Act of Union – The Address

PA7/28/82 Stonehouse

The address from Stonehouse was read in Parliament on 10 ^th Nov 1706.

Unto His Grace James Duke of Queensbury her Majestie’s High Commissioner and the most Honourable Estates of Parliament, The humble addresse of the Heretores and Comoners in the parish of Stonehouse within the Shire of Clidesdail

That it being the priviledge of all subjects to petition as the same is declared in our Claim of Right we crave Liberty to lay our mind before your Honours as to the great matters you have now in hand which concern us all.

In the first place we are not against ane Honorable and Safe Union with England consistant with the being and civill libertys of this ancient Kingdome whereof we are natives in which the providence of God hath preferred as a Distinct nation for almost 2000 years when many other greater people than we have been scattered, ruined and ther memorie extinct, and consisting wt our Covenanted work of Reformation for which our fathers have wresteld and spent their blood and laid down their lifes and in defence of which we resolve to venture our lifes and all that is dear to us.

And in the next place we heartly owne her Majestie’s authority over us as our lawfull soveraign and the government under her to which we have payed and are still ready to pay all dew subjection in the Lord and to spend our dearest blood in defence of her majestie’s person and authority but we must in like manner declare unto your Honors that We cannot subject our consciences to any mortal, nor yet our fundamental rights and priviledges which belong unto us by Right of Nature and are confirmed and established by law and we now perceving that ther is ane Treaty of Union with England laid before Your Grace and the Honourable Estates of Parliament which overtures do evert the very constitutione of this antient kingdome suppresses our monarchay extinguishes our parlaiment subverts all our fundamental rights overthrows our Religion and Liberty destroyes the Government of our Church and the purity of ye gospel and its ordinances and surrenders our precious interests and all that can be dear to us as Christians or men to the Wil of the English in a British Parlaiment which is contrary to ye Honour and the law of the nation, making this Antient and Honorable Kingdome a poor despicable addition and pendicall of England, and which is contrary to our most solemn covenants to the most high God. We cannot sit silent upon so great a desolation and impendent ruine without incurring the dreadful crime of perjury and drawing upon ourselves the curse of God and the stain of infamy to all after generations.

We do crave leave with all our right hearted countraymen humbly to supplicate your Grace and Honors that no Union be heastily entered into with England untill upon mature deliberation it be known to be honorable and safe and that the Treaty agreed on betwixt the Comyssioners for Scotland and the Comyssioners for England and now prented may be rejected as carrying in it destruction to this Kingdom in opposition to which we are oblidged in conscience and natural deuty by vertue of the lawe of God and of the land and of the bonds of the oath of God upon us to joyn at heart and hand with all our feathfull brethren and fellow subjects for the preservation of Religion and liberty and of the undoubted fundamental rights privileges of Church and State undermind and ruind by the said Treaty and for the asistance and defence of all such noble patriots as shal appear for the same good cause whose name shall be renouned to all posterity.

Subscribed at Stonehouse Kirk the twentie eight day of October 1706 year

Text for Stonehouse PA7/ 28/82 . Dated 28^th Oct it was read in Parliament on the 10^th Nov 1706. It has 108 signatures in total, some illegible. They appear in six irregular columns roughly as shown below.