Apud Falkland ultimo die mens●s julij, ANNO. DOM. 1599  
Ane Act anent the Registering of Saisings, Reversiones, and some uther write, for the better trial o● the falsettis daily invented and occurring within this Realm.  
OUR SOVEREIGN LORD And his Estaites presently convened, Considering the gre●● hurt his Majesty's subjects sus●einis; and the innumerable falsettis daily invented, by forging of diver●● private writtis': The same being keiped obscure, quhill the moyen of the trial of the falset of them be t●ken away; Specially instruments of saising, reversions, bands for giving of reversions, assignations to r●versiones, intimations of the same, and discharges of reversiones. Quhilks writtis', being secretly keiper up, give they be true, to the prejudice of parties; Or maliciously obscured, give they be false, quhill process of time, decease of parties, witnesses and writers, take away all adminiclis of improbation; Na public records being established, quhairin all parties may find resolution of the estait of any Lands quhairwith they mean to contract. FOR REMEID Quhairof, It is statute and ordained, tha● in all time coming, all instruments of saising, reversions, bands for giving of reversions; discharges of reversions, assignations to reversions, and intimations of the same, quhilks shall not be registrate within the buikes of Counsel and Sessioun, within the space under written. And likewise, exceptand saisings of burgh's lands, halden in free burgages, given upon resignation maid in the Bailies hands, conform to the Act of Parliament, be insert and registrate in the Registers, presently appointed to that effect, within forty days, next after the making and perfecting of the same; utherwaies, to be nul and to make na faith in judgement, nor out with. And the said nullity to be received be way of exception. And the said's Registers, for the greater ease of the Liege's, to be established in the particular places following: That is to say, Ane in the town of Kirkwall in Orknay, for the hail inhabitants and Lands, lyand within the Schireffedome of Orknay and Zetland. Ane in the Burgh of Innernes, for the Schireffedomes of Innernes and Cromartie: Ane in the Burgh of Elgin, for the Schireffedomes of Elgin, Forres, and Narne: Ane in the Burgh of Aberdeen, for the Schireffdoms of Aberdeen, Banff, and Kincardin. Ane in the Burgh of Dundie, for the Schireffedome of Forfare: Ane in the Burgh of Perth, for the Schireffedome of Perth, and Stewartrie of Stratherne: Exceptand the Stewartrie of Menteith. Ane in the Burth of Striviling, for the Schiriffedomes of Striviling and Clackmannan, and Stewartrie of Menteith: Ane in the Burgh of Cowper in Fyfe, for the Schireffedoms of Fife and Kinroschyre: Ane in the Burgh of Edinburgh, for the Schireffedome of Edinburgh principal, and Constabularie of Hadingtoun: Ane in the Burgh of Linlithgow, for the Schireffedomes of Linlithgow and Bathcat: Ane in the Burgh of Lauder, for the Schireffedomes of Berwik, Roxburgh, Selkirk and Pebbles, and Bailliarie of Lauderdaill: Ane in the town of Hammiltoun, for the Schireffdome of Lanerke, Exceptand the Burgh and barony of Glascow. Ane in the City of Glascow, for the barony of Glascow, and the Schireffedome of Renfrew: Ane in the Burgh of Dumbartane, for the Schireffedomes of Dumbartane, Bute, Argyle, Arrane, and Tarbeit: Ane in the Burgh of air, for the Schireffedome of Air, and Bailliaries of Kyle, Carrick, and Cunninghame: Ane in the Burgh of Wigtoun, for the Schireffedome of Wigtoun: Ane in the Burgh of Dumfreis, for the Schireffedome of Dumfreis, and Stewartries of Kirkcudbrycht and Annerdaile: Or any other place or places mair convenient, as the keiper of the saidis Registers shall think expedient, dew intimation being made to the Liege's of the same. And the said's evidents to be registrate in the particular buikes, appointed for ilk Schireffedome, as said is. And to the effect the said office may presently, & in all time coming, be the mair faithfully ministrat: STATUTES & ordains, the same to be annexed & incorporate with the office of Secretary. And the foresaids registers, to be called the Registers of the Secretary, in all time coming. And that the Secretary, present and to come, have the said office, as one proper part, and pertinent of the said Secretary: Make, and constitute particular deputies, one or maa, in every one of the places foresaids, of guide fame, literature▪ and qualification; for quhom he shall be answerable, and quha salbe resident within the said town and burgh, ready at all times to receive fra the parties their evidents, & regestrat the same within the space of twenty four hours, next after the receipt thereof, and deliver to the presentar of the same, their Evidents marked be him, with the day, month, and zeir of the registratioun; and in quhat leaf of the buike the same is registrate: And shall take allanerlie for his pains, the sum of thretteene shillings four pennies. As for the price of ilk leaf of his Register, written on baith the sides: And according thereto, shall take proportionally, for registering of every one of the said's Evidents. Quhilk depute to be appointed, as said is, for keiping of ilk register foresaid. Shall twice ilk zeir, at the feast of Whitsunday and Martimes, make one roll of all Evidents, presented and marked be him, the half zeir preceding, and shall affix the same on some public place of the town quhair he remains, that the same may come to all party's knowledge. And the said's registers to be filled be the said's deputes, to be marked be the Secretare or his deputes, to be appointed be him to that effect, with one note of the particular number of the leaves, that the same shall contain. And the saidis registers, after the filling of the same, to be reported to the said Secretare, to remain with him, and be patent to all our Sovereign Lords liege's, that fall have ado with the same. The extract of the quhil● register, shall have als great faith and strength, as give the original war schawen, except the parties havand enters to oppone against the said●● write, offer to improve the same, be way of action or exception. In the quhilk caise, the party purchaser of the said's evidents, and utheris havand enters to defend the same, salbe halden to produce the principals and originals; notwithstanding that they be registrate, as said 〈◊〉 And that none of the said's Evidents, be of force, strength, or effect, to any intention, bot to be null and of nane avail, except the same 〈◊〉 registrate, as said is. And his Majesty, and Estaites foresaidis, has ordained, their presents to be published▪ betwixt and the twenty daye● September nixttocum, at the mercat-croces of the head Burrowes of this Realm, and other's places needful: And to have effect and 〈◊〉 at the ellevint day of November nixttocum: In this instant zeir of God, 1599 zeires. And that their presents be ratified in the nixte Pa●●●●ment, and be authorized and allowed be the Lords of counsel and Session.   

printed at Edinburgh by Robert Walde-graue Prenter to the King's Majesty. 1599