Wick Table

Wick

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
Nybster	(3d)	1663	ND 3663	Thomson(1822)	This farm formed the northern boundary of Wick parish. Broch (possible) Nybster – ND 370631. See below.
Ackergill Mains	(18d)	1549	ND 3554	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	1 ounceland unit. Ackergil in Blaeu. See below.
Noss Head Noss Field of Noss Farm	1 urisland (or 18d)	c. 1554	ND 3855 ND 3754 ND 3852	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Nos in GD96/5A 1476. Nosz in RSS III (2046) 1546 & RMS IV (210) 1548. Nos in RMS IV (2315) 1574. Implied in GD96/63. See below.
Quiestane		1546			Linked with Noss. RSS III (2046) 1546. RMS IV (210) 1548. RMS IV (2315) 1574.
East side of Noss etc	19d	1702			RS21/1/335r 1702. See below.
Staxigoe			ND 3852	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Staxigho in Blaeu. Broch (possible) ‘Cairn of Elsay’, Staxigoe – ND 387519.
Mireland			ND 3160	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Myrland in Blaeu.
Myrelandhorn	5½d min	1561	ND 2858	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	Myrlandnorn in Blaeu. See below.
Keiss			ND 3461/3561	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Keece in Blaeu. Keis in RMS III (475) 1527. GD112/58/1/3 1527. Linked to Stane (Stain) and Rowdale. See immediately below.
Stain			ND 3460	Thomson(1822)
Red Mire			ND 3362		= Rowdale?
Westerloch			ND 3258	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Westre in Blaeu. RMS III (3164-5) 1545? Wesbister/Westbuster?
Howbuster (Water)			c. ND 3159	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Blaeu implies Howbuster lay at the west end of the Loch of Wester.
Toftferry					NSA p 138. OPS II, II p 780.
Howe			ND 3062	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	How in Blaeu.
Knappo					See below.
Reiss Lower Reiss	(18d)	1573	ND 3354 ND 3355	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	GD96/125 1573. 1 ounceland unit. Ryce in Blaeu. See below. Broch (possible) Green Hill, Reiss – ND 326544.
Killimster Mains North Killimster South Killimster	18d 18d	1582/ 1588	ND 3254 ND 3255	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	2 ounceland unit. Kyllemster & O. Kyllemster in Blaeu. See below.
Kilminister	36d	1841			NSA Wick, p 146.
Skitten					See below.
Wick	9d 10d	1455 1603	ND 3650/3651	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Wick on N. side of river. New toun on S. side of river. See below. 10d ex-bishopric. RMS II (1404) 1478 on original of 1455. RMS VI (1467) 1603.
Old Wick			ND 3649	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Robertson’s Index p 137 No 2 1390-1406.
Papigoe	15½d + 1/16th d	1841	ND 3851	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Papingho (twice) in Blaeu. NSA p 146. Broch (possible) Papigoe – ND 382517.
Wick & Papigo	27d	1702			RS21/1/335r 1702.
Kirkfield			c. ND 3252	Thomson(1822)
Haster Upper Haster			ND 3250/3251 ND 3349	Thomson(1822)	Possibly = Hauster in RS20/1/p 200 1665?
Stemster			ND 3350	Thomson(1822)	Broch (possible) Stemster – ND 338502.
Milton Lower Milton Upper Milton	3d	1665	ND3450/3451 ND 3451 ND 3450	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Myltoun in Blaeu. RS20/1/p 200 1665 (I have a slight hesitancy about this but do not know of a more likely Milton). Cf Telstane below.
Gillock			ND 3452	Thomson(1822)	Broch (possible) Kettleburn broch, Gillock – ND 349519. See farm-plan, Iain Sutherland p 30.
Winless			ND 3053/3054	Roy(FC) Thomson(1822)
Gaultiquoy			ND 3450
Sarclet			ND 3443	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	Henderson, Agriculture, Appendix p 54 gives alternative name of Brodie’s Town.
Blingery		1456	ND 3048/3049	Thomson(1822)	Blenser in the ‘Testament of Alexander Suthyrland of Dunbeath, 1456,’ The Bannatyne Miscellany Vol. III, p 93. Blensary in Book of the Thanes of Cawdor (p 54) of 1472.
Stirkoke			ND 3249/3250	RHP 3349 Thomson(1822)	Stirkaik in RMS VII (1508) 1616. (Cf. Boilcaik in Halkirk parish). Broch (possible) Cairn Hill, Old Stirkoke – ND 327492.
Thuster Mains Thuster			ND 3051 ND 2951	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	Thersterwick in Blaeu. The suffix is to distinguish it from another Thuster/Thurster. Broch (possible) Thuster – ND 300525. See below.
Heiswell			ND 302510	OS 6″ (1871)	See under Thuster below.
Quoylie			c. ND 3151		E of Thuster in RS20/1/p 194 1664. See under Thuster below.
Wedderclet			c. ND 3151		RMS III (3164-5) 1545. E of Thuster in RS20/1/p 194 1664. See under Thuster below.
Humster			ND 3548		Broch (possible) Cairn of Humster – ND 352484.
Thrumster Little Upper Thrumster Thrumster House Thrumster Mains			ND 3345 ND 3345 ND 3345 ND 3245/3345	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	RMS III (3164-5) 1545. See below. Over Trumbuster, N. Trumbuster in Blaeu.   Broch (possible) Thrumster Mains – ND 331450. Broch (possible) Thrumster Little – ND 338458.
Thurster			ND 3444/3445	Thomson(1822)	Cf Thusater/Thursetter in Thurso. <> Thuster above.
Telstane = Hempriggs now	4½d	1665	ND 3547	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	RMS III (3164-5) 1545. RS20/1/p 200 1665. = ¼ ounceland. Henderson, Caithness Family History, p 221. NSA p 142. Belonged to Lord Duffus, the minister’s informant. Broch (possible) Hempriggs – ND 351471.
Tannach		1472	ND 3247	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9)	‘Tanach’ in Book of the Thanes of Cawdor (p 54) of 1472. Broch (possible) Tannach Mains – ND 323474. Tenoch in Blaeu. See also Latheron table under Clyth. ?Thanachkegis in RMS 1 App 2 Index A No 378 (Robert I). RMS XI (551) 1664.
Bilbster Bilbster Mains North Bilbster			ND 2853 ND 2853 ND 2853	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Roy(FC) Thomson(1822)	O. Bilbuster, Neth. Bilbuster in Blaeu. Broch (possible) North Bilbster – ND 281538. See also under Bylbster in Watten parish.
Sibster Sibster Farm Square of Sibster Lower Sibster			ND 3252 ND 3153 ND 3153 ND 3053	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	Shebbuster in Blaeu. Later called Hopeville (E106/8/2 Valuation Roll for Caithness in 1802). Sometimes called Sibsterwick to distinguish it from other Sibsters. See Iain Sutherland p 30 to see it marched with Gillock.
Harland			ND 3253	Thomson(1822)	See Iain Sutherland p 30 to see it marched with Gillock.
Mains of Ulbster Ulbster	6d	1615	ND 3341/3342 ND 3241	Blaeu(Caithness) Gordon(9) Thomson(1822)	Vlbuster in Blaeu. See below. Broch (possible) Ulbster School – ND 324414.
Watenan			ND 3141	Thomson(1822)	Pendicle of Ulbster. Broch (possible) Watenan – ND 317411. Broch Watenan – ND 318414.
Borrowston			ND 3243	Thomson(1822)	Pendicle of Ulbster. Broch (possible) Borrowston – ND 328435.
Whaligoe			ND 3240	Thomson(1822)	Pendicle of Ulbster.
Markwell			ND 3241
Bruan			ND 3139
(Lower) Camster Camstersdaill	1 davach	1637	ND 2545		Broch (possible) Lower Camster – ND 255455. See below. Camstersdaill in GD112/58/8/27 1637. I have placed this value under Latheron since the other places mentioned in the document are also Latheron.
Total	139d				>23 davachs

 

GD280/7/4/21 gives a useful list of lands in the parish of Wick in 1752. It includes Over and Nether Bilbster. (See under Watten parish for Bylbster which may originally have been part of the same farm). The last item of the list is half of Campster (Camster). Campster is another large property which seems to have been split – in this case with Latheron (q.v.).

 

Nybster

RS20/1/p 175 1663 gives 1½d as half of Nybster. The whole farm was therefore 3d.

 

Ackergill

Half Ackergill and half Reiss belonged to the Birsbane family (RH1/2/266 1469/70, GD96/4 1472 etc). Under GD96 is a series of documents showing how two illegitimate grand-daughters of the Brisbanes gradually lost their lands in the mid-sixteenth century. The documents clearly imply that Reiss and Ackergill were each 18d. (GD96/125 1573 gives ‘half Akirgill extending to 9¼d’ but I think we can conclude that the two ‘halves’ were slightly unequal).

See also GD96/18 1520, GD96/42 1548, GD96/46 1549, GD 96/57 1550, GD96/106 & 107 1565.

 

Noss

One of ‘tua urislands’ in GD96/63 c. 1554. (Urisland = ounceland). GD96/153 1575 refers to ‘the fortalice of Noss called Girnigo’. RMS III (2047) 1539.

 

East side of Noss etc

RS21/1/335r 1702 refers to the 19d of the east side of Noss, park of Castle Sinclair and Cantsquey with the field of Noss and Queystain. Whilst such a statement is of limited use in defining individual values it is helpful in confirming Noss as an ounceland of 18d.

 

Myrelandhorn

The early references consistently give the ending as -norn or similar. (Myirland-northin in GD96/70 1558). The farm seems to have been much subdivided and we have a great many references to portions of this property.

GD96/83 1561 refers to 2 separate parts of Myrlandnorne at 2¼d & 3¼d respectively. GD96/48 1549, followed by RMS VI (1467) 1603, GD96/508 1629 & GD96/529 1634, refer to 3¼d of Myrelandnorne which were lands that had formerly belonged to the bishop of Caithness. Retours (Caithness) (6) 1605 refers to 3 ‘octouns’ (eighths) of Myrelandnorne which now belonged to the earl but which had been bishopric lands in 1557 (see Sutherland Book III No 97 1557, RMS IV (1669) 1565, V (277 1581), VI (803) 1598. See also RS37/5/80r 1633 for ‘three octo landis’. 2¼d in GD96/125 1573. 3¼d in RMS VIII (481) 1623 on original of 1622. 3⅜d(?) in RMS XI (53) 1661.

RS20/1/p 165 1662 gives 3d and an ‘oblata’ in Myrelandnorne. ‘Oblata’ usually means ½d but can mean ¼d.

RMS VI (2) 1593 and RMS IX (1098) 1642 both refer to ½d (ex-bishopric) in Myrelandnorne – plus a tenement in Wick. GD96/405 1616 refers to 1d in Myrlandnorne (possibly part of the 3¼d bishopric lands above). Retours (Caithness) (22) 1644 refers to 2d in Myrelandnorne as part of the earldom lands but the context suggests they were different to the 3¼d mentioned above. In total therefore Myrelandnorne was worth at least 5½d – or, more likely, 6d – which would be a davach.

Also GD96/59 1553, RMS IV (2782) 1578 on original of 1575, RMS V (2127) 1592.

RS20/1/p 174 1663 gives 4½d of Myrlandnorne. RS20/1/p 198 1665 refers to 3 ‘octoes’.

Donaldson (1938, p 77 ff) gives 2¾d Myrelandhorn from the 1772 rental of the Mey Estate.

 

Keiss

Broch (possible) Keiss – ND 353610.

Broch (possible) Whitegate – ND 354612.

Broch (possible) Keiss, Kirk Tofts, ‘road’ broch – ND 348615.

 

Knappo

In Retours (Caithness) (22) 1644 Knappo is described as ‘halfe de Aikergill, half de Reis, half Wester, half Harland’. (The preceding 6d probably refers to the Sixpennyland in Latheron and is not a reference to the extent of Knappo). See also RMS XI (53) 1661. The estate of Knappo is referred to in GD96/36 1546, /44 1548, /45 1549, /60 1554, /70 1558, /108 1565, /113 1566, /223A 1586. Laing Charters (235) 1498 is an interesting example of giving sasine.

Half Ackergill + half Reiss (9d each) = 18d. If Wester and Harland were also 18d each then the total for Knappo would be 36d or 6 davachs.

 

Reiss

See above under Ackergill. The Brisbanes had half of Reiss which came to 9d. First the Brisbane grand-daughters lost 8d of this (GD96/42 1548) but clung on to 1d. Eventually they lost the lot (GD 96/57 1550). GD96/125 1573 gives ½ Reiss extending to 9d.

GD96/189 1580 refers to a ‘skatland’ of Reiss (possibly 4½d or a quarter-ounceland?) – c.f. Skiall & Dounreay in Reay parish and Stangergill in Olrig parish.

 

Killimster

NLS Dep.313/2983/15 1582/1588 suggest North and South Killimster were each 18d. (Some of the other evidence suggests only 9d in each but I favour 36d – as does I. Sutherland p 29). Together the two parts amounted to 2 ouncelands or 6 davachs. See Bishopric Table for further detail.

RS20/1/p 174 1663 gives South Killmster as 17⅛d.

 

Skitten

NSA Bower p 115 (1840):

‘Torfaeus mentions a fight begun in the moss of Skitten, (paludibus Skidensibus,) now oftener called Kilmster …’

See also NSA Wick pp 176 & 178. Broch Skitten – ND 323565.

 

Wick

It is difficult to be sure of the total valuation of Wick because we have a lot of references to 2d units therein. These include GD96/2 1469, GD96/24 & RMS III (1798) 1538, GD96/36 1546, GD96/46 1549 (2 x 2d), GD96/52 1549, GD96/53 & 57 1550, GD96/70 1558, GD96/83 1561, GD96/106 &107 1565, GD96/108 1565 (original 1555), GD96/125 & 130 1573, GD96/196 1582, RMS V (1341) 1587, Retours Caithness (22) 1644 (2 x 2d?).

 

There is a reference to 9d (ex-bishopric, Caithness) of Weke in RMS II (1404) 1478 on original of 1455. OPS II, II p 777 refers to a tenement of the bishop’s on the east of Wick in 1575.

RMS VI (1467) 1603 refers to 10d of Wick formerly belonging to the bishops of Caithness. This may have included the 9d of 1455.

GD96/270 1598 refers to Pyiperis-croft in Wick which was presumably the croft reserved for the bagpipe-player. RMS VI (1467) 1603 and RMS VIII (481) 1623, on original of 1622, tell us it was on the west side of the town. The bounds were specified in Scots – but not in the printed volume. Also in RS20/1/p 165 1662. This croft was ex-bishopric. RSS III (2336) 1547 gives a Hugh  Pypar in Wick.

 

We also have references to 10d of Weik in Sutherland Book III No 97 1557, 10d Weik in RMS IV (1669) 1565 on original of 1564 and in RMS V (277) 1581 on original of 1580 (ex-bishopric), 10d Weik and Papigo in RMS V (1977) 1591 (ex-bishopric), 10d in Wick & Papingo in Sutherland Book III No 119 1591, 10d of Weik & Papigo in Retours (Caithness) (6) 1605. 10d Weik in RMS VIII (481) 1623 on original of 1622.

RMS XI (53) 1661 gives either 25¾d or 27¾d in Wick and Papigo.

RS21/1/335r 1702 refers to ‘Wick and Papiigoe consisting of 27 dland’ [dland=pennyland].

 

For tenements see RMS VI (2) 1593, (803) 1598.

GD96/83 1561 refers to 2d in Wick called ‘brisbanis’ (i.e. Brisbane’s). These were lay.

 

Thuster

Thurster in RS20/1/p 194 1664 – where neighbouring properties are given. Thurster was bounded by Wedderclet and Quoylie in the east, part of Bilbster in the west, Heswell in the south and the water of Wick at the north.

 

Thrumster

A Ross (p 295) gives GD112/58/14/6 1660 as his source for claiming Thrumisterlitle is a davach. I cannot see this in the document.

 

Ulbster

Sutherland, Caithness 1770 to 1832, pp 29-30 gives ¾d in Ulbster in 1596.

RMS VII (1440) 1616, on original of 1615, gives 6d Ulbuster with harbours and pendicles listed as:

‘fields of Watnen, Burrowstoun, Qualigeo, with harbour, fishery and its corfhouse [shed for curing salmon], with the lochs of Watnen, the Mylloch [Mill-loch] and their fishings, with the mill of Ulbuster, astricted multures [i.e. thirled grain] etc. and the sheilings which were formerly parts of the lands belonging to Earl George, Lord Keith … and Lord Oliphant’.

 

Retours (Caithness) (20) 1640 states that the 6d of Ulbster included the following pendicles:

Watnen                        (Watenan)

Borroustoun                (Borrowston)

Quhalogw                   (Whaligoe)

 

Retours (Caithness) (8) 1614 refers to a three-farthingland of Ulbster in the barony of Hasbuster. I presume this refers to Housbustyr/Howbuster.

 

Camster

Camster may have been another of these very large farms which stretched over parish boundaries. Upper Camster may have lain in Latheron (qv); Lower Camster in Wick. Thomson’s map rather implies it straddled the parish march. That Camster was divided into two halves is supported by evidence from the Valuation Roll (1702) found under E106/8/1 and NSA Wick p 123.

Broch (possible) (Lower) Camster – ND 252450. CANMORE gives in Latheron. N. of watershed. Properly in Wick?

 

Other Brochs

Broch (possible) Shorelands – ND 364542.

Broch (possible) ‘The Pap’. Hillhead – ND 376514.

Broch (possible) Brounaban – ND 323434.

Broch (possible) Heatherquoy – ND 327417.

Broch (possible) Gansclet – ND 336444.

Broch Yarrows – ND 308434.

Broch (possible) Toftgun – ND 279424.

Broch (possible) Castle Linglas – ND 338583.