Petition to parliament by Robert Charteris of 'Duchraw' [? Duchrays]. For the past...

Petition to parliament by Robert Charteris of 'Duchraw' [? Duchrays]. For the past ten years there has been a case before the lords of council and session between Agnes Maxwell, 'Lady Turnall' [cf. Reg. Gt. Seal Scot. 1652-1659, p.82, no.165], and her sister Barbara, wife of the petitioner, concerning the ownership of the lands of Dinwoodie, formerly belonging to their father Robert Maxwell of that place, now deceased. A third sister, Margaret, who married Mr. John [? Corsane], has now died. Charteris's wife is legally entitled to a third of the lands concerned, and to a portion of the movable goods of her father, but Agnes Maxwell through James Douglas of 'Mousnall' [? Mouswald] has prosecuted Charteris on a bond for 3,000 marks by which he, Robert Maxwell of [? Tynewall] and others became sureties for a friend, and has had him put into prison, where he has remained for seventeen months. She has also 'arrested' the rents and duties of his lands in the tenants' hands, and laid waste most of the property, hoping to force him and his wife to renounce all rights in Robert Maxwell's estate. Charteris has offered to accept the arbitration of mutually agreed friends, and has asked the defender to allow him liberty until the following Whit Sunday to attempt to free himself from the debt, he providing sufficient surety for his return to prison at that date if the matter is not settled. Since she has refused to accept anything less than a complete renunciation of all claims, he asks parliament to send a master or messenger of arms to summon her on 24 hours' warning (she being now in Edinburgh) to appear before parliament or the committee of estates, to receive an order to have Charteris freed on his terms. If she fails to do this he asks for a warrant to Mr. John Kinneir, clerk of the bills, for his temporary freedom.