Agnews of Lochnaw

258 THE EIGHTH HEREDITARY SHERIFF. [1628.
" And the said Earl, notwithstanding your Majesty's letters,
did upon the 29th of June 1628, being the Sabbath and pre-
paration day for the Holy Communion, come with a number of
men horse and foot, having muskett powder and shott, unto the
Petitioner's Parish Church, where his Lordship never was before.
Divers of his company being Eebells whom the Petitioner as
Sheriff then had and still has warrants to apprehend ; and
brought the Petitioner's officer that morning out of his own
house and bed to proclaim at the said Church, a Court to be
holden in his Lordship's name within the foresaid Bailliary, and
immediately after caused a number of armed men to go unto
that place where the Petitioner used to hold his Courts, and there
entrenched and fortified the same, placing Musketeers and Pike-
men Garrison-wise there.
" Upon the 2d of July then following, the Earl being charged
at the Petitioner's instance, by writ of Lawsuitry granted by the
Lords of your Majesty's Privy Council, to desist from holding or
keeping Court or approaching unto the said place under his
Highnesses will, yet nevertheless the said Earl did most con-
temptuously disobey the strict charge from the Lords aforesaid
and without having any respect unto the letters signed by your
Majesty's Eoyal hand in the Petitioner's behalf, did on the 3d
day of the said month, having convocated three hundred horse
and foot with musketts, hagbotts, pistolls, lances, and such other
warlike and invasive weapons prohibited, 1 come and in most
hostile manner upon the Petitioner's own domains, upon a part
of the Petitioner's own land, opposite to where the Court was to
be kept ; and there, to the great terror and disquieting of the
Country and in contempt of the Petitioner and the foresaid let-
ters they did shoote off their pieces ; and there (the Earl) kept
his men upon your suppliant's lands for the space of two days
destroying the Petitioner's corn and grasse to his exceeding great
losse and hinderance.
" Whose most humble suite is —
" That your Majesty will take the said Earl's high contempts,
1 The force of this passage is — " prohibited by law.'\