Dochanassie Summary

Dochanassie

 

Principal Sources

 

RMS II (2191) – original 1466, (2559) 1500

RMS IV (1512) 1563-4

RSS VI (1067) 1570-1

AS II (989, 992) 1659, (993) 1660

 

ER XVI p 565 1533, pp 574-5 1533-4

ER XVII p 748 1537-8

Inverness Retours (92) 1662, (99) 1669

 

GD44/26/10 1637

GD44/26/11/3 Rental 1740

GD44/51/743/1 Rental of Lochaber 1642

GD44/51/743/2 Rental of Lochaber 1648

E760/1/2  M Campbell c.1751-5

 

RHP 861

RHP 2494

 

J Munro (ed), The Lochiel Inventory, Edinburgh, 2000, pp 16, 48-9, 63, 74

Rental of the Lordship of Huntly 1600, Miscellany of the Spalding Club vol IV pp 294-5, Aberdeen, 1849.

 

 

Rental of the Lordship of Huntly 1600, Miscellany of the Spalding Club vol IV pp 294-5 gives Dauchenessye as 40m and lists the component farms. I have used this as the basis for my table.

 

The place-name Dochanassie still appears on the map (Explorer 400) beside the burn called Uisge Dubh and its waterfalls in NN 2085/2086. However Forbes, Place-names of Skye p 189, defines it as Dabhach-an-Fhasaidh. Unfortunately, as with Gargavache, I do not think it is just the name of one particular davach. Instead I think it was often used as an estate name – as in the Dauchenessye of 1600. The following farms seem to have accrued to the original davach:

10m of the two Lenachans and Auchnashian which lay well south of the River Spean.

5m of Shian, Pitmaglaster and Cullinross which lay well to the north in Achadrom and were more closely related to Glengarry.

3¾m of Lindalie which lay south of the junction between the Rivers Spean and Lochy.

2m Annat in Glenroy.

 

These farms make 20¾m out of the total of 40¾m. The balance of 20m was, I think, the original davach of Dauchenessye. This was based around the south-east corner of Loch Lochy and gave its name to the whole estate. By analogy with lands like Lochiel, Loch Arkaig, Arisaig, Moidart & Morar (which lie to the west) I think the ratio in Dauchenessye was probably also 1 davach, or ounceland, to 20m. However it must be said that the lack of evidence makes such equations very uncertain. The little pennyland evidence we have for this area (contained in RMS IV (1512) of 1563-4) is incompatible with data from any other district!

 

(RMS IV (1512) of 1563-4 specifies 5d each of Letterfinlay, Stronenaba and Lindallie coming to a total of 9¾m. In 1570-1 (RSS VI 1067) the same three properties are valued at 10m. 15d = 10m does not match any other ratio I know of).

 

The descriptions in Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections II pp 170 & 523 distinguish between Dochanassie and Glen Gloy.

 

Within Dauchenessye proper the MacMartin family of Letterfinlay seem to have held a 9m land by 1648. This is set out in the Lochaber Rental of 1648 (GD44/51/743/2), in a 1683 contract printed in the Lochiel Inventory pp 48-9, and, in greatest detail, in a rental of 1740 (GD44/26/11/3). In the last-mentioned document it included Tarsuinn Eas, Letterfinlay, Innis Mhic Gille Ruaidh, Invergloy, Sron Ghlaoidh, Bulloch (Glen Gloy), Stronenaba, Torness, Mucomir and the sheiling of Auchivarie (Glen Gloy). This unit was almost half a davach.