To
His
Grace
,
JAMES
Duke
of
Queensberry
His
Majesty's
High
Commissioner
;
And
the
Right
Honourable
,
Right
Worshipfull
,
and
very
Honoured
,
The
Lords
,
Barons
,
and
Burgesses
,
presently
assembled
in
Parliament
;
Anna
Fowler
Relict
of
Mr.
William
Arnot
late
Minister
of
the
Gospel
at
Ebdie
,
HUMBLY
SHEWETH
,
THAT
Your
Petitioners
Husband
died
in
the
Year
1696.
and
Left
Your
Petitioner
with
five
Children
,
without
any
mean
of
Subsistance
,
except
the
Summ
of
Four
Thousand
and
Six
Hundred
Merks
Principal
,
with
several
bygone
Annual-Rents
,
which
He
had
secured
upon
the
Estate
of
Cunichie
within
the
Shire
of
Fife
;
And
albeit
my
Right
and
Securitie
be
good
,
Yet
by
the
cunning
and
unjust
practices
of
Mr.
Alexander
A●●●eck
who
married
the
ap●earand
Heiress
his
abstracting
o●
the
Writs
and
conveyance
of
the
Estate
,
I
am
not
only
excluded
from
the
upli●ting
of
the
Principall
Summ
,
but
likeways
●rom
the
uplifting
of
the
Annual
Rents
of
which
there
is
now
Twentie
four
Years
Resting
;
And
albeit
the
Lords
of
Session
before
whom
the
Ranking
of
the
Creditors
is
Depending
,
Did
appoint
your
Petitioner
to
get
Payment
from
James
Oliphant
present
Factor
,
of
an
Hundred
Pound
Sterlit
of
the
bygone
Annual
Rents
,
for
prosecuting
of
my
Just
Rights
,
and
supporting
of
my
Poor
Family
during
the
Dependance
of
the
Plea
,
upon
my
finding
Caution
to
Refound
In
caise
the
same
by
the
Event
be
not
found
due
;
Yet
,
the
Lords
of
Session
their
favour
is
Proven
altogether
ineffectuall
to
me
,
In
Respect
I
am
not
able
to
find
Caution
,
whereby
I
am
necessitate
to
Desert
the
Prosecution
of
my
just
Right
,
and
Your
Petitioner
and
Children
Exposed
to
Starve
,
The
High
Court
of
Parliament
being
the
Supream
Judicatory
of
the
Nation
,
And
who
have
Power
to
di●pence
Iustice
without
being
bound
to
the
Particular
Forms
by
which
the
Inferiou●
Courts
are
bound
up
,
And
before
whom
the
Cases
of
the
Widow
and
Fatherless
should
be
Particularly
Considered
.
May
it
therefore
please
Your
Grace
and
Lord
slips
,
to
take
your
Petitioners
Case
to
Your
Consideration
.
and
to
appoint
the
foresaid
Factor
furthwith
to
pay
the
Hundred
Pounds
Sterl
modifyed
by
the
Lords
of
Session
without
caution
,
upon
Your
Petitioners
granting
Receipt
,
and
Obligement
to
allow
the
same
off
the
first
and
readyes
of
what
shall
be
found
due
at
the
Event
of
the
Ranking
,
or
to
remit
to
the
Lords
of
Session
to
do
the
same
,
upon
my
giving
my
Oath
that
I
am
not
able
to
find
caution
.
And
Your
Petitioner
shall
ever
Pray
.