LVIII. Letter by Queen Mary, under her Privy Seal, founding bursaries
for five poor children, and granting to the College certain lands
and annual rents for their maintenance. Glasgow, 13 July
1563.
Marie be the grace of God Quene of Scottis, to the lordis of oure
counsale and sessioun and oure comptrollare now present and being for
the tyme greting. Forsamekile as within the citie of Glasgw ane
College and Vniuersite was devisit to be hade, quhairin the youthe micht
be brocht vp in letres and knawlege, the commoune welth servit, and
vertew incressit. Off the quhilk College, ane parte of the sculis and
chalmeris being biggit the rest thairof alsweill duellingis as provisioune
for the pouir bursouris and maisteris to teche ceissit sua that the samyn
apperit rather to be the decay of ane Vniuersitie nor ony wyse to be
reknit ane establisset fundatioun. And we for the zele we beir to letres,
and for the gude will we haue that vertew be incressit within oure realme,
haue foundit and erectit, and be thir oure letres foundis and erectis, five
pouir childrene bursouris within the said college to be callit in all tymes
cuming, Bursouris of oure Foundatioune. And for furnessing and provisioune to be maid to the saidis five bursouris we haue gevin and grantit,
and be thir oure lettres gevis and grantis, to thame thir aikeris landis and
annuellis vnderwritten, mailes fermes proffittis and dewiteis thairof to be
applyit for furnessing of thame in meit, cleithing and vtheris necessaris
to thair sustentatioune. That is to say, the manss and Kirkrowme of
the Freiris Predicatouris within the said citie; threttene aikeris of land
liand besyde the samyn citie; tene markis of annuell quhilkis war wount
to be vptakin be the saidis Freiris of sindrie tenementis within the
citie foirsaid; twenty markis of annuell to be taken vp yeirlie of the
Nethertoun of Hammiltoun; tene bollis ferme meill to be taken vp yeirlie
of certane landis within the boundis of the Levinax and tene markis to be
taken vp yeirlie of the landis and lordschip of Avendaill. And ordanis the
maister of the said College and Vniuersite now present and being for the
tyme, to intromett and tak vp the males, fermes, proffittis and dewiteis of
the saidis aikeris, landis, manss, and yairdis and annuellis foirsaidis, yeirlie
and in all tymes cuming, and apply the samyn to the sustentatioun of
the saidis bursouris. And to sett and raiss the saidis aikeris, manss and
yardis imputt and outputt the tennentis and occupiaris thairof at thair
plesoure. Quhairfore we charge straitlie and commmandis yow our said
comptrollare now present and being for the tyme that ye causs the
maister of the said College and his successiouris maisteris thairof be
answerit of the mailes, fermes, proffitis and dewiteis of the saidis landis,
aikeris, manss and yairdis, and annuellis foirsaidis. And that ye suffer
thame intromett with the samyne occupy labour sett and dispone
thairupoune at thair awin plesoure. And that ye mak na stop, troubill
nor impediment to thame thairin, swa that the samyne may be applyit to
the effect foirsaid in all tymes cuming. Chairgeing alsua yow the saidis
lordis of oure Counsale and Sessioun to direct our vtheris lettres at the
said maisteris instance to the effect foirsaid. Ay and quhill ane generall
ordoure be taken be ws thairin. At the quhilk tyme we mynd to doit the
landis and annuellis forsaidis thairto. And als to mak the said College
to be provydit of sic ressonabile leving that tharin the liberale sciences
may be planlie techet, siclike as the samyn ar in vtheris collegis of this
realme swa that the College foirsaid salbe reputit Oure Foundatioun in
in all tyme cuming. And to that effect we ordane that quheneuir the
maister thairof or ony of the bursouris of the samyn happynnis to deceiss,
that vtheris in thair rowmes be placit be ws and oure successouris that
the memorie of the gude will we beir to vertew may remane to the
postcriteis tocum. Gevin vnder oure priue seile, at Glasgow, the threttene
day of Julij the yeir of God jm vc threscore thre yeiris, and of oure regunno
the twentyeane yeir.
Per signaturani manibus S. D. N. Regine et suorum computorum
rotulatoris subscriptam.