[1571/8/7]¹

Concerning lands, rooms and possessions held off friars or nuns within this realm

²Item, forasmuch as there are diverse lieges and subjects of this realm [which] have sundry lands, rooms and possessions obtained by them or their predecessors in feu and heritage of the priors or prioress mothers and convents of sundry friars and nuns' places within this realm, held off them and their successors, and now, since the reformation of religion, the said superiors are for the most of deceased and no others placed nor to be placed in their rooms, so that within short space they shall all decay, through which the heirs of the said feuars and other heritable tenants of the said places shall get no entry to their lands and heritage held off friars' and nuns' places; for remedy thereof, it is statute and ordained in this present parliament that all persons, feuars or heritable tenants of such friars' and nuns' places and their heirs, after the decease, decay or deficiency of their said superiors, hold and shall hold their feus and tenantries of the same of our sovereign lord and his successors in all times coming, likewise and as freely as they held the same of the places aforesaid, priors, prioress or others being therein for the time; and the feu mails, services and duties specified and contained in their infeftment to pertain to our sovereign lord and his successors to be intromitted, taken up and conveyed at their pleasure, and that the heirs of the said feuars and heritable tenants aforesaid shall enter to their feus and tenantries by brieves of our sovereign lord's chap[el, likewise and as free]ly and in the same manner as the feuars and heritable ten[ants of our sovereign lord's] property in all times coming.