the letter patent, whenever it happens that the said honour, title and dignity of lord Gray, through the death of the said Patrick, lord Gray and John Gray of Creichie, devolves upon the said John Gray the younger, his son, and upon any other heir of entail nearer in blood to the foresaid Patrick, lord Gray, that the said John Gray the younger and the said heirs of entail shall have the foresaid full power and liberty to enjoy and possess the foresaid honour, title and dignity of lord Gray, and each and every dignity, privilege, precedence, prerogative and immunity pertaining thereto by right of blood as well as by right of the present letter of appointment, and this without confusion or extinction of rights in any way. In witness whereof, we have ordered that our great seal be appended to this patent. At our palace of St James's, 27 February in the year of our Lord 1707, and in the fifth year of our reign. Signed by the hand manual of our supreme lady the queen.