The ‘Quarters’ of Ross

The ‘Quarters’ of Ross

Sometimes farms appear in different quarters. I have pointed to these in the table.

ER VIII 1476-9 p 592 ff	RMS IV (1618) 1565*	Parish
Quarterium de Delne	Quarterium de Delny
North of Cromarty Firth
Estirterbate	Eistir Terbert	Tarbat
Alane Mekle	Mekle Allane	Fearn
Calrosse	Calrosy	Logie Easter
Drummethat	Drummediat	Logie Easter
Glastollich	Glastully	Logie Easter
Drumgelye	Drumgyllye	Logie Easter
Meklemethat	Madeat-Mekle	Logie Easter
Myltoun de Methat	Myltoun de Mekle Madeat	Kilmuir Easter
Estir Polga	Estir Pollo	Kilmuir Easter
Westirpolga	Weistir Pollo	Kilmuir Easter
	Baddebay	Kilmuir Easter
Le Royis	Ruffis	Kilmuir Easter
	Knoknapark	Kilmuir Easter
Balandrade	Ballentraid	Kilmuir Easter
Delne	Delny	Kilmuir Easter
Petfure	Inchefure	Kilmuir Easter
Feauchlath	Fachlachie	Rosskeen
Ardunagage	Ardnagaage	Kilmuir Easter
Kalruquhy	Calreche	Kilmuir Easter
Kynnakrege	Kincraig	Rosskeen
Newenmekle		Rosskeen
Culkenye	Culkenze	Rosskeen
Culyeoth Mekle	Cullychmoir	Rosskeen
Culyeoth Manach	Cullychmanich	Rosskeen
	Tolle	Rosskeen
Auchnacloych	Auchnacleich	Rosskeen
et Brekoquhy	Brakhauch	Rosskeen
Quarterium de Balkeny	Quarterium de Balcony
West of Alness
2 Culmelathquhyis	Mylntoun de Kilmaloquhy Ovir Culmaloquhy	Alness
Culcragy	Culcragy	Alness
Fyrehisch	Feris	Alness
Culcarne	Culcarne	Alness
Sweredull	Swerdaill	Kiltearn
Balconee	Balcony	Kiltearn
Scraiskeith	See under Kynnardy	Lemlair
(Quarterium de Kynnardy)	Quarterium de Kynnardy
Strathpeffer & N. side of River Conon
Mains of Kynnardy	Terras dominicales de K.**	Dingwall
	4 Glakkis	Dingwall
	Tulloch	Dingwall
	Ballyfreische	Dingwall
See under Balcony	Strathskeich	Lemlair
Westir Drynee	Westir Dryne	Dingwall
Dalfcarne	Dawachcarne	Fodderty
Dalfpoldach	Dalpollo	Fodderty
See under Farnewar	Kincell	Urquhart
	Calboky	Urquhart/Logie Wester
	Petlundy	Kilmuir Wester
Dalfmalawage	Dalmalook	Fodderty
Inchmanny	Inchevane	Fodderty
Ouchtirnede	Ochterneid	Fodderty
Auchinaglerauch	Achnacleroch	Contin
Ardovale	Ardvale	Kinnettes
Le Moye	Maymoir	Urray
See under Farnewar	Mid-Farbryn	Urray
See under Farnewar	Kirk-Farbryn	Urray
See under Farnewar	Auchinsowll	Urray
See under Farnewar	Ballebraid	Urray
Kynnaharde	Kynhard	Contin
Auchquhilye	Westir & Eistir Achillie	Contin
Cumre	See under Kynnellane	Contin
Scatholemekle	Mekle Scattoll	Contin
Le Parke	Park	Kinnettes
Ulladull	Ulladale	Kinnettes
Browen	Branmoir	Urray
Dunglust	Dungluster	Tollie?(Fodderty)
Quarterium de Fyrnenewer et Kessokis	Quarterium de Farnewar
South of River Conon
	Westir Farneburne	Urray
2 Ferburnys	See under Kynnardy	Urray
Ferburne Egglis	See under Kynnardy	Urray
Auchansawle	See under Kynnardy	Urray
Arcoyn	Arcone	Urray
Belbrade	See under Kynnardy	Urray
Urra	Urra	Urray
Kynculladrum	Kilquhillardrum	Urray
Le Orde	Ord	Urray
Belblare	Baublair	Kilchrist
Balnagoun	Balnagoune	Kilchrist
Balnaknok	Balmaknok alias Haltoun de Tarraidale	Kilchrist
Tarredill	Terradale	Kilchrist
Kynkell	See under Kynnardy	Urquhart
Logyenreith	Lograith	Logie Wester
2 Kessokis		Kilmuir Wester
Quarterium de Kynnellane	Quarterium de Kynnellane alias lie Bray de Ros***
Kynnellane	Kynnellane	Kinnettes
Le Cowle	Coule	Contin
Rewgy cum le Ess	Rowie	Fodderty
Litill Scathole cum le Ess	Litill Scattoll	Contin
See under Kynnardy	Cumry	Contin
Foreste de Rannach	Forestam de Rannoch alias Strathrannoch	Fodderty
	Terras de Moyner alias Ned	(See below).
Meyn in Straquhonane		Contin
2 Eskatellis		Contin
Innermany		Contin
Innerquhonray		Contin
Kenlochbenquherane		Contin

 

I have omitted crofts, ale-houses, ferries etc.

 

*RMS IV (1618) 1565 – the quarters are not listed in the same order as the leftmost column, nor are the properties within each quarter. Some of the properties are now in a different quarter so this was not just copied from the Exchequer Rolls.

 

** i.e. Mains of K(ynnardy)

 

*** Quarterium de Kynnellane alias lie Bray de Ros i.e. the Quarter of Kynnellane also known as the Brae (upper ground) of Ross. We meet Coul in the barony of Braeross in GD1/1149/25 1600 and the mill-lands of Coul in the barony of Braeross in GD1/1149/4 1610. There is another reference to ‘Bray-Ros’ in RMS VIII (602) 1624 on an original of 1600. Andrew Monro of Newmoir was the principal ‘mair’ of the earldom of Ross and he had sold to Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail the office of mair within the barony of ‘Bray-Ros’ on the west side of the hill called Knokreavach. (See also RS36/2/176r 1607). There is a Cnoc Ravoch in NH 5561. On the south-west side of this hill is Allt na Laitch. This burn is the boundary between Lemlair parish (now part of Kiltearn) to the north-east and Dingwall parish to the south-west. In terms of quarters it may have been the southern boundary of the quarter of Balconie (Alness & Kiltearn). However it is more difficult to be sure of the boundaries of the quarters of Kynnardy and Kynnellane. (See Map of Quarters for rough guide).

 

Terras de Moyner alias Ned. These may be the grounds referred to in RMS III (2817) 1542. (Moyner is probably (Loch) Monar).

 

Watson, PNRC p xxv discusses these 5 quarters. He claims:

1) Delny is from Tarbat Ness to the Alness River.

2) Balcony is the same as Ferindonald.

3) Kynnardy included the valley of the Peffery and the parts south and west of it.

 

He also refers to the quarter of Petkenney in 1281 (also p 87 fn 2) and the “maresium [mairdom] of Fernewyr” in 1350. As discussed under Fearn parish I don’t think Petkenney was a ‘quarter’ – rather a quarter-davach.I also think ‘maresium’ (bog, marsh) sometimes creeps in for ‘maragium’ (mairdom).

 

There remain questions though. It may be that we should define a ‘quarter’ as a geographical district (or fiscal unit) and that the properties listed above are merely being given as within one of these districts. In other words there might be lots of other, unlisted, properties that are also within these quarters.

 

Although the term ‘quarter’ falls from use in Ross it may well be that the components of these quarters lived on under other names. It is possible that quarters just became baronies and/or mairdoms. This is beyond the scope of a study of land-assessment so I will just leave these questions open. A close analysis of mairs, mairdoms, quarters, baronies and district names like Ferintosh, Ferindonald and Fernewyr might reveal a great deal of common ground. There will also have been differences over time and space.