MINUTES OF EVIDENCE

TAKEN BEFORE

THE COMMITTEE FOR PRIVILEGES

TO WHOM

THE PETITION OF ROBERT BARCLAY ALLARDICE

OF URIE AND ALLARDICE, ESQUIRE,

TO HIS LATE MAJESTY,

CLAIMING, AS OF RIGHT,

TO BE EARL OF AIRTH,

TOGETHER WITH

HIS LATE MAJESTY'S REFERENCE THEREOF TO THIS HOUSE,

WAS REFERRED.

Ordered to be printed 9th July 1839.
To be re-printed 4th March 1841.

6

Die Martis, 9° Julii 1839.

The Earl of SHAFTESBURY in the Chair.

THE Order of Reference was read.

The Petition of Robert Barclay Allardice of Urie and Allardice, Esquire, to His late Majesty, praying His Majesty to adjudge and declare the Petitioner entitled to the Honours and Dignity of the Earldom of Airth, together with His said late Majesty's Reference thereof to this House, was read.

The Counsel and Parties were called in.

And Mr. Knight Bruce and Sir Harris Nicolas appearing as Counsel for the Petitioner ;

And Mr. Attorney General and the Lord Advocate of Scotland appearing on behalf of the Crown;

Mr. Knight Bruce was heard to open the Allegations of the Petition

of Robert Barclay Allardice, Esquire.

Evidence on the
Airth Claim of

Peerage.

Then WILLIAM WILSON Esquire was called in; and having been W. Wilson, Esq. sworn, was examined as follows:

(Mr. Knight Bruce.) What do you produce?

The Patent of the Earldom of Airth in 1633.

Does it appear to be under the Great Seal of Scotland?

It does.

Where did you find it?

It was in the Duke of Montrose's Custody at Buchanan.

The Seat of the Duke of Montrose ?

Yes.

Was it found among his Grace's Muniments and Charters?
Yes.

(By a Lord.) In the Charter Room?

In the Charter Room at Buchanan.

(Mr. Knight Bruce.) In the Repositories of his Grace's Charters? Yes.

Cross-examined by Mr. Attorney General.

When was it you saw this at Buchanan ?

I did not see it there; it was deposited there.

W. Wilson, Esq.

No. 1.

Did you bring this yourself from the Charter Room at Buchanan?
No, I did not.

Mr. Attorney General stated, That if this depended on Custody the Evidence would be insufficient, but being under the Great Seal of Scotland that proved it, and therefore he did not object to its Production.

(Mr. Knight Bruce.) From whom did you receive that Document? From the Duke of Montrose's Chamberlain at Buchanan.

For whom do you now hold that Patent?

For the Duke of Montrose.

It is Part of his Charters ?

It is.

You obtained it from his Grace's Chamberlain at Buchanan?
Yes.

(By a Lord.) Are there more besides?

Yes.

(Mr. Attorney General.) You did not receive it at Buchanan?
No; I received it at Edinburgh from the Chamberlain at Buchanan.
(By a Lord.) Are Part of his Grace's Papers at Edinburgh and

Part at Buchannan?

Yes.

The same was read as follows:

Carolus Dei gratia Magne Britanie Francie et Hibernie Rex fideique defensor omnibus probis hominibus suis ad quos pntes litere pervenerint salutem Sciatis quia nos compertum habentes quod quondam Jacobus primus Rex Scotorum predecessor noster illustrissime memorie per suam cartam sub ipsius magno sigillo de data sexto die mensis Septembris anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo vigesimo octavo et anno regni sui vigesimo secundo dedit concessit erexit et disposuit quondam fideli et predilecto suo consanguineo Melisso comiti de Montethe et heredibus suis totas et integras terras infra Montethe in dicta carta mentionatas et easdem erexit in totum et integrum liberum comitatum omni tempore affuturo comitatum de Montethe nuncupandum prout in dicta carta de data predicta latius continetur cuiquidem quondam Melisso comiti de Montethe confisus et predilectus noster consanguineus et consiliarius Willielmus comes de Montethe nostri secreti

consilii

consilii preses indubitatus et legitimus heres linee et successionis W. Wilson, Esq. deservitus et retornatus existit et nos animo nostro recolentes eximia egregia et fidelia servitia nobis per memoratum nostrum confisum et predilectum consanguineum et consiliarium Willielmum comitem de Montethe dicti nostri secreti consilii presidem ex animi nostri sententia proque bono publico regni nostri et constanti ejus proposito in iisdem perseverandi prestita et impensa que nos e benigno nostro beneplacito memori mente reservare statuimus ut alii illius exemplo ad talia fidelia servitia prestanda instigentur Et interea temporis nos volentes erigere terras et baroniam de Airthe ad dictum comitem hereditarie pertinen in unum liberum comitatum cum titulo et dignitate comitis de Airthe modo postea mentionato igitur ereximus tenoreque pntium erigimus ad et in favorem prefati Willielmi comitis de Montethe et heredum suorum terras et baroniam de Airthe predict in unum liberum comitatum omni tempore affuturo comitatum de Airthe nuncupandum ac eidem univimus et annexavimus tenoreque pntium unimus et annexamus comitatum de Montethe absq, prejudicio omnimodo prefate carte de comitatu de Montethe concesse per prefatum quondam nostrum preclarissimum predecessorem Jacobum primum Regem Scotorum felicis memorie prenominato quondam Melisso comiti de Montethe de data dicto sexto die mensis Septembris anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo vigesimo octavo vel alicujus partis seu puncti ejusdem in ipsius pleno vigore robore et integritate ut prius remansure nullo modo prejudicate seu derogate sicuti nos ex nostra certa scientia proprioque motu fecimus et constituimus tenoreque pntium facimus et constituimus memoratum Willielmum comitem de Montethe et heredes suos comites de Airthe ac eidem comitatui univimus et annexavimus tenoreque pntium unimus et annexamus dictum comitatum de Montethe cum omnibus libertatibus privilegiis et immunitatibus ad liberum comitatum pertinen et specialiter cum loco prioritate et presidentia dicto comiti suisque predecessoribus tanquam comitibus de Montethe debitis in quibuscunq parliamentis conventibus publicis comitiis et alio modo quocunque ante quoscunque comites factos erectos aut creatos a dicto. sexto die mensis Septembris anno Domini millessimo quadringentesimo vigesimo octavo qui est data dicte carte memorati comitatus de Montethe per dictum quondam Jacobum primum nostrum illustrissimum predecessorem felicis memorie præfato quondam Mellisso comiti de Montethe et heredibus suis ut dictum est concess et volumus concedimus et ordinamus quatenus prefatus Willielmus comes de Montethe heredesque sui predicti nomen stilum titulum et dignitatem comitum de Airthe omni tempore affuturo habeant iisdemq, fruantur et gaudeant idq, cum loco prioritate et presidentia ante omnes alios comites iis antea debitis virtute dicte carte dicto quondam Melisso comiti de Montethe suisque predictis prefato sexto die mensis Septembris anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo vigesimo octavo predicto concess.

In cujus rei testimonium pntibus magnum sigillum nostrum apponi precepimus apud regiam nostram de Whitehall vigesimo primo die