Rosemarkie
Principal Sources
OSA Vol 11 No 26
RMS V (61) 1580 on original of 1576, (715) 1584 on original of 1567, (716) 1584 on original of 1568, (718) 1584 on original of 1561, (1767, 1793) 1590, (2112) 1592 on original of 1576, (2212) 1592
RMS VI (3, 12, 13) 1593, (265) 1595, (2113) 1608 on original of 1607
RMS VII (298) 1610 on original of 1607, (1249) 1615 on original of 1607
RSS VI (47) 1567
RSS VII (525) 1575-6
RSS VIII (1802, 1804, 1848) 1583-4
GD1/400/2/3 Section I pp 10-11, 1669
GD23/4/18 1661
GD46/18/130 1549
GD93/12 1379-80
GD128/64/3/9 1586-7
Retours (Ross) (36), 1615, (50, 51) 1619, (59) 1621, (61) 1622, (72) 1627, (94) 1645, (98, 99) 1649, (153) 1692, (190) 1699
RS36/2/273r 1607
RS37/1/307v 1621
RS37/5/69v 1633
RS37/5/311r 1636
RS37/7/252v 1656
RS38/4/15v 1670
RS38/5/104v 1681
RS38/5/237v 1683
RHP 1466 1788, RHP 1451 1830, RHP 1452 1849, RHP 1464 c. 1850, RHP 1463 1868, RHP 1467 1873, RHP 4413/1-3 1920, RHP 11661 1814
Cowan, I.B., Mackay, P.H.R. & Macquarrie, A. The Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland, Scottish History Society, Edinburgh, 1983.
Rosemarkie seems to have been almost all church land which raises the question of its status in the Early Medieval period. Quite possibly this was an important Early Christian centre which subsequently became the home of the medieval bishopric. It is difficult to assess the value of Rosemarkie itself because it seems to have been divided into a large number of small units that were allocated to the cathedral clergy. We know of manses, crofts or lands belonging to each of the following: Archdeacon, Chancellor, Dean, Subdean, Treasurer, Precentor (Chanter), Subchanter, the chaplains of the cathedral church and the bishop himself. In addition there were lands held in the canonry by rectors or vicars of the parishes of Kincardine, Kilmuir Easter, Logie Easter, Rosskeen, Alness, Lemlair, Contin, Avoch, Cullicudden, Kirkmichael and (possibly) Kiltearn. There were further units allocated to chaplainries such as Ballacuithe, Munlochy, Culcraigie (at least). The vicar of Rosemarkie also seems to have had a manse and kirklands and there were some plots known as St Catherine’s lands and St Michael’s acres. Finally there were burgh lands. (OPS II, II p 845 states that the Abbot of Arbroath had lands in the burgh in 1524).
I do not know what all these holdings amounted to in terms of davachs but probably at least 2 or possibly 3. The table gives us another 9 davachs so I think the total unlikely to have been less than 11.
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