Ross – Summary Table

Summary Table for davachs in Ross

Ratio d:m = Ratio of davachs to merklands.

Parish/Area Davachs Merks(OE) Ratio d:m Pennylands Place-name evidence and Comments
West Coast
Kintail (incl. Glenshiel) 10 40 1:4 Yes, (162) Allt Peighinn a’ Chuirn, Allt Peighinn a’ Bhlair
Lochalsh 10 40 1:4 Yes
Lochcarron 5 Yes Allt Slochd na pein
Kishorn 13 1:4 No It is possible that Lochcarron + Kishorn = 10 davachs.
Applecross 2⅝ (12)? (1:4)? No Possibly + ¾ davach – see Applecross Table.
Torridon 1 No
Gairloch (3) 12 (1:4)? Excluding Diabaig.
Loch Broom 16⅜ (65+) 1:4
Coigach 4 8 1:2
of which … (de Insulis estate) (29⅛) Perhaps 30 davachs or half these west coast parishes.
Total W. Ross Min 55¼ I think this figure is a little shy of the true total. Uncertainty over the boundaries between parishes and where to include properties like Diabaig suggest that the ancient total may have been closer to 60 davachs
East Coast
Tarbat c. 9¾ No
Fearn c. 9¾ No
Tain 1:4 No
Edderton 9 No No value for Ardmore so possibly 10 davachs?
Kincardine 1:10 (NE)? No
Logie Easter 6 No
Kiltearn 1:10 (NE)? No
Lemlair No
Alness 9⅜ No
Kilmuir Easter No
Rosskeen 10½ No
Fodderty 10¼ No
Tollie No
Kinnettes 2 No
Contin c. 14 1:4 No
Urray No
Kilchrist No
Nigg 11½ No
Dingwall 3¾ + No
Kilmorack 11⅝ No
Total E. Ross Min 155¼
Ardmeanach
Avoch No
Killearnan No
Kilmuir Wester 11½ + No
Suddy 3 + No
Cullicudden No Possibly 12 or 13 davachs with Kirkmichael.
Kirkmichael No
Cromarty (1:4) No True total probably more like 7½ davachs
Rosemarkie 9 + No
Urquhart & Logie Wr 11¼ No
Total Ardmeanach Min 65½
Total Ross Min 276 A total of 300 davachs for Ross seems about right.

 

 

We are missing evidence of the land-assessment values of quite a few chaplainries. There were a number of these in Ross and some of them – e.g. Newmore – held significant amounts of land. Unfortunately, with regard to some of these chaplainries little data has survived. This is why I am confident the true total was nearer 300 davachs for Ross.

 

A total of 38 parishes is given here. Earlier there were a few more. We know of some combinations but the precise composition of parishes such as Loch Broom remains uncertain. 11 parishes appear to have been close to 10 davachs in size. There is a handful with about 5 davachs each. Was there ever a set number of davachs per parish? The evidence is too imprecise to be certain but I am of the view that if there was such a system it was decimal rather than duodecimal.

 

Bookmark and Share
Posted in General Files for Ross

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*