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At Edinburgh, 17 November 1641 Legislation: private acts -
| Ratification in
favour of Sir William Douglas of Cavers, sheriff of Teviotdale ―Our
sovereign lord and estates of parliament ratify and approve to and in
favour of Sir William Douglas of Cavers, knight, sheriff of Teviotdale
(styled in the charter underwritten William Douglas, fiar of Cavers) and
to his heirs and assignees whatsoever a charter granted by the late King
James VI, under the great seal, of the date at Holyroodhouse, 31 July
1618, whereby the said late King James VI gave, granted and conveyed to
the said Sir William Douglas of Cavers, then styled William Douglas, fiar
of Cavers, sheriff of Roxburgh, his heirs and assignees whatsoever
heritably, all and whole those five merk lands called the kirk lands of
Cavers underwritten, namely: the three merk land of Cruike, one merk
land of Whitriggs, called Husie, and one merk land in Cavers, called Beige,
with houses, buildings, yards, parts, pendicles and pertinents thereof
whatsoever, together with advocation, donation and right of patronage of
the parsonage and vicarage of the parish kirk and parish of Cavers, with
the teinds, fruits and rents thereof whatsoever, lying within the parish
of Cavers, which five merk land and kirk of Cavers above-written, with
the pertinents, of before pertained heritably to the late John [Ramsay],
viscount of Haddington, lord Ramsay of Melrose and Barns, and were held
by him of his majesty and his successors immediately, and as a part of
the temporality, patrimony and property of the lordship of
Melrose…meiths and marches thereof… |
An explanation
Ratification of Lands and Patronage: Sir William Douglas of Cavers, 1641
On 17 November 1641, the Scottish Parliament formally ratified a royal charter in favour of Sir William Douglas of Cavers, sheriff of Teviotdale. This act confirmed his hereditary rights to a group of lands and church privileges in the parish of Cavers—originally granted by King James VI in 1618.
What Was Ratified?
The ratification approved Sir William’s ownership of five merk lands known as the kirk lands of Cavers. These included:
- Cruike (three merk lands)
- Whitriggs, called Husie (one merk land)
- Beige in Cavers (one merk land)
These lands came with houses, buildings, gardens, and all associated rights and boundaries.
Ecclesiastical Rights
Crucially, the charter also conveyed the advocation, donation, and
patronage of the parish church of Cavers. This meant Sir William
and his heirs had the right to nominate ministers to the parish and
collect the associated tithes (known as teinds), fruits, and rents.
Historical Context
These lands and church rights had previously belonged to John Ramsay, Viscount of Haddington, and were part of the lordship of Melrose, held directly from the Crown. The ratification ensured that Sir William’s claim
- originally styled as “fiar of Cavers” - was legally recognized and
passed to his heirs.
See also:
•
Cavers churches
This article forms part of the Douglas of
Cavers collection
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