XXI. Charter by King James II. to the Bishop of Glasgow and his successors erecting the city and barony of Glasgow, and the lands of Bishopforest into a regality. Edinburgh, 20 April 1450.

[Latin text]

Jacobus, Dei gracia Rex Scotorum, omnibus probis hominibus tocius terre sue clericis et laicis, salutem. Sciatis nos, in honorem et laudem Dei Omnipotentis, et gloriose Virginis Marie, ac beati Kentegerni confessoris patroni ecclesie Glasguensis, in qua canonicus, existimus, et omnium sanctorum, necnon pro singulari favore, zelo et dilectione quos erga reue rendissimum in Christo patrem Willelmum, prelatum ejusdem ecclesie modernum, nostrum conciliarium intime dilectum, gerimus, propter sua merita, servitia grata atque fidelia nobis longo tempore impensa, dedisse, concessisse, et hac presenti carta nostra confirmasse, presato reverendo in Christo patri Willelmo, episcopo Glasguensi, et suis successoribus, Glasguensis ecclesie episcopis, properpetuo, quod habeant, teneant et possideant, perpetuis futuris temporibus, ciuitatem Glasguensem, baroniam de Glasgu, et terras vulgariter vocatas Bischope forest, in liberam, puram et meram regalitatem: Tenendas et Habendas prefatas ciuitatem, baroniam et terras vocatas Bischope forest, dicto Willelmo et suis successoribus episcopis ecclesie Glasguensis, de nobis et successoribus nostris, in meram, puram et liberam regalitatem seuregaliam, in feodo et hereditate in perpetuum, cum universis commoditatibus et proficuis dictis civitati et terris pertinentibus, in boscis, planis, moris, marresiis, viis, semitis, aquis, stagnis, riuuolis, pratis, pascuis et pasturis, molendinis, multuris et eorum sequelis, aucupationibus, venacionibus, piscationibus, aquarum decursibus, petariis, turbariis, carbonariis, lapicidiis, lapide et calce, fabrilibus, bracinis, brueriis et genistis, cum homagiis, curiis et earum exitibus, eschaetis, libero introitu et exitu, bludewitis, heryheldis et marchetis mulierum, cum libera foresta et warenna, cum feodis, forisfacturis justiciis antiquis et consuetudinibus, custumis ac cum itineribus justiciarie et camerarie et earum exitibus, portubus et passagiis, cum capella, in liberam, puram et integram regalitatem seu regaliam, cum furca et fossa, sok, sak, thol, theme, infangandtheif, outefangandtheif, hamesokyn, cum tenandiis et tenandriis et libere tenancium servitiis, necnon cum piscacionibus, antiquis usibus et aduocacionibus ecclesiarum, aliisque omnibus et singulis libertatibus, commoditatibus et asiamentis ac justis pertinentiis quibuscumque, tam non nominatis quam nominatis, ad regalitatem seu regaliam spectantibus, seu quovismodo juste spectare valentibus in futurum, et adeo libere, quiete, plenarie, integre, honorifice, bene et in pace, in omnibus et per omnia, sicut aliqua regalitas seu regalia cuicumque ecclesie, aut personis ecclesiasticis quibuscumque, in regno nostro liberius, quietius aut honorificentius conceditur aut douatur: Reddendo inde annuatim dictus Willelmus et successores sui Glasguensis ecclesie episcopi, nobis, heredibus et successoribus nostris, unam rosam rubeam, ad festum natiuitatis beati Johannis Baptiste, apud Glasgu, nomine albe firme, si petatur, et orationum suffragia devotarum tantum, pro omni alio onere, exactione, questione demanda seu servitio seculari, que de dictis civitate baronia et terris vocatis Bischope forest cum pertinenciis per quoscumque juste exigi poterunt quomodolibet seu requiri. In Cujus Rei Testimonium presenti carte nostre magnum sigillum nostrum apponi prece, pimus: Testibus, reuerendo in Christo patre Jacobo episcopo Sancti Andree, Willelmo domino Creichton nostro cancellario et consanguineo predilecto, carissimo consanguineo nostro Willelmo comite de Douglas et de Anandale domino Galwidie, venerabili in Christo patre Andrea abbate de Melros nostro confessore et thesaurario, dilectis consanguineis nostris Patricio domino Glamis magistro hospicii nostri, Willelmo domino Somyruile, Andrea domino Le Gray, Magistris Johanne Arous archidiacono Glasguensi et Georgio de Schoriswod rectore de Cultre: Apud Edinburgh, vicesimo die mensis Aprilis, anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo quinquagesimo et regni nostri decimo quarto.

[Translation]

James, by the grace of God King of Scots, to all good men of his whole land, clerics and laics, greeting. Know ye that we, in honor and praise of Almighty God and of the glorious Virgin Mary, and of the blessed Confessor Kentigern, patron of the church of Glasgow, in which we are a canon, and of all the Saints, as well as for the singular favour zeal and affection which we bear towards the most reverend father in Christ William, now prelate of the same church, our well beloved councillor, on account of his merits, [and] willing and faithful services rendered to us for a lengthened time, have given, granted and by this our present charter have confirmed to the reverend father in Christ William, bishop of Glasgow, and his successors bishops of the church of Glasgow for ever, to have, hold, and possess in all time coming the city of Glasgow, barony of Glasgow, and lands commonly called Bischopforest in free pure and unmixed regality: To have and to hold the foresaid city, barony and lands called Bischopforest, to the said William, and his successors bishops of the church of Glasgow, of us and our successors in unmixed pure and free regality or royalty in fee and heritage for ever, with the whole commodities and profits to the said city and lands belonging, in woods, plains, moors, marshes, ways, paths, waters, ponds, streams, meadows, grazings and pastures, grounds, mills, multures and their sequels, hawkings, huntings, fishings, watercourses, peat, turf, coals, stone quarries, stone and lime, forges, malt kilns, heath, and broom, with homages, courts and their issues, escheats, free ish and entry, bludewits, hereyelds and marchets of women, with free forest and warren, with fees, forfeitures and ancient rights consuetudes and customs, and with justice and chamberlain ayres and their issues, ports and passages, with chapel, in free, pure and entire regality or royalty, with pit and gallows, sok, sak, thol, theme, infangthief, outfangthief, hamesoken, with tenants and tenandries and services of free tenants, as also with fishings, ancient usages, and patronages of churches, and all other and singular liberties, commodities and easements and just pertinents whatsoever, as well not named as named, belonging or which may in any manner of way justly belong to a regality or royalty in time to come, and as freely, quietly, fully, wholly, honorably, well and in peace, in all and by all, as any regality or royalty is most freely, quietly or honourably granted or given to any church or ecclesiatical persons whomsoever in our realm. Rendering therefor yearly, the said William and his successors bishops of the church of Glasgow, to us and our heirs and successors, a red rose at the feast of the nativity of Saint John the Baptist, at Glasgow, in name of blench farm if asked, and the offering of devout prayers only, for all other burden, exaction, question, demand or secular service which can be justly exacted or required by any one in any manner of way from the said city, barony, and lands called Bischopforest, with the pertinents. In witness whereof we have commanded our great seal to be affixed to this our present charter. Witnesses, the reverend father in Christ James bishop of St Andrews, William Lord Creichton our chancellor and well beloved cousin, our dearest cousin William earl of Douglas and Anandale lord of Galloway, the venerable father in Christ Andrew abbot of Melrose our confessor and treasurer, our well beloved cousins Patrick lord Glamis master of our household, William lord Somyrville, Andrew lord Gray, Masters John Arous archdeacon of Glasgow, and George of Schoriswod rector of Cultre. At Edinburgh, the twentieth day of the month of April in the year of our Lord one thousand four hundred and fifty, and of our reign the fourteenth.