CXVII: Act of parliament concerning superiorities of episcopal lands (1641)

CXVII. Act of Parliament ordaining and declaring all superiorities of lands and others formerly held of bishops and their chapters to belong to the Crown in all time coming, and without prejudice to the rights of the Duke of Lennox in the temporality of the Archbishoprick. Edinburgh, 16th November 1641.

Our Soverane Lord and Estates of Parliament, for removeing all doubtes and questiones that may arise anent the superiorities of these landis, mylnes, fishingis, heritable offices, and otheres which held of the late pretendit beshopes or of ther chapteres, by reassone of the abolishing of beshopes and chapteres foirsaid forth of this kirke and kingdome, and to the effect the subjectes and vasselles of these holdingis may bee pute in assurance heireftir heiranent, have statute and ordeened, and declaired, and by thir presentes, statutes, ordeanes, and declaires that all these superiorities which formerlie perteened to the saidis pretendit beshopes and ther chapteres now abolished as said is, doe now perteene and belonge, and shall heireftir perteene to our Soverane Lord and his heighnes successoures in all tyme comeing, and that the vasselles of these landis, mylnes, woodis, fishingis, heritable offices and otheres which formerlie held of the samene beshopes and ther chapteres doe now and shall in tyme comeing hold the same of our Soverane Lord the Kings Majestie and his successoures in the same forme and maner of holding as they formerlie held of the saidis beshopes and ther chapteres, conforme to the saidis vasselles, ther infeftmentes and rightes made and perteaneing to them, which are heirby declaired to be unprejudged by the abolishing of the saidis beshopes and their chapteres ther former superioures; and sicklyke our said Soverane Lord and estates of Parliament declaire that all these services of aires to ther defunct predecessoures to any of the landis and otheres holden of the saidis beshops (since the excommunicatione of beshops) whereby these haires are served to the saidis landis to be holden of the Kingis majestie to be vallied and laufull services [and richtlie] led and done; and ordeanes all such services as are to be led and deduced heireftir for serveing of the heires of the vasselles of the landis and otheres foirsaidis as heires in the samene landis to be served aires therintill to be holdine of the Kingis Majestie and his successoures foirsaidis as ther superioures of the samene landis and otheres above-mentionat in all tyme comeing; with this provisione that the few dueties of these landis holdine of the chapteres now reteined in titulo shall perteene and be payed them dureing the present titulares lyfetymes. And it is declaired that this present act shall not be prejudiciall to the infeftmentes granted by his Majestie to the Duike of Lennoxe of the superioritie of the whole landis and barronies which perteined to be temporality of the Archbeshoprike of Glasgow, but that the said infeftment shall stand vallied in the selfe and the vassells to hold ther landis of the said Duke of Lennox and his successoures as ther superioures thereof in tyme coming; and also declaires ther presentes nether act nor reservatione foirsaid shall not be extendit to the deanrie or subdeanrie of Glasgow nor nothing holdine of the deane or subdeane; as also bot prejudice to the Erle of Lauderdaill of his infeftment of Stobo and Ettilstoune, which is nowayes prejudged by this acte nor reservatione foirsaid; provyding that this provisione shall not better nor strengthen the Erle of Lauderdailles righte and infeftment foirsaid, bot the samine to be in the samene conditione as before the dait of thir presentes.