Canisbay Table

Canisbay

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
Castle of Mey West Mey East Mey	19½d	1565	ND 2873 ND 2773/2873 ND 3074	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	GD96/107. May in Blaeu. See below. 18¾d in GD96/59 1553. See also RMS VIII (481) 1623 on original of 1622.
Barrogill Mains Farm	3d	1772	ND 2973		‘3 parks of’ in Donaldson.
Blackpool	1d	1735			Donaldson p 102
Hollandmey	2d	1553	ND 2970	Blaeu(Caithness)	‘Hole of May’ in Blaeu. Broch (possible) Hollandmey – ND 292708. 2d in each of GD 96/59 1553 & GD96/107 1565. See below. For Hollandmake see Dunnet parish.
Nisseter (Philips Mains)	1d	1553	ND 2971	RHP873 Thomson	See below. Nissiter in Donaldson 1772. NE of Hollandmey in Thomson.
Warse	1d	1617	ND 3372	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Warris & Smydeis in RMS IV (2130) 1572-3. 1d Warse & Smiddies referred to in Calder pp 284-8 No 30 1617. Warres in Blaeu.
Quoys	1d	1772	ND 3472		Quoyes in RSS VIII (924) 1582. Donaldson (p 103) gives ⅞d in Quoys in 1717. See below under Seater.
Brabster or Brabstermire	3d	1519/ 1520 1697	ND 3269	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Brabuster in Blaeu. See below. Broch (possible) Brabstermire, Thomsonsfield – ND 328699. Brabustyrmyr/Brabustermire in GD139/53 1519/20 & Illustrations of the Topography & Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, Vol IV, pp 76-7.
Feildes	4d	1697			A.W. Johnston, Rental of Brabster.
Gills Upper Gills	1d   2¼ + 1/16th d	1662-5   1772	ND3172/3272 ND 3271	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) RHP873	GD96/623 1662-5. Gils in Blaeu. GD305/1/162/302 1692 (& probably GD305/1/162/289 1678) refer to ½d + ½ octo (1/16th d) in Gilles. Donaldson gives 2¼d + 1/16th d in 1772. Broch (possible) Gills – ND 320723.
Canisbay	7d +	1586	ND3472/3572	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Conansbay in Blaeu. See below.
Seater	4d + 1/16th d	1772	ND 3572	RHP873	Donaldson gives 4d + 1/16th d in 1772. Seatter in RSS VIII (924) 1582. See below and under Mey below.
Huna	⅛d	1772	ND 3673	Thomson(1822)	Donaldson p 78. Huno in RSS VIII (924) 1582. See below under Seater. GD112/58/1/22 1589 lists Hitna (Huna?).
Duncansby	2d 1d 4⅞d	1540 1739	ND 3872/3972	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) RHP75/1 RHP873	Dungysby or Duncans Bay in Blaeu. Harper’s pennyland? See below.
Stemster			ND 3671/3672	RHP75/1 Thomson(1822)	Broch (possible) Stemster, Green Hill – ND 369719. See below.
Tresdale			ND 3471/3571
Freswick estate	£10	1653			Retours (Caithness) (23) 1653, Old Extent.
Freswick			ND 3667/3767	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Fresh Wick in Blaeu. See below. Broch (possible) Freswick Links – ND 376676.
Bucholly (Castle)			ND 3865	Thomson(1822)	Barony of in Retours (Caithness) (23) 1653.
Burnsyd		1653		Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Burnesyde in Blaeu. (S. of  Burn of Freswick, E. of Tofts).
Harley		1653	ND 3766	Thomson(1822)
Midtown		1653	ND 3768
Skirza	½d	1547	ND 3868	Thomson(1822)	½d Skirsary referred to in Calder pp 284-8 No 12 1547. (Mowat of Buchollie was the superior). Broch (possible) Skirza Head – ND 394684.
Sonsiquoy		1634	ND 3867
Tofts		1549	ND 3668	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Toftis in RMS IV (402) 1549. To(s?)tes in Blaeu. Tofts in Gordon.
Everley		1549	ND 3668		Ovirlie in RMS IV (402) 1549. Broch, Everley – ND 369682.
Auckengill	8d	1549-1554	ND 3664	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Okengil in Blaeu. RMS IV (402) 1549, (898) 1553-4, Broch (possible) Auchingill – ND 3664. See below.
Milltown		1653	ND 3764
Stroupster		1634	ND 3366	Thomson(1822)
Slickly	4d	1697	ND 2966	Thomson(1822)	Sleiklie – A.W. Johnston, Rental of Brabster. Slecle in GD139/53 1519/20 & Illustrations of the Topography & Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, Vol IV, pp 76-7.
Scoolary	2d	1697	ND 2968	Thomson(1822)	Scoullary – A.W. Johnston, Rental of Brabster. Broch (possible) Scoolary – ND 298684.
Bonstaf	2d	1703			GD139/189 1703. I haven’t managed to locate. See also Bangor-Jones (1987) p 16.
Stroma	10⅛d 12d	1681	ND 3577* * Centred on.	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) RHP873	See below.
Total	80⅝d +				13+ davachs

 

Barony of Housbustyr

GD139/53 1519/20 is a charter by Sir William Keith of Inverugy (and of a quarter of Caithness) to Gilbert Mowat in Swythny (Swinzie, Dunnet parish) of Brabustyrmyr (Brabstermire) and Slecle (Slickly) in the barony of Housbustyr. Also in Illustrations of the Topography and Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, Vol IV, Spalding Club, Aberdeen, 1862 pp 76-7. These may be amongst the more ancient earldom properties.

 

Mey

RMS IV (2782) 1578 on original of 1575, RMS V (2127) 1592.

RMS VI (1467) 1603, on original of 1600, gives the following bishopric lands:

“lands and township of Maye, with mill, mill-croft, palace, fortalice, loch and its mosses and muirs, the promontory of St John’s Head, its harbours called Skaitlandheavin and Ebisguois, with the hills and muirs there, the lands and moors called Jubigill with the quarry there, the hills called Hill-of-Mey and Knappertwell, with the mosses and muirs there the Blakwellis”.

Similarly, RMS VIII (481) [1622] gives ‘lands and township of May, with [fortified] tower [ND 2873], loch [ND 2773], mill, and the pertinents of Knapperwel, Hill of May [ND 3174] and the promontory called Sanct-Johnes-heid [St John’s Head/Point ND 3175], with harbours and anchorages called Skaitlandheavin [Scotland’s Haven ND 3174], Jubigill [Deubie Gill? ND 3273], Ebisgois, extending to 18¾ pennylands’. The names suggest this is East Mey.

 

RS20/1/p 165 1662 also gives Mey as ex-bishopric. It names Maii, Knapperwall, hill of Maii, promontory called St Johnes Head, ports called Scatland Haven, Bigill, Ebigois, extending to 18d (followed by a hard-to-read phrase which could either mean 3 farthings or 3 half-pence).

 

Donaldson (1938, p 77 ff) gives specific valuations from the 1772 rental of the Mey Estate. I have not included all of these in the above table since I am not always sure when one farm may contain another. Donaldson’s list is as follows:

Mains of Mey              7d

3 parks of Barrogill     3d

East & West May        13½d + ⅓ octo + 11 crofts. (On pp 91-2 he gives 12½d + ½ octo).

Gills                            2¼d + ½ octo + 1 croft.

East Canisbay             3¼d

Seater                          4d + ½ octo + 5 crofts

Quoys                          1d

Huna                           ⅛ d

He also shows (p 89) that in 1720 each pennyland in the east side of Mey paid the same money rent. From his figures we can conclude that the Mains of Mey plus East & West Mey came to at least 20d.

Donaldson gives Glassmephyn (p 131 – 1714) or Glesmephan (p 126 – 1700) as the name of a piece of land in the Mains of Mey. I wonder if the last element of the place-name is peighinn (Gaelic for penny).

Foullmyres was a half-octo in East Mey (pp 80, 83, 103).

Blackpool was 1d in 1735 (p 102).

Donaldson also mentions the parks of Crackersfield and Toddyquay (p 123). The latter (Todyquay) – along with Trastrel – is also referred to on p 131 fn 3. For Crackersfield see map between pp 188-9, Mowat, J., ‘Place-Names of Canisbay’, in Old Lore Miscellany IX.

For Snottergill/Snotterfield see under Watten parish.

 

Hollandmey

RMS IV (2782) 1578 on original of 1575, RMS V (2127) 1592.

RMS VI (1467) 1603, on original of 1600, gives the following bishopric lands:

‘lands and township of Hollandmey, with the field called Erlisfeild, with the moors and mosses called Blakgirne, with the Scheiltounes called Ormigill and Hisselbrek’.

Similarly, RMS VIII (481) 1623 on original of 1622 gives ‘Hollandmay with pertinents called Ea(r)lsfeild, Blakgirne, Blakwallis, its Schuletoun (or Scheiltoun) called Ormigill and Hasilbrek, extending to 2 pennylands’. Schuletoun/Scheiltoun is presumably for shieling-toun. On OS Explorer 451, Sheilton, Burn of Ormigill and Hazelbrake are all marked in ND 2870.

RS20/1/p 165 1662 gives Hollandmay with pertinents called Earlesfield, Blakgrene, Blakwells, its Sheltoun (i.e. shieling-toun) called Ormigill and Hessilbrek – extending to 2d.

Donaldson (p 91) implies that Hollandmey may have been more than 2½d.

 

Nisseter

Mowat, p 184, says that Philips Mains (ND 2971) was originally Nissetter. Thomson marks between Hollandmey and Brabstermire.

Given as 1d Nessettir in GD96/59 1553 & GD 96/107 1565.

RMS IV (2782) 1578 on original of 1575, RMS V (2127) 1592.

RMS VI (1467) 1603, on original of 1600, gives the following bishopric lands:

‘lands of Nesseter, with its mountains and moors called Riggifa and Myremikill’.

RMS VIII (481) 1623, on original of 1622, gives the ‘lands of Nessiter, with pertinents called Rigiefall and Myremeikill, extending to a pennyland, which were pendicles of May’. Rigiefall is now Rigifa’ ND 3072. Burn of Miremuckle is in ND 3371.

RS20/1/p 165 1662 gives 1d Nessiter with pertinents called Rigifa and Myremeikle.

‘Two parks of Nissiter’ in 1772 – Donaldson p 123.

 

Brabster or Brabstermire

A.W. Johnston, Rental of Brabster or Brabster-myre, 1697, gives 2d Brabster and 1d ‘Above-the-toun’. GD139/73 1742.

 

Canisbay

GD96/223A 1586 indicates two units in Canisbay of 2d & 5d respectively.

2d (held by Donald Groat of the Earl of Caithness) referred to in Calder p 285 No 12 1547. 2d in RS20/1/pp 114-115 1654.

1½d in RS20/1/p 151 1661.

Donaldson (p 81) gives details of ⅝d in Canisbay held by John Mathewson in 1784. East Canisbay was divided into ‘shades’ [sheds] in turn composed of ‘riggs’ [rigs] of different sizes. John Mathewson held 102¼ ‘riggs’ – scattered through the ‘shades’. East Canisbay contained 300 rigs so John’s 102¼ rigs (or ⅝d) represented about one-third of East Canisbay. 3 x ⅝d = 1⅞d, which suggests East Canisbay was probably 2d.

 

Seater

Settir, Quyis, Hwnay in RMS IV (2130) 1572-3. RSS VIII (924) 1582 gives Seatter, Quoyes and Huno. GD112/58/1/22 1589 lists Ceater, Coess (Quoys?) and Hitna (Huna?) in Canisbay parish. There is a Setre marked further East in Blaeu and Gordon (9) but it is such a common place-name that this might be another example.

 

Duncansby

Calder pp 284-8 gives numerous examples of the Groat holdings in Duncansby. However, I have found it extremely difficult to untangle what the various members of the Groat family held of the Sinclair Earls of Caithness, and what of the Oliphant family. They may have held 1¼d from the Sinclairs plus up to 2⅝d from the Oliphants. (See e.g. No 10 1540, No 11 1543, No 15 1557, No 22 1589, No 25 1595, No 26 1603, No 27 1606, No 29 1612). See also RS36/2/47v 1606. RS36/2/97v 1606. RS36/2/148v 1607. RS20/1/p 115 1654. RMS XI (53) 1661 gives 2¾d in Dungaskie.

1½d in RS20/1/p 151 1661; RS20/1/p 152 1661.

RH15/35/1 1501/2 refers to the harper holding ⅝d in Duncansby. GD1/945/2 refers to the harper having ½d in Duncansby. GD136/51 1739 refers to the Harper’s pennyland in Duncansby. GD139/213 refers to 2d in East-end of Duncansbay in 1745.

I think the total will have been at least 4⅞d – more probably 6d or 1 davach.

 

Stemster

Calder pp 285-6 (No 10 1540, No 21 1572, No 24 1593) refer to ‘part of the field called Stamster/Stemster’. It may be that Stemster was apportioned to the various pennylands of Duncansby. GD136/46 1736 refers to the ‘superiority of parts of Duncansbay and Stemster which belong to Malcolm (Grant – read Groat?). Also in Mey estate (Donaldson p 78) for 1¼d Duncansby and part of Stempster.

 

Freswick

Freswick was at the heart of an estate owned by the Mowats of Bolquhollie. Their designation, and the name of Bucholly Castle by Freswick, are a transplant from Aberdeenshire.

‘Freswic’ and ‘Ockyngille’, owned by the Mowats, are the subject of RMS I (929) in 1410 (see accompanying text file).

 

Calder (p 337) gives an inquisition of 1634 which concerned Isabella Cheyne’s ‘widow’s terce’ of the estate of Magnus Mowatt of Balquhollie (Bucholly). Magnus had died so the local gentry who conducted the inquest reported that he had been properly vested in his estate and that he had served his wife, Isabella, in the reasonable one-third-part of his holdings. Here follow the properties with the modern names in brackets:

 

“Owkingill                              (Auckengill)

Milnetoune of Freswick

Tostes                                      (Tofts)

Astruea                                    (probably Alterwall which was in Bower in 1561. It may have moved parishes or been split between the two).

Bleaberriequayes

Sousequy                                 (Sonsiquoy)

Fittisquy

Stroubster                                (Stroupster)

together with the parts, pendicles, and belongings of the same, lying in the parish of Canisbay”.

See also Henderson, J., Caithness Family History pp 174-7.

 

For further comparison the estate is set out in some detail in Retours (Caithness) (23) 1653 where it is given as £10 Old Extent. (This is the same extent as that given to the undefined estate of Freschewik & Hawpistell [Harpsdale?] in Retours (Caithness) (2) 1565). The farms are repeated in Retours (Caithness) (36) 1696. The following settlements are listed in 1653 (variant spellings from 1696 given in brackets, modern names underlined):

 

Freshweik (maynes)                            (Freswick mains + castle)                               Freswick

manor-place of Burnesyde + milne     (manor-place of Burnsyde + mills)

Harlie                                                   (Hairlie)                                                          Harley

Midletoun of Freshweik                   (Midletoune of Freswick)                            Midtown

Skersarie                                              (Skirsarie)                                                      Skirza

Sownsaquoy                                        (Sawsaguay)                                                   Sonsiquoy

Toftis                                                     (Tofts + manor-place)                                 Tofts

Overly                                                   (Otterley)                                                        Everley

Astrowell                                              (Astrowall)                                                      Alterwall

Blay                                                        (Bly)                                                                (This & the following entry should be run together to make

Berinquoyes                                         (Barnquayts)                                                   the ‘Blaeberryquoys’ of 1634)

Ockingill                                               (Ockingile)                                                      Auckengill

Milntoun of Okingill                          (Milnetoune of Ockingile)                           Milltown

Stronbister                                           (Strekister)                                                      Stroupster

 

Those farms which can still be identified are given in the table below Freswick. In RMS IV (402) 1549 Patrick Mowat of Bowquholle sold 2d of Ochtingill to Alexander Mowat in Toftis. In RMS IV (898) 1553-4 Patrick Mowat of Boquhellie sold to Malcolm Halcro 6d of Ockingill. Auckengill, therefore, must have been at least 8d. Unfortunately I have no other valuations. However if the estate was £10 (=200 shillings) Old Extent I would expect it to extend to at least 20d because in fifteenth & sixteenth-century Caithness a pennyland was sometimes reckoned at 10s per annum rent.

See also Henderson, Caithness Family History, p 174 ff.

 

Auckengill

RMS IV (402) 1549 refers to 2d in Ochtingill. RMS IV (898) 1553-4 refers to 6d Ockingill. Auckengill must have been at least 8d.

 

Stroma

We have a great many references to one or more 2-pennyland units in Stroma which are difficult to disentangle. These start with 2d to Mackay in RMS II (2506) 1499. See also RMS III (2048) 1539; GD96/59 1553; RSS IV (1371) 1551, (3060) 1555; RMS IV (1635) 1565; Records of the Parliaments of Scotland (online), 19/4/1567 – NAS PA2/10, II, ff 22v-23r.

RMS II (1404) 1478 on an original of 1455 refers to 20s of Stroma (ex-bishopric). For reasons given above under Freswick I think this probably meant 2d). GD96/128 1573 specifies both 2d in Stromay as well as 7¼d. RMS IV (2782) 1578 on original of 1575, RSS VII (776) 1576, RMS V (2127) 1592. GD96/419 1617. Donaldson (p 103) gives 2½d in Stroma.

GD96/204 1583 refers to 4d in Strowma. GD96/223A includes both 2d in Stroma and also 8d in Stroma. RS36/2/96r 1606 & RS36/2/266r 1607. RMS VIII (481) 1623, on original of 1622, says 2d was 1/5th of the island – as also does RS20/1/p 165 1662. RMS XI (53) 1661 gives 10d in Stroma. RS20/1/p 297 1672 gives 9½d in Stroma.

Caithness Events, pp 181-2, gives a catalogue of writs compiled in 1796. (A wadset of 1659 gave 9½d; a contract of 1664 the same; a disposition of 1681 gave 10⅛d called Overtown and Nethertown).

Nevertheless, at 6d a davach I think 10d is an unlikely total. If we allow for church properties, I think Stroma was more probably 12d.

In 1525 the Trinity Friars of Aberdeen were given an annuity of 10 merks from Stroma  (OPS II, II p 814 – see also GD136/1 1523).

For bishopric 2d see RMS VI (1467) 1603 on original of 1600.

Macgill, Old Ross-shire and Scotland as seen in the Tain and Balnagown Documents, p 265.

 

Broch (possible) Ness – ND 381666.