{Arbroath Abbey, "Registrum Nigrum'} {f79r} {hand J} {item 255}
{(*QUERELA . D malcomi abbatis in parlame(n)to ac in co(n)silio cleri)}
{(TENTO ap(ud) \ Perth . aduersus do(minum) de meldru(m) . penes terras
VOCATAS)} {(. Cautey in \ baronia n(ost)ra de tarwas(s) iacentes
. Per d(omin)os de)} {(MELDRUm A mo(naste)rio iniuste \ ab(b)atas et
SIBI damnabiliter appropriatas)} Nobill~e and prepotent lordis
and honorabil~e & virschyful schyris {.} we {\} malcom~ abbot
of arbro^t and co(n)uent of ye same~ religios(s) men~ infefte (j)n {\}
{f79v} donat(i)on of landis & kyrkys w^t outh(uris) possessionis gyfyn~
to y^e sayd abbay in alimis(s) be {\} nobyll~ and deuote prynces(s)
{.} kyng will(z)e~m our fundator his successor(is) & sic±lyk be {\}
honorab(i)le lordis & baronis of gude mynd {.} quhilk(is) landis &
possessionis mortifi\cat~ to y^e said place be y^e forsad(is) fundator(is)
{,} lordis & baronis {.} ar confeirmyt be {\} diuers(s) haly fad(ur)is
papis of rome~ and be byschopys of diu(er)s(s) dyoces(s) {.} quhylk(is)
{\} co(n)firmat(i)onis co(n)tenis in yai(m) gret teribil~e & dreidfull~
sentens of exco(mun)icat(i)on {\} a±pone~ all yai(m) quhatsu(m)ewyr yai
be y^t brekkys y^e said mortificat(i)on of y^e said {\} possessionis
{.} & y^t vrangwaysle away takkys appropreys or analeys of y^e
{\} said abbais landis or poessessionis be y^e {\} forsad donator(is)
gyfyne~ to god almy^t^j {\} o(ur) lady & tyll sanct thomas patrone~
of ye said place {.} {lighter ink colour = same hand} quhilk(is)
landis & possessi\onis has beyn~ brukyt in pace & tra(n)quilite
be y^e said place & o(ur) predecessor(is) be(z)ownd {\} all memor of
man~ {.} quhill now in yir dais part of ewyl myndit p(er)sonis wy^t\out
y^e dredor of god or reme(m)mora(n)s of y^e dampnat(i)on of yar sawlys
{.} wrangis {\} & tribulis ws & o(ur) pwr tene(n)tis i(n) peciab(i)le
possession~ of part of o(ur) land(is) i(n) owr {\} baronye of terwas(s)
{.} And in special~e we meyn~ ws lame(n)tab(i)le on~±tyll~ (zur) nob(i)le
{\} Lordschypis(s) quhow we ar greitly hurt in o(ur) possessionis
& propyr landis of ye {\} townys of arquhorty and Cragy p(er)tenyng~
to ws ba^t in prop(ri)te & in co(m)mon~ {.} {\} and principale betuix
y^e said twa {.} town~ys and y^e town~ of kylbleyn~ {.} ye±quhilk
{\} land in an~ part is callyt on~ ye new Caute quhilk name~
it gat as we weyll {\} knaw in defraude of ws & of o(ur) pwr men~
tenent(is) of y^e said twa townis {.} quhilk {\} ma be weyll (con)sideryt
be yis reson~ {.} Lang tyme~ a±for was discord & debait be\tuix
o(ur) baronry of tarwas {.} & y^e baronry of fynd(z)hark quhilk is
now callit {\} meldrum~ {.} y^e owt±uarat bordoyr(is) w^t y^e landis
of kyl±bleyn~ and ordonedrane~ {\} as for y^t syd {.} ves decidit
and accordit betuix o(ur) p(re)decessor(is) y^t clamyt y^e said lan\dis
of kylbleyn~ & ordonaydran~ as lau^tfull possessor(is) of y^e same~
land(is) {.} quhilk {\} landis of kyl±bleyn~ y^e abbot & co(n)uent
for y^e tyme~ gaif owr yar(e) claem~ {.} to ye {\} lard y^t yan~
was callit {.} philip~ of findark {.} for his seruice quhilk he
promit\tit for hym~ & his y^t we suld on~±vexit be i(n) y^e lawe
of y^e land(is) {.} and to be gud {\} ny^tbowr to ws & tyl o(ur) men~
in tyme to cu(m) for±ewyr {.} c(e)t(era) {.} Alsua honorab(i)le lordi^s
{\} eftyr y^e decision~ of y^e debatis betuix yir twa baronys
{.} on~ ylk syd {.} it stude {\} in greit tra(n)quilite and paes(s)
& rest {.} quhen~ kyn±bleyn~ was gyfyn~ o(ur) be ws to {\} y^e said
lard of meldrum {.} veill to y^e space of ij^c (z)eiris & mair {.}
quhill now in {\} yir dais i(n) memor of man~ {.} com~ yar an~ office±man~
quhilk was an~ co(m)mon~ smy^t {\} & s(er)uand ba^t to y^e baronye
of taruas(s) & meldru(m) {.} quhilk co(m)mon~ smy^t duelt sum\tyme~
in o(ur) land of carnbrogy {.} & had his office±hous(s) i(n) y^t land
callit Cautey {\} quhlk~ {sic} smy^t had no^t yar an~ (z)ard nor
croft bot y^t smyde {.} y^e said smyde was {\} bygyt be y^t smy^t
in y^e tyme~ of vil(z)am~ of meldru(m) yan~ lard of y^e sam~ {.} and
{\} becaus(s) y^t tyme~ i(n) yai tua baronys vas few men~ of reputat(i)on
bot y^e said {\} lard of meldru(m) y^e sad smyt callit hym~ his
man~ for±to manteyin hyme~ {\} i(n) fernice & office of y^e cwntray
y^t oth(uris) suld no^t vrang hyme~ {.} and nothyr {\} gaif ye lard
to y^e said smy^t land nor crofte bot callit hyme~ his man~ alan(er)ly
{\} for±quhy he had nan~ land i(n) ya p(ar)tis to gyf hym of reson~
{.} becaus(s) it was {\} decidit of±befor as said is {.} and now
sen~±syne~ i(n) conte(m)ption~ of god & halykyrk {\} {f80r} in greit
daynger of yar saulis and i(n) hurt & preiudice of ye place of arbro^t
and ws {.} {\} y^e Lardis of meldru(m) has gart eyre~ & saw o(ur)
said landis of Cauty by all reson~ or {\} apperans(s) of ony clame~
titule or rycht yar±tyll {.} Alsua an~±othyr reson~ {.} (z)owr
{\} Lordscipis {sic} sal onderstand {.} had o(ur) land now callit
Caute beyn~ ye lard of meldru(m)s(s) {\} he had gyfyn it tyll his
secund" bruth(ur) quhen~ he gaif ye landis of kenbleyn~ {\} bot
his (con)sciens arguit hym~ y^e co(n)trare {.} becaus(s) it vas no^t
his land be nane~ {\} apperans(s) {.} be yis reson~ {.} our(e) marchis
y^t was yan~ betuix ye tua bwrnis {.} held {\} ye burne~ wpe to
woud of kyngude as of ye wast {.} part {.} and yan~ was wy^tin
{\} ws & o(ur) baronry ordyndran~ & k(i)lbleyn~ ye±quhilk(is) we gaif
o(ur) at y^e co(m)position~ {\} for his gud seruice and gud nychtbourschype~
as said is {.} quhylk landis he {\} gaif to his secund bruth(ur)
as is forsaid {.} And fra thyn~±furth~ {.} eftyr y^t co(m)posit(i)on
{\} was decidit betuix ws and kyl±bleyn~ be thyr marchis y^t is
to say {.} begynnand {\} at y^e bwrne~ y^t gays fra auchquhorty
quhar±y^t y^e strype fallys in ye said burne~ {.} {\} and swa
ascendand wp betuix ye landis of kyl±bleyn~ and ye moss(s) betuix
{\} ye hard & ye naysch & ewyn~ sowth owr to ye burn~ of o(ur) landis
of carn~brogy {.} {\} Alsua pleis(s) it (zur) ll to be re(me)morat~
ye vrangus(s) occupation~ of o(ur) said landis {\} of Caute was mowyt
& begwn~ on yis vay {.} for s(er)uice of o(ur) landis & aisiame(n)t
{\} of y^e said smy^t {.} o(ur) predecessoris owr# #luk#yt & tholyt
y^e smy^t tyll byg an~ smyde {\} in ye moss(s) {.} becaus(s) of his
colys and fuell y^t was necessar to hys office to be {\} won(i)ng
in tyme~ of (z)eir {.} ye said smy^t vas callit {.} ade of Caute
& i(n) skorne~ w^t {\} y^e ny^tbour(is) vas callit Lard of Caute
i(n) derision~ {.} becaus(s) he sett i(n) y^e myddys {\} of an~ cauld
moss(s) {.} & throw y^t skorne~ y^e land was callit Caulty {.}
And becaus(s) {\} he was callit swa {.} lard of cauty {,} quhoubeit
it was bot for derision~ owr {\} predecessor(is) thynkand it onkyndle
tyll thol~e an~ no(m)i(n)ation~ of lardschipe {\} of sic ane~ man~
in ye ye {sic} said caute w^tout ry^t or reson~ {.} yai remowit
and pwt {\} y^e said smy^t fra y^e said place {,} [?]or dreid y^t
p(er)cais(s) y^e smy^t or ony of his suld {\} eftyr be process(s) of
tyme~ pretend ony clame~ of ry^t tyll ye said Landis {\} Yan
this smy^t passit to ye lard of meldru(m) tyl haue his assistens
tyl be i(n) (con)trary {\} owr predessor(is) wyllis haldyn~ i(n) possession~
of y^e said office±hows(s) {.} & swa it vas {.} for {\} y^e said
lard tuk ye said ade in mantemyn~ & ye land be ye {.} & gart eyr(e)
{\} & saw y^e said land & appropry it tyl hyme~ {.} yan~ we menyt
ws of y^t vrang {\} to o(ur) bail(z)e for ye tyme~ callyt philip~
of du(m)brek {.} quhilk baill(z)e passit to ye {\} said land & straik
y^e sommys i(n) twa & hewyt ye plwthe {.} yan~ eftyr y^t {ins in
margin} ye {end} land {\} lay lang onoccupyt {.} quhilk interruption~
maid be y^e said bail(z)e is weill {\} knawyn~ tyl diuers(s) of (zur)
ll {.} and als tyll mony of ye eldayst mene~ in ye {\} cu(n)trey
{.} eftyr ye deceiss(s) of yis lard of meldru(m) {.} succedit tyll
hyme~ an~±oth(ur) {\} lard & largly begwd" quhar his predecessor
lefte {.} eryt & laborit ye said {\} land and maid habitation~
yar±on~ {.} becaus(s) yar vas nan~ to argwn~ nor tyll {\} mak resistans
yarin {.} for deyn~ valt(er)±pa(n)t(er) y^t tym~ vas an~ auld man~ &
resign~yt {\} ye abbacy tyll ane~ deyn~ richart±guthre {.} quhilk
was no^t actiue nor gaif {\} intendens for remeid of sic vrangis
dwne {ins} to {end} ye haly place {.} and swa ye place {\} & we
sustenis yir vrangys in yir said landis and sic±lyk i(n) mony owth(ur)
placys {\} scha^t & hurt we haif {.} & dredys tyll susteyn~ mar
da(m)pnach~e eftyrwart {.} bot\±gif {f80v starting with gif}} (zur)
ll {.} put remeid heir±in±tyll {.} Herfor we deyn~ malcom~ abbot
of y^e said abbay & co(n)ue(n)t {\} of y^e same~ beseikys & prays
(zur) nobylle lordschipys for ye luf of god {.} tyl intend auisytly
{\} tyll o(ur) said co(m)playnt {.} & to consider diligentle ye skathys
{.} costys & gret vexat(i)onis we {\} & ye said place sustenis in
ye persut of diuers(s) vrangis dwne~ to ws & ye said place {\} i(n)
diu(er)s(s) p(ar)tis w^tin ye rewm~ {.} and mast special in ye forsaid
landis callit Caulte quhilk(is) {\} o(ur) precessor(is) has (j)osyt &
brukyt peceab(i)le ij hundre^t (z)eiry̽s befor yir days {.} has o(ur)
{\} propyr pastur to ye said tua townis {(*SUPraDiCTA querimonia
HABETur \ In quodam veteri registro papireo)} {\\}