[1571/8/21]¹

Concerning possessions

²Item, our sovereign lord, with advice of [John Erskine, earl of Mar], my said lord regent's grace, three esta[tes] and whole body of this present parliament, has statute and ordained that [in case] any earl, lord, baron, freeholder, vassal, sub-vassal, feuars, mail[ers, tacks]men, tenants, renters, possessors or commons happens [to be hurt or] wounded to the death, and thereafter of the said hurt [or wounds to] die in our sovereign lord's service and in defence of his [authority at any time] against certain his forfeited and declared [traitors presently] being within the castle and burgh of Edinburgh, and others, [his majesty's open] and manifest enemies, resisters and conspirators [against his highness's] authority, during all the time of the open and [manifest resistance] thereto, that their heirs, executors or assignees [shall freely have] their own wards, reliefs and marriages in their [own hands, to be] conveyed thereon as they shall think ex[pedient; and likewise] their wives, bairns, executors or assignees shall [enjoy their tacks], steadings, rooms and possessions, as well of kir[klands as] temporal men's lands, and enter thereto and remain there[with] freely for the space of five years without any grassum or entry silver, paying only mails and duties, used and wont; and this act as well to extend upon kirkmen as temporal men's vassals, as upon our sovereign lord's [vassals].