Eaglesham Table

Eaglesham Table

 

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
Eaglesham	100m	1484			Lands and Barony 100m AE in GD3/1/10/41/1. See below.
Eaglesham			NS 5751/5752	Blaeu(Renfrew) RHP3/90(1789) RHP3/91(1789)	Egglisham, Kirk B.(urn) in Blaeu + church symbol. RHP3/90 is the Town Plan. RHP3/91B shows the town lands & RHP3/91A is a Table of Contents for Eaglesham.
Carrot			NS 5748	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) RHP3/136(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Korrethol in Pont & Blaeu.
Hol-Hall				RHP3/137(1789)	RHP3/137 marks Hol-Hall to W of Netherton, N of Carrot, E of Denwan.
Drumduff Hill			NS 5846	RHP3/133(1789) Ainslie(1796)	RHP3/133 shows Drumduff to SE of Hareshaw, W of Threepland. Ainslie locates Drumduff c. NS 5845.
Hareshaw				RHP3/134(1789)	RHP3/134 shows Hareshaw SE of Carrot, NW of Drumduff, NE of Myres, W of Threepland.
Myres Hill			NS 5646	RHP3/135(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Pont & Blaeu both give ‘Jok of the Myirs’ at the southern extremity of the parish.
Stonebyres			NS 5949	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/131(1789) Ainslie(1796)
Dunwan Hill (fort)			NS 5448	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/155(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Ainslie locates Denwan in NS 5449.     RHP3/155 is Denwan. To W & NW are Blackwood Hill & Braehead. To SE is Carrot.
Auchinhood					In the NSA for Eaglesham p 392 we find ‘Formerly the farms of Netherton, Polehall, Holemuir, and Maulauther, constituted an ancient property named Auchinhood’. See next entry.
Auchinhude	5m	1545	c. NS 5447/ 5547/5548	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	5m AE in GD3/1/10/45/1 1545. Half Auchinhood/Auchinhud in GD3/1/10/45/2 1622. 2m Netherton of Auchinhude, part of 5m AE Auchinhude in GD3/1/10/50/1 1659. For other notices see Hamilton of Wishaw p 119 and footnote.
Blackwoodhill	20s	1571	NS 5448	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/153(1789) RHP3/154(1789) Ainslie(1796)	20s AE Blakwodhill in GD3/1/10/51/2 1571.     RHP3/153 is Blackwood. RHP3/154 is Blackwood Hill.
Blackwood Burn			NS 5349/5449	Ainslie(1796)
Braehead Hill			NS 5449	Roy(PC) RHP3/152(1789) Ainslie(1796)
Greenfield	2½m	1566	NS 5449	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/151(1789) Ainslie(1796)	2½m AE Grenefield in GD3/1/10/56/1 1566.
Woodhouse			NS 5750	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/117(1789) Ainslie(1796)
Park Farm	16s 8d	1622	NS 5750	Pont(33) Roy(PC) RHP3/118(1789) Ainslie(1796)	16s 8d (1¼m) in GD3/1/10/45/2 1622.
East Revoch West Revoch Over Nether	20s	1571	NS 5650 NS 5550	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/138(1789) RHP3/139(1789) Ainslie(1796)	O. Riuoch & Riuoth in Pont. (O=Over). Upper & Nether in Roy. East & West in Ainslie. RHP3/138 is Easter Rivoch. RHP3/139 is West-Rivoch. 20s AE Nether Reuoch in GD3/1/10/51/2 1571.
Ballageich Hill			NS 5350	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	The summit of this hill is 333 metres above sea level. It is unlikely that the first element is from Gaelic ‘baile’ (township) although it might be from ‘bealach’ (a mountain pass).
Netherton			NS 5749	Ainslie(1796) RHP3/119(1789)	Is this Netherton of Auchinhood?
Ardoch			NS 5849	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/121(1789) RHP3/122(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Airdoch in Pont & Blaeu. Ard(o)ch & Over Ardoch in Roy. East & West Ardoch in Ainslie   RHP3/121(1789) is West-Ardoch. RHP3/122(1789) is East Ardoch.
Nether Enoch Over Enoch Anouche	5m AE	1513	NS 5850 NS 5850/5849	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/120(1789) RHP3/123(1789) RHP3/124(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Enoch B:(urn), N: Enoch & O:Enoch in Pont & Blaeu. Nether & Over in Roy. Nether, Mid & Over in Ainslie. Nether was to North. See below. RHP3/120(1789) is Ever-Enoch (where Ever=Over) RHP3/123(1789) is Mid-Enoch. RHP3/124(1789) is Nether-Enoch.
Threepland	1m	1571	NS 6049	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/132(1789) Ainslie(1796)	1m AE Thriepland in GD3/1/10/51/2 1571. 26s 8d (2m) in Munimenta Alme Universitatis Glasguensis, Vol 1, No 192, p 301, c. 1649-51. Threepland lies beside the parish boundary. Since the name means ‘debatable land’ this implies it was once the object of contention between proprietors and/or parishes. In the earliest times parishes may often have aligned with estate boundaries.
Temples	1m	1503	NS 6050	Roy(PC) RHP3/130(1789) Ainslie(1796)	The name implies ownership by the Templars. See below.
Highcraig North Highcraig			NS 5950 NS 5950	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/126(1789) RHP3/127(1789) RHP3/128(1789) RHP3/129(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Hy Kraig & N: Craig in Pont. Upper & Nether in Roy.     RHP3/126 is Nether High Craig. RHP3/127 is North High-Craig. RHP3/128 is South High Craig – amended to West High Craig. RHP3/129 is East High Craig – amended to South High Craig.
Nethercraig	2½m	1520	NS 5950/5951		GD3/1/10/31 (1520) 2½m Nether Crag.
Lady Chapel of Crag		1520			GD3/1/10/31 (1520). RMS VI (1838) 1607 refers to the chapel and chaplainry of Nether Craig and ‘lie Lady-preistschip’ of the parish church of Eaglesham.
Lochcraig (Reservoir)			NS 5350/5351	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/149(1789) RHP3/150(1789) Ainslie(1796)	O: & N: Lochcraig in Pont & Blaeu (i.e. Over & Nether). East & West in Ainslie.   RHP3/149 is West Loch-Craig. RHP3/150 is East Loch Craig.
Bennan Farm   Meikle Bennan	4m	1571	NS 5151	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/147(1789) RHP3/148(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Bennē, Litil Bennen & Bennen L: (Pont) Litil Bennens, M. Benne & Bennen L. (Blaeu) Muckle Binnan, Binnan Hill, Loch Binnan (Roy). RHP3/147 is Mickle Binnend. RHP3/148 is Little Binend. Mickle & Little Binend (Ainslie, 1796). See below.
Langlee			NS 5151	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/146(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Langlies in Pont & Blaeu. Longlee in Roy & Ainslie.     RHP3/146 is Longlee.
North Moorhouse East Moorhouse South Moorhouse South Murehous	20s 8d 26s 8d	1571 1610	NS 5252 NS 5351 NS 5251	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/145(1789) Ainslie(1796)	O: & N: in Pont & Blaeu (i.e. Over & Nether). Muirhouse in Roy & Ainslie. 20s 8d Southmuirhous in GD3/1/10/51/2 1571. 26s 8d AE South Murehous alias lie Bonytounmure in RMS VII (557) 1611, on original of 1610. Normally I would go with earlier data but at exactly 2m the later figure is more likely. RHP3/145 is North Moor-house.
Blackhouse Farm			NS 5352	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/144(1789) Ainslie(1796)
Mains (Polnoon)	5m	1576	NS 5851	Roy(PC) RHP3/113(1789) Ainslie(1796)	5m ‘dominical lands’ (i.e. Mains) in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576. 5m in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. 5m ‘lie Manis’ (the Mains) in RMS V (965) 1586.
Millhall Mill of Polnone & mill-lands thereof	6s 8d	1576	NS 5851	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576. Also in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576.
Polnoon Polnoon Castle			NS 5851 NS 5851	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/115(1789) Ainslie(1796)
Stepends				RHP3/114(1789)	According to RHP3/114 Stepends has Low Hill to WSW & NW, Broadflat to S, Mains to NE. It is Stepend in the New Statistical Account p 399.
Low Hill Highhill Cottage Hill	37s 6d	1576	NS 5751 NS 5750	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/92(1789) RHP3/93(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Hil (Pont), Hill (Blaeu). Hill and S. Hill (Roy). Lowhill and High-hill (Ainslie). 37s 6d in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576. Also in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. RHP3/92(1789) is a plan of Low Hill. RHP3/93(1789) is a plan of High-Hill.
Picketlaw			NS 5751	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/94(1789) Ainslie(1796)	??law (Pont), Kitlaw (Blaeu), Piketlaw (Roy), Picket Law (Ainslie). RHP3/94(1789) is a plan of Picketlaw.
Comrigs				RHP3/95(1789)	RHP3/95(1789) is a plan of Comrigs. It was located NW of Picketlaw, S of Upper Borland and NE of South Kirkton Moor. It is given as Comerings in the New Statistical Account p 399.
North Kirktonmoor South Kirktonmoor Kirktonmuir	20s	1571	NS 5551 NS 5551	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/140(1789) RHP3/141(1789) RHP3/142(1789) Ainslie(1796)	N: Moore, O: Moore in Pont & Blaeu (i.e. Nether & Over). North & South in Roy & Ainslie. 20s AE Kirktonmuir in GD3/1/10/51/2 1571. RHP3/140 is South Kirkton Moor. RHP3/141 is North Kirktonmoor. RHP3/142 is Kirkton-Moor.
Waukers			NS 5852	Roy(PC) RHP3/112(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Wakers (Roy), Walkers (Ainslie).
Mid Borland High Borland Low Borland Nether Bordland	33s 4d	1576	NS 5652 NS 5652 NS 5753	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/96(1789) RHP3/108(1789) Ainslie(1796)	The name derives from ‘bordland’ which was the land designated to maintain and provision a castle. N. & O. in Blaeu (i.e. Nether & Over). RHP3/96(1789) is a plan of High Borland. RHP3/108(1789) is a plan of Laigh Borland. 33s 4d (2½m) Nether Bordland in  GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576. Also in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. See below.
Kirktoun				Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Kirktoū (Pont), Kirktoun (Blaeu). North of Kirkland.
Kirkland			NS 5852	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/110(1789) RHP3/111(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Kirkland & Kirkland Bridge in Pont & Blaeu.     RHP3/110(1789) is a plan of N. Kirkland. RHP3/111(1789) is a plan of S. Kirklands. See below.
Holehouse			NS 5753	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/109(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Holhous in Pont & Blaeu. Holehouse in Roy & Ainslie.
Castlehill House Castlehill Nether Castlehill	10s	1576	NS 5553 NS 5653	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) RHP3/99(1789) Ainslie(1796)	10s Nether Castelhill in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576. Also in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576.
Crosslees     Corsley			NS 5652	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/105(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Corsl (Pont), Corst (Blaeu), Crosslee (Roy), Mount Corsley & Corsley Burn (Ainslie, 1796).   RHP3/105(1789) is actually a plan of Corsley & Laigh Tofts.
Bonnyton	£4	1573	NS 5553	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/100(1789) RHP3/143(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Bontton (Pont – almost unreadable), Bontton (Blaeu). Bonytown (Roy), Bonnyton (Ainslie). £4 AE Bonyngtoun in GD3/1/10/63 1573. Also in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576 and RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. £4 Bonyntoune in The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 360 No 12 1580. RHP3/100 is Bonyton. RHP3/143 is Bonnyton-Moor.
Bogside	20s	1576	NS 5554	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/101(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Bogsid (Pont). Bogside (Roy & Ainslie). 26s Bogsyde in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576. 20s Bogsyd in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. 20s Bogside in GD3/1/10/57/3 & 4 of 1652. 20s Bogsyde in RMS X (323) 1654, on original of 1652, and 20s Bogsyd in Renfrew Retours (178) 1678. The balance of evidence is for 20s not 26s.
Brackenrig Burn North Bracanrig     Southbrakandrig	26s 8d     26s 8d	1573     1576	NS 5553/5653	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/106(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Brakanrig (Pont). 26s 8d AE in GD3/1/10/63 1573. Also in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576, RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576, The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 360 No 12 1580. (26s 8d = 2m). 26s 8d in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576 and RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. 36s 8d South Bracanrig in The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 360 No 12 1580. (26s 8d seems more likely).
Floors Fluris   North Floors South Floors	50s	1576	NS 5554	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/102(1789) RHP3/104(1789) Ainslie(1796)	Flurs in Pont & Blaeu. Floors in Roy & Ainslie(1796). 50s in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576 and RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. (50s = 3¾m). 50s AE Flures in Renfrew Retours (43) 1617. 50s Floores in RMS X (323) 1654 on original of 1652 and Renfrew Retours (178) 1678. GD3/1/10/57/3&4 1652 refer to the lands of Flower Medicate.
Waterfoot			NS 5654	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) RHP3/107(1789)	Waterfood in Pont & Blaeu.   RHP3/107(1789) is a plan of Water-foot Park.
Windhill Farm	40s	1573	NS 5654	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	Windil (Pont & Blaeu). (W)indhill & Windillhill (Roy). 40s AE Windill in GD3/1/10/63 1573. See below.
Ross Mill & mill-lands	40d = 3s 4d	1576		Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) RHP3/103(1789)	Rosmil (Pont & Blaeu) – between Windhill & Floors. Rossmill in Roy. ‘Los (read ‘Ros’) Mylne and Mill Lands thereof’ in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576. Also in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. 40d lands annexed to mill in Renfrew Retours (43) 1617.
Damhead				Pont(33) RHP3/125(1789)	N of Woodhous and near Picketlaw in Pont. RHP3/125 is Damhead which has Polnoon to N, Nether Enoch to W, Nether Craig to NE and North High Craig to SE.
Melowther Hill Melowther			NS 5548/5648 NS 5450	Roy(PC)	Formerly part of Auchinhood (NSA p 392).
Broadflatts			c. NS 5850	Roy(PC) RHP3/116(1789)	W of Polnoon Water, N of Enoch Burn in Roy. RHP3/116 shows it S of Low Hill & Stepend, NE of High Hill, N of Nether Enoch.
Toftis East Tofts West Tofts	36s 8d	1573		Roy(PC) RHP3/97(1789) RHP3/98(1789)	N of Crosslee in Roy. For Laigh Tofts see RHP3/105(1789) – with Corsley. 36s 8d AE in GD3/1/10/63 1573. 4m Toftis in The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 360 No 12 1580
Leizet	10s	1576			6s 8d of 10s land of Leizet in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576. Similarly Lidzet in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. I have not located this.
Total	62m 4s 2d
Purves p 161	£66 13 4				= 100m, Lordship of
Stewart f 49v	£66 13 4				= 100m, Lordschip of

 

Eaglesham

ER IX p 683 1484 gives a sasine to Hugh Mongomery of Eglishame.

We have numerous documentary sources which specify that the lands and barony of Eaglesham amounted to 100m AE. These include:

GD3/1/10/41/1 1484; GD3/1/1/20/3 1528; Memorials of the Montgomeries II No 117 1528; ER XVIII pp 390-1 1545; RSS III (1381) 1545, (1906, 1910) 1546; RMS III (3251) 1546; RMS IV (1674) 1565 (2544) 1576 on original of 1575; RMS VII (591-2) 1611; Renfrew Retours (159) 1661.

 

RHP3 (see Text file) gives plans for 66 farms in the Barony of Eaglesham. For convenience I give a table of these below. For each plan I give the original (1789) plan number, followed by the farm name, followed by a code indicating its number in the National Records of Scotland online catalogue. For example, RHP3/95 refers to the Plan of Comrigs which is Plan No 6 in the series. The original plans also include Tables of Contents from which I have extracted the number of arable acres in each farm (rounded down in all cases).

 

Plan No	Farm name	RHP No	Arable acres		Plan No	Farm name	RHP No	Arable acres
1	Eaglesham	RHP3/90			34	Mid-Enoch	RHP3/123	23
2	Town Lands	RHP3/91	194		35	Nether-Enoch	RHP3/124	20
3	Low Hill	RHP3/92	46		36	Damhead	RHP3/125	21
4	High Hill	RHP3/93	25		37	Nether High Craig	RHP3/126	87
5	Picketlaw	RHP3/94	64		38	North High Craig	RHP3/127	95
6	Comrigs	RHP3/95	50		39	South High Craig**	RHP3/128	50
7	High Borland	RHP3/96	108		40	East High Craig***	RHP3/129	53
8	East Tofts	RHP3/97	28		41	Temples	RHP3/130	71
9	West Tofts	RHP3/98	21		42	Stone-byres	RHP3/131	118
10	Castle-Hill	RHP3/99	43		43	Threepland	RHP3/132	152
11	Bonyton	RHP3/100	78		44	Drumduff	RHP3/133	2
12	Bog-side	RHP3/101	63		45	Hareshaw	RHP3/134	20
13	North Floors	RHP3/102	82		46	Mires	RHP3/135	3
14	Ross Mill	RHP3/103	109		47	Carrot	RHP3/136	38
15	South Floors	RHP3/104	59		48	Hol-hall	RHP3/137	93
16	Corsley & Laigh Tofts	RHP3/105	69 + 24		49	Easter Rivoch	RHP3/138	105
17	Brakenrig	RHP3/106	118*		50	West-Rivoch	RHP3/139	94
18	Water-foot park	RHP3/107	21		51	South Kirkton Moor	RHP3/140	46
19	Laigh Borland	RHP3/108	89		52	North Kirktonmoor	RHP3/141	61
20	Holehouse	RHP3/109	64		53	Kirkton-moor	RHP3/142	0
21	North Kirkland	RHP3/110	49		54	Bonnyton-moor	RHP3/143	214
22	South Kirklands	RHP3/111	19		55	Black-house	RHP3/144	54
23	Walkers	RHP3/112	44		56	North Moor-house	RHP3/145	99
24	Mains	RHP3/113	52		57	Longlee	RHP3/146	56
25	Stepends	RHP3/114	30		58	Mickle Binnend	RHP3/147	45
26	Polnoon	RHP3/115	52		59	Little Binend	RHP3/148	50
27	Broadflatt	RHP3/116	34		60	West Loch-Craig	RHP3/149	13
28	Wood-house	RHP3/117	58		61	East Loch-Craig	RHP3/150	9
29	Park	RHP3/118	54		62	Greenfield	RHP3/151	27
30	Netherton	RHP3/119	71		63	Brae-Head	RHP3/152	18
31	Ever-Enoch (i.e. Over)	RHP3/120	108		64	Blackwood	RHP3/153	8
32	West Ardoch	RHP3/121	83		65	Blackwood Hill	RHP3/154	1
33	East Ardoch	RHP3/122	104		66	Denwan	RHP3/155	17

*Amended to 140 acres

**Pencil amendment ‘West High Craig’

***Pencil amendment ‘South High Craig’

 

The New Statistical Account (1840, p 399) gave a list of 40 farms in Eaglesham along with their acreage in arable, moss and meadow, and average numbers of cattle and horses. In order to allow some comparisons I give an edited version of this table below. I have only given the farm-names and the acreage in arable – rounded down in all cases. The farms run in sequence down columns A, B and C.

 

Name of farm (A)	Arable acres	Name of farm (B)	Arable acres	Name of farm (C)	Arable acres
Kirkton lands	165	Brakenrig etc.	140	East Ardoch	107
Lowhill	46	Laigh Boreland	89	Mid & Nether Enoch	44
Highhill	25	Holehouse	64	Damhead	21
Picketlaw	57	South Kirklands	69	Nethercraig	87
Comerings	48	Walkers etc.	73	North High Craig	95
Upper Boreland	78	Mains	52	West & South High Craig	50
East Tofts	73	Stepend	30	East High Craig	53
West Tofts	21	Polnoon	52	Temples	71
Bonyton	78	Broadflat	34	Stonebyres	118
Bogside	63	Woodhouse	58	Upper Threepland	93
North Floors	82	Park	54	Nether Threepland	59
Ross Mill, near Windhill	109	Netherton	71	Drumduff	2
South Floors & Laigh Tofts	84	Over Enoch	108
Crosslees, & part of Boreland	101	West Ardoch	80	+ Town lands (Eaglesham)	51

 

The NSA states there were another 22 farms beside the 40 listed above – but does not list them. These contained at least another 778 arable acres.

 

Enoch

5m AE Anouche in GD3/1/1/40/9 1513 (Hugh Montgomery to his son, Robert).

GD3/1/10/55 1531 or Memorials of the Mongomeries II No 124 1531 gives 5m AE Enochis (resigned by Robert Montgomery to his father, Hugh). ‘Enochis’ is in the plural so presumably this was Nether and Over.

 

Temples

Within the Montgomery family papers held by the National Records of Scotland ‘GD3/1/10/43’ refers to a bundle of 9 documents which concern the Temple lands in Eaglesham. The following gives a summary:

GD3/1/10/43/1 1450 (or Memorials of the Montgomeries II No 39) is a charter by James of Crag to Richard Donaldson of the ‘terras templarias’ (temple lands) in the lordship of Eaglesham.

GD3/1/10/43/2 1454 (or Memorials of the Montgomeries II No 40) is a confirmation of the above by the Commendator of the Hospitallers (who had acquired the Templars’ lands in Scotland).

GD3/1/10/43/4 3 April 1503 is a charter by William Knollis, Lord of St John’s, (i.e. the Hospitallers), in favour of John Montgomery of these Temple lands on the resignation of John Temple. (I have changed the numerical order of the documents here since No 4 predates No 3).

GD3/1/10/43/3 11 May 1503 is an instrument of sasine in favour of John Montgomery of Thorntoun of that 1m AE in Eaglesham parish which had pertained to John Tempillis of Tempillis.

GD3/1/10/43/5 1508 is a service before the temple baillie of the Hospitallers, of John Tempillis as heir of his deceased grandfather Alexander Tempillis, in the 2s of temple lands commonly called Tempillis in the lordship of Eaglesham. The summary in the NRS catalogue states that these temple lands ‘were then valued at 2s and the same in time of peace’. They were held of the Hospitallers ‘in feu farm for payment yearly of 2s Scots’.

GD3/1/10/43/6 1509 is a charter of vendition (sale) by John Tempillis of that ilk in favour of Hugh (Montgomery), Earl of Eglinton.

The next three documents are all from a century later.

GD3/1/10/43/7 1609 is a charter by the Lord of Torphichen (i.e. representing the former Hospitaller interest) confirming the lands to the Earl of Eglinton.

GD3/1/10/43/8 1609 is a copy of the foregoing and GD3/1/10/43/9 1609 is a sasine.

 

GD3/1/10/1/2 1541 (Montgomery) refers to ‘the merk land called the Tempillis within Eglescham’.

 

There are further questions raised by the survival of these few documents. The fact that the lands are in Eaglesham suggests that when the Templars were first endowed the donors were possibly the Montgomery family. They may have been given sometime after the Montgomeries acquired Eaglesham which was presumably not long after Walter fitz Alan acquired his estates in Renfrewshire. The Templars fell in 1312 so the gift dates between about 1160-1312 – but probably nearer the beginning of this period, otherwise it is difficult to see them being remembered as Temple lands through all subsequent history.

 

As to valuation we have references in 1503 and 1541 to Temples being a merkland. How then do we account for the reference in GD3/1/10/43/5 1508 which suggests that it was worth 2s? I think the explanation lies in the fact that Temples, in common with many other temple lands in Scotland, paid an annual rent of 2s which was possibly established at the time of donation and remained unaltered for long periods subsequently. The phrase ‘in time of peace’ is sometimes claimed to be a euphemism for ‘Auld Extent’ but I think here it signifies an earliest rental value. In ‘The Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland’, there is printed a rental from 1539-40 which allows us to compare the rents from different Templar properties. The 2s from Temples in Eaglesham is almost certainly the 2s ‘Heglenham’ in Renfrew on p 21. A perusal of the remainder of the rental gives a clear view of the generally low level of most rents – often 6d, 1s (12d), 18d (1s 6d), 2s etc. This suggests antiquity and a reluctance to raise rents – or an aversion by tenants to paying any increase.

 

Bennan

Our first reference to Bennan is in 1392 – but unfortunately without valuation. Memorials of the Montgomeries, Vol II No 23 1392 is a charter by John of Montegomorri to William of Blakeforde of the land of Litil Benane. The same lands are the subject of Memorials of the Montgomeries, Vol II No 92 1512 where Alexander Lekpreweik of that ilk had wadset to the first Earl of Eglintoun ‘sewynteyne merkis wortht and a half of new extent zeirlie, … of his landis of Litill Bennane’. It appears that Little Bennan was assessed at 17½m New Extent yearly which sounds rather like a rate of rental. Renfrew Retours (23) 1607 gives £4 6s 8d lands of Little Bennen – New Extent. It is not easy to reconcile these figures.

GD3/1/10/51/2 1571 gives us 4m AE Meikill Bennan.

 

Borland

GD3/1/10/45/2 1622 gives half of the 20s 4d AE of Bordland. This is not easily reconciled with the earlier evidence.

 

Kirkland

GD3/1/10/42/9 1617 concerns the kirklands of Eaglesham. It includes the following phrase ‘and also £3 6s 8d in augmentation of the old and new rentals of the one penny lands’. This raises the possibility that the kirklands of Eaglesham were once reckoned a pennyland, rather like the kirk pennyland of Innerkip and other church pennylands on the west coast. The memory of pennylands lasted for centuries in areas once settled by the Norse – for instance into the late eighteenth century in Lochaber. However this is the only piece of evidence I have for pennylands in Eaglesham so it is best to be cautious.

 

Windhill

26s 8d Umdill & Umdhill in GD3/1/10/41/12 14 May 1576 & 26s 8d Windill & Windhill in RMS IV (2572) 24 May 1576. 10s Windiehill in Renfrew Retours (43) 1617. Immediately after this entry in Renfrew Retours there is Rossmylne (Ross mill) with its mill-lands worth 40d or 3s 4d.

At first sight we have a mismatch between the 40s (3m) of 1573 and the later evidence. However, they may be consistent if we add the 26s 8d (2m) of 1576 to the 10s of 1617 plus the 3s 4d mill-lands of Ross Mill – making a total of 3m.

40s AE Vindhill in The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 360 No 12 1580. GD3/1/10/57/3 & 4 of 1652 also give us 40s Wimmell (Windhills). 40s Windills in Renfrew Retours (178) 1678.