Memorials of four old families

16
a Lieut. Govan, who had been the first to bring to Scotland the news of the
death of Charles I., and had expressed approval thereof. Swinton of Swin-
ton very nearly shared the same fate : he was sentenced to death, but his
life was spared while his property was confiscated. — Vide " Tales of a
Grandfather."
As to Ardkinglas and Inveraw, I have no doubt that they were not
executed, and that the latter was still alive in 1665. I have searched
through the 7th vol. of the Acts of Parliament of Scotland, 1661-16691
published in 1820, though the following extract from the preface to that
volume is not encouraging. It runs : — ■" Among the documents included in
the appendix are certain Original Proceedings in cases of Forfeiture for
Treason ; of which however the series is, in several instances, very defective.
These criminal proceedings, contrary to the usage of former periods, appear
to have been excluded from the General Register, or Books of Parliament,
in the view of their being framed into a separate record, and most of the
remaining originals bear the official mark of having been actually booked
or recorded.
" This separate Register of decrees of forfeiture, during the period of
this volume, has not been found ; but its former existence is ascertained by
the official Inventories of the Public Registers of the Kingdom, and its loss
is perhaps the only one of serious moment that has befallen the Records of
Parliament since the era of the Restoration "
The following occurs in a footnote : — " In an Inventory of the Register
Books that were in the custody of the late Clerk Registrar [Sir Archibald
Primrose] taken by warrant of the Court of Session and inserted in the
books of sederunt, 28th Nov., 1676, the Record thus alluded to is thus
described, under the head of Registers of Parliament, ' A Register of
Decreets of Forfeiture, begins the 15th May, 1661, and ends at that decreet
against Archibald Campbell, sone to the late Marquis of Argyle : ' in
another official Inventory, which appears to have been made about the year
1 701, the Register in question does not occur, and of its fate nothing more
is known."
What I did find is as follows :— The King, Charles II., soon after the
execution of Argyll, issued a Royal Proclamation dated 12th July, 1661,
that he intended in next session of Parliament to pass a General Act of
Pardon, Oblivion, and Indemnity.
It is quite clear that Ardkinglas was not executed in that year, for in
an Act in favour of Sir James Laumont of Ineryne, dated 3rd Sept., 1662,
" the Estates recommend that Laumont shall have reparation for his losses
out of the estates formerly belonging to James Campbell late of Ardkinglas,
and James Campbell late of Orensay, and which are now become at His
Majesty's disposal by virtue of their forfeiture."