Cromarty
Principal Sources
OSA Vol 12 No 20
ER I p 26 1264-6
RMS IV (1225) 1557 on original of 1556
RMS V (1052) 1586 on original of 1564, (1400) 1587, (1971) 1591
RSS VII (1612) 1578, (2283) 1579-80
RSS VIII (833) 1582, (2327) 1584
GD1/88/5 1249-71,
GD46/21/2 p 7 1567, p 14 1678
GD305/1/42/12 1629, GD305/1/42/22 1672, GD305/1/43/4 1678, GD305/1/70/26 1567, GD305/1/154/40 1716
RS36/2/33r 1606
RS38/2/235r 1664
RS38/2/236r 1664
RS38/3/169r 1667
ALI No 32 1439-40
RHP 1046 1764
RHP 159/3 1850, RHP 159/1-2 1851
RHP 4045 1819
RHP 5494, 5495, 5497
Retours (Ross) (26) 1607, (143) 1685, (156) 1693, (158) 1694, (176) 1599
Macfarlane’s Genealogical Collections, II, pp 357-379
W Fraser, Earls of Cromartie Vol II No 527 1449 & pp 445-6
J Baldwin, Firthlands of Ross & Sutherland 1986, p 192, Fig 12.10
Our earliest data for Cromarty comes from ER I p 26 1264-6 which gives the account of William de Monte Alto, sheriff of Cromarty. He states a return of 24 merks from the 6 davachs of land which he holds in heredity of the king. This would be 4m per davach which I think was the Old Extent exchange rate prevalent in both Easter and Wester Ross. A charter by William de Monte Alto is given by W Fraser, Earls of Cromartie, II pp 445-6 for the period 1252-72. This refers to the davachs of Fernenes (Farnes) in the holding (tenemento) of Cromartie and the context suggests there must have been at least 3 of them. The document records that one of them was given to David of Denoon. Farnes was obviously a much bigger estate in the thirteenth century.
(I cannot reconcile Macfarlane’s Genealogical Collections, II, p 360, No 16, 1475 where Cromarty’s OE and NE are the same at 42 merks – unless 42 is properly 24)!
It is difficult to be certain of the total valuation of Cromarty. The lands which belonged to William de Monte Alto may have been 2 davachs of Cromarty and 4 davachs of Farnes (later subdivided into Farnes (2 davachs), Davidston (1 davach) and Peddiston(1 davach)). The davach of Navity and half-davach of Udale were additional to this – which brings us up to 7½ davachs. I suspect the total number of davachs in the parish was 8 and this matches reasonably closely with the estimated total based on the teinds c. 1578 (7½+ davachs).
Leave a Reply