in favour of any person or persons, and to give and grant new heritable infeftments under the Great Seal of his Majesty's said Kingdom (viz. of Scotland) to those to whom the said resignations are granted of the said Lands, and of the degree, state, order, dignity, name, honour, title, and style of Knight Baronet, with such like privileges, prerogatives, immunities, liberties, and others, whatsoever, which are granted, and to be granted, in the Charters already passed to the Baronets of the said Kingdom, made by his Majesty to be enjoyed and possessed heritably as an especial token of his royal favour.'

The following Royal Proclamation was issued in August 1625

'PROCLAMATIOUN CONCERNING BARONNETTIS.

'Apud Edinburgh penultimo die mensis Augusti 1625. 'Forsameikle as our Souerane Lordis umquhile dearest Father of blissed memorie for diverse goode ressonis and considderationis moveing his Matie and speciallie for the better encouragement of his Hienes subjectis of this his ancient Kingdome of Scotland towardis the plantatioun of New Scotland in America being graciouslie pleased to erect the heretable dignitie and title of Baronet as a degree of honour within the said kingdome (as formerlie he had done in England for the plantatioun of Ulster in Ireland) And being of intention to confer the said title and honnour of Barronet onlie upoun suche his Mats subjectis of the said ancient Kingdome of Scotland as wald be undertakeris and furtheraris of the Plantatioun of New Scotland and performe the conditionis appoyntit for that effect Causit publict proclamatioun to be maid at the Mercat Croce of Edinburgh be advise of his Ma Counsell of the said Kingdome geving notice to the cheiff gentrie and all his Maties subjectis of that Kingdome of his Royall intention concerning the creating of Barronettis there, and that

after a certain day now of a long tyme bypast prescryved be the said proclamatioun his Matie wald proceid to the creating of Barronettis and conferring the said title and honnour upoun suche personis as his Matie sould think expedient having performed the conditionis appoyntit for the said Plantatioun To the effect the cheifest Knightis and Gentlemen of the Kingdome haveing notice of his Maties princelie resolutioun might (if thay pleasit be Undertakeris in the said Plantatioun and performe the appoyntit conditionis) be first preferred be his Matie and have the said heretable honnour and title conferred upoun thame and there aires maill for ever or otherwayes be there awne neglect and default want the same And now our Souerane Lord being most carefull and desireous that his said umquhile deerest Fatheris resolution tak effect for the weele of this his said Kingdome and the better furtherance of the said Plantatioun and otheris good considerationis moveing his Hienes, His Matie hathe already conferred the said heretable honnour and title of Barronet upoun diverse his Mas subjectis of this his said kingdome, of goode parentage, meanis and qualitie and grantit chartouris to thame and there airis maill for evir under the Grite Seale of the said kingdome conteining his Ma3 grant unto thame of the said dignitie and of the particular landis and boundis of New Scotland designit unto thame and diverse liberties and priviledgeis contenit in there saidis patentis and is of the intention to grant the like to otheris And for the better furtherance of the said Plantatioun and performe the conditionis appoyntit for that effect and to haif the said honnour and title conferred upoun thame may not be hinderit nor delayit be going to Court to procure from his Matie there severall patentis and grantis of the said dignity and landis in New Scotland to be grantit to thame but may haif the same heir in Scotland with lesse truble to his Matte and chargis and expenssis to thameselffis His Matie of his royall and princelie power and speciall favour hathe geven and grantit a commission and full power to a select nomber of the Nobilitie and Counsell of this Kingdome whose names are particularlie therein insert or ony five of thame the Chancellair Thesaurair and Secretair being thrie of the five to ressave resignationis of all landis within New Scotland whilk sal

happin to be resignit be Sir William Alexander knight Maister of Requestis to his Matie for the said kingdome and his Mas Lieutennant of New Scotland in favouris of whatsomevir personis and to grant patentis and infeftmentis thairof againe to thame Together with the said heretable honnour and title thay haveing alwayes first performed to the said Sir William Alexander his aires or assignayis or thair laughfull commissionaris or procuratouris haveing there powers the Conditionis appoyntit for the furtherance of the said Plantatioun and bringing thame a certificat thairof in write under the handis of the said Sir Williame or his foresaidis to be shewn and producit before the saidis commissionaris And his Matie haveing likewayes gevin informatioun to the Lordis of his Secreit Counsell of this kingdome to certifie his subjectis thereof concerning his princelie will and pleasure anent the place due to the Barronettis and Knightis of the said Kingdome THAIR FORE the saidis Lordis of Secreit Counsell to the effect that nane pretend ignorance Ordanis letteris to be direct chargeing herauldis and officiaris of armeis to pas to the mercat croce of Edinburgh and all otheris placeis neidfull and mak publict intimatioun to all his Ma leiges and subjectis of this kingdome That all suche as intend to be Barronettis and Undertakeris in the said Plantatioun and to performe to the said Sir Williame or his foresaidis the Conditionis appoyntit for the furtherance of the said Plantatioun and haveing a certificat under his hand as said is may repair and resort to the saidis Commissionaris at all tymes convenient and ressave grantis and patentis from thame under the Grite Seale of this Kingdome of the landis of New Scotland to be resignit in there favouris to the said Sir Williame or his foirsaidis with the like liberties and priviledgeis and otheris whatsoevir as ar grantit to the Barronettis alreadie maid in thair patentis alreadie past under the said Grite Seale, and of the said heretable title and honnour of Barronett to thame and there aires maill for ever and tak place and precedence according to the dates of their severall patentis to be grantit to thame and no otherwayes And in like maner to mak publicatioun that his Mas princelie will and pleasure is That the Barronettis of this Kingdome maid and to be maid, haif, hald, tak, and enjoy in all tyme comeing freelie but ony impediment

the place prioritie and precedence in all respectis grantit to thame in thair severall patentis under the said Grite Seale and that no Knight, Laird, Esquire, or Gentleman whatsoevir who is not a Barronett presoome in ony conventioun or meeting or at ony tyme place or occasioun whatsoevir to tak place præcedence or præeminince befoir ony who is or sal heirafter be maid a Baronet neyther ony who is not a Knight tak place befoir ony who hathe the honnour to be a Knight thereby inverting the ordour used in all civile pairtis Certifieing all his Ma leiges and subjectis of this his kingdome and everie ane of them who sall præsoome to do in the contrair heirof That they sall be most seveirlie punist be his Matie and the saidis Lordis of his Counsell as manifest contempnaris of his Maties royall power and prærogative and thereby geving occasioun to disturb the publict peace. Subscribitur ut supra.

As a result of the special precedency given to the Baronets, the Scottish Gentry who had not been raised to the dignity early complained, as will be seen from the following Memorandum :

'CONVENTIOUN OF ESTATES-ANENT BARONETTIS.

'Apud Edinburgh secundo die mensis Novembris 1625. 'Anent the Petitioun gevin in be the small Barronis proporting that thay sustenit verie grite prejudice by this new erectit Ordour of Barronettis and the præcedencie grantit to thame befoir all the small Baronis and Freehalderis of this kingdome whairin thay pretendit grit præjudice in thair priviledgeis and dignity is possest be thame and thair prædecessouris in all præceding aiges and thairfoir thay desyrit that the Estaittis wald joyne with thame in thair humble petitioun that his Matie might be intreatted to suspend the

præcedencie grantit to thir Barronettis untill the tyme that the Plantatioun for the whilk this dignitie is conferred be first performed be the Undertakeris Whairupon Sir William Alexander cheiff undertaker of this Plantatioun being hard and he having objectit unto thame his Mas royall prærogative in conferring of honnouris and titles of dignitie in matteris of this kynd importing so far the honnour and credite of the cuntrey and that his Mas prærogative wald not admitt ony sort of opposition, and that this suspensioun of the Undertakeris præcedencie wald frustratt the whole Plantatioun After that the small Barronis had most humblie protestit that the least derogation to his Mas royall prærogative sould never enter in thair hairtis and that thair Petitioun was in no sort contrair to the same, and that thay acknawledged that the conferring of honnouris did properlie belong to his Matie as a poynt of his royall prærogative. And thay undertooke that if it wer fund meete be his Matie and the Estaittis that this Plantatioun sould be maid that thay upoun thair awin chairgis wald undertak the same without ony retributioun of honnour to be gevin thairfoir. The Estaittis haveing at lenth hard both the party is It was fund be pluralitie of voittis that the Estaittis sould joyne with thame in thair petitioun foirsaid.'

On the 27th October 1625, a Convention was held at Edinburgh. The Petition of the Scottish gentry was taken into consideration, with the result as shown in the following extract from the communication addressed by the Privy Council to the King:

'MOST SACRED SOVERANE,

'The Convention of your Majesties Estaittis, which, by your Ma direction wes callit to the tuentie sevent day of October last being that day verie solemnlie and with a frequent and famous nomber of the Nobilitie Clergy and Commissionaris for the Shyres and Burrowis præceislie keept, and the Taxatioun grantit, as our former letter to your Majestie did signifie.

'Upon the first second and thrid day of this moneth the Estattis