The ‘Quarters’ of the Aird
RMS II (3799) 1512-1513 reveals that in 1403 there had been an indenture between William de Fentoun and Margaret de Ard, lady of Ercles.
RMS II (178) 1430, on an original of 1415-16 – James I confirmed indentures between William de Fentoun and Hugh Fraser de Lowet whereby William granted Hugh and Jonet, (William’s sister – who was marrying Hugh), the lands of Ensowchtan (Guisachan), Kyrkomyr (Kirk Comar), Maule (Mauld) and Woster Eskdole (Wester Eskdale) lying in Strathglass, within the barony of the Arde, ‘in name and assent of 20 markis’. The last phrase is tricky but it likely means that the 4 properties had a total extent of 20 marks in 1415-16. Each of the 4 properties was probably worth 5 marks. Guisachan was a davach in 1221 but was later divided into two half-davachs and I think we are dealing with only one of these here. Kirk Comar (see below) was actually divided into four quarters and I think we are only dealing with two of them in 1415-16 – not the quarter called Clachan and not one of Balnahawen or Balnabruich. Mauld was a half-davach in 1637. The whole of Eskadale was a davach so it seems fair to assume that Easter and Wester Eskadale were each worth half a davach. We know that in this part of Inverness-shire (and some parts of Easter Ross) a davach was valued at 10 marks during the fifteenth century. It looks as if Hugh was getting 4 half-davachs worth a total of 20 merks. This data helps to make sense of some of the entries in the table below – which, for instance, only includes Easter Eskadale.
RMS II (179) 1430 – James I confirmed to Hugh Fraser of Lowet lands detailed in a retour – specifically that Alex(ander), brother of Hugh, had died vest and seised in a third part of the barony of the Arde.
RMS IV (2020) 1571-2, on an original of 1571, deals with the estate of Beauly Priory. Amongst the lands were one-third of Meikle-Culmuling and the Easter Glen of Conveth, as well as a quarter of Faynblair. These are repeated in RMS V (2165) 1592 which affirms it is only one-third of the Easter Glen of Conveth. These documents help show Fanblair was originally a davach (see table below) and shed light on the situation with Culmill. This is more difficult to interpret but if we take Culmill Beag as a ¼ davach then perhaps Culmill More was ¾ davach – of which ¼ davach (i.e. ⅓ of ¾) belonged to Beauly Priory.
Parish abbreviations are: CV=Convinth (CV/SG = Strathglass); FA=Farnway; WA=Wardlaw; KH=Kirkhill; KY=Kiltarlity; KMO=Kilmorack.
| Quarter 1 | Quarter 3 | Quarter 4 | David Lindesay’s lands | Value | |
| Modern Name | Old Extent valuations | ||||
| Belladrum CV | Part of Balladrum (a)
⅛ de Dawoch et Belladrum (b)1 |
⅛ Balladrom | 3 parts (¾?) Beldrum + Culmullyne-bege (c)
¾ Balladrum (d) ¾ Balladrum (e) |
¼ Balcrum = 8s 4d (2½m) | 1 davach |
| Englishton FA | Inglistoun (a)
1/16th Inglistoun (b) |
1/16th Inglistoun | 3 parts (¾) Inglistoun (c)
¾ Inglistoun (d) ¾ Inglistoun (e) |
¼ Nelstoun = 8s 4d (2½m) | 1 davach |
| Oldtown of Convinth CV | Altoun de Connovay (a) | ¼ Sanwalle in Glenconwich = 1¼m (5m) | |||
| Easter Convinth CV | Estir Connovay (a)2 | ||||
| Convinth More CV | ¼ Conwichmor = 1¼m (5m) | ||||
| Convinth CV | 1 davach (lay)
1 davach (church) |
||||
| Moniack WA | Moneok (a) | 2 davachs | |||
| Phopachy FA | Fopoquhy (a)
¼ Fopochye (b) |
¼ Fopochy | ¼ Appathy = 1¼m (5m) | ½ davach | |
| Bunchrew KH | Monchrwe (a)
¼ Munchrow(b) |
¼ Moncrew | ¼ Moncref = 1¼m (5m) | ½ davach | |
| Eskadale KY
Easter Eskadale Wester Eskadale3 |
Estir Eskadaile (a) |
¼ Eskadile = 1¼m (5m) |
1 davach | ||
| Kinerras KY | Kynnerese (a) | ¼ Kyneriche = 1¼m (5m) | ½ davach | ||
| Ardellan KY | Ardaleyne (a) | ¼ Ardewynet = 1¼m (5m) | |||
| Culbirnie KY | Culbrwim (a) | Kilbirny with castle hill called Beufort | ¼ Quhilbrane = 2½m + castle (10m) | (1 davach) | |
| Moy CV | Part of 2 Moyis (a)
2 Moys commonly called Ardranich (b) |
¼ of 2 Moyeis = 2½m (10m) | 2 davachs | ||
| Dounie CV | Downegorre (c)
Dounys (d) Downis (e) |
1 davach | |||
| Croft of Dounie CV | ½ croft of Doun (b) | ½ croft of Doune | |||
| Fisheries of the yairs | Fisheries of the yairs | ||||
| Fishery | Of Forne called Tolly | ||||
| Kirktoun? FA4 | Knoktoun (c)
Kirktoun (d) Kirktoun (e) |
½ davach | |||
| Kingillie WA | Kyngeile + yairs (c)
Kingily + yairs (d) Kingyle + yairs (e) |
(¾ – or 1 with Achnagairn?) | |||
| Cruive KY | Crywe (c)
Crew (d) Crew (e) |
½ davach with Knockvuy | |||
| Fanellan KY | Faynellan (c)
Fenelane (d) Fenellane (e) |
1 davach | |||
| Culachan KY | Crwlach (c)
Cowlauche (d) Kowlauch (e) |
||||
| Kiltarlity KY | ½ Kyntallirgy & fishing (c)
½ Kyntallargye & fishings in R. Forne (d) ½ Kintallargie & fishings in R. Forne (e) |
¾ davach | |||
| Ardblair CV | Ardblare (c)
Ardblare (d) Ardblaire (e) |
½ davach | |||
| Fanblair CV | Part of Faynblare (c)
¾ Fenblare (d) ¾ Fenblare (e) |
1 davach | |||
| Culmill CV | 2 parts (⅔) Colmullyne-more (c)
2-part Colmolinmore (d) Culmolinbeg (d) Culmolenbeg, 2-part Culmolenmore (e) |
½ davach More,
¼ davach Beag (lay) + ¼ davach More (Beauly’s) Total 1 davach? |
|||
| Dunballoch WA | Dunbailach + fishery (c)
Drumballoche + fishery (d) Drumballouch + fishery (e) |
1 davach | |||
| Coulachie CV | Kylach (c)
Kelauch (d) Kelauch (e) |
¼ davach | |||
| Clunevackie CV | Cloynbaky (c)
Clonvaike (d) Clonevaik (e) |
||||
| Erchless CV/SG | 2 Arcless (c)
2 Arcles (d) 2 Arcles (e) |
1 davach | |||
| Inchberry KH | Tenandry of Inchbary + yair (c)
Inchebarry + yairs (d) Inchebarry + yairs (e) |
1 davach | |||
| Struy KMO | Wester Struse
Ester Struse (d) Westir Struse, Ester Struse (e) |
½ davach ‘Little Struy’ | |||
| Culligran KMO | Culguyry (d)
Culguyrie (e) |
½ davach | |||
| Crochail KMO
|
Ester Croychell
Wester Croychell (d) Est Croychell Westir Croychell (e) |
1 davach | |||
| Kirkcomar (part of) CV/SG | Wester Comyr (d)
Westir Comire (e) |
||||
| Kirkcomar (part of) CV/SG | Kilbaddy (d)
Kilbaddy (e) |
||||
| Kirkcomar CV/SG | 1davach | ||||
| ? Deanie KMO | Daheny5 (d)
Daheny (e) |
1 This should read ‘Dawoch de Belladrum’ – See Simon Taylor p 34.
2 It is likely that Easter Convinth and Convinth More were the same.These and Altoun (Old Town = Sean Bhaile) made up some, or all, of the davach of Glen Convinth. RMS X (406) 1655 refers to ‘the easter two pleughs [ploughs] of Glenconich, the wester pleuch of Glenconich’. (1 plough = ¼ davach).
3 Wester Eskadale had been given to the Lovats in 1415-1416 – see RMS II (178) 1430.
4 There is more than one Kirktoun. I assume this is Farnway.
5 Daheny is unlocated but possibly Deanie in Kilmorack parish.
I have interpreted ‘two part’ as ⅔ and ‘three parts’ as ¾.
Quarter 1
RMS II (220) 1439-40 – James II confirmed a charter (dated 1438-9) by Margaret de Fenton de Beufort, elder daughter of the late Walt(er) de F(enton) de B(eufort), and one of his heirs, which granted Walter Ogilby [her husband] a quarter of her lands of Beufort and its manor, and her quarter of the lands of Ard.
RMS II (645) 1458 – James II granted Walter Lindesay de Kinblathmont [in Forfar] the lands of the barony of the Arde and Bewfort which Margaret de Fentoun had resigned.
RMS II (1626) 1485 – James III confirmed a charter by Patrick Ogilvy de Calzhebroch [Kilbrochan] which granted his son Andrew the lands of a quarter part of the barony of … Arde.
RMS II (3184) 1507-8 – James IV confirmed a charter (dated 1501) by Pat(rick) Ogilvy de Kellebroauch [Kilbrochan] which sold to John Ogilvy de Laveroklaw his lands of a quarter of the Arde, viz. his part of ……[as given in table above marked (a)].
RMS II (3602) 1511 – James IV confirmed a charter by Joh(n) Ogilvy de Laveroklaw which sold to Thomas Frasere de Lovet [lands as above marked (b)] + fisheries of the yairs etc. in the lordship of Bewfort in the Ard.
Quarter 2
RMS II (618) 1458 – James II confirmed a charter (dated 1448) by Joneta de Fentoun, one of the younger heirs of the late Walter de F(entoun), who granted her new husband William Haket the lands of a quarter part of Beuforte, in the Arde, and the lands of a quarter part of Strathglass.
RMS II (1368) 1477-8 – James III granted William Haket and Joneta Fentoun, his wife, the lands of Kinclevin, Perth, in compensation for ¼ of the lands of the barony of Bewfort, within the lordship of Arde & Straithglasche which Joneta had granted the king.
Since I have no information about the contents of this quarter I have omitted it from the above table.
Quarter 3
RMS II (735) 1459 – James II granted Sir David Stewart ¼ of the lands of Ard & Strathglass; belonging to the king by reason of the forfeiture of Sir James de Douglace and Joneta de Fentoune, his wife.
RMS II (3531) 1510-11 – James IV confirmed a charter (dated 1509) of Hen(ry) Douglace de Kilbirny who sold to Thomas Frasere of Lovet his lands [as above] in the lordship of Beufort-in-Arde – despite the forfeiture of the late Sir James Douglace & Joneta Fentoun, his wife, to whom the lands formerly belonged.
Quarter 4
RMS II (2320) 1496 – James IV confirmed a charter by John Haliburtoun of Gask which granted his son, William, his lands (as above) in the barony of Arde.
RMS II (2783) 1504 is not relevant to the Aird but does prove that John Haliburtoun of Gask had some of the Fentoun estate. Cf RMS II (618) 1458.
RMS II (3730) 1512 – James IV confirmed to James Haliburtoun of Gask the lands (as above (d)).
RMS III (755) 1528-9 – James V granted Hugh Fraser of Lovate lands (as above (e)) which Geo(rge) Halyburtoun of Gask had resigned.
Sir David Lindesay of Bewfurde’s lands (The Book of the Thanes of Cawdor pp 87-88)
In 1497 Sir David Lindesay granted Archibald, earl of Argyll, the lands listed above. Plainly this was a quarter of the Aird but I am unsure exactly how it relates to the rest of the table. This charter also gives merkland valuations which are important not just in themselves but because they indicate whether or not we are dealing with the whole property. For instance a 1/16th part of Inglistoun is actually a ¼ of a ¼ which suggests that the quarter share in that particular column actually only covered a quarter of Inglistoun – not the whole farm. (I have put in brackets after each merkland valuation what the whole of that property should theoretically value). This column is very similar to that in Quarter 1 – except for its omission of Moniack.
The total value of what is given comes to 15m which suggests a value for the Aird estate of 60m – i.e. likely 6 davachs. This does not mean the Aird was 6 davachs – it means the Fentoun estate of Aird was 6 davachs. I think the whole of the Aird amounted to more than that.
Value
The last column in the table indicates the value of the property where we can establish this.
As is evident above many of these lands eventually fell to the Frasers. Later charters confirm this:
RMS III (1601) 1536 – James V confirmed to Hugh Frasere of Lovett: the 2 Moys called Ardrannich; Culburnie with the castle hill called Bewfort; Phopachy.
RMS III (1958) 1538-9 – James V confirmed to Hugh Frasare of Lovet: Hereiclis alias Straglas (Erchless), Ardranicht, Ki(l)birne, ¼ of Balladrum, Comerkle (Kirk Comar).
RMS III (2733) 1542 – James V set in feufarm to Hugh Fraser of Lovet the Dawauch (davach) of Glenconweth, ½ of Ardellane, ¼ of Monchrow, ¼ of Foppewy (Phopachy), 1/16th of Inglistoun.
See also RMS IV (704) 1552, (2348) 1574-5 (on original of 1568) for lands that went to the MacIntosh family.
Leave a Reply