Found that the King has no right to any of a deceast bastard's effects, if he leave a lawful child who may succeed him as heir, although he leave no heritage.
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Gif ane born bastard deceissis bastard, leivand behind him ane bairn lauchfullie gottin of his bodie, the samen bairn being male or female, may succede as richteous and lauchful air in his landis, gudis, and geir; and thairfoir the King hes na richt nor titill to the saidis landis, gudis, nor geir, be ressoun of bastardie: And it is sufficient gif he that is deceist bastard, leive behind him, the time of his deceis, ane air lauchfullie gottin of his bodie, albeit he left na landis or immovabill gudis; for, in this cais, it is enough he left sic ane lauchful air behind him, quhilk micht have succedit to landis, gif ony had been left, albeit thair be nane to the quhilk he may succede. The same found, 7th December 1563, Johne Auld against Guthrie Millar.
Balfour, (Bastard.) p. 238.*** The same case is reported by Sinclair:
Duncanus Dundas, Donatarius Reginæ, in et ad omnia bona quondam Johannis Moffat, bastardi, et ea ratione spectand. Reginæ eschætæ per bastardriam fecit per literas vocare omnes interesse habentes, ad videndum literas decerni ad officium Reginæ, ad inquirendum omnia bona dicti quondam Moffat, bastardi, et deliberandum eadem donatario prædicto; comparuit M. Tho. Majoribanks, procurator domini Thomæ Moffat, et uxoris dicti defuncti, et produxerunt testamentum ipsius defunct, in quo erant executores ipsi confirmati, et opposuerunt contra ordinem literarum; dixerunt peremptoriam summonitionem 21 dierum esse dandam, et non esse procedendum per simplices literas mandatorias.—Domini interlocuti sunt ordinem esse bonum, et non esse necessariam 21 dierum summonitionem; præterea allegabit Duncanus eschætam decernendam, quia defunctus de corpore suo hæredem non habebat, et sic de practica hujus regni omnia bona ejus debentur Reginæ ratione eschætæ.—Reddidit Major, quod tempore decessus sui habebat filiam unam ex legitimo matrimonio natam; et ubi bastardus natu habet heredem legitimam de corpore suo, cessat eschæta, et de bonis suis potest libere disponere; prout dict. Moffat ut supra fecit; et sic Regina eschætam pretendere non poterat. Et replicavit Dundas, quod defunctus hæredem non potuit habere, quia terras non habebat; et sic non baro, nec burgensis, nec sacerdos; præter quos de jure Scotiæ, hæredem potest nullus habere.—Triplicavit Major, quod filia erat legittima hæres patri, et habilis ad succedendum ei, etsi possedisset immobilia; et quod sic cesserat eschæta, interlocuti sunt Domini quod legittima et naturali prole existente bastardo de corpore suo procreata, et quæ posset ei hæres esse, si immobilia haberet hereditaria bastardus, cessat eschæta prius ratione bastardriæ.—Eandem Domini concilii assignaverunt terminum ad probandum plene legittimam existitisse defuncto, tempore sui decessus.
