[1394/8/1]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Robert, by the grace of God king of Scots, to all good men of his whole land, clerics and laymen, greeting. Know that out of regard for the love of God and for the salvation of our soul and the souls of our ancestors and successors kings of Scotland, from the deliberation of our council and our kingdom, we gave, granted and confirmed by this present charter to God and the Blessed Mary and the religious men, the abbot and monks of the monastery of Melrose, present and future, all the custom of their fleeces up to the complete sum of fifty sacks, both from their own sheep and from the teinds of their churches, and otherwise from acquisition, whether produced by any profit or by procurement, of whatever source. To be held and had by the same religious men and their successors in perpetuity in free [and] pure alms without any reservation, freely, quietly, fully, integrally and honourably, with all liberties, profits and easements that pertain or that may pertain in any way in future to their aforesaid custom of fleeces, whether they sell these fleeces, or keep them in their own hands, or transmit them to other parts for their advantage in any way. We wish furthermore and grant that these religious men and their successors should have in perpetuity a double-sided cocket for imposing custom upon their aforesaid fleeces as is pleasing to them. Wherefore we firmly order and command the chamberlain of Scotland, the custumars, provosts and their bailies and all the other officers who shall be for the time that they should freely admit, allow and receive the cockets of the said religious men and their successors without any contradiction or obstacle, and not ask for, exact or take any customs from the said fleeces of the said religious men, assessed or in future to be assessed for custom by those religious men or their successors, notwithstanding any constitution, revocation or ordinance made by us, our successors or the council of our kingdom in whatsoever manner, or which may be made in future. In testimony of which matter we order our seal to be appended to our present charter. Witnesses, the venerable fathers in Christ by the grace of God Walter [Trail], bishop of St Andrews, and Gilbert [Greenlaw], bishop of Aberdeen, our chancellor, Sir Archibald [Douglas, 3rd] earl of Douglas and lord of Galloway, our most beloved kinsman, Sir Gilbert de Kennedy, Sir William de Cunningham, Sir Walter Stewart of [...], knights, Hugh Wallace, Adam Forrester and Rankine de Crawford, our secretary. At Edinburgh in our council held in the same place on the last day of August in the fifth year of our reign [31 August 1394].