The St. Clair Charters

¦ whole of the text About three inches in depth at the bottom of No . 1 in the rig ht hand corner is entirely wanting , which may have contained some signatures in addition to those that are given . The left hand bottom corner of No . 2 has been

similarly torn away , and the same remark with regard to signatures may apply to it . The first document is a Letter of Jurisdiction granted by the Freemen Masons of Scotland to William St . Clair of Roslin ( probable date 1600-1 ); the

second purports to have been granted by the Freemen Masons and Hammermen of Scotland to Sir William St . Clair of Roslin ( probable date May 1 , 1628 . ) They are as follows : —

No . I . Be it kend till all men be thir present Iris . Ws maisteris and frie men of the Maissones w'in the realms of Scotland with expres consent & assent of W Schaw Maister of Wark to our sou lord

ffor sa mekle as from aige to aige it hes bene observit amangs ws that the Lairds of rosling hes ever bene patrones and protectors of ws and our previleges lycbas our predecessrs hes obeyit and acknawledgeit thaine as patrones and pectoris

Quhill that w'in thir few yiers throwch negligence and slewthfulnes the samyn hes past furth of vse Quhairby nocht onlie hes the Laird of Rosling lyne owt of his just vrycht bot also our haill craft hes bene destitute of ane patrone protectour and

oversear q Ik hes genderit manyfauld corruptiones and imperfectiones baith amangis ourselfis and in our craft and hes gevin occasioun to mony persones to consave evill opinioun of ws and our craft and to leive off great interpryses of pollecie Be ressone of our great misbehaviour w * out correction

Quhairby not onelie the comittairs of the faultis bot also the honest men ar disapoyntit of thair craft and |? ffeit . As lyckwayes quhen dyvers and sindrie contraverses fallis out amangis ourselfis thair follows great & manyfald inconveniencis

throw want of ane [ patrone and protector ] we nocht being abill to await vpoun the ordiner judges & judgement of this realme throw the occasioun of our powertie and langsumness of process ffor remeid q ' of and for keping of guid

ordour amangis ws in all tymes cummyng and for advancement of our craft and vocatioun within this realme und furtherens of policie w'in the samin . We for our selffis & in name of our haill bretherene & craftismen w' consent foirsaid aggreis and consentis that W Sinclair now of rosling for him self & his airis purches and obteine at ye hands of

onr Sou Lord libertie friedome and jurisdictioun vpone ws and our successoures in all tymes cummyng as patrones & judges to us and the haill ffessoris of our craft w * in this realme quhom of we have power and commissoun Swa that heirefter

we may acknawlege him and his airis as our patrone and judge vnder our Souerane Lord w ' out ony kynd of appellatioun or declynyng from his judgement , with power to the said Williame and his airis to depute judges ane or mae vnder

him and to vse sick ampill andlairge jurisdictione vpoun ws & our successors als weill as burghe as land as it sail pleis our souerane lord to grant to him and his airis . WILLIAM SCHAW Maister of Wark

Edinburgh ASDEO SYMOSE J HOSE ROBESOUNE THOMAS WEIB mason iii Edr . THOMAS ROBERTSOOT wardane of the Ludge of Dumfermling and Sanct Androis and takand the burding vpoun him for I 113 St Andro "bretheren of ye mason craft within they

Lwdges and for the Commissionars efter mentioned viz . DAUJD SKOWGAXE ALEXANDEE GIIBEET & DAHID SPEITS Hadingtoun for the Lwdge of Sanct Androis , ANDRO ALEsOtrif and AECHIBALD ANSOTTS P . CAMPBEEL takand ye Commissionars for the Lwdge of Dymburdyng for JON . SAW fennling & EOT . BALZE and JoHIT

J . VALIAKCE SAW for the Lwdge of Heddingtoun WIL-LIM AMTOTOT with or liands led on the pen he the Notaries vnderwrittcn at or comuiandis becaus we can nocht write . Ita eat LAUEENTIUS ROBESOO- SOAcMesones Hea-ein t * rius publicus ad piscmissa requisitua dc specialibus mandatis diet ,

persona-GEOEGE ATTTOTJN rum scribere nescien . vt aseruerent Jo . FWSETIER testan . manu mea propria . THOMAS PEITICEWE [ Ita est ] H ENEICUS BAKJS-A [ TI ^ -E ] connotarius ad premissa [ de mandatisj antedictarum personarum [ scribere nescientiuin ut aseruerunt teste ] manu Dumfermling mea propria .

No . II . BE IT KEND till all men be thir present Ires . WE the Deacones maisteris and friemen of the maissones and hammermen within the kingdome of Scotland That forsamekill as from aid ge to

aidge it hes bene observet amangis ws and owr predecessoris that the Lairds of Rosling hes ever been patrones and protectoris of ws & o priwledgis Lykeas our predecessores hes obeyit reverencet & acknawledget thame as patrones and

protectoris q of they had letters of protectioun & vtheris richtis grantit be his ma ties most no progenitors of worthie memorie q lkis with sindrie vtheris of the Lairdis of Rosling his writtis being consumet & brunt in ane flame of fyre within the castle of Rosling in ane . . .