Benbecula Summary

Benbecula

 

Principal Sources

 

RMS II (2286) 1495, (2438) 1498, (2439) 1498 & Munro ALI pp 229-30

RMS VI (472) 1596

RMS VII (342) 1610, (1087) 1614, (1386) 1616, (1628) 1617, (1795) 1618

RMS VIII (547) 1623, (1610) 1630

RMS XI (541) 1663, (902) 1666, (1105) 1667

RSS II (2498) 1538, (3263) 1539-40

RSS VIII (783) 1581-2

 

GD201/1/205 1720

GD201/1/320

GD201/1/362/16

GD201/2/16 1756, 36 1764, 41 1767, 50-51 1777

GD201/2/8 1718

GD201/5/12 1720

AS II (177) 1624

Inverness Retours (32) 1617, (68) 1644, (88) 1662

Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections II pp 181, 530

OPS II, I, p 371 1582, p 372 1574

GD 128/49/3/1 & C Fraser-Mackintosh, Antiquarian Notes, pp311-13, 1897 re 1798 rental

CD II p 762 1610, pp 770-3 1625, p 753 1597, p 783 ff 1657

CD III p 256, 1726, pp 277, 287, 291

C Fraser-Mackintosh, Excerpta e Sasinarum Registris Vice-Comitatum de Inverness Vol II (1820-30), 1872

 

RHP 3028 W Bald (1805) – original

RHP 1039 W Bald (1805) – lithographed 1829

RHP 9301 Plan of the Island of Benbecula 1822

JB Caird, Early nineteenth-century Estate Plans, Togail Tir, pp 67-73, (NB map p 68)

 

 

Most documents refer to the 12m of Benbecula which, on the basis that it is likely to share the same ounceland to markland ratio as the rest of Uist, would imply 2 ouncelands or 40d. However there are at least 3 documents in the Register of the Privy Seal which refer to the 14m of Benvole, Benvoill or Benwela which would imply a total of 2⅓ ouncelands or c. 47d. One of these is RSS VIII (783) of 1581-2 which includes many of the farms on the island but not Heisker. It makes clear that the 14m included church lands like Baile Mhanaich and Baile nan Cailleach. The problem is that the total of all the farms in Benbecula comes to more than 47d. I find about 64d plus about 10d for Heisker. Unfortunately, as most of the assessments are late, I see no way of resolving the issue. I cannot be sure when the valuation of one farm may include that of another. However it seems likely that Benbecula was 4 ouncelands. I have found no references to tirungs or davachs in Benbecula.