Tarbat & Fearn
Principal Sources
Tarbat
OSA Vol 6 No 45
RMS II (1227) 1475-6
RMS III (372) 1526
RMS IV (1094) 1556
RMS V (2329) 1593
RMS VI (1147) 1601, (1379) 1602, (2107) 1608
RMS VII (334) 1610 on original of 1608, (482) 1611 on original of 1608
RMS XI (97) 1661
RSS VI (801) 1569
RSS VII (1840) 1578-9
RSS VIII (846) 1582, (1978) 1584
GD1/187/1 1549, GD1/187/5 & 6 1566, GD1/187/11 & 12 1658
GD71/66 1653
GD90/1/134 1549
GD93/1 1299-1311
GD96/245 1593, GD96/264B 1597, GD96/315 1604, GD96/380 & 390 1615, GD96/478 1624, GD96/509 1630, GD96/568 1642
GD199/68 1583
GD305/1/40/3 1673, GD305/1/40/5 1675, GD305/1/49/8 nd, GD305/1/51/1, GD305/1/57/1 1785, GD305/1/79/8 1463, GD305/1/79/10 1502, GD305/1/83/73 1697, GD305/1/87/113 1610, GD305/1/91/147 1671, GD305/1/112/378, GD305/1/120/492 1566, GD305/1/121/500 1606, GD305/1/121/503 1610, GD305/1/121/508 1624, GD305/1/105/298 1655, GD305/1/137/11 1676, GD305/1/162/305 1699
RS36/2/20v 1606
RS36/2/45v 1606
RS36/2/49v 1606
RS36/2/51r 1606
RS36/2/95r 1606
RS36/2/137v 1606
RS36/2/263r 1607
RS36/2/265r 1607
RS36/2/378r 1608
CS231/G/3/10 1766
CWMF (1) 1299-1311
Laing Charters (2422) 1652
Retours (Ross) (9) 1577, (43) 1616, (65) 1623, (80) 1633, (116) 1661
ALI No 79, 1463
Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections I pp 213-217
Fraser, Earls of Cromartie II, pp 322-4, 427
Sixth Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, London, 1877
Fearn
OSA Vol 4 No 39
Reg. Mor. pp 232-3 1478
ALI No 71, 1461, No 90 1467
RMS V (1331) 1587, (2222) 1592
RMS VI (370) 1595
RMS VII (409) 1610 on original of 1607
RMS VIII (558) 1624 on original of 1622
RMS XI (97) 1661
CWMF (174) 1624 on original of 1622, (393) 1763
Laing Charters (935) 1576, (2393) 1649, (2540) 1659, (2707, 2721) 1673, (2745, 2753) 1675, (2772-3) 1677
GD71/11 1604, GD71/34 1623, GD71/47/8 1637-8, GD71/47/10 1642, GD71/47/11 1644, GD 71/47/12 1649, GD71/66 1653, GD71/74 1670, GD71/76 1672, GD71/79 1675, GD71/80 1676, GD71/90 1684, GD71/92 1687, GD71/95 1690, GD71/96 & 97 1692, GD71/119 1711, GD71/134 1727, GD71/152 1731, GD71/181 1756, GD71/182 1756, GD71/185 1798, GD71/296/4 1662, GD71/296/5 1681, GD71/296/6 1702, GD71/296/7 1757
GD96/75 1559, GD96/76 1560, GD96/292 1600, GD96/314 1604
GD103/1/9 1461
GD297/189 1529, GD297/231 1509
GD305/1/13/5 1587, GD305/1/32/4 1673, GD305/1/40/3 1673, GD305/1/85/82 1586, GD305/1/112/378 1673
SC29/1/1 f40r & f40v 1558
RH8/1248 1708, RH15/44/162 1693
RS36/2/11r 1606
RS36/2/20v 1606
RS36/2/132v 1606
RS36/2/250r 1607
RS36/2/269r 1607
RS36/2/280v 1607
RS36/2/340r 1608
RS36/2/365v 1608
RS37/5/127v 1633
RS37/6/159v 1638
RS37/6/326r 1640
RS37/7/10v 1648
RS38/4/332v 1675
RS38/4/347v 1675
RS38/5/104r 1681
Retours (Ross) (20-22) 1606, (40) 1615, (65) 1623, (68) 1624, (77) 1629, (83) 1635, (92) 1643, (97) 1647, (100) 1649, (107) 1653, (111) 1657, (112, 113) 1658, (121) 1666, (132) 1676, (133) 1677, (147) 1688, (149) 1690, (184, 185, 186) 1643
RHP 219 1761, RHP 239 1759, RHP 13299/10-11 1808, RHP 44703 1803
PSAS Vol 41, 1906-7, No 9 pp 314-15
Books of Assumption pp 633-634 c. 1561
Bangor-Jones “Land Assessments and Settlement History in Sutherland and Easter Ross” p 165
OPS II, II, p 433 states that until 1628 the parish of Tarbat included Fearn which was then separated, each parish having 10 davachs. The sources given in footnote 14 are ‘Original in the Tower, London’ & Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections. I cannot find anything relevant in Macfarlane and do not know which document, held in the Tower of London, was being referred to. The total of the two parishes in my table comes to (at least) 19½ davachs and whilst there is uncertainty about the precise extent of Tarbat and Arkboll, a total of 20 davachs seems entirely plausible. (Arkboll, in particular, is likely to be underestimated). The number of large farms in these 2 parishes is striking. Tarbat, Geanies, Cadboll and Allan were probably each worth 3 davachs. In the far north it is clear that 3 davachs (of 6d each) made an ounceland (of 18d). It is possible something similar is visible in Easter Ross. It is also likely that these large farms were established early and kept unchanged boundaries for centuries.
GD305/1/85/82 1586 refers to the 5 ‘darach’ lands of Drummis. It may be that ‘Drummis’ was the name for a 5-davach district but I have no further evidence. It could be that Drummis just refers to the Drums of Fearn.
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