Benbecula Table

Benbecula

 

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
Lionacleit	3d	1723	NF 7849	RHP 3028	GD201/5/11/1 & 2, CD III pp 251, 256 1726, linked with Gerryghonil & 6d Machrimeanach in S Uist. See below.
Creag Ghoraidh		1798	NF 8048		A pendicle of Lionacleit
Borve	13d	1625	NF 7650/7750	Blaeu	Borg(Blaeu), 13d Borrow(CD II pp 770-3 1625)
Torlum	5½d	1756	NF 7850/7851		GD201/2/16 tack 1756, 5½d Torlum(GD128/49/3/1 1798)
‘Gerrygremynis’	1d	1498	c. NF 7751	Blaeu	Gher grimeness(Blaeu) is marked just S of Grimeness, absorbed into valuation of Griminish later?
Griminis	5¼d	1798	NF 7751	Blaeu	GD128/49/3/1 1798
Peighinn a Bhaile	(1d)		NF 7652
Baile nan Cailleach	4d	1574	NF 7653	Blaeu	Ex Iona Nunnery(OPS II, I 372), 4d Nuntown(GD201/2/36 1764), 9d Nunton(GD128/49/3/1 1798). See below.
Bailfinlay	4d	1625	NF 7753	Blaeu	4d Bellfindlay(CD II pp770-3 1625), 12d Belfinlay, Ardbeg & Ardmore (CD III p 287 1682) 12d of Bailfinlay(GD201/5/12 1720)
Peighinn Lodain	(1d)	1798	NF 7654	RHP 1039	GD128/49/3/1 1798
Aird	8d	1798	NF 7654		GD128/49/3/1 1798
Hey			c. NF 7655	Blaeu, RHP 3028
Baile Mhanaich	5d	1625	NF 7755	Blaeu	CRA pp1-4 1561, 5d Bellnamanach(CD II pp770-3 1625). See below under Baile nan Cailleach.
Cnoc Rolum		c. 1590	NF 7955	Blaeu, RHP 3028	Knok Voralam(Blaeu), Crockhoralam(Bald 1805)
Dun Gainmhich	7d	1777	NF 7955		5½d of the 7d lands of Dunnyanchy GD201/2/51 tack 1777
‘Dremlich ie Uachkir’	5½d	1798	NF 7955/7956	RHP 3028	GD128/49/3/1 1798, Drimileeah(Bald 1805), part of Uachdar?
Uachdar	(20d)	1625	NF 8055		See below
Gramasdail	1d	1798	NF 8155		1d Gramisdale(GD128/49/3/1)
Cuichmeane	2½d	1682			CD III p 287 & 291, 5½d Cuishmean(GD201/1/362/16)
Rosinish & Knocknagour	1d	1682	Roisinis = NF 8753	RHP 9301	CD III p 287 & 291. 1d Bossinis & Knocknagarve in (GD201/1/362/16). 2½d Rosinis & Knocknagour in Fraser-Mackintosh ‘Excerpta …’ II No 178 (1823).
Heisker/Monachs	9d or 10d	1644 1694	NF 6062 etc		‘Hellsker’, OPS II, I p372 quoting Protocol Book of Gavin Hamilton. 1m(OE) in Skene p 431. See below.
	(73¾/74¾)

Lionacleit

Lineclate & Gerryghonil are paired in the Bald map. In Fraser-Mackintosh ‘Excerpta …’ II No 178 (1823) it is described as ‘3d of Liniclet comp(rehending) the lands of Gerraghonill’.

 

Baile nan Cailleach

TGSI XXXVIII p 399 gives a reference from 1630 to 2m10s (2¾m) of Ballevanich & Balnacallech which would be just over 9d (technically 9&1/6d).

 

Uachdar

CD II pp 770-3 (1625) refers to “20d Wochtter Beambecula nuncupatis duabus Airdis et Knocksorlinn” i.e. (the ounceland or) 20d of Upper Benbecula called the two Airds & Cnoc Rolum(?). The modern settlement of Uachdar (NF 8055) would only be a part of this.

 

Heisker/Monachs

Heisker later appears under North Uist but all our earliest references couple it with Baile nan Cailleach in Benbecula. It belonged to Iona nunnery and may originally have been part of the Benbecula assessment. The references are:

RW Munro, Monro’s Western Isles of Scotland (1549), No 182

OPS II, I p 372 for 1574 quoting Protocol Book of Gavin Hamilton.

CRA p 10 1575-6

Skene, Celtic Scotland Vol III p 431. 1m Old Extent would imply 3⅓d.

RMS VII (1628) 1617

RMS VIII (547) 1623, (1610) 1630

Inverness Retours (68) 1644 9d Hilleskere (& CD II p 783 ff 1657, & RMS XI (902) 1666)

Inverness Retours (88) 1662

CD III p 494 1694 10d Heisker (& GD201/1/159)

Most early spellings give Helsker or similar.

 

RMS VIII (547) of 1623 states that ’11 den. terrarum de Skeirnakillach et Ylskeanacwissage in Wuest’ formerly belonged to Iona nunnery. (There is also a footnote to the effect that the latter name was spelt Ylskermacwissag’ in the Privy Seal Register). Beveridge (North Uist p 74) interpreted these as Heisker. I am not quite so confident since I think there may be some confusion with the ‘Kynnebir’ estate in Mull which was also owned by the nunnery and which is referred to as Leirnacalloch in 1635. The Skeir in Skeirnakillach might refer to skerry (as Beveridge thought) but I would favour ‘sgire’ as in ‘parish of the nuns’ if it actually refers to Mull.