Skip to main content

Legal and historical collections of Sir Lewis Stewart of Kirkhill, advocate, compiled early in the 17th century.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.22.1.14

Scope and Contents

The contents are as follows:

List, 1606, of Scottish nobility (folio 1);

Process of apprising of the Bishop of Orkney against Sinclair, 1572 (folio 3);

Process of apprising of Sir Thomas Hamilton against Sir Blaise Belmer, 1607 (folio 13 verso);

Reduction of a decreet of perambulation obtained by Lord Hay of Yester against the James Heriot of Trabroun, 1572 (folio 21 verso);

Registered submission and decreet arbitral, 1614, between William Crichton of Ryehill and William Crichton, Earl of Dumfries (succeeded ?1643) (folio 35 verso);

Tax rolls, 1554, of sheriffdoms and kirklands (folio 41);

Confirmation, 1458, of Pope Pius II of the revised charter of St. Salvator’s College, St. Andrews (incomplete, containing of the printed text in ‘The College of St Salvator’ by R G Cant, pages 66-73, 1.8) (folio 69);

Justiciary court records, 1591-1606 (not in chronological order) (folio 72);

Letters and speech, [1608-1609], of the 1st Lord Balmerino to the Privy Council of England and answer to the Justice in St. Andrews (folio 102 verso);

Justiciary court records, 1611, 1617 (folio 105);

Lists, undated, of monasteries, priories, provostries, dioceses and churches in Scotland (folio 152);

List of the Kings of Scotland, from Malcolm III to 1600 (folio 157 verso; deleted there and repeated on folio 159 verso);

“Abstract out of my concordance of yeiris’ concerning kings of England from William I to James I (folio 158 verso; the beginning is repeated but deleted on folio 238 verso);

List, 1567, of events beginning with the forfeiture of the Earl of Bothwell, covering 1542-1611 (folio 159);

Minute of the register of Melrose, containing notes of deed from all three sources used in ‘Liber de Melros’ (Bannatyne Club, 1837), namely originals from the Morton muniments (now Scottish Records Office, GD 55), the older chartulary (Adv.MS.34.4.11), and the recent chartulary (British Library, Harl.MS.3960) (folio 160);

Castle-wards in Edinburgh, 1537, and in Berwick, 1582 (folio 162);

Documents concerning the kings of Scotland and the lords and earls of Douglas, 1412-1592, followed by lists of forfeitures, 1540-1579, and 1483-1505, (in the transcripts Adv.MSS.34.3.11 and 34.3.12, the document here dated 1579 appears as 1479, so that the two groups are 1540-1571 and 1479-1505 (folio 162 verso);

Indenture, 1482, between James II and the Duke of Albany (folio 170 verso);

Forfeitures, 16th century, 1604, with notes of restitutions and reductions (folio 172);

Extracts from Acts of Parliament, 1488-1591 (printed in ‘Acts of the Parliament of Scotland', ii-iii) (folio 177 verso);

The forfeiture, 1581, of the Earl of Morton (folio 178 verso);

Extracts of the accounts of the sheriffs of Roxburgh and Perth and the steward of Annandale, 1535 (folio 179 verso);

Papers and documents, 1278-1318, undated, on the homage of Alexander II to Edward I and the right of Robert I to the throne (folio 180);

Tailzie, 1373, of Robert II and declaration, 1371, in Parliament on the succession to him (printed in ‘Acts of the Parliament of Scotland', i, 182) (folio 183 verso);

Revocation, 1464, by Parliament of previous alienations, and other matters (printed in ‘Acts of the Parliament of Scotland', ii, 84) (folio 185);

Confirmation, 1553, of the regality of St. Andrews (folio 185 verso);

Confirmation, 1377, to John Craigie of Kildeleith (printed in ‘The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, i, 555) (folio 188);

Foundation of the provestrie of Corstorphine, 1444 (printed in ‘Charters of the Hospital of Soltre, of Trinity College, Edinburgh, and other collegiate churches in Midlothian’ edited by David Laing, page 298) (folio 188 verso);

Resignations, 1303-1542, in favour of the King or Queen (not in chronological order) (folio 190 verso);

Declaration and retour, 1457, of the Earldom of Mar (folio 192 verso);

State of benefices, prelacies and abbacies, erected and not erected, 1611 (folio 195);

Account, 1590, of the King’s tocher (folio 197 verso);

Instructions, [1565], to the Lord Lyon concerning the creation of Henry, Duke of Albany (folio 198);

Commission, 1552, on the marches (folio 198);

Confirmation, 1458, to Haddington Nunnery (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, ii, 611) (folio 200 verso);

Foundation of the Collegiate Church of Dunbar, 1492 (printed in ‘Miscellany of the Scottish History Society’, vi, edited by D E Easson, pages 79-109) (folio 202);

Erection of the burgh of barony of Auldearn, 1511, (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, ii, 3629) (folio 204);

Act of Parliament, 1600, in favour of feuars of Fife (printed in ‘Acts of the Parliament of Scotland', iv, 251) (folio 204 verso);

Notes, 1607, on Balmerino (folio 208 verso);

Charters, 1454, for Aberlady (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, ii, 600) (folio 209);

Charter, 1516, for Maypole (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, iii, 112) (folio 209 verso);

Confirmation, [1341], of the foundation of Arbroath Abbey (printed in ‘The register of the Privy Seal of Scotland’, vi, 25) (folio 210);

Confirmation, 1391, to Holyrood Abbey (printed in ‘Acts of the Parliament of Scotland', i, 805) (folio 212);

Erection of the Principality of Scotland, 1404 (folio 213 verso);

Confirmation, 1326, to Coldingham Priory (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, I, appendix 1, 19; see also ‘The register of the Privy Seal of Scotland’, v, 340) (folio 214);

Spurious charters of Malcolm VI and David I to Mortlach and Aberdeen, 1152 (not in ‘The register of the Privy Seal of Scotland’), 1137 (printed in ‘Early Scottish charters prior to 1153’, cxvi), 1155 (printed in ‘The register of the Privy Seal of Scotland’, i, 116) (folio 215);

The descent of the earldom of Moray from 1314 to 1455 (folio 215 verso);

Charter, 1324, to appoint a chaplain for the soul of Christopher Seton (printed in ‘The register of the Privy Seal of Scotland’, v, 262) (folio 215 verso);

Foundation of the Lady Chapel, Banff, 1321 (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, I, appendix 1, 91);

Foundation of Melrose Abbey, [1134-1144] (printed in ‘Early Scottish charters prior to 1153’, cxli) (folio 216);

Confirmation, [1324], to Jedburgh Abbey (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, i, appendix 1, 92) (folio 216 verso);

Foundation of Lesmahagow priory, 1144 (printed in ‘Early Scottish charters prior to 1153’, edited by A C Lawrie, clxxii) (folio 217);

Endowment of the Collegiate Church of Kilmun (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, ii, 346) (folio 217 verso);

Erection of the regality of the bishopric of Glasgow, 1450 (not printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’) (folio 218 verso);

Confirmation of grants to the White Friars of Aberdeen, 1477 (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, ii, 1311) (folio 219);

Erection of the New College of St. Andrews, 1538-1539 (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, iii, 1930) (folio 220);

Erection of the regality of the bishopric of Orkney, 1490 (printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’, 11, 1974) (folio 220 verso);

Charter, [1449], concerning the rights of cathedrals (folio 221);

Foundation of Trinity College, Edinburgh, 1462 (printed in ‘Charters of the Hospital of Soltre, of Trinity College, Edinburgh, and other collegiate churches in Midlothian’, page 63 (folio 222);

Charter, 1459, to Mary of Gueldres of Balerno (not printed in ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’) (folio 224 verso);

Taxation of benefices (folio 225);

Forfeiture, 1455, of the 9th Earl of Douglas (printed in ‘Acts of the Parliament of Scotland', ii, 42) (folio 227);

Forfeiture, 1469, of Lord Boyd (created 1454) (printed in ‘Various tracts concerning the peerage of Scotland’ by J Carmichael, appendix vi (folio 229);

Prices, 1600, of blench (folio 230 verso);

Forfeiture, 1536, of the Master of Forbes, with the annulling, 1609 (folio 231);

Infeftment, 1456, of the Earl of Caithness (created 1455) (folio 231 verso);

Restitution, 1489, of the Earl of Lennox (succeeded 1473) (folio 232);

Brief chronicles of the Earldom of Ross from 1277 to 1477, and a compend of the pedigree of the earls (folio 233);

Rental, 1468, 1503, of the principalitie of Scotland (folio 235 verso);

Accounts of Bute and Arran, 1550, Tarbrax and Covington, 1532, 1534, Bute, 1527, Stewarton, 1457, and Dumbarton, 1457 (folio 236).

Dates

  • Creation: Early 17th century.

Extent

285 Leaves ; Folio.

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

xix + 238 + xxviii folios.

Collation (deduced from the sequence of watermarks): i², ii-iii⁸, 1¹⁶ (-1 [assumes folio xix is the first extant leaf]), 2-4¹⁶, 5¹⁶ (-10-16 [after folio 70]), 6-10¹⁶, 11¹⁶ (-8-12 [after folio 156]), 12-15¹⁶, 16¹⁶ (-15 [first leaf of index]), iv- vi⁸, vii⁴. Original foliation 1-252 in top right-hand corner, frequently obscured or lost; later foliation (after the losses) 1-238 in top centre, sometimes repeated in corner.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Paper (watermark N in shield, surmounted by a crown, below in a cartouche IEAN NIVELLE, Briquet 8423, 1578-1602; watermark of endpapers fleur-de-lys in crowned shield, cross and WR below, countermark IM except in the final section, where it is cross, IHS and LM).

Custodial History

The volume belonged in the 19th century to George Chalmers and Sir Thomas Phillipps. It was bought by the Advocates’ Library at Sotheby`s, 16 June, 1896, lot 1024.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Related Materials

Adv.MS.34.3.11.

Adv.MS.34.3.12.

Bibliography

‘Acts of the Parliament of Scotland' (Edinburgh, 1814-1875); Cant, R G. ‘The College of St Salvator’ (Edinburgh, 1950); Carmichael, J. ‘Various tracts concerning the peerage of Scotland’ (Edinburgh, 1791); `Catalogus Librorum Manuscriptorum in Bibliotheca D. Thomae Phillipps, Bt.` (1837-1871): manuscript 12236. ‘Charters of the Hospital of Soltre, of Trinity College, Edinburgh, and other collegiate churches in Midlothian’ (Bannatyne Club, 1861) edited by David Laing; ‘Early Scottish charters prior to 1153’, edited by A C Lawrie (Glasgow: MacLehose, 1905); ‘The register of the Great Seal of Scotland’ (Edinburgh, 1882-1914); ‘The register of the Privy Seal of Scotland’ (Edinburgh, 1908-1982).
Title
National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
Author
National Library of Scotland
Date
08 05 2015
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Local Descriptive Rules
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository

Contact:
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700