LXXXIX: Letter of James VI concerning election of magistrates (1605)

LXXXIX. Letter by King James VI., with the approval of the Duke of Lennox, authorising the City of Glasgow to have free election of its magistrates. Hampton Court, 27 September 1605.

James, R. Quhairas upon speciale considerationes of the present estaite of our city of Glasgow, being in quantitie and number of trafficquers and others inhabitants within the same, inferior to few of the cities and burrows of that our kingdome, we were moved to cause our right trustie cousine and councillour, Ludovick, Duke of Lennox, demit and overgive all clame of right he could pretend to ony superioritie aboune the said citie in election of their magistratis, nevertheless our said cousing, fearing justlie that be the obscuritie of that write quhich was then set doune anent the said matter, some schreud interpretation may be made of the words thairin, not onlie direct against the meaning of the subscryver of the write, but forder than any thing that was desyrit be us to be overgiven by our said cousing; for cleiring quhairof, and taking away all scruple in that mater, we doe heirby declaire that by the said write thair was na farder meant to be overgiven but all clame of superiorites that mycht ony way be pretendit or challenged be the said Duke of Lennox in the renunciatione or election of the magistrats of that citie; in quhich caise, as the same was friely renuncit be him, so was it our intention to grant unto the said citie als grite friedom of election of thair own magistrats yearly as ony other frie burgh or citie within our kingdom, and that the same sould be als frie as ony burgh of regalitie quhatsumever; bot that ayther his rycht of justiciarie and bailliarie of regalitie were ony way renuncit or overgiven, it is so far ayther from our desyre or his grant as that heirby we doe certifie that nather was ony sic thing meant, nather are we of ony uther mynd but that our said cousing sall still bruick and enjoy his rycht of justiciarie and bailliarie of regalitie within and aboune the said citie of Glasgow, conforme to his rychts infeftments and securities thereof. And that the said town of Glasgow sall have als frie electione of their magistrats yearlie as either Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Striueling, or ony other frie burgh or citie within this our realme or kingdome, and als frie as ony burgh of regalitie quhatsumever. And in taken of his particular approbation of the premisses and his overgiven of his clayme of superioritie in the election of the magistrats of the said citie, our said rycht traist cousing hes subscryvit thir presents with his hand. And we ordain these presents to be insert and registrat in the buiks of secret councill ad futuram rei memoriam. Given at Hampton Court, the 27 September 1605. Sic Subscribitur, Lennox.