Kilmelfort Summary

Kilmelfort

 

Principal Sources

 

RMS III (826) 1529

RMS VI (213) 1594-5

 

Book of Islay p 6 1203

CRA p 3

Argyll Retours (24) 1621, (93) 1695

 

AS I (141) 1621, (225) 1622, (240) 1643, (330, 332) 1651, (361) 1652, (407) 1659

 

AS II (50) 1619, (88) 1620, (410-11) 1632, (523) 1634, (591) 1637, (736) 1644, (912-13) 1656, (938, 953) 1657, (1076) 1663, (1360) 1667, (1410) 1668, (1471) 1669

 

Genealogist 38

 

Miscellany (Scottish History Society) IV pp 175- 299

DR6/53 Argyll & Bute Archives

GD 112/2/41 1508

GD 100/4 1554-5

GD 1/426/1/2/2 1609

RH6/1639 1554-5

RH6/1691 1557

Clan Campbell I p 174 1718, p 257 1767

Clan Campbell III p 143 1759

Clan Campbell VI p 208 1618

 

The Argyll Valuation Roll of 1751 gives a total of 39½m for Kilmelfort. OPS II, I p 105, quoting a ‘Paper at Taymouth’ gives 39m 40 shillinglands. We can either take this literally and assume the total was 42m or, which I think more likely, assume 40s to be a mistake for 40d in which case the total is 39¼m. I find 40½m if I include the original valuation of Camusnanesrin, only 39m if I do not.

 

It seems most likely that the original value of Kilmelfort was 40m. OPS II, I p 104 (quoting Argyle Charters) states that in 1493 the lands of Melport then yielded 40m p.a. to the Crown. I do not have a single instance of a pennyland valuation, (or any indication of the ratio between pennylands and merklands), and there is only one definite Norse farm-name – Asknish. It looks as if Norse settlement here was minimal. On the basis of the evidence from neighbouring parishes to the north I am tempted to say that Kilmelfort was a 20d parish and that the exchange rate was 1d to 2m.

 

At only one ounceland Kilmelfort was a remarkably small parish – which might suggest that it is very old. It was sandwiched between the larger districts of Lorn and Craignish but managed to preserve its identity. WC Dickinson (The Toschederach p 86, Juridical Review, 1941) quotes a document of 1450 (Calendar of Charters, Reg. Ho. II, No 325) which refers to: “officium teoscheachdeorai tocius terre de Melphort”. That there was toiseachdeor of Melfort as a distinct unit, despite its small size, also argues for antiquity.