Letter: royal, 29 June 1693, Edinburgh

Act, 28 December 1693, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh The Tuentie nynth day of Juny Jaj vic nyntie thrie years

A1693/6/871

Letter: royal

Letter to the Queen

May It please your sacred Majestie
Ue think it our deuty to Informe yow That one Captain Wilkiesone Commander of ane English ship called the Countess of London Having presumed at his oune hand to seize a vessell called the fortune of Flensburgh Laurence Patersone master uithin the river of Forth ue ordored him to restore the said vessell but in stead of Giving obedience He sett saile and Carryed her away and when we requyred one Captain Douglass Captaine of your Majesties ship called the sueepstakes to obleidge Wilkiesone to his deuty Captain Douglas sailed after him but they soon aggried and Mr Wilkiesone delyvered him the forsaid vessell and took his reciept and obleidgement to delyver her in the river of Thames to the Lords of your Majesties admirality wherby your Majestie may perceave how that the rights and Liberties of this your antient kingdome are violat and lykewayes our merchants much Injured and discouradged nor Is this the only Instance that can be given of this sort But both in our east and uest seas and in the ports and harboures therof our merchant shipps have been seazed and some of them carried away by English and dutch privateers as if they were our Enemies And this abuse is gone to so Great a height that the Fermers of your Majesties Customes Have Given in to us a Complaint of the Interruptione of trade offer to Give over And our merchants are soe much prejudged and disheartned by these attempts and practises that many of them already have given over trade and the rest must follow their example Iff our Gracious soveraigne the King (to whom ue have wryten to the same purpose) and your Majestie doe not ordor a speedy remedie And therfore ue most humbly Intreat your Majestie To Give the necessary ordors for causing the forsaid vessell uith her Cargo Carried away by the sueepstakes to be restored to our merchants her ouners And also to Issue furth such ordors to all English ships of uarr privateers or others that for heirafter they attempt not to seaze upon molest or medle uith any ships (not upon open enemies) uithin our Scotts rivers or ports upon their highest perrill which being not only necessary for the securitie and freedome of the trade of this kingdome and the Intrest of your Majesties customes But Lykewayes for the preserving the rights and honor of this your antient kingdome which is certainly absolute and Independent ue are most assured that your Majesties princely care of us uill fully satisfie in this matter and as in all others the earnest expectatione of all your good subjects May It please your Majestie your Majesties most obedient most humble and most faithfull subjects and servants sic subscribitur Tueeddall Cancel: Hamiltone Erroll Linlithgow Strathmore Kintore Breadalbane Tarbat Polwarth J Johnstoune James Steuart Adam Cockburn W Anstruther

Att Edinburgh The Tuentie nynth day of Juny Jaj vic nyntie thrie years

A1693/6/871

Letter: royal

Letter to the Queen

May It please your sacred Majestie
Ue think it our deuty to Informe yow That one Captain Wilkiesone Commander of ane English ship called the Countess of London Having presumed at his oune hand to seize a vessell called the fortune of Flensburgh Laurence Patersone master uithin the river of Forth ue ordored him to restore the said vessell but in stead of Giving obedience He sett saile and Carryed her away and when we requyred one Captain Douglass Captaine of your Majesties ship called the sueepstakes to obleidge Wilkiesone to his deuty Captain Douglas sailed after him but they soon aggried and Mr Wilkiesone delyvered him the forsaid vessell and took his reciept and obleidgement to delyver her in the river of Thames to the Lords of your Majesties admirality wherby your Majestie may perceave how that the rights and Liberties of this your antient kingdome are violat and lykewayes our merchants much Injured and discouradged nor Is this the only Instance that can be given of this sort But both in our east and uest seas and in the ports and harboures therof our merchant shipps have been seazed and some of them carried away by English and dutch privateers as if they were our Enemies And this abuse is gone to so Great a height that the Fermers of your Majesties Customes Have Given in to us a Complaint of the Interruptione of trade offer to Give over And our merchants are soe much prejudged and disheartned by these attempts and practises that many of them already have given over trade and the rest must follow their example Iff our Gracious soveraigne the King (to whom ue have wryten to the same purpose) and your Majestie doe not ordor a speedy remedie And therfore ue most humbly Intreat your Majestie To Give the necessary ordors for causing the forsaid vessell uith her Cargo Carried away by the sueepstakes to be restored to our merchants her ouners And also to Issue furth such ordors to all English ships of uarr privateers or others that for heirafter they attempt not to seaze upon molest or medle uith any ships (not upon open enemies) uithin our Scotts rivers or ports upon their highest perrill which being not only necessary for the securitie and freedome of the trade of this kingdome and the Intrest of your Majesties customes But Lykewayes for the preserving the rights and honor of this your antient kingdome which is certainly absolute and Independent ue are most assured that your Majesties princely care of us uill fully satisfie in this matter and as in all others the earnest expectatione of all your good subjects May It please your Majestie your Majesties most obedient most humble and most faithfull subjects and servants sic subscribitur Tueeddall Cancel: Hamiltone Erroll Linlithgow Strathmore Kintore Breadalbane Tarbat Polwarth J Johnstoune James Steuart Adam Cockburn W Anstruther

1. NRS, PC1/49, 108-9.

1. NRS, PC1/49, 108-9.