Mearns
Principal Sources
OSA Vol 17 No 21 1796
The New Statistical Account of Scotland, Vol VII, Edinburgh, 1845:
Mearns pp 512-524, dated 1842
OPS I pp 97-98, p 508
RMS II (1362) 1477-8, (2087) 1491-2, (3339) 1509
RMS III (956) 1530, (1402) 1534
RMS IV (2012) 1571-2
RMS V (1858) 1591
RMS VI (2007) 1608 on original of 1607
RMS VII (520) 1611
RMS VIII (228) 1621
RMS IX (1274) 1642
RMS X (512) 1656
RMS XI (288) 1662, (416) 1663
RSS I (1876) 1509
RSS III (1750, 1768, 1824) 1546
RSS IV (35) 1548-9, (1737) 1552
RSS VIII (1801) 1583-4
RRS II (310) 1189 x 1195
ER XIX p 425 1558
ER XX p 419 1571
GD1/341/1 1656
GD1/341/2 1675
GD1/341/4 1680
GD1/341/5 1729
GD3/1/7/5 1541
GD3/1/3/47/16 1702
GD86/706 1680
Renfrew Retours (5) 1550, (28) 1609, (51) 1619, (80) 1629, (86) 1632, (91) 1634, (109) 1639, (128) 1647, (146) 1655, (156) 1659, (162) 1662, (167) 1668, (178) 1678, (206) 1591
Volume II of the Retours, published 1811, has a section titled ‘Inquisitiones de possessione quinquennali ad capellam domini regis retornatae’.
No 4 of 1676 refers to Keplerig (Capelrig/Barcapel). (Hereafter ‘Renfrew Retours Q (No 4) 1676’).
RS53 f 8v 1642
RS53 ff 11r-11v 1642
RS53 f 11v 1642 (a separate document to that immediately above)
RS53 f 12r 1642
The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell, p 2 No’s 3, 4 & 5 c. 1300, p 11 No 1 1513, p 22 No 8 1647, p 54 No 3 1785, pp 217-8 No 6 1816, p 218 No 8 1835, p 229 No 2 1583, p 231 No 9 1636, p 343 No 7 1456, No 8 1468, No 10 1473, p 349 No 13 1653, p 350 No 15 1657, No 16 1658, p 351 No 21 1793, p 355 No 2 1777, pp 364-5 No 5 1617, p 367 No 9 1646, p 371 No 17 1686
Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok Vol I p 121 No 1 1200, pp 121-2 No 2 1219, pp 125-6 No 6 c. 1300, p 177 No 46 1456, pp 181-3 No 48 1468
Memorials of the Montgomeries Vol II p 64 No 79 1506
Crawfurd, G., A Genealogical History of the Royal and Illustrious Family of the Stewarts, from the year 1034 to the Year 1710 …, Edinburgh, 1710. (Hereafter ‘Crawfurd’).
Robertson, G., A general description of the Shire of Renfrew …, Paisley, 1818 (Hereafter ‘Robertson(1818)’). Table of Property pp 287-8.
Descriptions of the Sheriffdoms of Lanark and Renfrew, compiled about 1710 by William Hamilton of Wishaw, Maitland Club, Glasgow, 1831 pp 110-113
Liber protocollorum M. Cuthberti Simonis (Cuthbert Simon), 1499-1513; eds., Bain, J., & Rogers, C., London, 1875. English abstracts Vol I; Latin text Vol II, No 491, No 573
Registrum Monasterii de Passelet
Armstrong A.M., Mawer A., Stenton F.M., Dickins B., The Place-names of Cumberland, Part I, Cambridge, 1950, reprinted 1971. (English Place-name Society Vol XX).
Smith A.H., The Place-names of Westmorland, Part I, Cambridge, 1967. (English Place-name Society Vol XLII).
Smith A.H., The Place-names of Westmorland, Part II, Cambridge, 1967. (English Place-name Society Vol XLIII).
Maps (available via the National Library of Scotland digital Map Library – online)
Pont (33)
Gordon (55)
Blaeu (Renfrew)
Roy (PC & FC)
Ainslie (1796)
Thomson(1826)
NRAS761/29 Plan of Blackhouse, Mearns, 1847. (I have not seen this).
RRS II (310) 1189 x 1195 is William I’s confirmation to Paisley priory of the church of “ Mernes’ ” (Mearns). The document actually says ‘to God and the church of Saint Mirin of Paisley and the monks there serving God’. It is interesting that Mirin was the only Paisley saint mentioned (cf RRS II (220)). Also printed in RMP pp 100-101, WW Scott No 95. The confirmation mentions the previous gift (donationem) by Elias of Partick and the grant (concessionem) by his brother, Peter of Polloc. The former is the gift printed in RMP p 100, WW Scott No 94 1177 x 1195. The latter is a confirmation printed in RMP p 98, WW Scott No 90 1177 x 1195. Although the latter is printed before the former in the Paisley Register it must have been later in date.
The Abbey of Paisley, J Cameron Lees, Paisley, 1878 (hereafter ‘Cameron Lees’) – contains the Abbey Rental from 1460. A number of entries concern Mearns and Over Pollock. These are referenced in the table.
It is important to distinguish between Upper and Nether Pollock. Nether Pollock is roughly 5½ kilometres to NNE and is situated in the parish of Eastwood (q.v.).
There are large gaps in the land-assessment record for Mearns. The best we can do is work from the 4 estate valuations we have (the Archbishop of Glasgow’s lands, Fingaltoun, Upper Pollock & Hazelden) and then add the extra properties for which we have valuations. The archbishop had 25m, Fingaltoun was £20, Upper Pollock was £20 and Hazelden was 20m (or 25m). This makes a total of 105m (or 110m). To this we should add Floak 5m, plus other lands that may not have been included in the foregoing units. The total for Mearns was a minimum of 146m.
Both Purves and Stewart give a figure of £160 (240m) for Mearns. Given the gaps identified above this seems not unreasonable. This is the only parish in Renfrewshire for which I simply accept the assessment in the Taxt Rolls transcribed in Purves and Stewart.
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