LVIII: Letter of Mary, founding bursaries for poor children (1563)

LVIII. Letter by Queen Mary, under her Privy Seal, founding bursaries for five poor children, and granting to the College certain lands and annual rents for their maintenance. Glasgow, 13 July 1563.

Marie be the grace of God Quene of Scottis, to the lordis of oure counsale and sessioun and oure comptrollare now present and being for the tyme greting. Forsamekile as within the citie of Glasgw ane College and Vniuersite was devisit to be hade, quhairin the youthe micht be brocht vp in letres and knawlege, the commoune welth servit, and vertew incressit. Off the quhilk College, ane parte of the sculis and chalmeris being biggit the rest thairof alsweill duellingis as provisioune for the pouir bursouris and maisteris to teche ceissit sua that the samyn apperit rather to be the decay of ane Vniuersitie nor ony wyse to be reknit ane establisset fundatioun. And we for the zele we beir to letres, and for the gude will we haue that vertew be incressit within oure realme, haue foundit and erectit, and be thir oure letres foundis and erectis, five pouir childrene bursouris within the said college to be callit in all tymes cuming, Bursouris of oure Foundatioune. And for furnessing and provisioune to be maid to the saidis five bursouris we haue gevin and grantit, and be thir oure lettres gevis and grantis, to thame thir aikeris landis and annuellis vnderwritten, mailes fermes proffittis and dewiteis thairof to be applyit for furnessing of thame in meit, cleithing and vtheris necessaris to thair sustentatioune. That is to say, the manss and Kirkrowme of the Freiris Predicatouris within the said citie; threttene aikeris of land liand besyde the samyn citie; tene markis of annuell quhilkis war wount to be vptakin be the saidis Freiris of sindrie tenementis within the citie foirsaid; twenty markis of annuell to be taken vp yeirlie of the Nethertoun of Hammiltoun; tene bollis ferme meill to be taken vp yeirlie of certane landis within the boundis of the Levinax and tene markis to be taken vp yeirlie of the landis and lordschip of Avendaill. And ordanis the maister of the said College and Vniuersite now present and being for the tyme, to intromett and tak vp the males, fermes, proffittis and dewiteis of the saidis aikeris, landis, manss, and yairdis and annuellis foirsaidis, yeirlie and in all tymes cuming, and apply the samyn to the sustentatioun of the saidis bursouris. And to sett and raiss the saidis aikeris, manss and yardis imputt and outputt the tennentis and occupiaris thairof at thair plesoure. Quhairfore we charge straitlie and commmandis yow our said comptrollare now present and being for the tyme that ye causs the maister of the said College and his successiouris maisteris thairof be answerit of the mailes, fermes, proffitis and dewiteis of the saidis landis, aikeris, manss and yairdis, and annuellis foirsaidis. And that ye suffer thame intromett with the samyne occupy labour sett and dispone thairupoune at thair awin plesoure. And that ye mak na stop, troubill nor impediment to thame thairin, swa that the samyne may be applyit to the effect foirsaid in all tymes cuming. Chairgeing alsua yow the saidis lordis of oure Counsale and Sessioun to direct our vtheris lettres at the said maisteris instance to the effect foirsaid. Ay and quhill ane generall ordoure be taken be ws thairin. At the quhilk tyme we mynd to doit the landis and annuellis forsaidis thairto. And als to mak the said College to be provydit of sic ressonabile leving that tharin the liberale sciences may be planlie techet, siclike as the samyn ar in vtheris collegis of this realme swa that the College foirsaid salbe reputit Oure Foundatioun in in all tyme cuming. And to that effect we ordane that quheneuir the maister thairof or ony of the bursouris of the samyn happynnis to deceiss, that vtheris in thair rowmes be placit be ws and oure successouris that the memorie of the gude will we beir to vertew may remane to the postcriteis tocum. Gevin vnder oure priue seile, at Glasgow, the threttene day of Julij the yeir of God j^m v^c threscore thre yeiris, and of oure regunno the twentyeane yeir.

Per signaturani manibus S. D. N. Regine et suorum computorum rotulatoris subscriptam.