| Collection | GB 0231 University of Aberdeen, Special Collections |
| Level | Item |
| Ref No | MS 2264/3 |
| Title | Decreet of Mary Queen of Scots following on letters granted on the instance of James, Lord of St. Johns, preceptor of Torphichen |
| Date | 15 December 1547 |
| Extent | 1 item |
| Description | [? Sir James Sandilands, preceptor of the Order of St John of Jerusalem] Granted at Edinburgh on 16th December 1547 against Marjory Chalmer, relict of the late Gilbert Menzies of Findoun. The preceptor held the haill lands and barony of Maryculter with pertinents pertaining to this preceptory in free regality and his tenants had thereby in times past been "replegit fra"[? freed from the jurisdiction of] the sheriff of Kincardine.
The said Marjory had summoned the late Alexander Lindesay, spouse of Katherine Watsoun, tenant of the said lord's mains of Maryculter before the sheriff of Kincardine etc. for alleged wrongful tilling and sowing of corn an part of the said lord's lands and for taking cognition thereof. The sheriff had summoned said Alexander to appear before him in September last and arrested corn on the lands on which the cognition was taken but the said Alexander was slain "in yis last feild" so that so process could be held on the cognition and even if he were alive it is maintained that the Kincardine sheriff had no jurisdiction or authority of arrestment. The widow and her children have no benefit of the corn etc. and a decreet is requested as to whether the arrestment shall continue or not. Master James McGill appeared for the preceptor and Master David Borthwick for Marjory Chalmer and the Lords of Council suspended the letters purchased at the instance of Marjory Chalmer by which the arrestment was made and this to be 'lousit' to allow Katherine Watsoun to intromet with the corn etc. seeing that the sheriff to whom the letters were directed had no jurisdiction with viz[?] the said Lord St. John's lands. Extracted from acts of council by Master James Foulis [?] of Colintoun "clericum rotuloram" etc. Decreet dated under the Great Seal at Edinburgh on 8th November 1548, and of our reign the 6th year. Manuscript in old scots apart from opening and closing phases in Latin. Endorsement is in Old Scots where date is given as 8 November 1558 but the year is scored through in pencil and 1548 substituted in pencil. Ref. Nos. 17 & 29. |
| Access Status | Open |
| Physical Description | Small portion of the seal still adhering to tag formed by cutting the bottom of the parchment. |