Rosneath Table

Rosneath

 

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
Rosneath Meikleross Litil-Ross	5m 5m	1568 1568	NS 2681 NS 2680	Pont(16)	Rosmoir(Inventory of Lamont Papers p 85 No 262)
Portkill	5m	1568	NS 2580	Langlands(1801) RHP 3265
Camsail	5m	1568	NS 2581/2582 NS 2682	Pont(16) Langlands(1801)	Cammez(Pont)
Clachan	5m	1531	NS 2582	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	‘Reddend annuatim … 5m pro antiqua firma’ (rendering yearly 5m as the old rent)
Kilcreggan	3m	1568	NS 2380/2480	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	Kencraggane(1568), Kincraggen(1636), Kincraigen(1674). See below.
Aiden Meikle Aiden   Little Aiden	7½m	1568	NS 2281   NS 2380	Langlands(1801) Pont(16) RHP 3265 Pont(16) RHP 3265	£5 (7½m) (OE) of Edynmoir & Edynbeg(1568)
Ailey (North & South)			NS 2281	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	Although I have no valuation for Ailey it is on record from 1563 (Aillie in GD1/426/1/23/77).
Cursnoch	3¾m	1568	c. NS 2282	Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	50s(1620, 1663), 40s(1665). With Blairnauchtirran as 90s(6¾m) in 1669.
Blairnauchirrane	3m	1568	c. NS 2282/2382	Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	Also Blairnanthorrane(1568), Blairnacrane(1618), Blairnachrane(1620), Blarnachtra(1869). 40s(1620, 1663, 1665), 50s(3¾m) in 1618.
Knockderry Knokdorre-M’Kynne	£5 (7½m)	1548	NS 2183/2283	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	Knokdyrr/Knockdyrr in Pont(16). £5(7½m) in 1573, 1609 & 1627. See below.
Barbour or Knokderibarbur	5m	1575	NS 2184	Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	5m (OE) Knokderibarbur in GD86/233 1571-2, 5m (OE) Knokdori-Barbur in RMS VI (272) 1595, 5m Knokderriebarbor in AS I (16) 1618. See below under Knockderry.
Clynder	7m	1498	NS 2484	Langlands(1801)	Given as 7m with Barremman in 1498, 1660 & 1706. Clonzarg(1498), Clandearg(1660), Clanderg(1660).
Barremman			NS 2485	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	Given as 7m with Clynder in 1498, 1660 & 1706. Boroman(1498), Barramman(Pont), Bariman(1801)
Rahane Over Rahane Nether Rahane?	¼d or ½d 2½m (2½m)	1318 1618	NS 2386/2387	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	I only have a valuation for Over Rahane but it seems likely that there was a Nether Rahane with a matching value. Little, Meikle and Mill of in RHP 3265. See below.
Spittal of Rahane					See below under Rahane.
Mamore	¼d 9m	<=1248 1518	NS 2287/2387 NS 2388	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	9m (OE) with Mawbeg in 1518. 10m with ‘Mawbeg’ (Mambeg) in 1545, 1580 & 1603. See below and under Garelochhead.
Mambeg (see above with Mamore)	¼d	<=1248	NS 2388/2389	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	9m (OE) with Mawmore in 1518. 10m with Madamoir, Mammoir or Maumoir in 1545, 1580 & 1603. See below and under Garelochhead.
Altrenmoneyth Altermony Auldnamoine	¼d or ½d 5m	1318 1660		Ross (1777)	Altermone in RMS II (263) 1440-1. AS II (996-7).
Peaton	(5m)	1558	NS 2186	Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	= Altermony which was 5m in 1660. See below.
Letter	(5m)	1558	NS 2186	Langlands(1801)	See below under Peaton.
Duchlas	5m	1500	c. NS 2187/2188	Pont(16) Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	5m(1549, 1597-8, 1663, 1665, 1674). Duchlasch in RMS II (861) 1465-6. NRS transcription of RH6/2514 refers to 5m OE Dowfeles in Rosnethie. This is Duchlas.
Feorlinbreck	2m (¼d)	1672	NS 2391	Ross(1777) Langlands(1801)	<feòirling or farthing. 2m(1674, 1692, 1699, 1756, 1837). 8m with Fernicarry in 1545, 1580 & 1603. With Finnart and Portincaple as 7½m in 1501 & 1563. With Finnart and Portincaple as 8m in 1532, 1601, 1625, 1655, 1662 & 1680. See below.
Fernicarry	4m (¼d)	1513	NS 2391	Langlands(1801) RHP 3265	<feòirling or farthing. Forlyngcareth in GD220/6/1960/2 1507. 4m Forlyngcarech(1513), 3¾m Forlincare(1528). 8m with Forlingbrek in 1603. See below and under Garelochhead.
Feorlyng more	(¼d)	1440			HP IV p 204.
Fernamgerry	(¼d)		NS 2391	Langlands(1801)	<feòirling or farthing? See below.
Garelochhead	4m	1509	NS 2391	Pont(16) Langlands(1801)	4m(1546, 1558, 1559, 1568). See below.
Church lands of Rosneath	½m	1587			RMS V (1320) of 1587 and (2070) of 1591-2.
Total	98¾m

 

Rosneath

The name Rosneath contains, as its last element, the word nemed which means sacred place (Watson, CPNS pp 244-250). Watson (p 246) suggests ‘Neved’ lay in what is now Row while Rosneath was the promontory of ‘Neved’. We can follow the name through the documents to try and substantiate this.

(RMP = Paisley Register; CL = Lennox Cartulary).

 

The earliest reference to the parson thereof is no later than 1199 and appears in both RMP & CL:

Michaele Gilmodyn persona de Neuet (RMP p 157)

Michaele Gilmodyne persona Renyt (CL p 12)

 

We have several references to the church of Rosneath in the 1220s:

 

ecclesiam de Rosneth (RMP p 209)

which is the same as Cartularium de Levenax pp 13-14, where Amelec, brother of Maldoven, earl of Lennox, granted Paisley monastery:

ecclesiam de Renyt

(the church of Rosneath)

 

ecclesia Rosneth (RMP p 209)

which is the same as Cartularium de Levenax p 14, where Maldoneus [Maldoven] earl of Lennox confirmed the gift of his brother Amelec to Paisley monastery:

de ecclesia de Roseneth

(of the church of Rosneath)

 

ecclesia Rosneth (RMP p 210) appears in Alexander II’s confirmation, dated 1225, of Amelec’s gift.

 

While from 1227 we have references to the church of Neueth being ceded to the monks of Paisley Abbey:

ecclesia de Neueth (RMP p 321)

ecclesia de Neuith (RMP p 324)

 

From the above it would appear that the church of Rosneath could be referred to as both the church of Neved and the church of Rosneath.

 

However, in a secular context from the same period of the 1220s there is a grant of a saltpan in Rosneath by Hauel’, brother of Maldoven:

unam salinam in terra mea de Rosneth (RMP p 211)

where the parson of Neved is a witness along with the son of the sacristan of Neved:

Neuino persona de Neueth … Gilmothan filio sacriste de Neueth

 

(Hauel’ = Hamelen = Amelec = Avileth/Anweleth (below) and later became Aulay/Macaulay)

 

In the Addenda to the Lennox Cartulary are 6 charters from the Morton collection. Extracts from Numbers 2 and 4 are given below and show the lands of the family of Faslane, an offshoot from the family of the Earls of Lennox:

 

Cartularium de Levenax pp 91-92, King Alexander (II) confirmed on last day of May a.r. 12 (1226):

donationem illam, quam Maldovenus comes de Levenax fecit Hamelen filio comitis de Levenax, de Neved, Glanfrone, Moigliag, Letblaan, Ardereran, Kilmeagdha et Dolenchen

(that gift which Maldowen earl of Lennox made to Hamelen, son of the earl of Lennox, (i.e. Hamelen, who is the same as Amelec above, was Maldowen’s brother), of Neved, Glanfrone [Glen Fruin, Row parish], Moigliag [Milligs, Row parish], Letblaan [? Letterblaan – see text file of Problem Names], Ardereran [Ardardan, Cardross parish], Kilmeagdha [Kilmahew, Cardross parish] et Dolenchen [Tulliechewan, Bonhill parish]).

 

(On this basis we could say Neved did not include Glen Fruin and probably lay west of Milligs (NS 3084)).

 

In two charters in Cartularium de Levenax pp 96-98 Maldoven, earl of Lennox, gives details about Luss parish which show that its boundary with the land of Nemhedh [Rosneath] was likely to have been Allt a’ Chleibh beside Tom Buidhe in NS 2595.

 

Cartularium de Levenax pp 93-94, in 1351 Donald, earl of Lennox, confirmed to Walter of Fosselane (son of Anweleth of Fosselane according to charter No 3 p 92):

donationem illas et concessionem quas Malcolmus comes de Levenax fecit dedit et concessit Avileth domino de Fosselane, de terris de Keppach, de Culgrayane, de Camceskanys, de Kyrkmychell, de Airddendgappil, de Arddenaconvell, de Letdovald, de Bullernok, de Fosselane, et de Glenfrone, et de Muleig

(that gift and grant which Malcolm earl of Lennox made, gave and granted to Avileth, lord of Faslane of the lands of Keppoch (Cardross), Colgrain (Cardross), Camis Eskan (Cardross), Kirkmichael (Row), Ardencaple (Row), Ardenconnel (Row), Lettirowall (Row), Balernock (Row), Faslane (Row), Glen Fruin (Row) and Milligs (Row)).

 

Unfortunately this latter grant does not specify Neved but it is possible that some of the lands mentioned – specifically those which lay west of Milligs – constituted Neved. These could include Ardencaple, Ardenconnel, Lettirowall, Balernock and Faslane. Row parish is a modern creation and I am not sure exactly what lay in the earlier parishes of Rosneath and Cardross. It is also possible that while the Faslane family resided in Faslane the lands named immediately above may effectively have been a separate parish based round their castle. I am also unsure whether there was ever a separate parish of Neved regarded as distinct from Rosneath. On the evidence given above it seems that the names Rosneath and Neved were sometimes interchangeable. If – as seems to be the case – the church of Neved was the same as the church of Rosneath then Watson’s distinction seems unlikely.

 

 

For another possible parson of Rosneath see GD198/217 1214-1248 which is a charter by Malcolm, son of Maldoune [Maldoven], earl of Leuenax [Lennox] to Malmore, son of Niel, of 2 quarters of land of Finphort, a quarter of Mammore and a quarter of Mambege as the same were once held by said Malmore from John the parson, and afterwards from Maldoune, earl of Leuenax (see Fraser, Lennox, II, No 205, p 403, for Latin).

 

 

 

GD220/6/1972 1523 refers to a 22m (OE) estate including Mawmore, Mawbeg, Blarwardane, Forlynecarrith and the Strone. This is also mentioned in GD220/2/1/163 1565. Blarwardane and the Strone are now in Row parish but at the time may well have been part of Rosneath. 22m matches the sum of their individual valuations.

 

Kilcreggan

OPS I p 29 thought the name Kilcragin indicated a former religious site but all the early spellings indicate that the first element in the name was ceann (head) and not cille (church).

 

Knockderry

Dumbarton Retours (94) of 1573 refers to Dormandus McKynnie, heir to Gilbert McKynnie while (13) of 1609 refers to Alexander M’Kinnie, heir to his father Normandi M’Kinnie. Dormandus and Normandi are both for Norman or Tormod, a name we should expect in Lewis but which seems unusual in Rosneath. Black (Surnames of Scotland p 525) claims Mackinnie is from Galloway but it is interesting to find such a Norse-sounding name at the very edge of Norse penetration into mainland Scotland. The original Knockderry seems to have included both Knokdorre-M’Kynne of 1548 and Knokderibarbur of 1572 – making it worth 12½m in total. Barbour or Knokderibarbur formerly belonged to the Collegiate Church of Dumbarton.

 

Rahane

In RMS I (83) Robert I grants Duncan:

‘duas quadrantas terre cum pertinenciis que vocantur Ratheon et Atrenmonythe in le Levenaux, in extentum septem marcatarum terre’

(two farthinglands with pertinents, called Rahane and Altermonie, in Lennox, seven merklands in extent).

 

RRS V (136) 1318 gives the spelling ‘Altrenmoneyth’ and thinks this is Antermony in Stirlingshire – I am sure it is not. Duncan is also given the office of serjeanty in the sheriffdom of Dunbarton. It is not explicitly stated that the office went with the lands but it may have done. This document does however leave us with a problem. We might expect a ½d in Rosneath to have an extent of 3m – the document states 7m. OPS I p 504 gives two farthinglands (quadratas) for each of Ratheon and Altrenmonyth (i.e. 1d in total). It gives as source a charter ‘pasted in a volume in the collection of the Northern Institution, Inverness’. If this is an independent source then it goes part of the way to solving our problem because 1d in Rosneath might be worth 6m – if the situation in Rosneath was similar to Eastern Cowal, Bute and Arran. OPS also assumes Altrenmonyth is in Campsie parish. There is an Antermony there but it is quite separate to the site in Rosneath which is referred to in these documents.

See also RMS I App 2 p 520 Index A No 197, Index B No 83; p 638 Index A No 1819, Index B No 73; RMS I (581) 1375-6; Robertson’s Index p 119 No 26.

 

I think it is fair to translate ‘quadrantas’ as farthinglands because in documents for Cowal (see Highland Papers Vol IV pp 14-15, 18-19 & 52) the word ‘quadratam’ is clearly for ¼d or farthingland. (For further examples of farthinglands in Cowal – ‘quadrantibus terre’ and ‘quadrante terre’ – see RMS I (480)). Cowal is immediately east of Rosneath and there are three place-names at the north-end of Rosneath which incorporate the place-name element feòirling (farthing) – see below. We have, therefore, both documentary and toponymic evidence of the Norse land-assessment system at work in Rosneath – but this appears to be its eastern boundary.

 

W Fraser, Cartulary of Colquhoun, 1873, p 437 No 1 and (same author) Chiefs of Colquhoun and their Country, II, 1869, p 332, No 65, refer to the lands of Rahane with ‘le Spetal’ thereof in 1519. This will be the ‘Rahawine’ on p 21 of Cowan et al., The Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland. With a rental of 3s 4d it was one of the more valuable Spitals in Lennox.

 

Mamore/Mambeg

Fraser, Lennox, II, p 403, No 205 c. 1248 Charter by Malcolme, son of Maldoune earl of Lennox to Malmore, son of Nielgus of:

duas quadrantes terre de Finphort, et quadrantem de Mammore, et quadrantem de Mambege, per easdem diuisas per quas idem Malmore dictas terras de Johanne persona … tenuit …

Reddendo … annuatim duas marcas argenti …

Faciendo … forinsecum seruicium regis quantum ad terciam partem vnius harathor in Leuenax pertinet

or

GD198/217 1214-1248 – charter by Malcolm, son of Maldoune [Maldoven], earl of Leuenax [Lennox] to Malmore, son of Niel, of 2 quarters of land of Finphort, a quarter of Mammore and a quarter of Mambege as the same were once held by said Malmore from John the parson, and afterwards from Maldoune, earl of Leuenax, under reddendo of 2m of silver yearly, and service belonging to ⅓ of an arachor in Leuenax.

 

I think that the ‘quarters’ (quadrantem and quadrantes) here referred to are not quarterlands (as in the NRS transcript) but farthing-lands (see also under Finnart (Row parish), Rahane and Feorlinbreck (Rosneath parish)). If so, then Malmore is given a pennyland in total and he has to provide the service for ⅓ of an arachor in Lennox. This might imply a pennyland was ⅓ of an arachor but I have no other evidence suggesting this. It may be relevant that 2m is one-third of 6m which was the Old Extent valuation of a pennyland (and possibly a davach) in Arran, Bute and Eastern Cowal. The parson seems to have owned these lands before the earl. (See also Paisley Register p 157 and Lennox Cartulary p 12 for an earlier parson). Rosneath at this period will have included Finnart.

 

Peaton and Letter

RSS IV (408) of 1549 refers to 10m (OE) Altermony & Lettirbeg. In Dumbarton Retours (25) of 1625, (53) of 1655, (57) of 1662 and (71) of 1680, Alterpitoun & Letter are given a value of £6-13s-4d (or 10m). In GD1/426/1/23/21 (from Protocol Books in the possession of the Duke of Argyll) there is reference to 10m Altermone & Letterbeg in Rosneath and also (Vol 1 No 81) to 5m Letterbeg. WC Maughan, Rosneath Past and Present, pp 241-2 quotes a petition of 1882 which refers to:

5m land of old extent of Peitoun, commonly, or of old called Altermonie, or Alter Peitoun, as also all and whole the other 5m land of old extent of Letter, commonly called Letterbeg.

Peaton is evidently an Anglicisation of the the old name Altermonie. On Ross’s map of Dumbartonshire (1777) Peaton is marked just north of Auldnamoine.

 

Feorlinbreck

Two of the farthing-lands (Feorlinbreck and Fernicarry), of what was once presumably a pennyland at Garelochhead, have survived to this day. These names are on record from the fifteenth century. HP IV p 204 gives a charter by Isabella, Countess of Lennox to Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy in 1440 which refers to Feorlyng more and Feorlyng nacara de Kangerlouch (as well as Mamore & Mambeg). (See also GD112/25/2 1440). Forlingcarre, Mawmoir & Mawbeg are also mentioned in GD1/426/1/23/19 (Protocol books in the possession of the Duke of Argyll) of 1558. Furlinbrak is referred to in 1491 (Acts of the Lords of Council in Civil Causes 1478-1495 p 217) and, as Ferlyngbrek, appears in a dispute between Walter Buchquhannan and Donald Campbell in 1496 (Acts of the Lords of Council in Civil Causes Vol II pp 7-8). Given that Feorlin-breck, Feorlin-na-carry, and Feorlin-more are all on record before 1500 we might expect the fourth or missing feòirling to be Feorlin-beg. However Langlands plots Fernamgerry, which is not the same as Fernicarry, on his map of 1801. I cannot explain this.

Pont(16) and Blaeu(Lennox) both give ‘Corling’ at NE corner of Gare Loch. This is probably for ‘Forling’ (farthingland).

 

Fernicarry

See above under Feorlinbreck. Perhaps feòirling of the cairidh or fish-trap/weir. Forencrawe (with Rathene, Mawmore & Mawbeg) in GD220/6/1979 No 2 1533. Fraser, Chiefs of Colquhoun and their Country, II, p 326, No 60, 1513.

 

Fernamgerry

This is the third ‘Fern-‘ or feòirling site that Langlands plots in 1801. It appears slightly downriver from Fernbreck.

 

Garelochhead

Cartularium de Levenax pp 28-29, Malcolm earl of Lennox, refers to:

Keangerloch, et … Fynnard

(Kingairloch, & Fynnard) – where the former is the Gaelic for Garelochhead and the latter is Finnart

 

In Dumbarton Retours (25) 1625, (53) 1655, (57) 1662, (69) 1676, (71) 1680 and (78) 1685, Garelochhead appears as £9 (13½m) with Mamore, Mambeg and Fernicarry. Garelochhead may have included at least one of the four farthinglands. See also GD112/1/6 1440.

 

According to Ross’s Map of Dumbartonshire (1777) Garelochhead is not in Rosneath parish – nor are Finard, Tombuy and Stroine. They were all then in Row parish. For the purposes of this table I have placed Garelochhead in Rosneath, the other three in Row.