Warrant, 31 December 1695, Edinburgh

At Edinburgh tuesday 15th January 1695

A1695/1/22

A1695/1/22¹

Letter: from the Council

Letter from the Councill to the Secretary anent Desertors frae Flander serving in Scotland

The following letter being read in Councill was transcrived and signed by the Earle of Annandale preses of Councill for the tyme in name and by appoyntment of the Councill and appoynted to be recorded followes the letter My Lord His Majesties late letter of the tenth of December last Bearing That such as have deserted from the Scots Regiments since they were in Flanders be seized on and none others by the officers from Flanders, hath occasioned a questione betwixt these officers and the officers of the standing forces in this Kingdome, for the officers from Flanders conceive that by the abovementioned letter they may sease on all that have deserted from the Scotch Regiments in Flanders, whether they have here againe actuallie engadged in the standing Regiments within this Kingdome or not and on the other hand The officers of the forces within the Kingdome alleadge his majesties meaning to be That noe Desertors from Flanders should be seized except such as are out of service For they say the Kings Letter of the tuentie seventh day of november J^aj vj^c and nynty and two years Toutching desertors of this sort allowes such only to be seized as shall be found not presently in his majesties Service And that agreeable to this Letter The Lords of privy Councill by their act of the sevententh day of November J^aj vj^c nynty Toutching recruits Grants warrand to the Flanders officers to seise all manner of Desertors as they can find but still with this quality not presentlie in their majesties service And further when the Lords of Councill gave instructions in Februarie last anent the Levies then to be made they in their sexth instructione toutching Desertors from their Majesties forces at home or abroad allow the said Commissioner of supplie to determine the desertor to belong to the persone who puts him out in the new levie albeit he be found a Desertor By all which Documents which we have seen They think That they have taken on the said Desertors lawfully And that therfore it cannot be his Majesties meaning that they should be taken from them And farder they alleadge That if after the Considerable draughts that are appoynted to made out of the Regiments, The foresaid Desertor shall lykewayes be taken from them, their Regiments will scarce have the forme of Regiments This being the plaine Case The Lords of his majesties privy Councill are desyreous to know his Majesties owne mynd in the matter viz Whither all the said Desertors may be seised or only such as² are found out of service and this I am commanded to signifie to you by their Lordships By whose ordors and in whose name these presents are subscrived by your most humble servant sic subscribitur Annandale p dated 15th January 1695 Directed thus on the back To the Right Honorable James Johnstoune Esquire Secretary of State for the Kingdome of Scotland