[1571/8/11]¹

Concerning heralds, macers, pursuivants and other officers that served against our sovereign lord and his authority

²Forasmuch as albeit the truth and constancy of heralds, macers, pursuivants and other officers bearing arms ought to be unsuspected or violated, and notwithstanding that all our sovereign lord's lieges bearing that charge and office have publicly professed his highness obedience and diverse of them created by his majesty's [authority since his highness's] coronation, to whom they have sworn and promised their [allegiance, yet as] it is certainly understood by [John Erskine, earl of Mar], my lord regent's grace, [the three estates] and whole body of this present parliament, Peter Thomson, [Islay herald], Adam MacCulloch, Marchmont herald, John Forman, [Rothesay herald], Alexander Forrester, Carrick pursuivant, Alexander MacCulloch, [Ormond pursuivant], William Melville, Thomas Crichton, William Purves, macer, [Thomas Barry, William] Bury, pretended Ettrick pursuivants or messengers, [Thomas Young], [...]³ messenger, with diverse other heralds, macers, pursuiv[ants and] messengers of arms, neglecting their faith, oaths made, [the honour] of their office and allegiance owed to our sovereign lord, have wilfully [and] rebelliously cast off their indebted obedience and, treasonably, [not] only accompanied the declared traitors, rebels and conspirators [against] our sovereign lord's authority, now being within the castle and burgh of Edinburgh, but also in proper persons displayed their coats of arms, bore their maces and otherwise fortified, assisted and took plain part with them in their late treasonable, pretended and arrogant proceedings, to the deprivation of our sovereign lord from his royal crown and authority. And my lord regent's grace and three estates aforesaid, considering the plain and manifest defection of the heralds, macers, pursuivants and messengers above-written from their sworn faith and indebted obedience, being persons which above all other subjects by duty of their offices ought to have been irrevocable, true and constant, and considering likewise that the persons aforesaid being admonished and required by letters of our sovereign lord's late dearest grandfather and regent to withdraw themselves out of the said burgh of Edinburgh and to come and attend upon their offices, not only abstracted themselves, disparaging and contemning the said admonition and charge, but revealed the person of the messenger named Steven Storie, and by their default caused him be apprehended by the said declared traitors, rebels and conspirators, and be put in vile prison and straight thraldom. Therefore, our sovereign lord, with advice of his said regent, three estates and whole body of this present parliament, has declared and, by this present act, declares that the persons above-written and all other heralds, macers, pursuivants and messengers of arms which are culpable of the crimes above-specified have ipso facto lost their offices of arms, decreeing their said offices presently by virtue of this act to be vacant, and they, and every one of them, to be esteemed as infamous persons hereafter and to be used and demeaned according to the law; discharging the treasurer and comptroller present and to come of all payment making to the said heralds, macers, pursuivants, messengers and all other ordinary officers, either within burgh or castle of Edinburgh presently, of their accustomed fees and duties resting from any years or times past or in times coming; decreeing [also all executions] to be made by the said officers of arms in times coming null in [themself, invalid and] of no effect in all times to come.