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.
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