Stirling peerage

INTRODUCTION, * 21
holden by the aforesaid Sir William Alexander, his heirs and
assignees, in free heritage, free lordship, free barony, and
regality for ever ; that the petitioner is the nearest and lawful
heir in special of the said Sir William Alexander, first Earl
of Stirling, his great-great-great-grandfather, and as such
entitled to the possession of all the territories, pertinents, and
particulars contained in the charters before and hereinafter
more particularly mentioned, that is to say, the first granted
by King James under the Great Seal of Scotland, dated 10th
September, 1621, and the second by King Charles the First,
also under the said Great Seal, and dated the 12th day of
July, 1625, the third by the said King Charles, under the
same Great Seal, and dated the 2d day of February, 1628;
that these charters were afterwards confirmed in open Parlia-
ment by the king in person in 1633, the ninth of Charles the
First ; and moreover, that Sir William Alexander, who had
been created Viscount Stirling in 1630, was, by patent dated
14th June, 1633, advanced to the dignity of Earl of Stirling
and Viscount Canada, the latter title being given to per-
petuate the name of the territoi'y so granted to him ; that, on
the 2d day of July last, the petitioner was, before the Sheriff
of the county of Edinburgh, served nearest and lawful heir in
special of the said William, first Earl of Stirling, on which
occasion he (the Petitioner) was, by a Jury consisting for the
greater part of members of the Faculty of Advocates and
Writers to the Signet, (persons learned in the law,) found to
be the heir of his said ancestor in the degree before men-
tioned, and the verdict was duly retoured to the Chancery in
Scotland ; and thereupon, by a precept from the king, direc-
ted forth of the said Chancery to the Sheriff of the aforesaid
county of Edinburgh, the petitioner was, on the eighth day of
the same month of July, infeft in the whole country of Nova
Scotia, together with the lordship of Canada, with all their
parts and pertinents, by seisin, taken at the castle of Edin-
burgh, in terms of the original charters before recited ; that,
by the same charters, the country of Nova Scotia having been
annexed, united to, and incorporated with, the kingdom of