Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland

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^{Registrum secreti sigilli regum Scotorum:
Volume 1 (1488 – 1529)}

1059. Major Entry / High Value Entry

1059, 27 January [1504/5], Apud Edinburgh (17 Jac. IV)
(RSS – Volume 1, Image 177, Page 155)

A licence made to Robert Guthre of Glensauch, to pass in pilgrimage to the apostle Saint James in Galicia, and a protection and respite for all actions belonging to the King to cease and rest from the day of his passing forth of the realm and for a year next and immediately thereafter following. By the King’s subscription.

Significance/Role within the Document:

• Robert Guthre of Glensauch is the sole primary recipient and beneficiary of the royal licence.
• The document grants him explicit royal authority to undertake a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James at Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Spain).
• It simultaneously provides him with formal legal protection and respite from actions in which the King held an interest, effective from the date he left Scotland until one full year after his return.
• The grant is issued under the direct authority of the King (Per subscriptionem Regis).

Guthrie Research / Genealogical Value / Notes:

• This is a strong Major / High Value entry because it names a specific early-sixteenth-century Guthrie as the primary party and associates him directly with the place Glensauch (modern Glensaugh, in Fordoun parish, Kincardineshire / the Mearns). This helps anchor a named individual and territorial designation in the Angus–Kincardine border region during the reign of James IV.
• The record confirms that a Guthrie of Glensauch held sufficient status to receive a personal royal licence for an extended pilgrimage and to be granted crown protection for his affairs while absent from the realm.
• “Per subscriptionem Regis” indicates the licence was issued under the King’s personal warrant/subscription rather than through routine privy seal channels alone — a mark of royal favour or particular importance.
• The protection clause (“a protectioun and respitt for al actionis belonging the king”) reflects a standard Scottish legal practice of the period: the crown could grant respite from legal actions, debts, or suits in which the sovereign had an interest, effectively shielding the grantee’s person and interests during approved absences such as pilgrimage, military service, or diplomatic travel.
• No other Guthries or family relationships are mentioned in this charter.
• High genealogical value for timeline construction, placement of the Glensauch/G lensaugh line, and cross-referencing with RMS charters or later Privy Seal and testamentary records for the same or related individuals in the Mearns.

1537. Notable Entry / Moderate Value Entry

1537, 10 September, Apud Edinburgh (20 Jac. IV)
(RSS – Volume 1, Image 243-244, Page 221-222)

Precept of legitimation of Patrick Adamson, bastard, in common form, etc. By the Signet. Granted gratis to M.

Thomas Guthre, servant of the Archbishop of St Andrews.

Significance/Role within the Document:

• The main document is a royal precept of legitimation authorizing the legitimation of Patrick Adamson, an illegitimate son, so that he could enjoy certain legal rights of legitimacy (particularly in relation to inheritance and succession under Scots law of the period).
• The grant was issued under the Signet (the King’s personal seal used for many administrative and judicial warrants) and was given free of charge (gratis).
• Thomas Guthre (Thome Guthre) appears in a supporting capacity as servant of the Archbishop of St Andrews. His name is recorded in connection with the entry, most likely indicating that he was involved in the presentation, authentication, or administrative handling of the legitimation on behalf of the Archbishop or his interests.
• No Guthrie is a primary party to the legitimation itself.

Guthrie Research / Genealogical Value / Notes:

• This is a Notable Entry / Moderate Value because Thomas Guthre is not the principal subject but is explicitly named in an official capacity as a servant (servitori) of the Archbishop of St Andrews in 1507.
• The reference places a Thomas Guthre in the household or administrative service of one of the most powerful ecclesiastical and political figures in early sixteenth-century Scotland. The Archbishop of St Andrews frequently acted as Chancellor or held other high offices and maintained a large household of servants, clerks, and officials.
• This record is useful for tracing possible ecclesiastical, administrative, or clerical connections of the Guthrie family during the reign of James IV. It may link to other Guthries who served in church or legal administration.
• “Preceptum Legitimationis … in communi forma” refers to a standard royal warrant for the legitimation of a bastard. In Scots law at this time, legitimation by royal precept could regularize the status of an illegitimate child for purposes of inheritance from the mother’s side or in certain other legal contexts, though it did not always confer full rights of succession to the father’s estate.
• “Per Signetum” indicates the document was authenticated by the King’s Signet seal rather than the Great Seal or Privy Seal.
• “Gratis M.” means the precept was issued without payment of the usual fees, granted freely to “M.” (possibly a Master or a specific petitioner whose initial is recorded).
• The marginal or associated reference “iii. 130” likely points to the original manuscript register volume and page.

4012. Major Entry / High Value Entry

4012, 12 December 1528, At Edinburgh (16 Jac. V)
(RSS – Volume 1, Image 604, Page 582)

A letter made to Alexander Guthre, making him pursuivant to our sovereign lord for all the days of his life, and giving yearly to the said Alexander the sum of £10 to be paid to him by the comptroller of our sovereign lord’s casualties, etc. By the signature of the King and the comptroller of the rolls. Gratis.

Significance/Role within the Document:

• Alexander Guthre is the sole primary recipient and beneficiary of this royal letter.
• The document appoints him as a pursuivant (a royal officer of arms and messenger) to the King for life.
• It also grants him a lifetime annual pension of £10, payable from the Crown’s casual revenues (casualities) by the Comptroller.
• The grant was issued under the personal signature of the King and the Comptroller of the Rolls, and was given free of charge (gratis).

Guthrie Research / Genealogical Value / Notes:

• This is a clear Major Entry / High Value record because it directly appoints a named Guthrie to a royal office with a lifetime pension and explicitly ties him to crown service.
• The appointment of Alexander Guthre as pursuivant indicates he was trusted with official duties involving the carrying of royal messages, proclamations, summonses, and participation in ceremonial and diplomatic functions. Pursuivants ranked below heralds in the Scottish officers of arms.
• The lifetime nature of both the office and the £10 annual pension (paid from the King’s casual revenues) reflects significant royal favour and provides evidence of a Guthrie in consistent crown employment during the reign of James V.
• “Per Signaturam Regis et compotorum rotulatoris” means the warrant was authorised by the King’s own signature and by the Comptroller of the Rolls (the official responsible for auditing and managing certain crown revenues).
• “Casualities” refers to the irregular or feudal revenues accruing to the Crown, such as wardships, reliefs, fines, and other non-regular income.
• No spouse, children, or other family relationships are mentioned.
• High genealogical value for identifying a specific early-sixteenth-century Guthrie in royal service. This record should be cross-referenced with RMS grants, later Privy Seal entries, heraldic records, and any testaments or land transactions involving an Alexander Guthre active in the 1520s–1540s.

552. Notable Entry / Moderate Value Entry

Precept 552, 13 September 1507, Apud Edinburgh (20 Jac. IV)
(RSS – Volume 1, Image 652, Page 630)

Precept for a feu-farm charter of Andrew Pettindreich. [Cross-referenced to RMS II, 3130.] By the Signet. Granted gratis to M. Thomas Guthre, servant of the Archbishop of St Andrews.

Significance/Role within the Document:

• The main document is a royal precept authorising the granting of a feu-farm charter (a heritable land tenure with a fixed annual feu-duty) to Andrew Pettindreich.
• The precept was issued under the Signet and granted free of charge.
• Thomas Guthre appears in a supporting capacity as servant of the Archbishop of St Andrews. His name is recorded at the end of the entry, indicating he was likely involved in the presentation, processing, or administrative handling of this royal precept on behalf of the Archbishop or his interests.
• This is the second 1507 record in which Thomas Guthre is explicitly noted in connection with the Archbishop of St Andrews.

Guthrie Research / Genealogical Value / Notes:

• This is a Notable Entry / Moderate Value because Thomas Guthre is not the primary subject but is again documented in an official supporting role as servant to the Archbishop of St Andrews.
• The repeated appearance of Thomas Guthre in two separate 1507 precepts (this entry and Precept 1537) strongly suggests he was a regular or established member of the Archbishop’s household or administrative staff during this period.
• “Preceptum carte feodifirme” refers to a royal warrant authorising the creation of a feu charter — a common form of landholding in which the grantee received heritable rights to land in exchange for a fixed annual payment (feu-duty) to the superior.
• The cross-reference [R.M.S. II., 3130] indicates that this precept led to the eventual issuance of a full charter under the Great Seal (recorded in the Register of the Great Seal, Volume II).
• “Per Signetum. Gratis M.” follows the same formula seen in other 1507 entries: the document was passed under the King’s Signet and issued without the usual fees.
• This record adds to the emerging profile of a Thomas Guthre active in ecclesiastical administration in St Andrews in 1507. It has moderate value for tracing Guthries in church or legal service and should be cross-referenced with other contemporary records of the Archbishop’s household, RMS charters, and later Privy Seal entries.

668. Major Entry / High Value Entry

Precept 668, 28 August 1508, Apud Perth (21 Jac. IV)
(RSS – Volume 1, Image 659, Page 637)

Precept of a charter of confirmation upon a charter made to Alexander Guthre. [Cross-referenced to RMS II, 3259.] By the Signet. Gratis.

Significance/Role within the Document:

• This is a royal precept of confirmation authorising the formal confirmation under the Great Seal of a previous charter that had been granted to Alexander Guthre.
• The document confirms that Alexander Guthre was the recipient of an earlier grant (of land, rights, or privileges), and this precept clears the administrative path for that grant to be ratified and recorded under the Great Seal.
• It was issued under the Signet and granted free of charge (gratis).
• The cross-reference [R.M.S. II., 3259] indicates that the final confirmed charter appears in the Register of the Great Seal, Volume II.

Guthrie Research / Genealogical Value / Notes:

• This is a clear Major Entry / High Value record because Alexander Guthre is the direct beneficiary of the confirmation. The precept exists specifically to ratify rights or property previously granted to him.
• The existence of both an earlier charter to Alexander Guthre and this formal confirmation precept demonstrates that he was a person of sufficient standing to receive heritable grants that required royal confirmation.
• This entry provides an excellent link between the Register of the Privy Seal and the Register of the Great Seal(RMS II, 3259). The corresponding RMS charter should be examined for full details of the lands, rights, or privileges being confirmed.
• “Preceptum carte confirmationis super carta facta Alexandro Guthre” is standard formula indicating a warrant to confirm an existing grant made to the named individual.
• No spouse, children, or other family members are mentioned in this precept.
• High genealogical value for timeline construction and for identifying an early-sixteenth-century Alexander Guthrewho received royal grants. This record should be cross-referenced with the corresponding RMS entry (II, 3259), any later Privy Seal appearances of Alexander Guthre (including the 1528 pursuivant appointment in Precept 4012), and contemporary land or testamentary records. Strong candidate for the master RSS Guthrie extracts table and for mapping early Guthrie landholding or royal service.

Registrum secreti sigilli regum Scotorum:
Volume 2 – 1529 – 1542

2600. Major Entry / High Value Entry

2600, 23 June 1538, At Sanctandrois (25 Jac. V)
(RSS – Volume 2, Image 265, Page 389)

A letter made to Johnne Guthre, his heirs and assignees one or more, of the gift of all mails, farms, profits and duties of all and whole the barony of Guthre, with the tower and fortalice of the same, tenants, tenantry, and service of free tenants of the same, together with the advocation and donation of the college kirk of the same, prebends and chaplainries thereof, for all years and terms past that the same has been in our sovereign lord’s hands, or his most noble predecessors . . . since the decease of the late Sir Alexander Guthre of that ilk, knight, or any other last lawful possessor and tenant to our sovereign lord or his predecessors of the same; and likewise of all years and terms to come always and until the lawful entry of the rightful heir or heirs thereto being of lawful age; with the relief thereof when it shall happen; with power, etc. By signature. Gratis. (40d.) £2.

Significance/Role within the Document:

• Johnne Guthre is the primary recipient of this royal letter of gift.
• The document grants him (and his heirs/assignees) full control over the revenues, profits, and rights of the entire barony of Guthre, including the castle/tower, tenants, and the advocation and patronage of the college kirk of Guthre with its prebends and chaplainries.
• The grant covers all past years during which the barony has been in the King’s hands since the death of the late Sir Alexander Guthre of that ilk, and continues into the future until the lawful heir(s) reach the age to enter the lands.
• It also includes the right to the feudal relief when it falls due.
• This is a comprehensive grant of the core family barony and its associated ecclesiastical rights during a period of non-entry or wardship.

Guthrie Research / Genealogical Value / Notes:

• This is a strong Major Entry / High Value record because it directly concerns the barony of Guthre itself and names Johnne Guthre as the recipient of the royal gift of the entire estate and its kirk rights following the death of Sir Alexander Guthre of that ilk, knight.
• The document provides clear evidence of succession to the main Guthrie of Guthrie line in 1538. Johnne Guthre is positioned as the person granted control of the barony and its revenues until the rightful heir(s) of lawful age can formally enter.
• The inclusion of the advocation and donation of the college kirk of Guthre (right to present to the church and its prebends/chaplainries) is particularly significant, as it ties the secular barony to important ecclesiastical patronage rights.
• This entry is highly valuable for establishing the timeline and identity of the Guthrie of Guthrie succession in the mid-16th century. It should be cross-referenced with the corresponding Great Seal charter (if it exists) and any testaments or later RSS/RMS entries involving Johnne Guthre or the heirs of Sir Alexander Guthre.
• The grant appears to function similarly to a wardship or gift of non-entered lands, allowing Johnne Guthre to manage and profit from the barony during the period before the heir(s) could take formal possession.

3074. Major Entry / High Value Entry

3074, 10 July 1539, Apud Sanctandrois (26 Jac. V)
(RSS – Volume 2, Image 330, Page 454)

Precept of a charter of confirmation for Robert Quithe of Maw — upon a charter of alienation made to him by Andrew Guthre of the same, concerning the half of the lands of the said Andrew called Kirktoun of Guthre, beginning at the sun, and of the mill of Guthre with the mill land, astricted multure and sequels thereof, lying in the barony of Guthre within the sheriffdom of Forfar; to be held of the King, etc. By the Signet. 10s. (40d.)

Significance/Role within the Document:

• This is a royal precept of confirmation authorising the formal confirmation of a land transaction (charter of alienation) between two Guthries.
• Andrew Guthre of the same is the seller/granter who alienated (transferred) half of his lands called Kirktoun of Guthre together with the mill of Guthre and its associated rights.
• Robert Quithe of Maw is the purchaser/recipient of these lands and rights.
• The lands lie within the barony of Guthre in Forfarshire and include the mill with its bound multure (mill dues) and sequels (customers/followings).
• The precept was issued under the Signet with the usual fee noted.

Guthrie Research / Genealogical Value / Notes:

• This is a clear Major Entry / High Value record because it documents a direct land transaction (alienation and confirmation) within the barony of Guthre between two named Guthries: Andrew Guthre and Robert Quithe (Guthrie) of Maw.
• The entry provides specific topographical detail, including the Kirktoun of Guthre (likely the churchton or village lands associated with the kirk) and the mill of Guthre with its astricted multure and sequels — valuable for mapping the internal division and economic assets of the Guthrie barony.
• The reference to lands “beginning at the sun” is a boundary description (probably meaning from the east/sunrise point).
• This record is useful for understanding relationships and landholding patterns among different branches or individuals within the broader Guthrie of Guthrie circle in the late 1530s.
• “Preceptum Carte Confirmationis … super carta alienationis” is standard formula for a royal warrant to confirm a private land transfer so that it can be recorded under the Great Seal.
• High genealogical value for barony-level research and for tracing connections between Guthrie of Maw and the main Guthrie of Guthrie line.

^{Registrum secreti sigilli regum Scotorum:
Volume 3: (1543 – 1547)}

Public/open access to Volume 3 is currently very poor — significantly more restricted than Volume 1 or even Volume 2. There is no reliable, freely viewable digital copy with substantial page access available at the moment.

^{Registrum secreti sigilli regum Scotorum:
VolumE 4: (1548-1556)}

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^{Registrum secreti sigilli regum Scotorum:
Volume 5: (1556 – 1567) Parts 1 & 2.}

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Registrum Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum:
Volume 6: (1567-1574)

Volume 6 currently has very limited public access.

Registrum Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum:
Volume 7: (1575-1580)

Volume 6 currently has very limited public access.

Registrum Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum:
Volume 8: (1581-1584)

Volume 8 currently has no meaningful public access.

Best publicly accessible option for Volume 8 (1581–1584):

Volume 8 has the most restricted public access of the entire series.

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