Charter by Gavin, bishop of Aberdeen, in terms of the last will and testament of the deceased Edward, bishop of Orkney, 10th April 1528

Charter by Gavin [Dunbar], bishop of Aberdeen, in terms of the last will and testament of the deceased Edward [Stewart], bishop of Orkney, who had appointed certain priests or chaplains to celebrate yearly for ever on his behalf, leaving it to his executors to arrange place and manner: Therefore the granter, with consent of James Leirmonth of Darsy, provost of the city of St. Andrews, patron of certain chaplainries to be founded for the said Bishop Edward - because they believe that by devout and continuous prayers, especially masses where the Son of God is offered for sins, sins are remitted, the pains of purgatory destroyed, and souls set free there­from to enjoy the delights of Paradise, is disposed to found in honour of the Trinity, the Virgin, St. Michael and All Saints, three perpetual chaplainries ordered in the said bishop's will; namely, two perpetual chaplainries of fifty merks yearly from the £20 lands of Hautoun, Smithihyll, Balmaledy, and Balmaschanoch, in the barony of Haltoun, shire of Kincardine, the eighteen merk land of Drumnod, in the barony of Montquhany, and two merk lands of the five merk lands of Maristoun, in the shire of Fife, lands bought by Bishop Edward and applied for the support of two chaplains (Masters William Marshall and Martin Mylis) chosen by the said James Leirmonth, as patron; of whom Mr. Martin Mylis and his successors shall pray for the soul of Bishop Edward at the altar of St. Duthac, in the parish church of St. Andrews, until a cell or chapel shall have been built or repaired of new in the cemetery of the said church of St. Andrews by James Benistoun, one of the executors of the late John, bishop of Orkney, for which work, and for prayers on behalf of the said Bishops John and Edward, the said James Leirmonth took upon himself the assignation of certain lands extending to 500 merks Scots money delivered to him; after the repair and erection of which chapel, Mr. Martin and his successors, chaplains, shall there offer masses and pray for the soul of Bishop Edward, while the other chaplain, Mr. William Marshall, and his successors, chaplains in the collegiate church of St. Salvator in said city, shall celebrate and pray at the altar of St. Michael; and the third perpetual chaplainry, of the yearly value of twenty-five merks, to be uplifted from the £20 lands of Doon, lying in the lordship thereof, bought with the late Bishop Edward's money for the support of one chaplain, Sir William Inglis, and his successors, chaplains in the said parish church, or in a chapel to be built after the pattern and style of the said foundation of Mr. Martin Mylis, for the souls of Bishops Edward and John: Wherefore the bishop, with consent of the said James Leirmonth, undoubted patron of the first two chaplainries, and of James Benistoun of Lammelatham, patron of the third chaplainry, gives, grants, and confirms to God, the Virgin, etc., as above, to the three perpetual chaplainries, and the said chaplains and their successors, who shall celebrate for the health of the souls of Edward and John, bishops of Orkney, their progenitors and successors, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, kinsfolk, friends and benefactors, and others from whom or by whom they or any of them received good and did not satisfy worthily; also for the souls of the granter and the patrons of the chaplainries, and for the souls of the provost of said college and of the other masters of the same, and of all the faithful dead, the foresaid annualrents in perpetual alms and mortmain to be uplifted yearly by the chaplains for the time, according to letters of assignation made by Mr. Hugh Spens, provost of the said college of St. Salvator, and Mr. Thomas Ramsay, canon thereof, respectively, with other annualrents which the granters may acquire and annex to the three chaplainries or any one of them. Provision is made that when annualrents are redeemed, the respective patrons are to receive the money and consign it in the hands of the friars minor 'de observantia' in the city of St. Andrews, and they shall dispone it upon other annualrents or lands, and shall divide other annualrents equally among the chaplains; providing also that the said James Leirmonth and his successors shall present fit persons to the first two chaplainries when vacancies occur, while the said James Benistoun and his successors present to the third chaplainry, and if either patron fail to present, the right may be transferred to the provost and canons of St. Salvator's only. The chap­lains shall be fit and sufficient in learning (' literature'), of honest life and conversation, and they shall make continuous residence in St. Andrews, celebrating masses continually which is laid upon their consciences, so that if any one of them in one year absents himself from his services or chaplainry beyond forty days, or keeps a concubine ('focariam'), his chaplainry shall ipso facto cease, without further process of law, and if any chaplain be promoted to any other benefice, altarage, or perpetual office, immediately on his obtaining possession his chaplainry shall be accounted vacant. Each of the chaplains shall every year hold the obit of Bishop Edward with covered table and burning candles, a 'placebo' and 'dirige' on the night preceding the day of the bishop's death, and requiem masses, which is laid upon their consciences. The chaplains newly admitted to their chaplainries shall find and give cautioners that they shall not alienate the ornaments of the altars, but faithfully preserve and keep them, and that they shall render to the patrons a yearly account of the same, or show them when required. Lastly, it is ordained that the patrons and their heirs shall observe and effectually fulfil the above premises, as they shall answer before the Supreme Judge at the last day. The seals of the bishop, the college of St. Salvator's, and the two patrons appended at Aberdeen, 10th April, and at St. Andrews, 20th April 1528.