Bower Table

Bower

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
(Ounceland) of Scarinclet etc:	18d	1560			Probably 3 davachs. See below. Description repeated in RMS V (2180) 1592. Ex church lands belonging to archdeacon.
Scarmclate			ND 1959/2059	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Roy(FC) Thomson(1822)	Scarmclet in Blaeu. E106/8/1 & 2 give 1d in Scarmclett in 1702 & 1802. See Bannatyne Miscellany Vol III p 43: Scarinclath in 1373.
Upper Larel Lower Larel			ND 1857 ND 1858		Part of Scarmclate ounceland.
Gelshfield			ND 1858	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Roy(FC)	Gailsh in Blaeu. Part of Scarmclate ounceland.
Clayock			ND 1759	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Roy(FC) RHP667/1-3	Claok in Blaeu Part of Scarmclate ounceland.
Camster			ND 2060/2160	Roy(FC) Thomson(1822)	Part of Scarmclate ounceland. Broch (possible) Camster Farm – ND 209609.
Stemster Stemster House	4½d	1619	ND 1760/1860 ND 1860	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Roy(FC) RHP667/1-3	GD96/440 1619. 4¼d would be a quarter-ounceland. Stamster in Blaeu. Broch (possible) – ND 1762.
Knockdee			ND 1660	RHP667/1-3 Thomson(1822)	Broch – ND 1660.
Tister			ND 1961	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Roy(FC) Thomson(1822)	GD90/1/50/1 1478. Tuster in Blaeu. ‘formerly written Thuspisteer’ NSA p 114 (1840).
Gillock	3d	1702	ND 2159	Roy(FC)	E106/8/1. There is another Gillock in Wick parish.
Brabster Brabster West Brabsterdorran Mains Brabsterdorran	6d 18d	1433 1702	ND 2161 ND 2260	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	Brabuster in Blaeu & Gordon. Brybster in Roy(FC).   RSS I (541) 1500. See below. 18d would be 1 ounceland and probably 3 davachs of 6d.
Bower			ND 2363	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	Boor in Blaeu.
Bowertower	7d 3d 7d	1593 1661 1661	ND 2262	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Roy(FC) Thomson(1822)	Boorthur in Blaeu. See below. 2 portions in RMS XI (53) 1661. Also RS20/1/p 296 1672. Broch (possible) – ND 227617.
Auchorn	1d?	1624	ND 2362		Ockorne in 1624. See below.
Halcro	3d	1560	ND 2360/2460	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Hacro in Blaeu. See below. Broch (possible) Halcro Manse – ND 238611.
Whitegar			ND 2461	Thomson(1822)	See below under Halcro.
Seater			ND 2460	Thomson(1822)	See below under Halcro.
Hastigrow Upper Hastigrow			ND 2561/2661 ND 2660	Thomson(1822)	See below under Halcro.
Thura Mains Lower Thura			ND 2461/2462 ND 2462	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	Thuray in Retours (Caithness) (10) 1620. Feurae in Blaeu. RMS VI (1038) 1600 – ex-bishopric of Orkney.
Bowermadden			ND 2364/2464	Thomson(1822)	Broch (possible) Ha’ of Bowermadden – ND 239636.
Lune or Bowerlune					RMS VI (1038) 1600 – ex-bishopric of Orkney. See below.
Murza			ND 2563		On the basis of RMS VII (1508) 1616 I have included this in Bower parish. However, Thomson’s map of 1822 shows Dunnet with a southern loop which may mean Murza was then thought to be in Dunnet (q.v.). Broch (possible) – Murza ND 253629.
Alterwall	(1⅓d)	1455	ND 2865	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Roy(FC) Thomson(1822)	Altarwel in Blaeu. Ex bishopric of Caithness lands. See below.
Lyth	(3½d)	1574	ND 2763/2863	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	See below. Broch (possible) Bridge of Lyth, Hill of Works – ND 290625.
Sortat			ND 2863		Swortoft in GD96/405 1616. See below.
Stanstill	6d	1564	ND 2860	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	Stanstel in Blaeu. See below.
Bilster Bulsett/Bulsetter		1593	ND 303600	Roy(FC) Thomson(1822)	RMS VI (2) 1593 gives ½ of. RMS IX (1098) 1642 gives ½ of and then ⅓ of ½ of + croft of the same called Brinescroft (or Birnescroft). Name implies a shieling. See below.
Kirk	½d 1¼d ¾d	1524 1593 1653-79	ND 2859	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	RMS VI (77) 1593-4 on original of 1524 gives ½d in Kirk. RMS VI (2) 1593 gives 5 lie ferding-land (5 farthing-lands) in Kirk. (Repeated in RMS IX (1098) 1642). RMS VI (803) 1598 ¾d ex-bishopric of Caithness. RS37/5/80r 1633 gives ‘three fardinge land’ in Kirk. GD96/405 1616 gives 1¼d Kirk. GD139/148 gives ¾d. RS20/1/p 198 1665 gives ¼d. It seems likely some of these were complementary so the total would be at least 2½d. Kirck in Blaeu.
Nipster			ND 2158		Nybster in OS 6″ 1st Series Caithness Sheet XVIII 1871.
Smerral			ND 2362
Myrelandhorn			ND 2858		See below.
Total	69⅚d

 

The Books of Assumption pp 632-3 list the farms of Bowar (and their teind sheaves) in 1561. The quantities of teind sheaves cannot give us pennyland valuations directly, but they can support other evidence as to the relative importance of the different farms. The teind sheaves, as given in the Books of Assumption, were only an estimate in 1561. The figures are:

Claok (Clayock) 6 b. (ie. 6 bolls)

Scarmalat (Scarmclate) 2 c. (i.e. 2 chalders of 16 bolls each = 32 bolls)

Guilschfeild (Gelshfield) and Laroll (Larel), 3 b.

Scampstar (possibly Stemster rather than Camster?), 22 b.

Tusbust (Tister) with the pertinents, 20 b.

Brabustar (Brabsterdorran), 2 c. (i.e. 32 bolls)

Bowartour (Bowertower), 18 b.

Halbero (Halcro), 7 b.

The Lwne (Lune or Bowerlune) and Bowar (Bower), 12 b. ‘in the curatis fie [curate’s fee] of Bowar’.

Bowar Madin (Bowermadden), 24 b.

Alterwaill (Alterwall), 9 b.

Lyth (Lyth) with the pendicles, 37 b.

Stanestall (Stanstill), 18 b.

Kirk (Kirk), 24 b.

 

These total 264 bolls – significantly more than Watten’s total of 179 bolls.

 

RMS VII (1508) 1616 lists Bowar, Mathoun (Bowar-mathoun?) [Bowermadden], Mursay, Bowartour [Bowertower], Belsittir [Bulsetter], two-part (two-thirds) of Brabistir, Dorain [Brabsterdorran] and Tisbistir [Tister] in Bower parish. (Reistir, Altrowall and Stanstell are added later in the document).

 

Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections Vol. I, SHS, Edinburgh, 1906 pp 176-178 – Description Parish of Bowar in Cathness (c. 1726?) lists the following estates:- Thura, Standstill, Lyth, Bowermaddon, Bowertoun, Tister, Staimster, Scarmilet, Braibster Dorren, Whitehall.

 

NSA p 114 (1840) gives ‘Lister’ – of which I can find no other evidence.

 

 

Ounceland of Scarinclet

GD112/58/1/12-13 1560. The ounceland was composed of Scarinclet, Larell, Gelchfield, Cleock and Camstair. RMS VII (129) 1609.

 

Brabsterdorran Mains

The place-name given in Blaeu, Gordon & Roy makes me wonder if this farm was originally simply called Brabster – which name evolved into Brabsterdorran.

GD1/945/1 1433 refers to 6d Brabusterdowrane for payment of a collar and leash. This is repeated in Retours (Caithness) (17) 1630. It may be that holding this property included an obligation to support the lord in his hunting. Also GD112/58/200 No 9 1599.

E106/8/1 & 2 give the Valuation Rolls for Caithness in 1702, 1751 and 1802. What they show is that Brabsterdorran was divided into 4 sections. However the rolls are consistent with each other in showing that those 4 sections (of 2d, 9d, 4d & 3d) amounted to a total of 18d. This is a good illustration of the difficulties we have in establishing the original valuations of the largest properties in Caithness – which were much subdivided.

 

Bowertower

7d in RMS V (2281) 1593 – separately listed are the lands called Occorne [Auchorn] or the Outsett. Ex bishopric of Orkney. See also Retours (Caithness) (14) 1624. RMS VI (1038) 1600. Also 7d in Old-Lore Miscellany Vol X pp 16-17, 1628.

 

Auchorn

See above under Bowertower. Retours (Caithness) (14) 1624 refers to this as ‘the lands of Ockorne called Outseat’ – possibly with an extent of 1d. It may not be included in the 7d of Bowertower. NB similarly-named place (Auckhorn) near Keis, Wick.

 

Halcro

GD96/77 1560 refers to 3d Hacre with pertinents viz. Setir, Quhiddiker, Croceque, the mill of Hestocrow and the croft thereof. These are probably Halcro, Seater, Whitegar, (Crossquoy??), and Hastigrow which are all in close proximity.

RMS V (2287) 1593 refers to 3d Halcro + Hesticro and the mill of Seytir – ex-bishopric of Orkney.

RMS VI (421) 1595-6 refers to 3d Halcro, Seatter, Quhittiger and Hasticro.

GD112/58/1/23 1596 is a contract between John Bruce in Hastigrow and Rorie Makbeith in Halco whereby Rorie binds himself to infeft John in 3 fields or crofts of land of said Rorie’s lands of Halcro called Settir, Sytinger and the clerk’s croft. (Settir will be Seater).

RMS VI (1038) 1600 refers to 3d called Hacra with its pertinents, viz. Setir, Quhiddiker and Crocequa, with mill of Hostecrow and its croft, mill-lands etc.

Retours (Caithness) (10) 1620 refers to the croft of Haistiero. OPS II, II p 785 thinks this is Halcro but it is perhaps Hastigrow.

RMS VI (2) 1593 and RMS IX (1098) 1642 refer to the lands or fields of Hestycrow/Hasticraw.

RMS XI (53) 1661 has 3d Halkrs with pertinents, viz. Seilter, Whittiger and Crosquoy, the mill of Hasticro etc. These are repeated, with even more corruptions. Also RS20/1/p 296 1672.

 

Lune or Bowerlune

Several documents give a name which looks as if it might be a garbled form of Bowertower but may actually refer to a lost place name.

It is Boirlwne in Retours (Caithness) (10) 1620.

 

Alterwall

RMS II (1404) 1478 on an original of 1455 refers to 13s 4d (1m) of Alterwelle. In fifteenth & sixteenth-century Caithness a pennyland was sometimes reckoned at 10s per annum rent so this possibly implies 1⅓d. RMS VI (1729) 1606 – with loch.

 

Lyth

For Lythmoir/Lythmore see under Thurso parish.

GD139/3 1574 refers to 1d + 1 octo + ⅓ octo in Lytht. This comes to 1 + 1/6th d – ex bishopric of Caithness. RSS VIII (1591) 1583, RMS VI (2) 1593 and Retours (Caithness) (32) 1676 refer to ⅓ of Lyth. If they refer to the same portion of land then what was subdivided into 3 must originally have been worth 3½d.

RMS IX (1098) 1642 refers to 2 x ⅓ portions of Leyth (Lyth) and ⅓ part of the meadow of Lyth and Swortieback. See also GD139/22 1658.

It is difficult to be certain about the total valuation but probably at least 3½d.

Henderson, J., Caithness Family History, p 270.

 

Sortat

RMS IX (1098) 1642 gives ‘a third part of Fitches, Mylnetoun and Sortoft, a third part of the meadow on the north side of Sortoft, a third part of the field(s) called Wallatter and Langbank’.

 

Stanstill

RMS IV (1669) 1565 on original of 1564 gives Stanstell in two portions (1 x 3½d + 1 x 2½d). The larger portion (ex bishopric) also appears in OPS II, II p 612 (quoting Sutherland Charters in 1559); RMS V (277) 1581, Retours (Caithness) (6) 1605 and RMS VI (1729) 1606. Probably also NLS Dep.313/3312/1 1577. RMS XI (53) 1661.

RMS VI (2) 1593 gives 2½d Stanesteill, and the lands of Trala and Tinga, lie Beillis and Medosched lying adjacent.

RMS IX (1098) 1642 gives 2½d of Stainstell, and the lands of Traelae, Tinga, Beillis and Medowsched lying adjacent.

 

Bulsett/Bulsetter

There are two separate places in Bower parish with very similar names. Roy’s Fair Copy marks a Belster ENE of Tister and SSW of Bowertower. Roy also gives a Belsher East of Loch Alterwall.

Thomson’s map of 1822 shows a Belster SW of Bower Tower and a Bilster at the extreme south-east corner of Bower parish.

The latter of these two appears as Bilster on OS 6″ 1st Series Caithness Sheet XIII 1873 at ND 303600. (It is not named on OS Explorer 451). The geographical contexts of both RMS VI (2) 1593 & RMS IX (1098) 1642 suggest this was the location they were referring to.

 

Myrelandhorn

GD96/405 1616 implies this was in Bower. However it is not listed as part of Bower in the Books of Assumption which lists the teind sheaves given up by each farm. OPS places it in Wick parish which is where I have located it.