[1706/10/462]¹

Act in favour of the maiden hospital founded by the Company of Merchants and Mary Erskine

Our sovereign lady and estates of parliament, considering that the Company of Merchants of Edinburgh and Mary Erskine, widow of James Hair, druggist in Edinburgh, with the assistance of several noble and generous benefactors, have erected a hospital for maintaining and educating poor young children of the female sex, and with the money given by the said Mary Erskine have purchased and acquired the great lodgings houses and yards in Bristo for accommodation of the children of the said hospital; and also considering that the management of the same hospital is settled in certain governors, treasurer, clerk and other officers, conforming to certain rules and constitutions agreed upon by the donators and benefactors, a part whereof are contained in a contract passed between the present governors of the said hospital and the said Mary Erskine dated the 12th and 13th days of March instant; therefore, her majesty and estates of parliament hereby allow and approve of the erection of the said hospital, and ratify and confirm the same together with the rules and constitutions already made for managing thereof, particularly these contained in the foresaid contract, with the said contract itself, together with such rules and constitutions as shall hereafter happen to be made for the better governing and regulating of the said hospital and whole concerns thereof, the same whole constitutions and rules being always consistent with the laws of this kingdom, and with the amended constitutions contained in the said contract and approved of by the town council of Edinburgh. And further her majesty and estates of parliament hereby authorise the governors of the said hospital to receive all mortifications and donations that shall be made in favour of the same, approving hereby of the same and of all donations and mortifications already made, declaring the said hospital, in all time coming, to be a free hospital and the foresaid great lodgings houses, yards and pertinents in Bristo, purchased and endowed for the use of the said hospital by the said Mary Erskine, to be free of all public burdens whatsoever for the pious uses above-mentioned, with power to the governors thereof not only to administer the funds and rents of the said hospital with all donations already made, but likewise to purchase and acquire lands, tenements and others for the use, benefit and advantage of the said hospital, and for that end to make and grant, give and receive all manner of writs, deeds and securities necessary, and to have and use a common seal with such inscriptions as the governor shall judge fit for confirmation of the said deeds and writs; and generally to have, use and enjoy all such powers, liberties and immunities as any hospital has or by law may have within this kingdom.