Charter by King David II to James of Douglas, knight, of the barony of Dalkeith, 9th December 1369

Charter by King David II to James of Douglas, knight, of the barony of Dalkeith, 9th December 1369

105

Charter

09/12/1369

Latin

King David II

James of Douglas

Dauid Dei gracia rex Scottorum omnibus probis hominibus tocius terre sue clericis et laicis salutem. Sciatis nos dedisse concessisse et hac presenti carta nostra confirmasse dilecto et fideli nostro Jacobo de Douglas militi totam baroniam de Dalketh et castrum eiusdem cum pertinenciis infra vicecomitatum de Edynburgh’ que fuerunt dicti Jacobi et quam ac quod dictus Jacobus non vi aut metu ductus nec errore lapsus set mera et spontanea voluntate sua nobis apud Monros die octauo mensis Decembris anno Domini millesimo cccmo sexagesimo nono coram pluribus regni nostri prelatis et proceribus per fustum et baculum sursum reddidit pureque et simpliciter resignauit ac totum ius et clameum quod in dicta baronia et castro predicto habuit vel habere potuit pro se et heredibus suis omnino quietum clamauit et inperpetuum. Tenendam et habendam dicto Jacobo et heredibus masculis de corpore suo legitime procreandis quibus forte deficientibus propinquioribus semper heredibus masculis dicti Jacobi cognomen de Douglas habentibus sic quod dicta baronia et castrum cum pertinenciis ad heredem femellam quamcumque propinquam vel remotam non descendat aut pertineat vllo modo nisi forte contingent omnes huiusmodi heredes masculos prenotatos cognomen de Douglas habentes totaliter deficere et hoc forte quod absit contingente volumus et concedimus quod veri et propinquiores heredes dicti Jacobi masculi seu femelle habeant teneant et possideant totam ipsam baroniam et castrum predictum cum pertinenciis de nobis et heredibus nostris in feodo et hereditate in perpetuum in vnam integram et liberam baroniam ac liberam forestam per omnes rectas metas et diuisas suas in boscis et planis pratis pascuis moris marresiis viis semitis aquis stagnis molendinis multuris et eorum sequelis aucupacionibus venacionibus et piscariis bondis bondagiis natiuis et eorum sequelis cum furca et fossa cum sacco et socca cum toll et theme et infangandtheff’ necnon cum omnibus aliis et singulis libertatibus commoditatibus aysiamentis et iustis pertinenciis suis quibuscumque ad dictam baroniam spectantibus seu quoquo modo iuste spectare valentibus infuturum, libere quiete bene et in pace. Reddendo inde nobis et heredibus nostris dictus Jacobus et heredes sui prenotati annuatim apud castrum de Dalketh’ ad festum Pentecostes vnum par cyrothecarum albarum vel vnum denarium argenti si petatur tantum pro wardis releuiis maritagiis curiarum sectis consuetudinibus exactionibus seu demandis que de dictis baronia et castro cum pertinenciis exigi poterunt seu requiri aliquo tempore infuturum. Volumus eciam et concedimus quod non sit licitum alicui heredum eiusdem militis predictorum aliquam donacionem concessionem assignacionem seu resignacionem qualemcumque facere aliquot tempore infuturum de dictis baronia et castro cum pertinenciis vel aliqua parte earundem per quas seu quam presens nostra infeodacio talliata adnichilari diminui vel frangi valeat set quod ipsa presens infeodacio in omnibus et per omnia vt premittitur in perpetuum permaneat plena integra et illesa. In cuius rei testimonium presenti carte nostre sigillum nostrum precipimus apponi. Testibus venerabilibus in Christo patribus Willelmo episcopo Sancti Andree et Patricio episcopo Brechinensi cancellario nostro, Roberto senescallo Scocie nepote nostro, Willelmo comite de Douglas, Roberto de Erskyn, Archebaldo de Douglas, Waltero de Lesley et Alexandro de Lyndesay militibus. Apud Monros nono die Decembris anno regni nostri quadragesimo.

David, by the grace of God king of Scots, to all the responsible men of his whole land, cleric and lay, greetings. May you know that I have given, granted, and by this our present charter confirmed to our beloved and faithful James of Douglas, knight, all of the barony of Dalkeith and the castle of the same with pertinents, in the sheriffdom of Edinburgh, which were the said James’s, and which the said James, not for power or by fear of leading nor by error of failure but by his pure and free will, at Montrose on the eighth day of the month of December in the year of the Lord 1369 in front of many prelates and nobles of our realm, has restored up to us by rod and staff, has purely and simply resigned, and has quitclaimed in all things in perpetuity all right and claim that he had or might have had in the said barony and aforesaid castle for himself and for his heirs; having and holding by the said James and the male heirs lawfully procreated of his body, by chance, failing whom, by the nearest (always) male heirs of the said James having the surname of Douglas, so that the said barony and castle with pertinents may not descend nor belong in any way to a female heir whether near or distant, unless by chance it happens that all of that sort of aforementioned male heirs having the surname of Douglas be totally missing and thus by chance it happens that they are absent, we will and grant that the true and nearest heirs of the said James, male or female, should have, hold and possess all of the same aforesaid barony and castle with pertinents from us and from our heirs in feu and heritage forever in one complete and free barony and free forest by all its right marches and boundaries in woods and plains, meadows, pastures, moors, marshes, roads, paths, waters, ponds, mills, multures and their profits and falcons, hunts and fisheries, bondsmen, bondages, neyfs and their offspring, with pit and gallows, with sake and soke, with toll, team and infangthief, as well as with all its other liberties, commodities, easements and just pertinents, everything belonging to the said barony, or in whatever manner ought justly to belong to the barony in the future, freely, quietly, fully and in peace; the said James and his afore-noted heirs rendering thence to us and to our heirs annually at the castle of Dalkeith on the feast of Pentecost one pair of white gloves or one silver penny if requested so much for wards, reliefs, marriages, suits of court, customs, exactions or demands which may be demanded or required of the said barony and castle with pertinents at any time in the future. We also will and grant that it be not lawful for any of the aforesaid heirs of the same knight to make any donation, grant, assignment, or resignation of any kind at any time in the future in respect of the said barony and castle with the pertinents, or any part of them, by which our present entailed infeftment could be destroyed, reduced, or broken up, but that the same present infeftment remain full, whole, and unharmed in all respects, forever, as set out before. In testimony of these things, we instruct our seal to be appended to this our present charter. By [these] witnesses: the venerable fathers in Christ, William bishop of St Andrews and Patrick bishop of Brechin our chancellor, Robert the steward of Scotland our nephew, William earl of Douglas, Robert of Erskine, Archibald of Douglas, Walter of Leslie and Alexander of Lindsey knights. At Montrose, [on] the ninth day of December, [in] the fortieth year of our reign.

345mm x 198mm

50

Manuscript references: National Records of Scotland, GD 224/876/9 (former NAS)

Printed editions:

Regesta Regum Scottorum, vol. vi .The Acts of David II, ed. Bruce Webster (Edinburgh, 1982), no. 459

Sir William Fraser, The Scotts of Buccleuch, vol. ii (Edinburgh, 1878), no. 9 (with facsimile)

Registrum Honoris de Morton, vol. ii, ed. Cosmo Innes (Edinburgh, 1853), no. 97

16/06/2015