All the documents concern legal actions, and most contain the Regent`s instructions in each case. Unless otherwise stated, the papers are addressed to David Borthwick by the Regent.

Writ to the Lord Advocates, David Borthwick and Robert Crichton of Elliock, to call a summons of error at the instance of Mungo Johnston of Locharby, against Laurence Simpson and others, Dalkeith, 24 March 1573/1574 (folio 1).

Instructions to the Lord Advocates to summons certain unnamed persons for dealing in contraband goods, Holyrood, 8 April 1574 (folio 2).

Order to Alexander Gordon of Abergeldie, Aberdeen, 14 August 1574, to bring Mathew Frig before the Justice and his deputes in Aberdeen (folio 3).

- Cf. ‘Register of the Privy Council of Scotland’, 1st series, volume ii, page 397.

Letter, Dalkeith, 6 October 1574, to John Wardlaw, rector of Moffat, commanding him to come to Edinburgh on the matter of his dispute with the Laird of Johnston over the benefice of Moffat (folio 4).

Letter, Dalkeith, 21 October 1574, instructing Borthwick to administer justice to those who had usurped the privileges of the free burghs (folio 5).

Order to officers of arms to seize all ships laden with coal, Dalkeith, 18 October 1574 (folios 6-7).

Letter, Dalkeith, 13 October 1574, instructing David Borthwick to assist Robert, Lord Boyd, the Collector-General, in the preparation of his accounts (folio 8).

Letter, Holyrood, 2 May 1574, concerning the petition of the town of Selkirk against the action of Patrick Murray of Falahill (folio 9).

Order to the Lord Advocates, Dalkeith, 30 October 1574, to proceed with an action of reduction by Andrew Mar against George Middleton, Baillie of Aberdeen (folio 10).

Letter, Dalkeith, 4 November 1574, listing items seized from ships at Caithness, and concerning the illegal sale of French wine in Edinburgh (folio 11).

Letter, Dalkeith, 15 November 1574, instructing David Borthwick to make James Lovell and Richard Blyth cautioners for the men of Dundee (folio 12).

Letter, Dalkeith, 9 January 1574/1575, instructing David Borthwick not to accept an offer made by the town of Edinburgh, and to delay the proceedings (folio 13).

Letter, Dalkeith, 13 January 1574/1575, requesting David Borthwick to hear Mr Nichol Elphinstone’s action without delay (folio 14).

Letter, Dalkeith, 14 January 1574/1575, requesting the postponement of the trial of those who had exported gold and sold wine (folio 15).

Letter, Dalkeith, 16 January 1574/1575, requesting the postponement of the case between Lady Hume and Robert Hume concerning the teinds of Lauderdale (folio 16).

Letter, Dalkeith, 18 January 1574/1575, concerning an action raised by James Douglas of Todholes against Lord William Hay of Yester, and concerning the summoning of certain burgesses of Edinburgh for exporting gold and silver (folio 17).

Letter, Dalkeith, 16 January 1574/1575, concerning the action raised by the Lord Advocates and John Moffett against the Laird of Hartry (folio 18).

Copy of a royal writ to Sir John Bellenden, Lord Justice-Clerk, concerning proceedings against John Simpson, burgess of Edinburgh, 1575, endorsed with a note from the Earl of Morton to David Borthwick concerning the law against exporting gold (folio 19).

Royal writ, signed by the Regent, ordering David Borthwick to deliver William Graham, parson of Killearn, from a summons, Holyrood, 28 April 1575 (folio 20).

Letter, Aberdour, 22 May 1575, requesting David Borthwick to attend a meeting of the Council (folio 21).

Order to pursue the summons for incest against Gilbert Ireland, Dalkeith, 9 June 1575 (folio 22).

Letter, Dalkeith, 9 June 1575, asking for the nuns [?of Coldstream] to be summoned; the summons of reduction of the feus of Coldstream is to be pursued (folio 23).

Letter, Dalkeith, 21 June 1575, urging that the question of the lands of Coldstream Priory be dealt with as soon as possible (folio 24).

Letter, Dalkeith, 12 June 1575, concerning those to be summoned for exporting gold, and also concerning the reduction of feus of Coldstream (folio 25).

Letter, Dalkeith, 22 June 1575, giving David Borthwick instructions for his dealings with Lady Carlisle (folio 26).

Letter, Dalkeith, 29 June 1575, requesting negotiations between Captain Robert Montgomery and William Aikman`s wife (folio 27).

Letter, Dalkeith, 1 July 1575, concerning an action against Lord Saint Colme (folio 28).

Letter, Dalkeith, 5 July 1575, ordering summons to be raised against those guilty of destroying houses in Morayshire (folio 29).

Letter, Dalkeith, 6 July 1575, instructing David Borthwick to deal with the reduction of decreit of Andrew Ker (folio 30).

Letter, Dalkeith, 6 July 1575, asking David Borthwick to continue David Crawfurd’s action (folio 31).

Letter, Dalkeith, 7 July 1575, with instructions concerning the Abbot of Glenluce (folio 32).

Letter, Dalkeith, 11 November 1575, concerning a gift of land and annual rent by Lord Sinclair (folio 33).

Letter, Dalkeith, 12 November 1575, reminding David Borthwick of the business of Whithorn Priory (folio 34).

Letter, [1575], warning of the dangers of the action concerning Whithorn Priory (folio 35).

Letter, Holyrood, 27 January 1575/1576, to the Lord Advocates instructing them to see to the impartial administration of justice in the case against the men of the Earl of Cassillis (folio 36).

Order to proceed with the suit against the wife of George Crichton for murdering Thomas Anderson, Holyrood, 9 February 1575/1576 (folio 37).

Royal writ to the Lord Advocates, signed by the Regent, to proceed with the case of the excambion of the manse and glebes of Fordyce Kirk, Holyrood, 28 February 1575/1576 (folio 38).

Letter, Dalkeith, 6 March 1575/1576, concerning the action between Andrew Strang and Watty Whitehead (folio 39).



Letter, Dalkeith, 10 March 1575/1576, of the Regent to his brother, Archibald Douglas of Milnton, Captain of Edinburgh Castle, and tutor to Lord Hume`s daughter, concerning her farms (folio 40).

Royal writ to the Lord Advocates, signed by the Regent, to proceed with the action against John Gilchrist, Holyrood, 12 May 1576 (folio 41).

Letter, Dalkeith, 21 June 1576, postponing the hearing of the case against the Laird of Geich, and discussing the formation of the jury (folio 42).

Order to the Lord Advocates to charge certain persons named Crawfurd for striking an officer of the law, Dalkeith, 10 November 1576 (folio 43).

Letter, Jedburgh, 22 November 1576, ordering the postponement of the proceedings against the Bishop of Dunkeld (folio 44).

Letter, Dalkeith, 11 December 1576, ordering the postponement of the proceedings against Duncan Forbes, parson of Monymusk (folio 45).

Letter, Holyrood, 7 February 1576/1577, instructing David Borthwick to proceed with the Laird of Saint Monance`s action against Norman Lindsay (folio 46).

Order that Patrick Bellenden of Stonehouse have justice in his action against James Alexander, Dalkeith, 12 June 1577 (folio 47).

Order to hear an action of the Laird of Trabroun against Lord Yester, Dalkeith, 13 June 1577 (folio 48).

Letter asking David Borthwick to assist Sibilla Drummond, the Regent`s cousin, in pursuing an action, Dalkeith, 14 June 1577 (folio 49).

Writ to the Lord Advocates to take action in the case brought against Robert Boyd by the tenants of Fardill and Fordie, Dalkeith, 17 June 1577 (folio 50).

Letter, Calder, 21 June 1577, concerning the action of the burgh of Rattray against Andrew Watson (folio 51).

Letter, Calder, 30 June 1577, asking David Borthwick to assist Hew Anderson in a matter of non-entry obtained from Lord Buchan (folio 52).

Letter, Calder, 1 July 1577, to the Lord Advocates, referring to them the matter of the lands of the constable of Dundee (folio 53).

Writ, Holyrood, 26 September 1577, for the issue of Admiralty precepts or royal letters on the decreet against the despoilers of the ship and goods of Walter Dull, an Englishman; the sum of one hundred pounds to be paid to George Hay of Kirkcaldy, who had compensated Dull (folio 54).

Copies of three documents concerning the seizure of cattle by the keepers of Dumbarton Castle (folio 55):

Writ of the Regent forbidding the seizure of cattle from Argyll, Edinburgh, 24 October 1577;

Letter, Dunbar, 23 December 1582, of the Duke of Lennox to the Earl of Argyll, introducing the bearer; the Duke has forbidden the seizure of cattle from Argyll;

Act of the Privy Council forbidding the keepers of Dumbarton Castle to take more than ten animals yearly from the drovers of Argyll, Holyrood, 8 May 1604.