Paisley Table

Paisley

‘Bartholomew’s plan of 1909’ refers to the plan by ‘John Bartholomew & Co.’ appended to Metcalfe’s ‘A History of Paisley 600-1908’. This is very useful for showing some of the small surrounding settlements that were gradually absorbed into Paisley. Given within ‘Map Sources’ as ‘Barth.(1909)’.

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
Hartfield Mid Hartfield			NS 4258 NS 4258	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Hartfild (Pont & Blaeu), Hartfield (Roy) West, Mid, & East Hartfield (Ainslie). According to GD3/1/7/3/1 1685 this had moved from Paisley parish to Nielston parish. See under Loch Libo, Nielston.
Bent Farm			NS 4359	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)
Craigmuir			NS 4360	Ainslie(1796)	Craigmore (Ainslie)
Wester Craigenfeoch High Craigenfeoch   Craiginfeoche-Sempill	5m     5m	1608     1644	NS 4360/4361 NS 4360/4361	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Kragynfiech (Pont). Mentioned in ER XIX p 451 1558-9 where Wester is identified as Craigenfeoch Chalmer. This is £3 6s 8d (5m) AE in Renfrew Retours (25) 1608. See below.
Cochrane Cochrane Castle Golf Course Nether or Easter Cochran	5m     10m	1556     1552	NS 4261	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	Cocheran (Pont). Cochran Castle (Roy). Dundonald (12) 1556 gives 5m Cochrane. Also Dundonald (14) 1600, (15) 1601. 5m Wester Cochrane in Dundonald (24) 1583. Some components are listed in the following entries. ER XII p 717 1505 gives a sasine to John Cochrane of Nethircochrane. See below.
Benston			NS 4161	Roy(PC)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XI, 1857. See also next entry.
Hobs Land				Roy(PC)	Habsland & Benston are given in Robertson’s Table of Property (1818).
Hag Hagbank Hag Mill	2m	1612	NS 419629 NS 420630	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Ainslie(1796	Hag Mill & Hagbank in OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XI, 1857. 2m AE Hag in Renfrew Retours (210) 1612. Part of 10m Nether or Easter Cochran.
Cartside	20s	1655	NS 4162	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Cartside House & Cartside Villa in OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XI, 1857. 20s Cartisyid in GD20/1/467 1655. Part of 10m Nether or Easter Cochran.
Quarrelton			NS 4262	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Part of 10m Nether or Easter Cochran.
Brannocklie Brandokhill		1552	NS 4262	Roy(PC)	Brannocklie in OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XI, 1857. Branockland in Roy. Part of 10m Nether or Easter Cochran.
Greenend			NS 4262	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XI, 1857. Part of 10m Nether or Easter Cochran. There is another Greenend by Crookston.
Over Cartisyde, Greinend and Brandokishill	44s 4d	1643			Renfrew Retours (213) 1643 gives Over Cartisyde, Greinend and Brandokishill extending to 44s 4d AE (3m 4s 4d). Part of 10m Nether or Easter Cochran. See above two entries.
Cartside & Dartoun & the Mains of Cochrane	20s	1565			Dundonald (22) 1565.
Craigston Wood	20s	1529	NS 4361	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	20s Craigtoun in Dundonald (9) 1529. Craigstoun in Dundonald (10) 1529 & 1536.
Sandyflat	10s	1529	NS 4162	Roy(PC)	10s Sandflate in Dundonald (9) 1529. Sandyfletts (Roy). Sandyflat in OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XI, 1857.
Leitchland Farm	(5m)		NS 4461	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	There is another of the same name in Inverkip parish. See below.
Limpetstane (Over Leitchland)				Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Lympetstain (Pont), Lȳperstain (Blaeu). In the documents this is consistently described as Over Leitchland. See below.
Head-dykes				Roy(PC)	Part of Leitchland. Name may have changed from Head-dykes to High-dykes. Roy has ‘high Dykes’ south of Mackiesmill. See below under Leitchland.
High Bardrain Wood			NS 4359/4459	Ainslie(1796)	High Bardrain (Ainslie). See below under Leitchland.
Low Bardrain			NS 4461	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Bardrin (Roy). Low Bardrain (Ainslie). See below under Leitchland.
Boutistoune Bulistoune	6s 8d 8s	1664 1666			6s 8d AE Boutistoune in RMS XI (688) 1664. 8s AE in RMS XI (953) 1666. See below under Leitchland. (See also Bootstoun in Kilbarchan parish).
Craigbog			NS 4361	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)
Auchenlodment Auchlodoment	£5	1532	c. NS 438620 c. NS 444618	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	Geographia Glasgow Street Atlas. See below. Geographia Glasgow Street Atlas. Lochlodmu(n)t (Pont), Lochlodmurit (Blaeu), Achlodment (Roy).
Newlandcraigs	18s 10d	1690	NS 4462	Roy(PC)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. 18s 10d Neulandcraigs in Renfrew Retours (189) 1690.
Elderslie	£5	1603	NS 4462	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Ellersly (Pont & Blaeu). £5 in RMS VI (1453) 1603; RMS VIII (722) 1620. £5 AE Renfrew Retours (149) 1656. See below.
Causewayend	(18s)	1460	NS 4561	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Causeway (Roy). E of Bardrin, NE of Faux Barr in Roy. OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Amochrie			NS 4562	Roy(PC) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Amochry (Roy). Almochrye in GD148/163 1544.
Old Patrick Water			NS 4461	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Ald Patrick B(urn) (Pont & Blaeu). Not a settlement but an oft-referred-to burn. Despite modern spelling the first element is more likely to be from Gaelic ‘Allt’ (burn) than from Scots ‘Auld’ (old).
Barskiven Barskiven Hill	4m	c. 1525	NS 4563	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	GD103/1/55 1567-8 gives 4m AE Barscaven. (Given more fully in PSAS 41 1906-7 p 334 No 55). RSS VI (1788) 1572 gives 4m Barskavan. Also in Renfrew Retours (162) 1662. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Ferguslie Gardens Ferguslie Park	£6	c. 1525	NS 4663 NS 4664	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	Fergusly (Pont). Ex Paisley Abbey See below.
Durskath/Darskaith alias Woodside	20s	1544	NS 472640	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) OS 6” 1858	Ex Paisley Abbey. OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858 gives Woodside Ho. at NS 472640. Woodsid (Pont & Blaeu), Woodside (Roy – W of Paisley, E of Ferguslie). Wood side (Ainslie). See below.
Serjand-aiker					The sergeant’s acre must have been the acre set aside for the use of a local officer or sergeant. It comprised 5 roods 8 falls with houses and gardens at the west end of the wood of Darskeith. It is referred to in RMS IX (1804) 1647, RMS XI (176) 1662, GD39/5/171 1695. See also Paisley Rental p cliv for two references c. 1525.
Ridfurd				Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Just S of Fergusly (Pont)
Brediland North Brediland	20s	1550	NS 4662 NS 4563	Roy(PC) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Bradysland (Roy). OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Ex Paisley Abbey. Both these and Bredilandmoor in Bartholomew’s plan of 1909. See below.
Bridelande	(26s 8d)	1460			Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Crossflat Ho. Wester Crossflat	40s	c.1522	NS 4964 NS 4963/4964	Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Todholm (Cottage)	2s	c. 1522	NS 496626	OS 6” 1858 Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Todholm Road in Bartholomew’s plan of 1909. Geographia p 47 N7. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Mackiesmill			NS 4461	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Makens Mill (Roy). Mackies (Ainslie).
Old Foxbar Foxbar			NS 4461 NS 4561	Pont(33) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Fa(?)sbar (Pont). Bob Henery reads this as Fausbar – the name is difficult to read.  OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. OS Explorer 342. Part of Wester Stanely (q.v.). Foxbar and Foulbar are separate places.
Thornliemuir			NS 4559/4659	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Two settlements marked by Roy. ‘Back’ and ‘Fore’ marked by Ainslie.
Sergeantlaw	½m?		NS 4559	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Serjeantlaw (Roy). Consistently linked with Foulbar (q.v.) for which it probably provided summer grazing.
Lounsdale			NS 4662	Roy(PC) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Lawnsdale (Roy).
Stanely Castle	£10		NS 4661	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	RMS II (1137) 1473 refers to half Stanele, on the east side of Thornle. £5 AE Easter Stanelie in ER XXI pp 433-4 1580. £5 AE Eister Stanelie with coal-mines of Lymecraiges in Renfrew Retours (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (112) 1641. See below.
Linclive Lincleif	4m	1572	NS 4464	Roy(PC) OS 6” 1858	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. (Map actually gives Linelive). Paisley Abbey property. Lin Cleav in Roy. 4m Lincleif in RSS VI (1788) 1572. 4m Linclive in Dundonald (24) 1583. See below.
Screachhill			NS 4562	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Serichhil (Pont), Scrichhil (Blaeu). W of Corsbar in Pont.
Newton	4m	c. 1525	NS 455630	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. W of Saucel in Pont. 2m AE of in RMS IV (2413) 1575, on original of 1574. 4m AE Newtoun in RMS VIII (1332) 1628. Also Renfrew Retours (120) 1644; RMS IX (1802) 1647. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below. Newton & Little Newton in Bartholomew’s plan of 1909.
Corsebar	(26s 8d)	1460	NS 4662	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Corsbar (Pont), Crossbar (Roy). 5m AE Corsbar in RMS V (1238) 1587, on original of 1555. Also in RMS VIII (2082) 1632. (In both 5m silver rent). 5m AE in Renfrew Retours (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (112) 1641, (139) 1649. These 5m assessments presumably included Thomasbar. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Thomasbar	(40s)	1460			Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Corsbar & Thomasbar	5m	c. 1525			See above two entries and discussion below.
Candrens East Candren	5m	c. 1522	NS 4565 NS 4665	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Ainslie(1796)	N, Mid & O Kandran/Kandrĕ in Pont & Blaeu. Possibly Calherns in Roy. Candren & South Candren in Ainslie. Ovir & Nethir Candramess in RSS VIII (1830) 1583-4. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
White Crook	(16s)	1460			Given between Candren and Blackstone in RMS XI (279) 1662. See under Candrens below. 16s is an unlikely figure. 16s 8d would be 1¼m.
Merksworth	13s 4d (1m)	1539	NS 4865 Probably c. NS 483658	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Geographia – Glasgow Street Atlas. Paisley Abbey property. Maxwoorth (Pont & Blaeu). Merksworth (Roy), Marksworth (Ainslie). The name indicates it was land valued at 1m. See below.
Gockston			NS 4765	Ainslie(1796)	Goukstone (Ainslie). Near the northern boundary of the parish. Bartholomew’s plan of 1909 marks it just S of March Burn and near Marchfield. For other examples of this place-name see under Doccanlie in Lochwinnoch parish.
Castlehead	(1m)	1460	NS 4763	Roy(PC) Barth.(1909)	Castlehead (Roy). Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Riccartsbar	40s (3m)	c. 1522	c. NS 4762	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Meikleriggs	(£8)	c. 1472	NS 4662	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Barth.(1909)	Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Fulbar	4m £3 (4½m)	1371 1559	NS 4562	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Foulbar (Pont & Blaeu). Poulbarr (Roy) – WSW of Bradysland. RMS IV (1363) 1559 gives £3 AE Fowlbar & Serjandlaw. Repeated in Renfrew Retours (81) 1629, (195) 1693. Also, without valuation, in RMS IX (748) 1637. Consistently linked with Sergeantlaw (q.v.) which was probably summer grazing. See below.
Thornly Park Thornly Wester (Maxwell) ‘Easter’ (Wallace, then Blair)	20m 10m 10m	1580 1404	NS 4862/4962	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	N & O Thornly (Pont & Blaeu) for Nether & Over. See below.   10m AE Thornlie alias Thornelie-Wallace, now Thornelie-Blair in Renfrew Retours (107) 1639, (121) 1645.
Nether Thornle	5m	c. 1525			Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Brownside			NS 4860	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Brounsid (Pont & Blaeu). There is another Brownside at NS 4359.
Hollybush			NS 4961	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Holynbuss (Pont).
Carriagehill	4m	c. 1522	NS 4862	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Barth.(1909)	Carragdhol( ?) (Pont). High & Low Couragehill (Ainslie). 40s Kiarigehills in Dundonald (143) 1587. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Buchthillis	2m	1642		Roy(PC)	RS53 f 52v 1642 gives 2m Buchthillis – the only valuation I know for this place. Bughthills (Roy). It is probably the property listed by Robertson(1818), p 314, as ‘Bughthills’, presumably located between Riccartsbar and Carriagehill. Since it may have been carved out of other properties I have not included it in the totals.
Lylesland	(1¼m)	1460	NS 4862	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Thomson(1826)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Ex Paisley Abbey. West of Espedair Burn. Lees Land (Roy), Lyles Land (Ainslie), Lylesland (Thomson). See below and Thrushcraig.
Thrushcraig			NS 4862	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Ex Paisley Abbey. East of Espedair Burn. Probably the same farm as Lylesland. See below. See also under Hawkhead.
Blacklandmill			NS 4761	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) OS 6” 1858	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Ex Paisley Abbey. Marked on the wrong burn in Pont & Blaeu – see below under Thrushcraig. Appears once (p lxxxvii c. 1472) in the Paisley Rental as ‘8 bolls of oats’. Probably just a mill with mill-lands rather than a farm. Name is from ‘Black Linn’ where ‘linn’ is for a fall of water. Another on North Rotten Burn in OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet V, 1857.
Rouchbank	5m	1522	c. NS 4860	Roy(PC)	Ex Paisley Abbey. 5m Ruchbank in AHC Volume I No 120 1541. 5m AE Rouchbank in RSS III (873) 1544. 5m Rouchbank in RMS IV (1718) 1565-6 on original of 1561. Rughbank (Roy). See below.
Gallowhill Over Gallowhill Nether Gallowhill	£4 26s 8d	c. 1525 c. 1522	NS 4965	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	Gallouhill (Pont & Blaeu). Gallowhill (Roy & Ainslie). Ex Paisley Abbey property. See below.
Knaifisland	5s	1550			Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Goosehouseland				Pont(33) Gordon(55) Blaeu(Renfrew) Ainslie(1796)	Gooshous (Pont), Gooshous (Gordon), Goofhous (Blaeu), Fowlhouse (Ainslie). Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Hillington	9m	c. 1522	NS 5264	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	Ex Paisley Abbey. Laigh & High in Ainslie. Names of tenants given in RSS VI (1788) 1572. RMS V (302) 1581 gives Hillintoun & Archillistoun (Arkleston) together as £12 AE (18m). See below.
Oldhall			NS 5064	Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	Roy has Old Haugh. Richardson & Ainslie have Oldhall. Bartholomew’s plan of 1909 has Oldhall. This, and the following entry, represent two separate, but neighbouring places, which might easily be confused.
Auldtown			NS 5063	Pont(33) Gordon(55) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795)	Pont has Oldtoū, Gordon has Oldtoun, Blaeu has Ydtoci. Roy has Old Town, Richardson has Auldtown. Bartholomew’s plan of 1909 gives Alton. Geographia p 47 M8.
Greenlaw	2m	c. 1522	NS 4964	Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Barth.(1909)	Roy has W of Byres Ralston and S of Gallowhill. Greenlaw Av(enue) & Dri(ve) in Geographia p 31 L7. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Honeybog Hill			NS 5064	Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Richardson(1795)
North Arkleston South Arkleston East Arkleston	9m	c. 1522	NS 5065 NS 5065 NS 5065	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Ex Paisley Abbey. Laigh, East, High, West, and Arkleston Bleachfield in Ainslie. Names of tenants given in RSS VI (1788) 1572. See below.
Walnuik			NS 4864	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Walnuik in Pont & Blaeu. E of Abbey. Geographia p 30 L6, Wallneuk Road.
Whiteford	£5	1553	NS 4963	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Barth.(1909)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Whytfurd (Pont & Blaeu). £5 AE Quhytefurde in RMS IV (931) 1554 on original of 1553. See below.
‘Quarle Holes’ Quarellhoill		1545	c. NS 4965	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	Querrel Hols (Pont), Querrelhols (Blaeu), Quarle Holes (Roy). S of Sandyford, N of Gallowhill in Roy. NRAS2600 Bundle 10 deals with about 3 acres called variously Campestis (1545), Campestoun (1562) or Campestris (1598) – in the abbey lands of Quarellhoill.
Snawdon Sneddon Street (Old + Back + New)	£6	c. 1525	NS 4864	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Snoudon (Pont & Blaeu). N side of Paisley (Pont). Geographia p 30 L6. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Greenhead				Pont(33) Gordon(55) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Grenhead (Pont & Blaeu) (SE of Abbey, S of river). Greenhead(Gordon), S of river, between Huntarhill & Dykbar.
Potterhill			NS 4862	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Pottershous (Pont), Pottershuss (Blaeu). Pather Hill (Roy).
Penilee			NS 5164	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795)	Peddenly (Pont & Blaeu), Pennelly (Roy), Pinely (Richardson). Given Pont’s spelling this seems unlikely to be a ‘penny’ name.
Gleniffer Burn			NS 4660	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Gleniffyr (Pont & Blaeu).
Oakshawhead and Oxshawside?			NS 4764	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. W side of Paisley (Pont). Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Saucel Hill	20s	1634	NS 4863	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Barth.(1909)	Sairsail (Pont & Blaeu). Rents from Sauserland, ‘now called Sauserhill’ appear in ER XVIII p 395 1545-6. Souming allowed was 4 cows with 2 calves (up to a year old) in Blackhall park. Repeated in ER XVIII pp 566-7 1554. 20s AE Saucerland called Sacerhill in RMS IX (107) 1634. See below.
Saucel Hill & Hunterhill	£2				Purves p 161 gives Saserhill and Hunterhill as £2 (40s or 3m). Stewart f 49v gives Saserhill and Huntarhill as £2 (40s or 3m).
Causeyside Street (Causewayside)	18s	1460	NS 4863	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Barth.(1909)	Causwaysyd (Pont), Causwaysid (Blaeu). Geographia p 46 M6. Does not equal Causewayend (q.v.). Ex Paisley Abbey. See below. See also discussion under Rouchbank below.
? Knedenly				Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Knedenly (Pont), Bredenly (Blaeu). SW of Paisley Abbey, W of river.
Blackhall	£5	1539-40	NS 4963	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796) Barth.(1909)	Blackhall is one of the few place-names which was regularly translated into Latin. Scottish clerks did not attempt this with Gaelic or Norse place-names but Blackhall is often Nigra Aula. See ER XVIII p 395 1545-6 and RMP throughout. See below.
Chapel				Roy(PC)	W of Blackhall. ‘Chapelhouse’ in Bartholomew (1909).
Auchentorlie			NS 4963	Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)
Inglistoun			NS 5163	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795)	Inglishtoū (Pont), Inglishtoun (Blaeu), Englestown (Roy). Inglistoun appears in Renfrew Retours (36) 1615, (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (112) 1641, (139) 1649 – but with no valuation. Inglistoun in RMS VIII (2082) 1632. See below.
Hillhead			NS 5063	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Barth.(1909)	Hilhead (Pont & Blaeu), Hill Head (Roy, N of river, between White Ford & Ingliston)
Byres Hill			NS 5064	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795)	Byres (Pont & Blaeu), Byres ralston (Roy). It is ambiguous in Roy as to whether Byres and Ralston are separate. Bartholomew’s plan of 1909 clearly distinguishes them.
Ralston     Ralston Wood	£10	1615	NS 5063	Roy(PC) ? Barth.(1909)   Richardson(1795)	Ralestoun in ER XIV pp 528-9 1513. Railstoun in RSS I (3421) 1526. Ralstoun in RMS IV (252) 1548. £10 AE Ralstoun in Renfrew Retours (36) 1615, (92) 1634, (99) 1636. See also (138) 1649. See above entry. See also under Hawkhead below.
Cardonald South Cardonald	£5	1571	NS 5264/5364 NS 5363	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	Kardonald (O & N) in Pont & Blaeu, (i.e. Over & Nether). £5 Cardonald in RMS IV (2098) 1572, on original of 1571. Also RMS VI (833) 1598-9; RMS VII (1314) 1615. £5 AE Cardonald in Renfrew Retours (108) 1639, (118) 1643. £5 Cardonald in Laing Charters (2397-8) 1649). See below.
Henderstoun Easter Henderstoun Wester Henderstoun E(as)t Henderston	£5 £5	1513 1503	NS 5263/5363     c. NS 540630	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795)	Henderstoū (Pont), N(ether) & O(ver) in Blaeu. W Henderson, Henderson and E Henderson in Roy. Henderston Hillhead, Mid Henderston, E(as)t Henderston (Richardson). Henderston Hillhead, Midtown of Henderston, High Henderston, Low Henderston (Ainslie). See below.
Hunterhill   Hunters Hill	40s 20s	1615 1634	NS 4962   NS 4962	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Barth.(1909)	Hunterhil (Pont & Blaeu). Huntershill (Roy & Ainslie). Huntarhall in ER XIV pp 528-9 1513. Hunterhill in RMS IV (252) 1548. 40s AE in Renfrew Retours (36) 1615, (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (138) 1649. 20s of in RMS IX (107) 1634. See below.
Seedhill	20s	c. 1472	NS 4963	Barth.(1909)	Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Dykebar Hill West Dikebar East Dikebar			NS 4962 NS 4961 NS 4961	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Barth.(1909)	Dykbar (Pont & Blaeu). OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. See following entry.
Dikbar, Castailbar, Mathovbar & Commone	5m	1494			5m AE in Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok Vol. I p 208, No 68, in the lordship of Nether Pollock. See below.
Hawkhead House Farm (including Leys & Thurscrag)?	£5	1581	NS 5062	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796) Barth.(1909)	Halkhead (Pont, Blaeu & Roy). ER XII p 711 1502 gives a sasine to John Ros which includes Halkheid, Leys and Thurscrag. Halkhede, Leyis & Thuriscrag in ER XIV pp 528-9 1513. Halkheidleyis & Thuriscrag in RMS IV (253) 1548. £5 AE Halkheid, Leis & Thuriscraig in ER XXI pp 457-8 1581. £5 AE Halkheidleyis & Thuriscraig in Renfrew Retours (36) 1615, (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (112) 1641, (139) 1649. GD148/402 1886. This Thuriscraig is unlikely to be the same as Thrushcraig above which belonged to Paisley. Bartholomew’s plan of 1909 marks Hawkhead Mains (farm) to N of White Cart, Hawkhead to S of White Cart.
Leys					See under Hawkhead above. I have not located this.
Thurscrag				Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	See under Hawkhead above and under Thrushcraig below. I have not located this.
Halkheid and Ralystoun	£32				Purves p 161 gives ‘Lord Ross, Halkheid and Ralystoun’ as £32 (48m). Stewart f 49v  gives ‘Lord Ross Halkheid Ralstoun etc’ £32. This was Lord Ross’s estate but, apart from Hawkhead and Ralstoun, it is not clear what were all the component farms. See below.
Crossmill			NS 5059	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Cors (Pont & Blaeu). Crossmill (Roy).
Harelaw			NS 4960	Pont(33) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796)	Har(?)law (Pont), Harrlaw & Field of Battle (Roy). (Did Roy confuse this location with the site of the Battle of Harlaw in Aberdeenshire)?
Low Oldbar Oldbar Hills			NS 5061 NS 5061	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796) RHP3576(1835)	Oldbar (Pont & Blaeu). Old Barr & H. Barr in Richardson.
Hurlet   Hullirishedhil Hullerhead Holzett (Hurlet?)	£3 10s       £3 10s	1634   1413 1517 1634	NS 5161	Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	? = Holzett & Fulfuirdheid AE £3 10s in Renfrew Retours (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (138) 1649. Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok pp 146-8 No 25 1413 re allocation of grazing. The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 344 No 1 1413. Fraser, Lennox I, p 337 1517. Renfrew Retours (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (138) 1649.
Foulfurdhed Fulfuirdhead Fulfuirdheid		1413 1517 1634			Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok pp 146-8 No 25 1413. Fraser, Lennox I, p 337 1517. Renfrew Retours (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (138) 1649. Included with Hurlet.
Tower Rais Over Rais	33s 4d (2½m)	1581	NS 5159	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	Rais in RSS I (2152) 1510. Ovir Rais in ER XIV pp 528-9 1513. Pont marks O: Res + castle to east of river, + bridge. Steuarts Race (Roy), Raise Tower (Ainslie). Tower of Rais in Ruins (Richardson). East side of Levern Water. See below.
Raisstewart	£1 3s 4d				= 1¾m, Purves p 161
Raiss Stewart	33s 4d				= 2½m, Stewart f 49v. Hard to decipher but I think 33s 4d rather than 23s 4d
Fordsmouth					Robertson(1818) gives this with Stewart’s Raiss. Fuirdmouth of Rais in GD3/13/3/33 1637.
Logansraes Raes Wood	£10	1554	NS 5060 NS 5060	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	Pont marks Res + castle to west of river, + bridge. West side of Levern Water. Although now mapped as one word this stands for Logan’s Raes. Logans Race (Roy), Logans Raise (Ainslie). Rais Wood in Richardson. £10 AE Logane-rais in RMS IV (935) 1554. See below.
Raislogan	£10				= 15m, Purves p 161
Raiss Lagane	£10				= 15m, Stewart f 49v
Ruffles	3s 4d (¼m)	1619	NS 5059	Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796) RHP3576(1835) OS 6” 1858	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Rawless (Roy), Rawflesh (Ainslie, Richardson). Rufflees Av(enue) in Geographia p 59 Q8. See below.
Dunterlie			NS 5059	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. This may be the Duncardloy linked with Dubbs in Neilston parish (q.v.).
Priesthill Priesthill			NS 5260 NS 5360	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	OS Explorer 342. OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Pristhil (Pont), Prasthil (Blaeu). With Houshill in Renfrew Retours (75) 1628.
Househill Househillwood			NS 5261 NS 5261	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Ainslie(1796) Richardson(1795)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Houss (Pont), Houst (Blaeu), Houssel (Roy). Househill (Richardson, Ainslie). With Preistishill in Renfrew Retours (75) 1628.
Roughmussel	33s 4d (2½m)	1581	NS 5161	Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) RHP3576(1835)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Roughmosshill (Roy), Rochmusch (Richardson). ER XII p 711 1502 gives a sasine to John Ros which includes Rochmoshil. Ruchmoshil in ER XIV pp 528-9 1513. Rouchmonshill in RMS IV (253) 1548. 33s 4d (2½m) Rouchmushill in ER XXI pp 457-8 1581. 2½m AE Ruchmonishill in Renfrew Retours (36) 1615, (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (112) 1641, (139) 1649.
£20 AE Dormontsyde, Nethirtoun, and Auld Crukstoun.	£20	1567			ER XIX pp 559-560 1567. These properties are all in Paisley parish.
Crookston Castle Crookston Wood			NS 5262 NS 5262/5362 NS 5263/5363	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew) Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) RHP3576(1835)	Krukstoun, Kruikston Wood, Old Krukstoū (Pont), (with Castle). For Mains of Crookston and Crookston Wood see under Eastwood parish. See The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell pp 144-153 for more on components.
Nether Crookston = Netherton			NS 5262	OS 6” 1858 Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Netherton in Richardson & Ainslie. West of Greenend in Richardson.
Nethertowne Croft (temple lands)			c. NS 5262		RS53 f 34v 1642 gives temple lands lying in Nethertowne Croft on the south side of castle of Cruikistoune. See also under ‘Temple lands of Dormontsyde’ below.
Old Crookston		1511-1512	NS 5161	OS 6” 1858	Ald-Crukistoun in RMS II (3680) 1511-1512. Part of £20 AE Dormontsyde etc. Geographia p 48 O9. OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858.
Kamesthorn		1553	NS 5161	Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796) Thomson(1826) RHP3576(1835)	Kendischorne in RSS IV (2295) 1553. Camsthorne in Renfrew Retours (181) 1680. Cammer Thorn (Roy), Kamesthorn (Richardson), Kameshill (Ainslie), Kaimsthorn (Thomson).  Not marked on OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858.
Greensidehaugh	16s	1608		Pont(33)	Pont marks ‘Grenemc’ and ‘Gr?sydhaugh’ just S of Crookston, (neither found in Blaeu). 16s AE Greinsydhauche in Renfrew Retours (208) 1608. The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell pp 37- 41 No 4 1761 & No 10 1762 give ‘the lands of Greensidehaugh, with the pendicles called Greensidebridge, Greensidehill, and Bridgeholm’.
Greenfield			c. NS 5163/5263	Roy(PC)	N of river, near Crookston. Is this Greenend below?
Greenend			NS 5262	Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Immediately west of Levern Water. GD119/47 1569 gives templar lands of Grenend in Crukestoun in lordship of Derby (read Darnley). See below under Temple lands.
Temple lands of Dormontsyde			c. NS 5162		See also under Dormontsyde. See below under Temple lands.
Dormontsyde	4m	1517	NS 5162	Pont(33) Blaeu(Renfrew)	Dermontside in OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. Dormanside Road (Geographia pp 48-9). Often 40s (3m) but I have preferred the earliest evidence. See below.
Wrightland	20s	1571			Inchinnan parish also has a property with this name. See below.
Corkerhill			NS 5462	Roy(PC) Richardson(1795) Ainslie(1796)	Corkhill (Roy).
Mains of Paisley	(5m)	1460	c. NS 4864?		Ex Paisley Abbey. I do not know where exactly this was but it features three times in the Paisley Rental on pages lxi and lxiii (1460) and p lxxxiii (c. 1472). In 1460 it paid £3 6s 8d (5m) and appears as ‘ye mains’ in the list of lands in the lordship; whilst c. 1472 was divided into two parts – each of 33s 4d (2½m). It may reappear later in the rental as smaller units. See Brablo below.
Brablo Brabloch (Formerly part of Mains of Paisley?)	28s 4d	c. 1522	NS 4864	Roy(PC) OS 6” 1858	Ex Paisley Abbey. Probably Brabloch. Brablo appears three times in the Paisley Rental, on p cxxxi (c. 1522), p cxliv (c. 1525) and p clxxvi (1550). In c. 1522 it is described as 28s 4d land. Since part of the Mains was set for 28s 4d c. 1472 perhaps this became Brablo. The printed p clxxiv gives ‘blo syd’ but the original MS shows ‘Brablo syd xiiii acris’. Brebloch in Roy. OS 6” 1st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858.
Blackfauld	(14s)	1460			Location unknown. Ex Paisley Abbey. See below.
Temple Hill			NS 5061	Ainslie(1796)	I do not know if this was also the site of temple lands.
Baldynaich	17s	1529			17s AE in GD220/6/1978. See Lennox Charters No 139. Although in the lordship of Darnley this may have been in Lenzie parish?
Laveronshiels					Entered in the Eastwood table. See Eastwood Text Summary for rationale.
Total	326m 4s 6d

 

Robertson’s Table of Property (1818) on pp 313-315 gives the names of the principal settlements in Abbey parish. They are as follows (with some minor editing to avoid duplication):

Part of Darnley (the rest in Eastwood parish); Oakshaw & Sneddon; Ferguslie; Hawkhead, Templeland etc; Copperas Company at Hurlet; Ferguslie; Logan’s Raiss; Hillhead; Ingliston; Stainly; Lownsdale; Harecraigs; Corsebar; Cardonald; Whiteford; Auchintorlie; Househill; Quarrelton; Elderslie; Blackhall; Ralston; Thornlie; Thornlie called Glen; Thornlie Wetlands; Thornlie Collinslee; Thornlie Potterhill; Thornlie High Parks (it sounds as if the 5 foregoing properties should all be regarded as parts of Thornlie); Lylesland, Todholes etc; Greenlaws; Brabloch; Hunterhill; Craigs and Gallowhill; Thrushcraig; Raffles; Candrens; Habsland & Benston; Easter Corseflat; Linclave & Barskevan; Laigh Parks; Brownside; Meiklerigs; Riccarsbar; Bughthills; Carriagehill; Cochran; Hartfield; Fulbar; Newton; Bardrain; Leitchland; Arkleston; Newland Craigs; Hillington; Stewart’s Raiss; Fordsmouth; Greenend; Muirhead; Woodside; Merksworth; Bredieland; Wardmeadow; Auchlodment; Calside; Knavesland; Stobbs; Craiginfeoch, Sempill; Craiginfeoch.

He also mentions Crockston in his text.

 

Minor settlements

Paisley Abbey flourished for almost 400 years and, during that time, developed a great many minor settlements in its neighbourhood. We learn of these from the Paisley Rental, from the founding charter of the Burgh of Paisley, and from later documents which deal with their disposal after the Reformation. In many cases we may only have a name or a geographical location, with no valuation. Despite this, they are, cumulatively, of great value in building a picture of mediaeval Paisley.

 

Firstly, the Paisley Rental references a large number of small settlements or features which I have not included in the table above. In some cases I am not sure where they are. In other cases they are given a monetary value but I am not sure if this is also a valuation. Some of them feature in the rental, then in the founding charter of the burgh, then in later documents. They include:

 

Jakis Zerde (Jack’s Yard?) p lxi 1460 – pays 3 capons p.a.

Falkis Zarde (= Jack’s Yard above?) p lxxxiii – 3 capons.

Bladozarde (Corn yard – from Latin bladum corn?) – p lx 1460 pays 4s p.a.; 3s Bladouchzarde p lxxxiii c. 1472. (See NSA, Paisley, p 139 footnote).

Mekyl Zarde (i.e. Great or Big Yard) p cvi c. 1484 pays 16s p.a.

Cochranis Tak (i.e. Cochrane’s tack) p lx 1460 – pays 6s 8d (½m)

Schankis Tak (i.e. Shanks’ tack) p lix 1460 – pays 19s from 3 tenants; p lxxxii c. 1472 – one portion pays 9s p.a.

Terra Roberti Wilson (i.e. Robert Wilson’s land) p lx 1460 – pays 16s.

Le Orchart (i.e. The Orchard) p lx 1460 – no detail given; Ye Orchat p lxxxii c. 1472 – pays 16s p.a.

Grerislande p lix 1460 – pays 3s p.a.; 8s (mistake for 3s?) Grevysland (Grieve’s land?) p lxxxii c. 1472 pays 3s p.a.; Grevislande 3s p cvi c. 1484 pays 3s p.a.

4s Ye Banar Akyr pp lxxxiii-lxxxiv c. 1472 – pays 4s p.a. In the 1460 list of lands in the Lordship of Paisley (p lxiii) it is ‘banerakyr’.

Ox Rane Wode (i.e. Oxrane Wood?) p lx 1460 – no detail beyond the name of the tenant.

Ye Ocschauwode 6s (i.e. The Oxshaw-wood) p lxxxiii c. 1472 pays 20s p.a. Is this the same as Ox Rane Wode?

Le Sclatarisbank (i.e. The Sclater’s bank where Sclater/Sklater/Slater was a personal name) p lx 1460 – no detail beyond the name of the tenant; Ye Slaterisbank 13s 4d p lxxxiii c. 1472 – pays 13s 4d p.a.; Sclaterbank 40s p cliii c. 1525 – appears to pay 40s.

6 Acre de Hile (i.e. 6 acres of Hill) p lix 1460 – one part set for 15s p.a.; 6s – 6 Acre in ye Hil p lxxxii c. 1472 (part?) pays 12s 4d; 6 Acre de Hyl 15s p cvi c. 1484.

Le Prior Croft (i.e. The Prior’s Croft) p lx 1460 4 acres set for 9s 4d p.a.; 9s Le Priorcrofft 4 acres 4d p lxxxii; Prior Croffte p cvii c. 1484; The Pryor Croft £8 4s p cliii c. 1525. (There is extra detail in these entries but not all is easy to interpret. The Prior’s Croft may have contained up to 12 acres and c. 1525 we have the names of 17 tenants).

The Abbot’s two crofts p clxxvi.

The Mwr (i.e. the Muir/Moor) p clxxvi c. 1525 – probably by Greenlaw.

The Qwarell (i.e. the Quarry) p cliv c. 1525.

The Know (i.e. the knoll or small hillock) p cliii c. 1525.

Le Bernzarde (i.e. the Barnyard) on pages lx, lxxxii-lxxxiii, cvi.

Land formerly belonging to the Laird of Kelsolande p lxxxiii

The corn mill of Paisley, pages lxxxii and lxxxvii.

Properties in the town of Paisley on pages lix, lxxxi, lxxxiv, cvi and cliii.

The Ward on p lxxxi c. 1472. (Since the term ‘ward’ was commonly used there may have been several in Paisley. It implies a piece of ground reserved for a particular purpose). Over Ward and Nether Ward are on p clxxvi.

The Ward Meadow p cliv

Clayfauld 10 ‘rud’ (i.e. roods) p clxxvi.

Brownes akyr (acre) p clxxvi (twice).

Brown Holme p clxxvi.

Ye Bromlandis with the Ward bodom (bottom) p cvi. This will be the same as ‘The Brwnelandis’ with the ‘bodwin of ye ward’ (latter, twice) on p cliv. Broomlands St(reet) appears on Geographia p 46 M5 (NS 4763).

Cam Logan p lxxviii – I have not located this but it is discussed under the Lochwinnoch Table.

 

When using evidence from the Paisley Rental we should also be cautious of some of the conventions that were used. We may find examples of the ‘long hundred’ – which actually meant 120. Cunningham of Craigends writes (c. 1673) of the payment of fowls: ‘for when they are called fowls it is meaned a twa part hens and a third cocks’. (Possibly this Craigends convention was shared with Paisley).

 

Secondly, here is part of Abbot George Schaw’s founding charter of Paisley Burgh in 1490. The original Latin is given in RMP pages 264-8. This extract is from the translation provided by Metcalfe, No 15, pp 36-39. However, Metcalfe modernised the names of people and places so I have included most of the original spellings from RMP [in square brackets] after these names in the text. The Abbot defines the bounds of the Burgh of Barony:

 

Beginning at the end of the Bridge of Paisley, upon the water of Cart [Kert], and so extending by the King’s highway towards the west to the vennel opposite the Wellmeadow [Welmedow], and from thence equally ascending towards the north by the ditch of the lands of Oakshawside [Oxschawsid] to the wood of Oakshaw [Oxschaw] between the said wood, as also the passage to the Common of the said Burgh and the Broomdyke [Bruymdyk], which extends by the lands of Snawdon, from the Common of the said Burgh to the water of Cart on the north and the said water of Cart as also the torrent of Espedair [Espedar] on the east part, and the Mustard-yard and way extending on the south side of the house of John Murray, and so by the hedge extending above the west end of the Whitefauld [Quhytfauld] on the south and the said Whitefauld, as also a part of the common of the said Burgh and the said Wellmeadow [Welmedow] and ditch of the said lands of Oakshawside [Oxschawsid] on the west upon the one side and other for the erecting and building of tenements, mansions, and yards …

Moreover, we annex and incorporate the toft, houses, buildings, mansions, and yards of the lands of Seedhill [Sedhill] to the liberty and privilege of our said Burgh of barony of Paisley. …

Likewise, we have given, granted, set, and in feu-farm let, and also give, grant, set, and in feu-farm let to the said Provost, Bailies, Burgesses, and Community of our said Burgh of Paisley … our lands underwritten, whereof one part of the said lands lies at the west end of our said Burgh towards the south, between the lands of Causeyside [Calsaysid] and the lands of Thomas Leitch [Leich], called the Bank, on the east, and the lands of Castlehead [Castelhed], and the lands of Sir Henry Mous [Mows], John Whiteford [Quhitfurd], and the Stobs [Stobis] of Riccarsbar [Ricardsbare] on the south, and the end of the Ward called the bottom [bodum] of the Ward on the west, and the tail of the Broomlands [Brumlandis], and the Wellmeadow [Welmedow] and Prior’s Croft on the north; and the other part of the said lands lies on the north of the said Burgh, between the lands of Oakshawhead [Oxschawhed] and the Wood of Oakshaw [Oxschaw] and the croft of Robert Cavers, called the Sclattbank, on the south part, and the lands of Snawdon [Snawdone] and water of Cart and the holm [holmme] of Wardmeadow [Wardmedow] on the east, and the march dyke [marchedik] of Inch and the Common Moss of Paisley on the north, and the said Moss on the west upon the one side and the other, for the common of their said Burgh, to be possessed for ever for the common pasturage of the cattle of the said Provost, Bailies, Burgesses, and Community. …

And further, we give and grant to the said Provost, Bailies, Burgesses, and Community of the said Burgh, a common passage of the breadth of twelve ells, on the north side of St Ninian’s Cross, extending from the said part of the foresaid common lands up to the other part thereof.

 

As argued in the table, this charter makes clear that Oakshaw etc were originally from oxen, not oaks.

A John Whiteford is associated with Grevysland c. 1472 & c. 1484 (Rental pp lxxxii & cvi). See also page lxxxii under ‘ye hil’; Prior’s Croft (pp lxxxii, cvii, cliii); the qwarell (p cliv); the Ward (p lxxxi); the Bromlandis (p cvi).

A Robert Cavers is associated with the Slaterisbank c. 1472 (Rental p lxxxiii). Metcalfe(1902), p 178, gives a document of 1596 which refers to ‘the lands of Sclaterbank, alias Caversbank’.

John Murray features in entries for the town of Paisley (pp lix, lxxxi).

(For all of the above suggestions we should remember that more than one person might bear the same name – particularly within families).

Cameron Lees (pp 154-158) also provides a translation of this charter. He prefaces it (pp 152-154) with a translation of the charter of King James which made Paisley a free burgh of barony in 1488.

 

RSS VI (1788) 1572 refers to the ‘nethir ward, vulgo vocato (commonly called) horse ward’, … ‘lying between the wood of Monkischaw on the south and the lands of Knok on the north; the lands of Ovir Waird, lying between the said wood on the north and the lands of Clayfurde on the south, with the said wood of Monkischaw, the lands and meadows thereof and the wood of Oxschaw, lying on the north side of the town of Paislay; a great croft of land with the barn situated therein, with the small croft next thereto, commonly called the New Yaird, lying between the said lands of Clayfauld on the north and the smyddeis (smithies) of Paislay on the south’. The original Latin text can be seen in AHC Volume 2 No 176.

 

AHC Volume 2 No 172 31 January 1572-3 (quoting Register of the Privy Council, II, pp 184-5) refers to a charter to John Gilchrist of:

the half of the landis of Nethir Gallowhill, fyve akeris of land or thairby callit Knaiffis land, the landis callit Clayfauld, four akeris of land or thairby callit Guis houslandis, the landis of Nethir Ward callit Housward [read Horseward?], thre akeris of land or thairby liand within the dykis of Monkis Schaw Wod, and with the houssis and yairdis occupiit be George Marschell, and with the office of Forrestschip of the wod of Monkschaw, and with the use of the gerse of the medo quhen it is mawin, as the said George usit, and all utheris thair pertinentis liand in the Lordschip and Regalitie of Paslay.

 

RMS IV (2675.1) 1577 on orginal of 1576, tell us of Cunyngair alias Broumeholme, Horswarde, Monkischaw wood, Brounis-acre and Wardemedow; (2675.2) 1577 tells us of the lands and wood of Oxschaw.

Dundonald (140) 1587 adds Overward, Lyliesland and Munkshaw.

RS53 ff 41v-42v 1642 gives Cunyngaire and Brownisaker.

 

Metcalfe(1902), No 29, pp 66-77 (Latin), pp 77-86 (English), prints the charter granting Paisley to Lord Claud Hamilton on 29 July 1587. This is calendared in RMS V (1320) 1587. It is a long document so I give here only the lands and properties in Renfrewshire. (Mainly from Metcalfe’s version in English where the placenames are sometimes modified from the Latin). In square brackets are readings from RMS where I think they are more accurate; along with a few amendments of my own:

Marsh or peat-moss of Paisley, lands of Seidhill, with mill of the same, mill lands, … waulkmill of Seidhill, … Wardmedow and Wellmedow, Sneddon, Quhitheid, Hilheid and Bromelands … Over and Nether Walkinshawes and Inscheis … Marksworth, Cuningair, Brown’s Acre, Monkshaw and Monkshaw Wod, Nether Ward, Over Ward, Goosehouseland, Barnyard, Mekilcrofts, Little Crofts, Caudranes [read Candranes], Quhytcruik, Oxshaw, Darskeith and Blakistoun with mansion, manor, and fortalice of Blackstoun, … Over Clayfauld, Nether Clayfauld, Nether Gallowhills, [Knaifisland, RMS], Over Gallowhills, Arkleston and wood of the same, Hillington, Ingliston, and mill thereof, with mill lands and multures of the same, Lands of Greenlaw, Easter and Wester Corsflatts, Easter and Wester Gaitflatts, [Pavetland, RMS], Brabloch, Lylesland, Todholm, Carriagehills, Riccartsbar, with loch of the same, Corsebar, Braidielands, Meikleriggs, Newtoun, Barskevane, Lincleif, mosses of the same, Wodsyde, Ferguslie, Ruchebank, Thornelie Paisley and the muir of the same, Drumgrane with mill, mill lands and multures thereof, Lands of Granes [now Grange, Ayrshire], Auchingoun, and mill of the same, Fultounes, with the mill of Fultoun, mill lands, … Lands of Middletoun, Linwood, Auchanes, Rywrays, Windiehill, Muirhead, with all the marshes or mosses thereof, Lands of Auldhouse, Kirklands of Eastwood, Mernes, Pollok, Neilstoun, Lochwinnoch, Kilbarchane, Kilmacolm, … Lands of Glen, [footnote in RMS suggests the name ‘Barnachtis’ or Barnaigh is missing here, so read Barnaigh Easter and Wester], Kame, Clookes, Linthills, Auchiname, [Tandilmure, Bar, RMS], Brigend, Mylnebank, Lochhead, Easter Kers and Wester Kers, … Japhraystak, [Barmachlo, RMS], Mavisbank, Langstellie, Kamehill, Lorobank, Auldyard, Langyard, Fairhills, Gavilmos, Gillesyard, Clookes, Langcrofts, Queynesydemure, Monyabroch with the Glen, mills, mill lands, … and the muir called [Mistellawmure, i.e Mistylaw Muir].

There is also reference to the ‘chapelland of Renfrew’, along with various annual returns. Clookes is referred to twice, which possibly disguises the fact that this property had two parts? One of the fairs fell on St Marnoc’s day (26 October).

 

RMS V (2070) 1591-2 is a further royal confirmation to Claud Hammyltoun. It gives another long list of properties and details of specific payments to parish ministers.

 

Robertson (1818) pp 500-501, No VII, gives a description of the Lordship of Paisley according to King James VI’s Charter, dated 3 May 1621, to the Earl of Abercorn. (Given here slightly abbreviated):

Town of Paislay, Mosse of Paislay, lands of Seidhill with mill, and waulk-mill; lands of Wairdmedow and Walmedow, Snawdoun, Hutheide, Hillheide, Garshaw & Brumlandis within the said burgh of Paislay; Over & Nether Walkinschawis and Inches with mosses; Markisworth, Conyngair, Brounes aiker, Munkschaw, Munkschaw-wode, Oxschaw, Dalskeath with wood, Netherwaird, Overwaird, Guishousland, Bernezaird, Mikilcroftis, Littil croftis, Candrins, Quhytcruick, Blackstoun with manor of Blakstoun and teinds; Over Clayfauld, Nether Clayfauld, Over Gallowhillis, Nether Gallowhillis, Knavesland and Erclstoun with wood, Hillingtoun with mosses; Inglistoun with mill; Grienlaw Easter and Wester, Corsflattis Easter & Wester, Gaitflattis, Pavatland, Brablok, Lylisland, Toddisholm, Carriagehillis, Ricardsbar with loch, Corsbar, Dykbar, Braidlandis, Mikilriggis, Newtoun, Barscavan, Linclive with moss, Woodsyde, Ferguslie, Richbank, Thornlie-Paislay with wood, Drumgrane with mill; Granes (Grange), Auchingown and mill, Fulton mill and multures, lands of Fultones; Middiltoun, Linwoode, Auchenes; Rywraithes, Windiehills, Mureheid; Auldhous, Kirklands of Eistwode, Mernis, Pollok, Neilstoun, Lochwynnoche, Kilbarchan, Kilmalcolme, Rutherglen; lands of Glen called Barnechis Easter & Wester, Cambe, Clockis, Linthillis, Auchenheane, Tandlemure, Bar, Brigend, Milnebank, Lochheid, Easter Kers, Wester Kers, Jaffraystok, Barmuchlock, Mavisbank, Langstallie, Cambehill, Lorabank, Auldzaird, Langzaird, Fairhillis, Gavilmoss, Galliszairds, Clock, Langcraftis, Quinsydemure, Monyabroche, with the Glen; the moor called Mistielaw Mure with fishings on the loch of Lochwynnoche and on the waters of Quhyte Cairt, Blak Cairt and Gryff.

There follows a list of various other small properties, churches, and annual returns to the monastery.

 

RMS XI (279) 1662 gives a long list of Paisley possessions, some of which appear in the table above. It is worth giving this list to indicate which properties were still remembered as abbey properties a century after the Reformation:

the burgh of barony and regality and town of Paseley, with the burgage crofts etc., … the Moss of Paseley, … Seidhill and mill thereof, mill-lands, etc., and the waulk-mill of Seidhill, the lands of Wardmedow and Welmedow, Snadoun, Huthheid, and Hithhead, Oxshaw, and Broomlands, within the said burgh; Over and Nether Walkinshawes, and Inches, Marksworth, Cuningare, Broomsaker, Monkshaw, Monkshaw-wood, Oxshaw, Deskeith and wood thereof; Over-ward, Netherward, Gooshousland, Bornyard, Meikle Crofts, Litle Crofts, Clayfaulds, Candrewes, Whytcrook, and Blackstoun, … Overclayfaulds, Netherclayfaulds, Over Gallohills, Nether Gallohills, Knavsland, Arklistoun, and wood thereof, Hillingtoun with the moss, etc., Inglistoun with the mill, mill-lands, etc., Greinlaw, Easter and Wester Corsflat, Easter and Wester Gateflat, Pavetlands, Bradbloch, Lilisland, Todsholme, Cariaghill, Riccartsbarr, with the loch thereof, Crosbarr, Broadland, Meikleriggs, Newtoun, Barscaven, Lincleif with the mosses, etc., Woodsyd, Ferguslie, and Serjand-Aker, Drumgranie with the mill, etc., Granies, Auchingowan, and waulk-mill thereof, with the mill of Fultouns, mill-lands, etc., Midletoun, Lindwood, Achans, Rywrayes, Windieholls, and Muirhead, Auldhous, … the manor-place of Paseley, formerly the Abbey thereof, with the granary, now ane Catchpoll, the smiddie-hill and houses built thereon, and gardens called the Mustard-yard on the South side of the bridge of Paseley, and with the other garden on the North side of said bridge with the smiddie;

 

and, as a separate unit:

 

the lands of Glen called Easter and Wester Barnathies, Cammdocks, four-fifth parts of Linthills, Auchinhean, Candilmuir, Bar, Brigdend, Milnbank, Louchhead, Easter Kirs, Westerkirs, with the coals, etc, Jaffreystock, Barmocloch, Langstellie, Caymidhill, Corsbanks, Halfe Old Yard, Loungyard, Flairhills, Gavilmos, Gyilsyard, two third parts of Langcroft and Queensmuir, Maybank, Plantellie, Glen Mills, etc., with the muir called the Mistedlawmuir, and fishing on the loch of Lochwinoch, …

 

likewise the lands of Roughbank and Thornpasley, with the bank and moor thereof.

 

Metcalfe(1902) gives some rentals of the altars, annuals or pittances, and feu-duties, which were formerly payable to the monks. These are printed as No’s III, IV & V of the Appendices on pp 129-142. These give a great many locations and small properties for Paisley in the seventeenth century, as well as references back to the sixteenth century situation. Appendix VI (pp 142-149) gives a rental and break-down of the ‘common land’ of the burgh. This is of value in giving us names of the various parts of the common as well as telling us who possessed what. In all we are told of some 152 acres plus 4 acres glebe. We should be wary of converting this into carucates but if, for example, we reckoned on 104 acres to a carucate then this would be 1½ carucates of burgh common land. However, the very names of some of these lands should be a warning against trying to impose standard measures. Reckonings are in ‘ruids’ (roods) and ‘aikirs’ (acres) but we meet ‘Langruids above the Greinhill’ and ‘Shortruids above the Greinhill’, ‘Langruides in Nethercommon’ and ‘Shortruids in Nethercommon’. We might expect roods to be standard but evidently they could be long or short. It was not just roods. The name Meikleriggs suggest rigs could also vary. In the Red Book of Menteith Vol. II, pp 207-209, No 2, c. 1245, we come across a place called ‘Schortrig’ in West Lothian.

 

Fraser, The Lennox, Volume II, No 110, pp 176-177, 1505, is a resignation and sasine of a tenement and lands in Renfrew. The tenement came ‘una cum parva cilea anglice le Ryg’ (with small rigs [called] in English the Rig). (The Latin cilium can mean the brow or ridge of a hill. In this context it means ‘rig’ as in rig-and-furrow). Rigs too, could be big (meikle – English) or small (parva – Latin). To complicate matters further the tenement also came with ‘duas le dalis terre’ (two ‘dales’ of land). On p clxxiii of the Paisley Rental printed by Cameron Lees we have a rental of the ‘akyrdalis’ (acre-dales) from 1527. This is not the place to try and unravel all these issues but we have a number of agricultural terms and measures, in English, which were rendered into Latin, over many centuries and in many contexts. There are bound to be ambiguities and anomalies. Furthermore, terms like rig, butt, daill/dale, field, acre, land, dyke, toft, croft etc. might themselves vary in meaning over time and place. RMS XI (539) 1663, describing lands in Fife, writes:

 

the acres and daills of lands underwritten, viz., the daill called the Crooked Daill, in the northern field on the west of the said burgh, with the butt of land near the rigs called the Toundykes of the said burgh; another daill and half-rig in Langlands; another rig at the Standingstane; another at the Greendykes; another at the Tofthill.

 

For these reasons I have not attempted to include such fine detail into the tables of land-assessment for Renfrew.

 

I also give a rather indiscriminate list of other documents which either contain no valuations or list small possessions in Paisley. They are not very useful for land-assessment but they are important in providing a better view of the Abbey’s extensive property portfolio. They include:

 

Laing Charters (639) 1556.

RMS V (1297) 1587, on original of 1557, refers to ‘the Schilling-hill or Mylne-hill’ (where ‘Schilling’ is quite possibly a shilling of Auld Extent).

RMS V (345) 1581-2 on original of 1581.

RSS VIII (1102) 1582-3.

RSS VIII (1704) 1583.

RMS V (1326) 1587, (2066, 2070) 1591-2.

Renfrew Retours (27) 1608.

Renfrew Retours (57) 1621.

RMS VIII (1865) 1631, on original of 1625.

Renfrew Retours (73) 1628.

RMS VIII (1345) 1629.

Renfrew Retours (83 & 84) 1630.

RMS IX (567) 1636.

Renfrew Retours (101) 1637.

RMS IX (1052, 1237) 1642.

NRAS  832/78 1642

RMS X (34, 53) 1652, (88) 1653.

Laing Charters (2480) 1656, (2504) 1657.

Renfrew Retours (189) 1690.

See also Metcalfe, W.M. (ed.), The Lordship of Paisley, Paisley, 1912.

 

Purves p 162, under the heading ‘The Kirklands of the Shire of Renfrew’ gives ‘The Lordship of Paisley, Glen and Auldhouss’ £109 6s 8d (164m)

Stewart f 50r, under the heading ‘The Kirkland wtin [within] ye She(rif)fd(om) of Renfrew’ gives ‘The lordschip of Paislay Glen and Oldhous’ £109 6s 8d (164m).

There are three separate components in the above listings by Purves and Stewart: The Lordship of Paisley (Paisley parish), The Lordship of Glen (Lochwinnoch parish), and Auldhouse (Eastwood parish). Auldhouse was 5m AE in 1567. RSS III (854) gives 50m AE for the Lordship of Glen in 1544. That would leave a balance of 109m for the Lordship of Paisley – if we accept the figures in Purves and Stewart. I don’t think we should assume these numbers are completely accurate, but they give us some approximate totals.

 

Poll Tax Rolls, 1695

Metcalfe’s ‘A History of Paisley 600-1908’, gives the Poll Tax Returns for the town of Paisley on pp 471-497, and for the surrounding parish of Paisley on pp 498-529. The latter part is very useful for giving settlement names within estates. I have listed them here as another resource for anyone wishing to research the smallest units of settlement. However, I have omitted a few repeated names. The valuations given in this document are not land-assessments of the merkland or poundland variety. Most of the place-names are straightforward but I have included a few explanations and comments in square brackets. The underlined headings are the names of the various holdings or estates:-

 

Landward part.

The Earle of Dundonald’s lands, within the parochine of Pasley (p 498). Gallowhill, Erklestoune [Arkleston], Hillingtoune, Greenlaw, Whytefoord, Brebloch, Hunterhill, Thurscraig, Hillhead, Candrons, Linclive, Heristoune, Burnebrae, Robins Yeard, Barskivan, Meikleriggs, Ruchbank, Riccartsbarr, Riccatstone, Bughthills, Carridgehill, Nether Gallowhill, Knavesland, Braydieland and Merksworth, Merksworth, Newhall, Collionsly [Colinslie, which is E of Carriagehill], Potterhill, Thornlie, Braehead of Thornlie, Thornliemuir, Carriadgehill Snodgrass [probably that part of Carriagehill possessed by someone called Snodgrass], Glen, Killcroft.

Lord Rosse’s Lands (p 505). Dyckbarr, Bankhead, Hairlaws, Halkheid Mylne, Inglestoune, Townehead of Race [Rais], Woodhouse, Nethertowne, Wattersyde, Dunterlie, Raflas, Hollinbush, Caplethill, Corssmylns, Foordmouth, Bridgebarr, Hulret, Albar, Logan’s Race [Rais], Ruchmussle, Blackbyre.

Neutoune’s Lands (p 510). Mains of Neutoune, Sclattes, Neutoune, Gateside.

Greinlees, Auchloadmont (p 510).

Steuart’s Race [Rais] (p 511). Holl, Stepends.

Stainlie Lands (p 511). Overmains, Almochrie, Casiend [Causewayend], Holehouse, Muiredycks, Crossbar, Stanlie, Stainlie Green, Brae, Darrochstock, Casaend [Causewayend], Wester Foxbar, Busses, Foxbar, Braehead, Nethercraigends [puzzling, since Nether Craigends is in Kilbarchan parish], Holl, Stonliemuire, Dourmonthall, Busses, Hillock, Stonlie, Craigs, Loganstoune, Blackland Myllne, Lumbsdeale [Lounsdale].

Lands of Auchloadmont Semple (p 514).

Cochrane Land (p 514). Craigenfeoch, Highcraig, Makin’s Myllne, Windiehill, Broomknows, Highcraig, Damsyde, Sandieflett, Cochran Myllne, Habsland, Bangshehall or Gatesyde, Darneft, Meikleboge, Craigmuire, Benstoune, Boog, Craigenfeoch, Craigtoune.

The Lands of Woodsyde (p 516).

The Lands of Bardrein (p 516). Muir of Bardrein, Bardrein, Bridgend, Hie Dyck [High-dykes], Leitchland.

Neuland Craigs (p 517).

The Lands of Darnly (p 517),

Greenend Bridge, Broadcroft, Nethertoune, Porterfields Greenend [i.e. that part of Greenend belonging to the family of Porterfield], Dormontsyde, Templehouse, Greinsydehauch, Auld Cruickstoune, Kamescange, Kaimsthorn, Greensidhaugh.

The Lands of Cardonald (p 519). Cardonald, Henderstoune.

The Lands of Fullbar (p 521). Coblebarr, Serjanlaw.

The Lands of Quarrelltoune (p 521). Cartsyde, Hag, Peockland, Hilhead, Bronockshill, Greenend, Cartsida, Quareltoun.

Neuwarks, Cadrens (p 523).

The Lands of Ralstoune (p 523). Auldtoune, Littlemealing [probably for Little Mailing or small tenancy], Braehead, Barshaw, Whytehaugh, Byres, Hinniboge, Peddenlie, Sandiehole, Rylees, Old Hall.

The Lands of Hartfield (p 525). Hartfield.

The Lands of Elderslie (p 525). Stepends, Overtoune, Clayslope, Mains of Elderslie.

The Lands of Ferguslie (p 527). Mains, Ferguslie, Craigs.

The Lands of Househill (p 528). Househill, Priesthill, Boghouse, Nuttshill.

Lands of Blackhall (p 529). Sacehill Myllne, Blackhall, Jamfraycraig, Lowend, Chappell of Blackhall.

 

 

Farms

 

Craigenfeoch

Craigenfeoch was divided in two, the parts owned by the Chalmer and Sempill families, each worth 5m.

ER IX p 659 1444 gives a sasine to John Chalmeris of Craginfeth.

ER VI p 103 1455 mentions half of Craggynfeach; p 152 1456 mentions half of Cragginfeach.

ER X p 768 1493 gives a sasine to John, Lord Sempill, of Craginfeach.

ER XII p 712 1503 gives a sasine to James Chawmer of Craginfeoch.

RMS VII (672) 1612, on original of 1611, gives 5m AE Craginfeoche. (Sempill).

RMS IX (41) 1634 gives the lands and barony of Craginfieoche as Fairnenies (Fereneze, Neilston parish), Ryflat (Ruffles, Paisley parish), Bar in Kilbarchane, Brandeiscroft (Kilbarchan parish), Weitlandis (Kilbarchan parish), Harispannellis (Kilbarchan parish), Boirdlandis (Kilbarchan parish), Mitcheltoun (Lochwinnoch parish) and Craiginfieoche.

RMS IX (1271) 1642 gives Wester Craiginfeoche otherwise called Craiginfeoche-Chalmer and anciently Craiginfiehauche.

RS53 ff 19v-20r 1642 gives 14s 8d AE Meikilboge within 5m Craiginfeoche Chalmer.

RS53 ff 26r-26v 1642 gives half of 14s 8d AE of Meikilbog.

AHC Volume II, Semple Rental 1644 p 174 gives Craiginfeoch 5 mk land. It lists tenants with holdings of 15s 8d, 16s 8d, 16s 8d and 16s 8d. The first entry will just be a mistake for 16s 8d because 4 x 16s 8d (1¼ merks) = 5m. The rental then gives a mill, two 40d (i.e. 3s 4d or ¼m) holdings, a house and yard in a place called ‘brig’ with a cow’s grass in the Kenmure, 6s 8d land in Easter Kenmure with the ‘walk’ mill, and finally somewhere called Glenbrae. ‘Brig’ is possibly Bridgend in Lochwinnoch which lies on the south side of the Black Cart immediately opposite Kenmure. A cow’s grass means the right to pasture one cow (probably with calves or followers) on Kenmure. The ‘walk’ maill is the waulking or fulling mill – probably the one we have evidence for in Auchendinning (Auchindonane) which is just beside Kenmure on the north side of the Black Cart. Auchendinning and Kenmure are in Kilbarchan parish. I am unsure of the location of the two ¼ merk units or Glenbrae.

RMS IX (2145) 1649 gives 5m Craiginfeoche-Sempill.

Renfrew Retours (189) 1690 gives 5m AE Wester Craigenfoorth called Craigenfeuch-Chamber.

Purves p 162 gives Craiginfeouch Chambers as £3 6s 8d (5m).

Stewart f 49v gives Craiginfeoch Chalmirs as £3 6s 8d (5m).

 

Cochrane

ER XVIII p 538 1552 gives Nethir Cochren with pertinents, viz. lands of Hag, Wester Cartsyid, Ester Cartsyid, Querrell, Lonbank, Brandokhill, Rogerbank, Hilheid, Grenedud (read Grenend) and Feriskirlie, extending in the whole to 10m AE.

RMS IV (1123) 1556 gives 5m AE Cochrane. Also Dundonald (12) 1556.

Dundonald (24) 1583 gives 5m Wester Cochrane.

Dundonald (14) 1600 gives 5m Cochrane.

RMS VI (1142) 1601, on original of 1600, gives the sunny half (i.e. south-facing) of the lands of Cochrane extending to 5m AE, plus the shadow half (i.e. north-facing) of the said 5m of Cochrane. Also Dundonald (15) 1601.

RMS IX (1271) 1642 gives 5m Cochrane.

Renfrew Retours (213) 1643 gives an annualrent from the lands of Over Cartisyde, Greinend and Brandokishill extending to 44s 4d AE.

Renfrew Retours (151) 1657 gives an annualrent from the lands of Ovir Cartsyde, Greinend and Bramockshill extending to 44s 4d AE.

(The above 2 documents list places which were parts of Nether Cochrane in ER XVIII p 538 1552 above).

RMS XI (1174) 1668 gives the lands of Nether Louchran … viz., the lands of Hag, Westerkirtsyde, Easterkirtsyde, Quarrell, Loanbank, Brandkieholme, Rodgersbank, Hilhead, Greenend, Ferrie, and Aikerlie. (Although the spellings are much mangled this document is a repeat of the list of places given in ER XVIII p 538 1552 above. ‘Feriskirlie’ is now Ferrie and Aikerlie).

Renfrew Retours (189) 1690 gives 5m AE Cochran.

Renfrew Retours (192) 20 November 1690 gives 10m Easter Cochran, comprehending the lands of Quarrelltoun, Loanbank, Hillhead, Hagg, Cartsyde, Over & Nether Greenend and Brandicksheill, (read instead ‘Cartsyde Over & Nether, Greenend’).

Renfrew Retours (193) 20 November 1690 (i.e. same day as (192) above) gives 10m Eister Cochran, comprehending the lands of Quarrelstoun, Loanbank, Hillhead, Hagg, Cartsyde Over & Nether, Greenend and Brandicksheill.

Some of the above names survived in later maps and I have listed them in the table above. Nether Cochrane became Easter Cochrane.

Purves p 162 gives Easter Cochran as £6 13s 4d (10m).

Purves p 162 gives Wester Cochran as £3 6s 8d (5m).

Stewart f 50r gives Eister Couchren as £6 13s 4d (10m).

Stewart f 50r gives Wester Couchren as £3 6s 8d (5m).

 

Leitchland

There are two Leitchlands in Renfrewshire: one in Inverkip, the other in Paisley parish. The following Exchequer Rolls evidence is not clear as to which is meant, but I favour Paisley.

ER IX p 664 1456 gives a sasine of one-third of Leichland to Jo(hn) Lawerance.

ER VI p 152 1456 refers to the relief of one-third of Lecheland, on account of a sasine given to John Laurence, son of the late Laurence Stanelee. (I assume this surname derives from the nearby property of Stanely).

ER IX p 675 1473 gives a sasine to Thomas Hall of Litchland. Given the association of the Hall family with Foulbar I assume this is the Leitchland in Paisley parish, not that in Inverkip.

ER IX p 677 1476 gives a sasine of Leichland to Thomas Lawrestoun (presumably a Lawrence).

GD3/1/10/41/1 1484 gives Thomas Hall of Leichland as a witness.

 

The issue is further complicated by the fact that the Leitchland in Paisley was divided three ways. This is indicated by the Taxt Rolls copied by Purves and Stewart. They give three portions of Leitchland. Two of these, presumably named after owners, were labelled Ross and Knox. The third portion was linked to (parts of?) Stanely and Thornly.

Purves p 162 gives Leichland, Ross and Leichland, Knox as £2 4s 4d (3m 4s 4d).

Stewart f 49v gives Leichland Roiss and Leichland Knox as 44s 4d & ye ij (parts of 1d?). (The writing drops into the gutter and is hard to read). This possibly means 44s 4⅔d. (However, for arithmetic reasons I think it should be 44s 4d & ye ij (parts of 2d?) which would total 44s 5⅓d).

If, following Stewart, we reckon these two parts of Leitchland (Ross & Knox), to come to only 44s 4⅔d then we could expect the balance of a notional 5m (66s 8d) unit to be 22s 3⅓d. (Arithmetically we would expect the remaining one-third part of Leichland to be 22s 2⅔d). To avoid these anomalies I would prefer the arithmetically correct data of 44s 5⅓d + 22s 2⅔d.

 

Part of Leitchland was also associated with (parts of?) Stanely and Thornly:

Purves p 161 gives Stantlie and Thornielie part of Kitchland as £12 15s 6d (19m 2s 2d). This is a bit of a muddle but evidently comprised (part of?) Stanely, (part of?) Thornly, and part of Leitchland.

Stewart f 49v gives Stanlie and Thornelie w^t (with) his pt (part) of Leichland as £12 15s 6d & ye 3 (part?) of (1d?). (Unfortunately the end of the line runs into the gutter which makes it hard to decipher; presumably £12 15s 6⅓d. It is also not clear who ‘he’ is).

 

The following synopsis is tentative: the detailed evidence is given under Limpetstane and Head-dykes below. Leitchland was probably 5m (66s 8d) and divided between Over and Nether, but each part also had other names. Over was generally called Limpetstane. Head-dykes was part of Nether Leitchland. From about 1647 the name Limpetstane was being replaced by the name Bardrain. Bardrain itself was divided into High and Low. Leitchland became divided into one-thirds by 1548. 66s 8d does not divide exactly by 3. Arithmetically one-third would be 22s 2⅔d. Pennies were divided into half-pennies and farthings so there was a divergence between an arithmetic one-third, and what could be expressed in terms of the current coinage. The closest match was 22s 2½d which occurs several times below. The phrase aut eacirciter – ‘or thereabouts’ gives us a sense of the problems experienced by the writers of the day. In one case there is resort to ‘1⅓ obulos’ using the word obolus/obulus which usually meant half-penny. As we move into the seventeenth century things become even more complicated because Head-dykes becomes High-dykes and is treated separately. We also meet Boutistoune (cf Bootstone in Kilbarchan parish) or Bulistoune which is either 6s 8d or 8s. The base units were 5m and 22s 2⅔d but we also find units of 3s 4d (¼m), 25s 6d and 18s 10d. The last two make more sense if we think of them as approximately 22s 2⅔d plus 3s 4d or 22s 2⅔d minus 3s 4d.

 

Limpetstane

RMS III (2743) 1542 gives ‘Lympetstane alias Ovir Lechland’. RSS III (2728) 1548 refers to 22s 2½d of Lochlympanestane. RMS V (1696) 1589, on original of 1573, gives ‘Lympatstane alias Ovir Lechland’ extending to 22s 2½d AE. Renfrew Retours (16) 1604 gives Lumpitstane alias Over Leichland extending to 22s 2½d AE. RMS VI (1623) 1605 gives 22s 2d AE (aut eacirciter – or thereabouts) of Lympatstane alias Over Leichland. Renfrew Retours (79) 1629 gives Limpetstaine, otherwise called Over-Leitchland extending to 22s 2½d AE. RMS IX (1765) 1647 gives 22s 2½d ‘Over Leichland alias Bardrene vel Cumpetstane (Limpetstane?)’.

 

Head-dykes – part of Nether Leitchland (see also under Leitchland above)

ER XIX p 446 1559 refers to rents of half of Nethir Leithlandis in property and tenandry. Repeated in ER XIX pp 506-7 1562-3.

RMS IV (1487) 1563 gives one-third part of Leichland and Heiddykis extending to 22s 2d 1⅓ obulos AE.

ER XXI pp 433-4 1580 gives Lecheland & Heiddykis as 22s 2½d + ⅓d AE.

RSS VIII (1817) 1583-4 gives Letheland & Heiddykis extending to 22s 2⅓d.

ER XXII pp 454-5 1591 gives rents of ‘a third part of the 5m of Nethir Leichlandis called Heiddykis’.

ER XXIII p 375 1595-6 gives 22s 2d + ½d + ⅓d AE (i.e. a total of 22s 2⅚d) of Leichland & Heiddykis.

RMS VIII (764) 1624, on original of 1609, gives one-third of Leichland & Heiddykis extending to 22s 2⅚d (held by Stephen Maxwell) plus 3s 4d AE of Heiddykis formerly belonging to John Knox of Milneburne.

RMS VIII (835) 1625, on original of 1623, refers to 25s 6d (aut eocirciter – or thereabouts) of Leitchland & Heiddykis, both property and superiority, (viz. 6s 8d in property, formerly acquired from the late John Maxwell and the late John Knox of Mylneburne, and the rest in superiority.

Dundonald (80) 1627 concerns the sale of 25s 6d of Leechland.

RMS IX (1765) 1647 refers to 25s 6d Leichland & Hiedykes (of which 6s 8d were in property and the rest in superiority and tenandry).

RMS XI (688) 1664, on original of 1656, refers to 22s 2⅔d AE of Bardrane, otherwise called Over Leithland; 6s 8d AE Hiedyks; 6s 8d AE Boutistoune.

RMS XI (953) 1666 refers to 22s 2⅔d AE of Bardraine, otherwise called Over Keichland (read Leichland); the 6s 8d AE of Hydyk; the 8s AE of Bulistoune.

Renfrew Retours (189) 1690 refers to lands of Bairdrean (or Bandrain), Overleughland (or Overleichland) extending to 22s ⅔d AE; Heidyks extending to ½m, and superiority over Nether Leichland, extending to 18s 10d AE.

There is some uncertainty as to whether Head-dykes and High-dykes should be viewed as the same. The former may have included the latter.

 

Auchenlodment

This place is marked twice in the Geographia Glasgow Street Atlas.

Dundonald (292-296) 1532 give Auchlodmont as £5 – divided into two portions of one-third and two-thirds.

Dundonald (298) 1558 gives £5 Auchlodmont.

The above should be compared with NRAS2600/Bundle 10 which gives a charter of 1532, a precept of 1548, and an instrument of sasine dated 1574,  which state Auchlodmont was 5m.

AHC Volume II, No 182 of 3 March 1564-5 gives 5m AE called Auchledmont. (Semple lands).

Laing Charters (1971) 1626 gives 5m Auchlodmonth.

RS53 f 22r 1642 gives 2 parts of 5m AE Auchinlodmont.

RMS IX (2145) 1649 gives 5m Auchinlodm(o)nth.

Laing Charters (2440-1) 1653 give 5m Auchlodmunt or Auchlodmonth.

Renfrew Retours (189) 1690 gives 5m AE Auchenloadmouth.

It is not easy to know if £5 or 5m is correct. It is also easy to see how the division could produce confusion since 5m is two-thirds of £5. However I have preferred £5. It is possible that one-third of Auchenlodment, worth 2½m, was hived off and renamed as a separate farm.

 

Elderslie

ER IX p 659 1444 gives a sasine to John Wallace of Ellersly.

ER IX p 680 1480 gives a sasine to John Wallace of Ellersly.

ER XII p 714 1503 gives a sasine to Hugh Wallace of Ellersly.

Purves p 161 gives Ellerslie as £5 (7½m).

Stewart f 49v gives Ellirslie as £5 (7½m).

 

Causewayend

Causewayend appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lix-lx, lxxxii and cvi. Spellings are Causaende, Causa, Casaende and Causa ende. For some reason it only features under its own name in rentals between 1460 and c. 1484. I am not sure if it was then subsumed under another property. It paid 18s p.a. in the first lease of 1460 and then one part (which was probably half) was set for 9s. In c. 1472 we meet the same tenant (John Dule) who paid 9s in 1460 and it appears he was again due 9s for his part of the property. In c. 1484 no details are given but the farm is marked as 18s. On the basis of this evidence I have put it in the table as an 18s land.

 

Barskiven

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxii, lxxxvi, lxxxvii, cxx, cxxxii, cxlvi, clxxvii. Spellings are Bersckawan, Barskawan, Berskawen and Berschawen. It was subdivided and paid in bolls and chalders of oats. A merkland is mentioned in 1460. From 1472 it is clear that the total render was 4 chalders of oats. In c. 1525, and again in 1550 it is classed as a 4 merkland. This would suggest a going rate of 1 chalder per merkland.

 

Ferguslie

Ferguslie appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxx, cxxxii, cxlv-cxlvi, clxxvii. Spellings are Fergusle, Ffergusley, Ffergusly and Fergusly. The rent is £6 in 1460, c. 1472, c. 1522, 1523, c. 1525, 1531, 1538 and 1541. In c. 1525 and 1550 it is described as a £6 land. It is clear the silver rent matched the land-assessment.

RSS III (651) 1543-4 is a charter of feufarm of Fergusle (to John Hammiltoun in Ferguslie), subject to conditions pertaining to a public road through the lands of Fergusle and the wood of Durskath as far as the Candren Burn. The rent includes 9m (£6) as used to be paid, plus an augmentation. RMS IX (1804) 1647 refers to £6 AE Ferguslie. RMS XI (176) 1662 refers to £6 AE Ferguslie. GD39/5/171 1695 refers to £6 lands of Ferguslie.

Crawfurd, 1710, p 63, writes:

And hard by Woodside stands the House and Lands of Fergusly, beautified with pleasant Planting. The First Proprietor of these Lands I have found, is John Hamilton, descended of the Hamiltons of Orbestoun, who obtained a Grant of the Lands of Fergusly, from John Hamilton, Abbot of Pasly, with Consent of the Convent, in the Year 1544 (h);

Footnote: (h) Register of Pasly.

 

Durskath/Darskaith alias Wodside

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lx, lxxxiii, cxviii, cxxxii, cxlvii, clxxvii. Spellings are Durschat side, Durshachsyde, Durschawsyd, Dulskaitht, Durskath, Duskayth. Nowhere does the rental indicate an assessment for Durskath but in the text and subheadings the rent is consistently 20s in 1460, c. 1472, c. 1502, c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1536. Conditions were laid down in 1460, c. 1502, c. 1522 and c. 1525 whereby the tenant had to look after the wood and maintain the fossas (either ditches or dikes) around the wood. In c. 1522 it was set to John Stewart, the cook, who was succeeded by his son, also John. In 1550 it was in feu to William Stewart. (More about these Stewarts is revealed in the following documents).

RSS III (651) 1543-4 refers to the wood of Durskath in the context of a public road which the abbot of Paisley wished to retain. The abbot had let Fergusle in feufarm to John Hammiltoun. However he set certain conditions regarding the highway, the path round Durskath wood, and a quarry.

RSS III (855) 1544 is a charter of feufarm from the abbot of Paisley, to John Stewart in Wodside, of 20s of Durskath alias Wodside, plus the office of forester or custodian of the wood of Durskath. The rent was 20s.

RSS III (1199) 1545 is a charter from the abbot of Paisley, to John Steuart of Wodside, of 20s Wodside with the new garden lying on the west side of the house. The abbot repeats some of the conditions laid down in RSS III (651) 1543-4 in connection with the highway and the path round Durskaith wood.

RMS V (160) 1581, on original of 1580, is a royal confirmation of a charter by the commendator of Paisley Abbey which set in feufarm to William Steward of Wodesyde, the lands commonly called the wood of Darskaith, extending to 10s AE – between the lands of Ferguslie & Wodsyde.

Given the rental evidence and the firm statement in RSS III (855) 1544 that Durskath alias Wodside was 20s land I am confident in that figure.

 

Brediland

Brediland appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxx, cxx, cxxxii, cxlvi and clxxvii. Spellings are Bridelande, Brydelande, Brideland, The Brideland, The Brydeland and Bradyland. It was set for, or marked as, 20s in 1460, c. 1472, c. 1502, c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1548. (In c. 1502 there is a reference to a 10s land which I think is just the scribe omitting a Roman x for 10). In 1550 it is described as a 20s land – which is borne out by the following later documents.

20s AE Bradyland in RMS IV (3027) 1580 on original of 1565. 20s Bradieland in Renfrew Retours (110) 1640. See also next entry.

Crawfurd, 1710, p 63, writes:

A little towards the North from the Castle of Stainly lie the House and Lands of Bredieland, which has been possessed by the Maxwels of this Race, for upwards of Two Hundred Years; but of what Family they derive their Pedigree, I know not. Their Original Charter, which I have seen, is granted by Robert, Abbot of Pasly, to Thomas Maxwel, designed Son of Arthur Maxwel, Clerk of Neilstoun, Anno 1488, in the Reign of King James IV.

The location, just north of Stainly, seems to match with Brediland. However, if it was granted out in 1488 that would match better with Brideland (below) since that doesn’t appear in the Paisley rentals after 1472. This issue has yet to be resolved. In the Paisley rental, the named tenants, after c. 1502, were Maxwells.

 

Brideland

The Paisley Rental also shows two entries for a Bridelande in 1460 (p lxi) and Brydelande c. 1472 (p lxxxiii). There are two reasons why this is probably a different place to Brediland (above). Firstly, it was set to a different tenant in 1460. Secondly it rendered 26s 8d (2m) in 1460 and is marked for 26s 8d c. 1472. Unfortunately I have not yet located this settlement. Confirmation that there were two such locations is given in the 1460 list of lands in the Lordship of Paisley (Rental p lxiii) which has both ‘brydeland’ and ‘brydelande’.

 

Brediland is in NS 4662 and North Brediland in NS 4563 if we follow OS 6” 1^st edition Renfrewshire Sheet XII, 1858. These are a little way apart so it is possible they represent the two separate ‘brydelands’ mentioned in 1460.

 

Crossflat

Crossflat is mentioned in the Paisley Rental on pages lxi, lxxxiv, cxx, cxxxi, cxliv, clxxv, clxxvi. In the earliest rental (1460) it is spelled Crosflat, in all others it is Corsflat or Corsflate. We have statements from c. 1522 (p cxxxi), c. 1525 (p cxliv) and 1550 (p clxxvi) that it was a 40s (3m) land. The evidence from 1460 (p lxi), c. 1472 (p lxxxiv) and c. 1502 (p cxx) is all consistent with this. In 1460 we are told that Nether Crosflat was set to Thomas Hector, sculptor, for 20s. The rental includes a memorandum about his obligations to the abbey as a sculptor. (See Cameron Lees p 166 for translation). In the 1502 rental we are told his land was now set to George Houston so we can assume ‘ald hector’ (Old Hector) was no more. His land of Nether Crosflat is here described as a 20s land and lay ‘on the ester sid of the commyn bezound the dik’ (on the easter side of the common beyond the dike). Nether Crosflat may therefore be Easter Crossflat. George Houston still held his 20s (or half) c. 1522 (p cxxxi) and c. 1525 (p cxliv) but the other half is recorded (in both years) as being set to various tenants for 17 bolls of barley. On p clxxv there is an entry for 17 acres of Corsflat set to 15 tenants (at least 5 of whom were women). In fact 15 acres 7 roods are specified, i.e. 1 rood short of 17 acres. The render was 15 bolls 7 firlots ‘bere’ (barley), i.e. 1 firlot short of 17 bolls. There was plainly a standard render of 1 boll per acre. (See also under Greenlaw below).

RMS V (1239) 1587, on original of 1560, gives half Corsflat, called Eister Corsflat, with an ‘old rent’ of 20s which may well have been its assessment.

Renfrew Retours (130) 1647 gives Eister Corsflate with a little wood, with an ‘extent’ of 25s. This we can ignore.

This is a different place to the Crossflat in Kilbarchan parish.

 

Todholm

Todholm appears 7 times in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxxi, cv, cxxxi, cxliv and clxxvii. Spellings are Thodholm, Todholm, Todholme, Toddisholme and Toddisholm. It was one of the smallest properties owned by Paisley and is remarkable for its consistency during the 90-odd years of the Rental. It always paid, or is marked as, 2s. In c. 1522 it is given as 2s land and that is repeated in c. 1525 and in 1550. The first element of the place-name presumably comes from the Old Scots word for a fox – which also became a personal name.

Toddisholme in RS53 f 52v 1642. See also under Lylesland.

 

Stanely

1. Topen, ‘The Castle and Lands of Stanely, Paisley, Renfrewshire’, Renfrewshire Local History Forum Occasional Paper No. 7, 2003, is an important source for the history of Stanely.

RMS I (837) 1391 is a grant by Robert III to Sir Robert of Danyelstone of ‘omnes terras nostras’ (‘all our lands’) of Stanele. Robert III was the second Stewart king of Scotland so when he describes Stanely as ‘our lands’ he may be referring to the ancestral Stewart holding in Renfrew.

This grant has to be squared with a grant of 4m Fulbar/Foulbar made in 1371 by Robert III’s father, Robert II, (see below under Foulbar). Fulbar is not actually named but Crawfurd deduced the location from the ‘bounding’ (i.e. the description of the boundaries). The property was stated to be ‘in Tenemento de Stanle’ (i.e. ‘in the holding of Stanle’). It is difficult to be sure what ‘tenemento’ meant precisely. What is it a ‘fee’ or a general description of an estate?

RMS II (404) 1450 gives Stanle.

ER IX p 679 1478 gives a sasine to Robert Maxvell of Stanly.

ER IX p 683 1484 gives a sasine to Patrick Maxvell of Staneley.

ER XII p 713 1503 gives a sasine to John Maxvell of Stanlye Maxvell.

RMS III (183) 1518 gives a John Maxwell of Westir Stanlie and a John Maxwell of Estir Stanlie, witnesses.

Topen, p 14, quotes ‘Protocols of the Town Clerks of Glasgow,’ Vol. 5 (1,388) of 1560 for a sasine of the west half of £5 Stanely and the east half of the 10m Thornlie-Maxwell.

RSS VIII (1809) 1583-4 gives Stanlie.

£5 Stanelie in RSS VIII (2457) 1584.

RMS VI (179) 1594 gives Westir Stanelie alias Almochrie.

£5 Stainlie in RMS VIII (808) 1625. £5 Stanelie in GD20/7/171 1625.

Renfrew Retours (134) 1649 gives half Eister Stainelie (which extends to £5 AE) – therefore 50s AE, in barony of Paislie; plus half of the western part of Stainlie, viz: Almochrie, Calseyend, Foxbar, Hoilhous, Dykis, extending to £5 AE in barony of Finlaystoun. (This is then followed by an ambiguous figure of 6½m extent). Renfrew Retours (135) 1649 is for the other half lands on the same day to a sister. All these £5 valuations for Stanely are, I think, to be kept separate from the valuation of Fulbar/Foulbar. Fulbar and Foxbar were separate places.

It appears Easter and Wester Stanely were each £5, giving a total of £10 AE.

Purves p 161 gives Stantlie and Thornielie part of Kitchland as £12 15s 6d (19m 2s 2d). This is a bit of a muddle but evidently comprised (part of?) Stanely, (part of?) Thornly, and part of Leitchland.

Stewart f 49v gives Stanlie and Thornelie w^t (with) his pt (part) of Leichland as £12 15s 6d & ye 3 (part?) of (1d?). Unfortunately, the end of the line runs into the gutter which makes it hard to decipher; presumably £12 15s 6⅓d. It is also not clear who ‘he’ is. See under Leitchland for explanation of these fractions of a penny.

 

Lincleif

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxiii, lxxxvii, cxviii, cxix, cxxxii, cxlvii, clxxvii. Spellings are Lyncleyff, Lyncleff, Lyncleiff and Lynclef. It was one of the properties listed as ‘Land set for oats’ meaning it did not pay rent in cash but in bolls and chalders of oats. Between 1460 and 1541 the rent is consistently 4 chalders of oats. Nowhere in the Rental is it given a land-assessment. However, we learn from later evidence it was worth 4m. This, the fact that it paid 4 chalders of oats, and comparison with Barskiven, which was worth the same and paid the same, are mutually supportive.

 

Newtown

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxii, lxxxv, cxx, cxxxii, cxlvi-cxlvii, clxxvii. Spellings are Newtoun, Neuton, Newtown, Newton. It is one of the properties which appears under the periodic sub-heading ‘Lands set for oats’. The rent returned, or the rent indicated in each entry of the rental, was 4 chalders oats in 1460, c. 1472, c. 1502, c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1550. It is described as 4 merkland c. 1525 and 1550. Again we meet the standard rental of 1 merkland returning 1 chalder of oats.

RMS IV (2413) 1575, on original of 1574 refers to rent from 2m AE of Newtoun as including 32 bolls of oats ‘minoris mensure dicti monasterii’ (i.e. of the lesser measure of the said monastery). This is described as the ‘old rent’. The absence of standard measures always makes comparison difficult and was to vex Renfrewshire for many years yet. In 1688 we find an entry in the ‘Diary and General Expenditure Book of William Cunningham of Craigends’ which reads ‘I caused weigh a firlot of meall of our Craigends measure, according to my mother’s weights’.

4m AE of Newtoune in RS53 ff 49r-49v 1642.

 

Corsbar/Corsebar

Corsbar is referred to in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxx-lxxxi, lxxxvi and cxx. It is mentioned with Thomasbar on pages cxx, cxxxii, cxlvi, clxxvii. Spellings are Corsbar and Corsber. It was set for 26s 8d (2m), oats, poultry etc., in 1460 and c. 1472. In c. 1502 it is mentioned twice – once with ‘Thomas bar’ paying 5m p.a. and once by itself paying 26s 8d p.a. The two properties together appear to have been £3 6s 8d (5m) c. 1522. In c. 1525 they are joined and stated to be a 5 merkland – which is repeated in 1550. ‘The steading of Corsbar’ in GD148/163 1544.

 

Thomasbar

Thomasbar is referred to in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxxi and cxx. It is mentioned together with Corsbar on pages cxx, cxxxii, cxlvi and clxxvii. It seems reasonable to conclude the two farms were adjacent. Spellings are Thomas Bar, Thomebar and Thomasbar. In 1460 it was set to Brice Kerswell for 40s (3m) plus oats, poultry etc. In c. 1472 it is given as 26s 9d (certainly a mistake for 26s 8d or 2m). In c. 1502 it is 40s again and Bris Kerswell is one of the tenants. This fluctuation seems a little odd and the explanation may be found in a ‘detached’ paragraph on p lxxxi c. 1472 which talks about ‘another part’ (of Corsber) being set to Brise Kerswele paying 40s p.a. The two settlements of Thomasbar and Corsbar may have been treated almost as one unit for a long time, which could give rise to this anomaly in the rental. The evidence makes clear that Thomasbar was 40s (3m) and Corsbar was 26s 8d (2m) – giving a total of 5m

 

Candrens

This appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxiii (only a passing reference), lxxxvii, cviii, cx, cxxxii, cxlvii, clxxvii. Spellings are Canderene, Candrane, Canderane, Caudrane (read Candrane?) and Candren. The render was a mix of oats, cash, barley, cheese and stirks. On p cx there was an interesting bargain struck c. 1484 for the construction of a ‘laid’ (i.e. a mill lade to channel water to drive a mill) from Candrane Burn. (There is also mention of a ‘bryg’ (bridge) of Candran). In 1472 & 1484 Candrane rendered 5 chalders oats. About 1522 it is classed as 5 merkland, repeated c. 1525. Associated with Candrane was a place called ‘quhyt cruk’ (White Crook – see next entry) which is given as 10s (¾m) in 1525. In 1550, Candren and Quhitcruk are given together as £3 16s 8d which is correct for 5m (£3 6s 8d) plus 10s. The fact that Candrane was 5 merkland, originally rendering 5 chalders of oats, is further evidence of a standard rent. (See also under Barskiven and Lincleif above).

RS53 ff 17v-18r 1642 gives Candrene/Candrens and Whytcruik together as £3 16s 8d lands ‘aut eo circa’ (or thereabouts). The use of the qualifying phrase suggests some uncertainty as to value. (It is difficult to be sure of the spelling of Candrens. It could be Candrene, Candrens or Candrenis). The value of £3 16s 8d would match 5m (£3 6s 8d) for Candrens and 10s for White Crook.

 

White Crook

White Crook appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxx, cxxxii, cxlvii and clxxvii. (In two of these cases it appears with Candren as 10s – see above entry). Spellings are Quhitcruk, Quhytcruk, Quhyt cruk and Quhit cruyk. In 1460 it gave 16s cash. In the rental of c. 1472 it is simply given as 16s Quhytcruk. There is not a great deal of evidence to go on but I have assumed White Crook as a whole was 16s (or more probably 16s 8d i.e. 1¼m) but that 10s of that 16s became linked to Candren. RS53 ff 17v-18r 1642 gives Candrene/Candrens and Whytcruik together – see above entry.

 

Merksworth/Marksworth

The Paisley Rental also tells us about a property called Marksworth. In 1484 (p cix) this is described as ‘ye merkis worthe of ye Inche’. In 1525 (p cxlii) it is ‘The merkis worth’ and in 1539 (p clii) it is ‘Vna mercata terrarum vocate ye le merkis wortht’ (1 merkland called the merk’s worth). In each of these years it paid 13s 4d (i.e. 1 merk) silver rent plus poultry. It is probably the 13s 4d of ‘Ye Inch’ which appears on p lxxxi in 1472. Although it may originally have been part of the Inch (Renfrew parish) it appears to lie just across the parish border in Paisley.

RMS IV (2057) 1572, on original of 1567, gives boundaries in detail. It was 13s 4d land and gave 13s 4d silver rent. The original charter was to Peter Algeo and Mariot Mortoun, his wife.

Renfrew Retours (89) 1633 gives 13s 4d Markisworth. This is repeated in Renfrew Retours (93) 1634.

Crawfurd, 1710, p 65, writes of Walkinshaw (Renfrew parish, q.v.) and Marksworth:

And his Lands of Easter-Walkingshaw came, by Marriage of Marion Morton his Heiress, to Peter Algoe, a Gentleman originally from Italy; his Ancestor came from that Country with one of the Abbots of Pasly, and for some considerable time his Posterity possessed a plentiful Fortune in this Shire, and failed in the Person of of (sic) John Algoe of Easter-Walkingshaw, in the Reign of King Charles I.

Near to this lie the Lands of Marksworth; (the Algoes of Easter-Walkingshaw did anciently possess these Lands,) and are now the Property of James Maxwel of Marksworth, Son of Hugh Maxwel of Bredieland.

 

Castlehead

Castlehead appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lix, lxxxii, cvi and cliv. Spellings are Castelhede, Castalhed, Castelhede and The Castelheid. In 1460 it was set for 13s 4d. In c. 1472 it is marked as 13s 4d and the rent was 13s 4d p.a. In c. 1484 it is simply marked as 13s 4d. The only inconsistent record is c. 1525 when it is marked as £3 6s 8d – divided equally between two tenants. By then it may have been united with a neighbouring property. It was probably 1 merkland.

 

Riccartsbar

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxii, lxxxv, cxxxi, cxlv, clxxvii. Spellings are Ricardis bar, Rycardysbar, Ricarbar, Ricardisbar, Rycardbar. In 1460, c. 1472, c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1550 it returned 3 chalders oats. In c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1550 it is stated to be a 40s (3m) land. Here again we see the standard rent of 1 chalder oats for 1 merkland.

RMS V (346-7) 28 February 1581-2 refer to two halves of Richartisbar, extending to 10s AE and next or now 20s New Extent. (This is the second reference we have from the 1580s which suggests Old Extent was then reckoned at half of New Extent. However the earlier evidence from the rental suggests it was 40s which may mean that in 1580-1 only half of Riccartsbar is under discussion). Richartisbar is described as bounded by Cariagehill, Mekil-Riggis, the burn of Canren (Candren), Ferguslie, Paisley burgh and Hutcheid.

 

Meikleriggs

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxx, cxx, cxxii, cxxxi, cxlv, clxxvii. Spellings are Mekilriggis, Mekilrigis and Mekylryggis.

Nowhere is there a clear statement as to its total valuation. However it is set for, or marked as, £8 in 1460, c. 1472, c. 1502, c. 1506, c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1550. In c. 1472 a quarter of the toun returned 40s (£2) so the whole town would return £8. In c. 1518 a £4 ‘land’ within the toun (i.e. half of the toun) returned £4 p.a. Rents comprised cash, poultry and other services such as carriages – but not grain. (As Carriagehill below).

RSS VI (1788) 1572 gives £4 Mekilriggis.

RMS V (264) 1581 gives 20s AE Mekil-Riggis, next or now 40s New Extent. The lands have other lands of Mekil-Riggis on the east, bounded by the Canren-burn (Candren-burn) on the east and north. RMS V (300) 1581 gives 40s Mekle-Riggis AE, next or now £4 New Extent. (These two documents appear to be to separate branches of a family called Sclater or Sklater). The rents are 40s and £4 respectively which suggests a match to New Extent although the rent in the latter document is described as the ‘old rent’. RSS VIII (1123) 1582-3 gives 10s AE of Mekilrigis to a family called Wilson. This 10s AE is described as 20s New Exent.

What these documents suggest is that now that these lands, which formerly belonged to Paisley Abbey, were being feued out to laymen so there was a requirement to reconsider their extent. They may have been thought of in terms of ‘Auld Extent’ from the twelfth century until c. 1550. But a new reckoning of value was required and it looks as if contemporaries simply came up with a multiplier. New Extent was to be twice Auld Extent.

The place-name Meikleriggs is interesting – literally ‘big rigs’ where rigs were the long cultivation strips found throughout pre-enclosure Britain. It suggests the rigs (ridges) were particularly big on this property. Was that because they were longer than elsewhere? The reason it is significant is because such variations undermine any of our attempts to promote ‘standard’ rigs, or bovates, carucates etc. We also come across small rigs. The anomaly, of course is by no means confined to Paisley, or even Scotland. The Cartulary of the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, p 180, No 114 (c. 1135-49) refers to ‘Longis Sulcis’ (long furrows) and ‘Curtis Sulcis’ (short furrows) in a French property. See also Cartulary of Mont-Saint-Michel, p 191, Appendix I (7) 1075, for another reference.  Standard measures were always trumped by physical reality.

 

Foulbar

Crawfurd, 1710, p 62, writes:

South off this stands the House and Lands of Fulbar, the Seat of, and whence an Ancient Family of the Halls take Designation. The First I have found of this Sirname and Family is Thomas de Aula, design’d Surgico, who obtained from King Robert II illas quatuor mercatas terra, in Tenemento de Stanle, in Baronia de Renfrew, quas dudum, eidem Thoma pro tempore vita, Concessimus Anno regni primo: which is the Year of our Lord 1370 (g). These Lands above-mentioned are the Lands of Fulbar by the Bounding, which Lands continue yet with their Descendents.

Footnote: (g) Carta in publicis Archivis (i.e. Charter in the Public Archives).

The above is a fairly typical note by Crawfurd who frequently switched from English to Latin and back again. He made copious use of italics, not just for his Latin quotes, but for proper names, armorial bearings etc. In the above quotation I have underlined all the words which Crawfurd italicized. He has given the English name Hall as the Latin ‘Aula’. (Hall and Blackhall are examples of the rare occasions when English-language personal names and place-names were translated into Latin by contemporaries). Thomas was a surgeon or medical man and so had a valuable skill. He had lately been granted 4 merklands, for life, in the ‘holding’ of Stainly in the barony of Renfrew. It reads as if Fulbar is not actually named in the grant but that Crawfurd had deduced this from the description of the property’s boundaries. The grant is calendared in RMS I (407, 540) 1 December 1371 but without the place-name Fulbar or any detail about the boundaries. (David II died in February 1371 and the grant to Thomas Hall was made in the first year of Robert II’s reign).

The difference between the 4m valuation of 1371 and the 4½m valuation of 1559 suggests that ½m Sergeantlaw was included in the latter.

ER X p 768 1493 gives a sasine to Ade Hall of Fuilbar.

Purves p 161 gives Fowar as £3 (4½m).

Stewart f 49v gives Foulbar as £3 (4½m).

 

Thornly

Early references, without valuations, include RMS I (420, 547) 1371-2 to John Walays (Wallace). ‘Thornyle’ then gave an annual return of 20 merks.

RMP p 79, W.W. Scott, No 72, 1404, is a charter by Hugh Walas (Wallace) of Cragyne, which grants Paisley Abbey 10 merklands of Thornle.

RMP p 80, W.W. Scott, No 73, 1404, is a precept from Hugh Walas of Cragyne to John Robert, his sergeant of Thornle, to give sasine following on from No 72 immediately above.

RMP pp 80-82, W.W. Scott, No 74, 1404, is a confirmation by King Robert III of the foregoing. Also referred to in RMS I, App. 2 Index A No 1826, Index B No 80.

RMS III (916) 1529-30 gives 3 eastern quarters of Westir Thornlie extending to £5 (7½m) AE. (Each quarter = 2½m, so the whole = 10m).

RMS III (991) 1530-31 gives the western quarter of 10m AE of Thornle-Lindesay.

Topen, p 14, quotes ‘Protocols of the Town Clerks of Glasgow,’ Vol. 5 (1,388) of 1560 for a sasine of the west half of £5 Stanely and the east half of the 10m Thornlie-Maxwell.

10m AE Thornelie in RMS IV (2193) 1573-4 on original of 1570 (ex Wallace).

£6 13s 4d (10m) AE Westir Thornelie in ER XXI pp 433-4 1580.

10m Westir Thornlie in RSS VIII (1817) 1583-4, (ex Maxwell).

10m Thornelie in RSS VIII (2457) 1584, (ex Maxwell).

£6 13s 4d (10m) AE of Thornelie Westir called Thornelie Maxwell in ER XXIII p 375 1595-6.

10m AE Thornlie called Thornlie-Maxwell in RMS VIII (764) 1624 on original of 1609.

10m AE Thornelie alias Thornelie-Wallace in Renfrew Retours (30) 1610.

10m Thornielie-Maxwell in RMS VIII (808) 1625.

10m Thornlie Maxwell in GD20/7/171 1625.

10m AE Thornilie now called Thornilie-Maxwell in Renfrew Retours (92) 1634, (99) 1636.

10m AE Thornlie alias Thornelie-Wallace, now Thornelie-Blair in Renfrew Retours (107) 1639, (121) 1645.

10m AE Thornelie formerly Thornelie-Wallace then Thornelie-Blair in RMS IX (1701) 1646.

10m Thornlie formerly Thornlie-Wallace now Thornlie Blair in Laing Charters (2382) 1647.

Half (i.e. 5m) of the lands of Thornlie called Thornlie-Maxwell, extending to 10m AE, in Renfrew Retours (136) 1649; (137), same date, gives the other half.

Thornly, like many other properties in Renfrew, was often named after its proprietors – hence Thornle-Lindesay, Thornlie-Maxwell, Thornelie-Wallace and Thornelie-Blair. Wester was Maxwell, Easter (never actually named as such) was Wallace, then Blair. The two parts were 10m each – a total of 20m.

Purves p 161 gives £5 13s 4d (8½m) Thornielie, Blair. In light of Stewart’s entry I think this is a simple transcription error for £6 13s 4d or 10m.

Stewart f 49v gives £6 13s 4d (10m) Thornelie Blair.

The following may refer to a different part of Thornly:

Purves p 161 gives Stantlie and Thornielie part of Kitchland as £12 15s 6d (19m 2s 2d). This is a bit of a muddle but evidently comprised (part of?) Stanely, (part of?) Thornly, and part of Leitchland.

Stewart f 49v gives Stanlie and Thornelie w^t (with) his pt (part) of Leichland as £12 15s 6d & ye 3 (part?) of (1d?). Unfortunately the end of the line runs into the gutter which makes it hard to decipher; presumably £12 15s 6⅓d. It is also not clear who ‘he’ is. (See under Leitchland for analysis of the fractions of a penny).

 

Nether Thornle

I find no clear statement as to how Nether Thornle relates to the rest of Thornly (see above). I have listed it separately but I have no references to any ‘Upper’ Thornle. The list given in Robertson(1818) shows what an extensive estate Thornle once was and how many parts it consisted of. Nether Thornle was owned by Paisley Abbey and appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxxi, cv, cxxi, cxxxii-cxxxiii, cxlviii, clxxvii. Spellings are Thornele, Thornle, Thornle Nethyr, Methyr Thornle, The Neder Thornle, Thornle Nethyr, Neder Thornle. The rent returned, or the rent indicated in each entry of the rental, was £3 6s 8d (5m) in 1460, c. 1484, 1502, c. 1522 and 1546. It is given as a 5 merkland c. 1525 and in 1550. In c. 1522 it is stated that it used to pay 5 chalders oats. There is one exceptional entry c. 1472 which simply states ‘Thornle £6 13s 4d’ – i.e. 10m. Perhaps this included an otherwise elusive Thornle Upper? Nether Thornle appears to match the general pattern of 1m silver rent per merkland, or 1 chalder oats per merkland.

4m Thornelie-Paisley in RS53 f 52v 1642.

 

The most likely solution to the conundrum set by all these names is that Nether and Upper refer to the two parts of Thornlie-Wallace, now owned by Paisley Abbey. For some reason only Nether Thornlie features regularly in the Abbey Rental Book.

 

RMP pp 61-3 (W.W. Scott No 54, 28 December 1504) is a letter of James IV telling his local sheriffs that he wished to see John, Lord Ross of Halkhed, and others, on charges of intromitting with monastic property. The Abbot and convent of Paisley claimed that John, and others, had occupied, laboured and manured the lands of Moniabrock and Thornle – without lease or licence. The financial losses were detailed. Furthermore, John had unjustly retained the teinds from these lands. This must refer to Nether Thornle above. Also in AHC Volume I No 30, with an abstract.

 

Carriagehill

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lviii, lxxxi, cv, cxx, cxxii, cxxxi, cxlv, clxxvii. Spellings are Cariaghil, Cariagehyl, Cariagishill, Cariaghill, Cariagehill, Cariage hyll, Cariagehyll. The rent returned, or the rent indicated in each entry of the rental, was consistently 53s 4d or 4m. We are told it was a 4 merkland c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1550. The rent was paid in cash, poultry and services, not grain. (Compare with Meikleriggs above). It is clear that 1 merkland gave 1m silver rent.

RMS IV (2057) 1572, on original of 1567, gives boundaries in detail. It was 13s 4d land and gave 13s 4d silver rent – specifically ‘old rent’. (This was only part of Carriagehill).

Renfrew Retours (89) 1633 gives 13s 4d of Cariadghill. This is repeated in Renfrew Retours (93) 1634.

 

Lylesland

Lylesland appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxiii, lxxxvii, cxxxi, cxliv and clxxvii. Spellings are Lylislande, Lilislande, Lylyslande, Lilysland and Lylisland. In 1460 it was let to Thomas Luff who paid 20 bolls oats p.a. The first entry for c. 1472 says ‘Lylyslande. xx b. avenarum que thruscrag dicitur’. (Lylyslande, 20 bolls oats – which is called Thruscrag,). The next entry under c. 1472 shows it let to Thomas Hiff (read Thomas Luff as above?) for 20 bolls oats p.a. This was then scored out and the next entry states that it was let to ‘Rotulando’ Mur for 20 bolls oats p.a. On p cxxxi (c. 1522) it was let to Egidia Dunlop for 40s p.a. In c. 1525 it was again set to Egidia Dunlop – this time for 20 bolls oats. In 1550 it is simply given as 20 bolls oats.

It is extremely difficult to settle on a land valuation when this is all we have to go on. 20 bolls oats is the same as 1 chalder 4 bolls (or 1¼ chalders). We have seen other properties in Paisley parish pay at the rate of 1 chalder per merkland – in which case we might say Lylesland was 1¼ merklands. However the cash rent c. 1522 was 40s or 3 merks. I have taken the most conservative approach and put Lylesland down as 1¼ merklands.

RS53 f 52v 1642 gives 22s Lyillisland and Toddisholme. Since the latter property is consistently 2s this implies Lylesland was 20s or 1½ merklands. However, the evidence is late.

 

The other issue is how to deal with the statement in c. 1472 that Lylesland was called ‘Thruscrag’. In the OS 6” 1^st edition map of 1858 they are shown right beside each other. Lylesland is on the west bank of the Espedair Burn, Thrushcraig almost opposite on the east bank. The names have slightly different flavours. Lylesland may just indicate land belonging to the ‘Lyle’ family or someone called Lyle. Thrushcraig is more specific – referring to a particular ‘craig’ (rock or rocks). It is perfectly possible that Thrushcraig was a well-known name for a prominent local landmark which was on land owned by the family of Lyle. In that case it is easy to see how the names might almost be interchangeable. (See also under next entry for Thrushcraig).

 

Thrushcraig

Thrushcraig appears in two places in the Paisley Rental The first is on p lxxxvii (c. 1472), as discussed in the entry for Lylesland immediately above. The second is on p cxx (c. 1502) where it is stated ‘the thurscrag xx b. avenarum in manibus domini’ (the Thurscrag 20 bolls oats in the hands of the lord [i.e. Abbot]). The argument that Lylesland and Thrushcraig were the same is reinforced by this. There is actually no entry for Lylesland in the rental for c. 1502 – it is only entered under Thurscrag, and the rent is what we usually find for Lylesland, 20 bolls oats. There are no further entries for Thrushcraig – only under Lylesland. We have one farm – rejoicing in two names.

There is a further complication with Thrushcraig. It seems to feature twice in the Pont and Blaeu maps. The first example is straightforward. The name is spelled the same (Thruscraig) in both maps and appears south-west of the Abbey in the vicinity of Carriagehill – which is correct.

The second example is more opaque. Against a different burn further east, both Pont and Blaeu have given what appear to be two place-names: Thrus in Pont, Thruss in Blaeu; with, below them, two more, Kraigs in Pont, Kraigs in Blaeu. These should probably be one name – read as Thrusskraigs. Moreover they both occur close to Blaklynmil (Pont) or Blaklin mil (Blaeu). But the Blaklynmil (Pont) or Blackney Mill (Roy) or Blacklie Mill (Ainslie) or Blacklandmill (OS) is not located by a burn further east. It lies just SW of Carriagehill a little higher up the same Espedair Burn which runs past Thruscraig and Lylesland. Blaeu, of course, simply followed Pont, but there was some geographical confusion here. The documentary evidence points to two places with the same name, one owned by Paisley Abbey, the other belonging to the family of Ross of Hawkhead and presumably located near Hawkhead (q.v.).

 

Rouchbank

The only similar name I can find on any Renfrewshire map is Rughbank in Roy(PC) – marked just south of Brownside (NS 4860). It is not a very persuasive location because the hill rises steeply just south of Brownside and seems an unlikely spot for a 5 merkland farm.

Moreover, in the entries under the 1460 rental it is recorded that one part of Ruchbank was set to Emma Logan, wife to the late Gilchist Lech, for 13s p.a. Her portion is described in the following terms: que wlgaliter dicitur lyhill cum duobus ortis videlicet le craghall et le calsa syde (which is commonly called Lyhill with two gardens viz. the Craghall and the Calside). We find both the words causa and calsa used in the Paisley Rental to indicate a paved stretch of road – what we might call a causeway. They went with the place-names Causewayend and Causewayside. Causewayside is now a street in Paisley called Causeyside in NS 4863. From SSW it is joined by another street called Calside, beside which are Calside Avenue and High Calside. Lylesland was located in NS 4862. (It has been suggested that names such as Causeyside suggest stretches of Roman road which survived until mediaeval times).

We find supporting evidence elsewhere in the rental. In 1460, two consecutive entries on page lix, dealing with properties in the town of Paisley, read:

Item, alia pars assedatur gilcristo lech soluendo annuatim xi solidos.         (Item, another part let to Gilchrist Lech paying annually 11s)

Item, alia pars assedatur emote logane soluendo inde annuatim xi solidos. (Item, another part let to Emma Logan, paying thence, annually, 11s)

(The first entry has been scored out – presumably to indicate Gilchrist’s death – and the second entry probably indicates that Emma now took on the same ground in her own name).

 

Another entry dealing with the town of Paisley, this time from c. 1472, occurs on page lxxxi:

xi s. – Relicte quondam gilgriste leth viz. ye syde      (11s – the widow of the late Gilchrist Lech viz. the Syde) – i.e. she rented the Causewayside for 11s.

 

Page lxxxiv of the rental gives a list of houses in Paisley which were set in feufarm and also dates to c. 1472. There are 36 entries, 34 of them are houses. One of the houses was Gilchrist Lech’s – for which he paid 6s. (This was presumably a reference to the Gilchrist Lech who was married to Emma Logan, or possibly their son). The next two lines give the only properties which aren’t houses. They read:

xviii d. ye crag hale, viz. eme logane.                         (18d the Crag Hale, viz. Emma Logan) – Crag Hale will be the garden of Craghall given above

xviii d. ye langzard viz. eme logane.                           (18d the Langyard, viz. Emma Logan)

And the final entry of all gives

iiii s. iiii d. Domus emme logane prope causasid.      (4s 4d The house of Emma Logan next to Causewayside) – This is what Emma paid for her house.

On the basis of the above it seems pretty certain that Ruchbank was in this part of Paisley.

 

Ruchbank appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lix, lxxxi, cv-cvi, cxxi, cxxxii, cxlvii-cxlviii and clxxvii. Spellings are Ruchbank, Ruthbank, Rochbank, The Rockbank and Rouchbank.

Ruchbank is specifically stated to be 5 merkland c. 1525 (p cxlvii) and in 1550 (p clxxvii). Most of the evidence from other years supports this. On p lxxxi c. 1472 Ruthbank was set for £3 6s 8d. On the same page there are other entries for the same period, all scored out, which come to 5m. On p cv (c. 1484) we are told Rochbank gave £3 6s 8d (5m) cash. This is confirmed on p cvi. On p cxxi (c. 1502) the heading reads ‘The Rockbank £3 6s 8d’; likewise the heading on p cxxxii c. 1522. (These last two entries also offer evidence of the commutation of services for cash).

AHC Volume I, No’s 119-120 December 1541 and No 122, 11 March 1541-2, concern an action between John Merschell (Marshall) and the Abbot of Paisley with his baillie, William, Lord Simple (Semple). At issue was the lease of 2m of the 5m of Ruchbank. The entries in the Paisley Rental prove that members of the Marshall family had been tenants of parts of Ruchbank since at least 1460. Equally members of the Stewart family had been there from c. 1484. Edward Stewart appears from c. 1525. It appears that in 1529 Lord Semple attempted to rule that Edward had right to the whole 5 merkland. John Marshall fought back and produced before the Lords of Council ‘ane attentik copy of the rentale of the said abbay quhair the said Johnne wes rentalit in the said twa merk land for all the days of his lif’. (‘An authentic copy of the rental of the said abbey where the said John was rentalled in the said two merk land for all the days of his life’). In support of John’s claim see, for example, Paisley rental pp cxxxii and cxlvii. (The latter page shows Edward Stewart’s death before 5 January 1547-8). The Lords of Council were persuaded by John’s evidence and it is interesting to see the abbey rental used as proof in a court action.

John may not have enjoyed his victory long. RSS III (873) c. 1544 is a charter of feufarm made by the Abbot of Paisley to Edward Stewart – before monastic life ended. It included the 5m ‘antiqui extentus’ (Auld Extent) of Rouchbank. It is significant that the monks themselves recognised the valuation as Auld Extent. The silver rent again matched the valuation and the names of the tenants are familiar from the Abbey Rental.

RMS IV (1718) 1565-6, on original of 1561, is a confirmation of the 5m Rouchbank.

4m Ruchbank in RS53 f 52v 1642.

Ruchbank in Renfrew Retours (189) 1690.

 

Gallowhill

Both Over and Nether Gallowhill belonged to Paisley Abbey. They feature in the Paisley Rental on pages lxiii, lxxxvii, cxxxi, cxliv, clxxvi. In 1460 and 1472 they were set for oats. In the entry c. 1522 Gallowhills Over is given as 44s land and Nether as 26s 8d (2m). The next entry for Over, c. 1525 has 44s scored out and £4 written beside it. The land is then set in two parts of 40s (£2) each which supports a total of £4. Nether Gallowhill was 2 merkland c. 1525. In 1550 Over is £4 land, Nether is 2 ‘merk land’ – making a total of 8m for the whole of Gallowhill. I have preferred this earlier evidence to the later data shown below.

RMS IV (2077) 1572, on an original of 1554, refers to 13s 4d which was half of Nethir Gallowhillis. The old silver rent was also 13s 4d. There was a condition and obligation re quarrying and stoneworking.

RSS VIII (1928) 1583-4 refers to 2 x 20s units of Ovir Gallowhillis, making a total of 40s (£2) old extent and £4 new extent. The bounds are given in detail. The lands of Arkiltoure (i.e. the fortified tower of Arkleston) lay to east, Grenelaw and Aikirdaillis of Paisley on the south, Ovirwaird and Monkschawwod on the west, and Nethir Gallowhillis and the common moor of Renfrew on the north. (This document is important in suggesting that AE was then half New Extent).

13s 8d (recte 13s 4d?) Neithergallowhills in Dundonald (143) 1587.

£4 Overgallowhillis in RS53 ff 41v-42v 1642. Cunyngaire and Brownisaker are also mentioned.

 

Knaifisland

Knaifisland features in the Paisley Rental on pages cxxxiii, cxliv, cxlviii and clxxvii. Spellings are Knasland, Knolandis (I read Knalandis), Knaflandis and Knaiffisland. In c. 1522 it is said to be 5s in the hands of John Bully’s widow, next to the Ward, for watching the geese. (Cameron Lees has the Latin for ‘oats’ but I think this is a mis-reading of aucarum (of geese) for avenarum (of oats)). In c. 1525 (p cxliv) it was let to James White for 5s and service. In 1550 it was then let to James’s son John on the same terms. However on p cxlviii c. 1525 there is a notice of ‘Knaflandis v s. catrine watson pro vita quia pauperam.’ – which indicates it was 5s (and let) to Catherine Watson for life because she was poor. In 1550 (p clxxvii) it is simply stated to be 5s land. The overall impression is of a small property let to somebody who was in straitened circumstances, for relatively minor service.

RMS IV (2077) 1572, on an original of 1554, refers to 5s Knaifisland. The silver rent was 5s plus an augmentation. There was also a customary obligation to watch the monastery’s geese. For this reason Knaifisland was probably near where ‘Gooshous’ is marked by Pont, ‘Goofhous’ by Blaeu, or ‘Fowlhouse’ by Ainslie. It is not marked in Roy or Thomson and I cannot see a similar name on OS maps or the Geographia Street Atlas. On the basis of its position in Ainslie’s map it would probably be in NS 4864 roughly NNE of the abbey.

We have confirmation it was a small property in AHC Volume 2 No 172 31 January 1572-3 which refers to ‘fyve akeris of land or thairby callit Knaiffis land’.

RMS V (1320) 1587 gives both Guishousland and Knaifisland.

It is Knaifislandis ‘extending to 6 acres or thereabouts’ in RMS VIII (1865) 1631, on original of 1625.

RMS XI (279) 1662 gives both Gooshousland and Knavsland.

Knaifisland probably means ‘Knave’s land’ where one of the meanings of ‘knave’ was a miller’s assistant.

See also Robertson(1818) p 315 for Knavesland.

 

Goosehouseland

AHC Volume 2 No 172 31 January 1572-3 refers to a charter to John Gilchrist of, amongst other lands,: ‘four akeris of land or thairby callit Guis houslandis’.

RMS V (1320) 1587 gives both Guishousland and Knaifisland.

RMS XI (279) 1662 gives both Gooshousland and Knavsland.

 

Hillington

RMP pp 20-21, W.W. Scott No 23 1226 x 1232, is a charter by Walter II, for an exchange involving ‘illam carrucatam terre apud Hillington quam Radulphus capellanus tenuit’ (that carucate of land at Hillington held by Radulphus/Ralph the chaplain). Adam of Kent’s land of ‘Ingliston’ is also mentioned. The monks gave up their land in Innerwick and instead were given this carucate in Hillington, 30 bolls of meal p.a. from Adam and his heirs, plus their service, along with rights to timber, (subject to oversight from Walter’s foresters).

RMP p 87, W.W. Scott No 79, 1226 x 1232, is a charter from Walter II, son of Alan, forgiving the Abbot and convent the rent from Paisley mill, but which also mentions 6 chalders of meal from the rent of Inchinnan, annually, ‘usque ad obitum Radulfi capellani, qui in tota vita sua per cartam meam tenet illam carucatam terre de Hillynton quam eis dedi in escambium terre sue de Inirwic; de quo escambio illi habent cartam meam et ego habeo cartam eorum’, (until the death of Radulf, the chaplain, who, for his whole life, holds, by my charter, that carucate of land of Hillynton which I gave them in exchange for his land of Innerwick; of which exchange they have my charter and I have theirs). This document must slightly postdate that given immediately above (RMP pp 20-21).

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxi, lxii, lxxvii, lxxxiv-v, cvii, cxxx, cxliii, clxxvi. Spellings are Hillintown, Hillyntown, Hillentoun, Hyllyngtoun, Hillyntoun, Helyntown, Hyllynton, Hillynton. It is one of the properties which appears under the periodic sub-heading ‘Lands set for oats’. In the years c. 1472, c. 1484, c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1550 it is consistently set for 9 chalders oats. In c. 1522, c. 1525 and 1550 it is described as 9 merkland. Again we meet a standard rental of 1 chalder oats for 1 merkland.

The key question here is whether the carucate at Hillington in 1226 x 1232 is the same as the 9 merklands of Hillington of c. 1522, nearly 300 years later.

 

Lennox, Volume II, No 12, pp 13-15, is a charter of confirmation by Alexander III to David de Graham dated 1253. (See also RRS Handlist, 1960, Alexander III, No 19). It covers a long list of lands including references to 3 separate portions of lands in ‘Hyliuistoun’. The same document is given in RRS IV Part I No 19, pp 68-70. This reads ‘Hyliniston’ three times, along with a probable fourth where some letters are obscured by a hole in the manuscript. In the preamble this is said to be Hillington, Renfrewshire. I don’t think this is correct for the following reasons:

The National Records of Scotland has an online archival database. This document has two index numbers. The first is GD220/1/A/1/2/9 which lists all the lands including ‘Hyliviston’, for which it offers, in square brackets, ‘Eliston’. However the document was afterwards recatalogued under GD220/2/1/12 where only some of the grants are given in the description, and not that for ‘Hyliviston’.

If we turn to William Fraser’s ‘Red Book of Menteith’ Vol II, there are a number of helpful documents. No 1, p 207, gives a charter from King William to William Noble of lands in Kenpunt and ‘Ileuestune’. RRS II (486) 1208 x 1211, also prints this document and renders the name as ‘Ileuestun’. The source given is ‘Montrose Muniments’ (i.e. the archives of the Graham family). In the ‘Red Book of Menteith’ Vol II, No 2, pp 207-209, c. 1245, we find a grant to David of Graham, and his wife, Agnes, of lands in Kenpunt. Places mentioned include ‘Eliston’ and ‘Hilifiston’. (These two may have been distinct because each has a different ‘prepositus’ though I am not sure quite what that office entailed in this context). (See also GD220/1/A/1/1/5 in NRS catalogue). In No 3, 1255, of the same source, it is ‘Iliveston’. In No 4, 1255, it is ‘Yliuestoun’. The name recurs, in a number of different guises, in many later documents printed in the same book.

In the nineteenth-century Ordnance Survey Name Book (OS1/34/37/7) it appears as Illiston, Illieston and Eliston, in the parish of Kirkliston.

 

The initial letter ‘H’ is not an obstacle to supposing it Illiston or Eliston. We have plenty of examples of the letter ‘H’ being added before vowels such as ‘a’ ‘e’ or ‘i’ in contemporary documents. In the Paisley Register we have ‘Hauldpatric’ (p 17) for ‘Ald Patrick’; ‘Petihaucingowin’ (p 23) for ‘Petit-Auchingown’; ‘Haldehingleston’ (p 59) for ‘Ald Ingliston’; ‘Hathendonnam’ (p 94) for ‘Achindonnan’; ‘Hyngelramo’ (p192) for ‘Ingelram’; ‘Hyle’ (p 128) for ‘Islay’; ‘Hestwod’ and ‘Harskyn’ (p 308) for ‘Eastwood’ and ‘Erskine’, etc.

In sum this is not Hillington in Paisley parish, Renfrewshire; it is Eliston in West Lothian.

 

Greenlaw

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxi, lxiii, lxxxvii, cxxxi, cxliii, clxxv-clxxvi. The name is given as Ye Grenlaw, Le Grenlaw, Grenglaw, and Grenlaw. The rent and a sub-heading in the text suggest that it returned 2 chalders oats in 1460 and c. 1472. In c. 1522 and c. 1525 it is classed as 26s 8d or 2m land and the rent is now in barley. The 2 merkland valuation is repeated in 1550. Towards the end of the rental there are separate entries for the west and east sides of Grenlaw. The east side was set to 1 tenant for 7 bolls of beyr (bere or barley). The west side is given as 15½ acres which rendered 15½ bolls of bere (barley). 11 tenants are named, including 3 women. As in Crossflat above there was a standard rent of 1 boll barley per acre. (In 1460 there had also probably been a standard render of 1 chalder oats per markland).

 

Arkleston

This property appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxii, lxxxv, cvii-cviii, cxxx, cxlii-cxliii. Spellings are Erklistoun, Erklyston, Erkliston, Arkylston and Arkliston. It is one of the farms which appear under the periodic heading ‘Lands set for oats’. In 1460, c. 1472, c. 1484, c. 1522 and c. 1525 it is described as rendering 9 chalders oats. In c. 1522 and c. 1525 it is stated to be 9 merklands. Again, we meet the standard rate of return of 1 chalder oats from 1 merkland. In December 1495 King James IV had to intervene in a dispute between the burgh of Renfrew, on the one side, and the Abbot and convent of Paisley, on the other, concerning the customs of Paisley. (See RMP pp 404-405, Metcalfe(1902) No 25 pp 50-52). Among the damages sustained by the Abbot was the:

‘maistyrfull douncastyng of ane howss pertenyng to the saidis Abbot and convent liand in the thoun of Arkilston’ (violent demolition of a house belonging to the said Abbot and convent lying in the town of Arkilston).

 

Whiteford

ER IX p 676 1474 gives a sasine to John Quhytfurd of Quhytfurd.

ER XII p 719 1506 gives a sasine to Quintin Quhitfurd of Quhitfurd.

Dundonald (254) 1553 gives £5 Whiteford. Also in (257, 258) 1567, (260) 1579, (262) 1591, (263) 1606, (264) 1613, (267, 271) 1636, (272, 273) 1653, (274) 1654, (275, 276) 1660, (278) 1666, (280) 1656-7, (283) 1657, (284) 1659, (286) 1663, (288) 1634, (291) 1663.

RMS IV (2882) 1579, on original of 1571, gives £5 AE Quhitefurde.

Renfrew Retours (22) 1606 gives £5 AE of Quhytfuird; also (90) 1634, (189) 1690.

RMS IX (454) 1636 gives £5 AE Quhytfuird.

RMS X (592) 1657 gives £5 AE Whytfoord – except for 5s of the east neuk of Whytfoord.

Some of these documents refer to 7m of the 7½m (£5) total.

 

Snowden

Snowden only appears three times in the Paisley Rental and the entries are brief. It occurs on pages lxi, lxxxiii and cliii. Spellings are Le Snawdoun, Snaldoun and Snawdon. In 1460 there are leases for two parts of the settlement. Since some entries are scored through it is difficult to be sure of the total rent but it was probably at least 33s 4d. In c. 1472 it is marked as 40s. In c. 1525 it is marked as £6 in a list of annual returns from the town of Paisley. (Two tenants paid £3 each).

Post Reformation we have a source which suggests it was now owned by the Semple family. AHC Volume 2 No 182 of 3 March 1564-5 gives: ‘the sex pound land of auld extent [£6 AE] callit the Snawdoun, with the orcheard, maner place, Dowgait, Kuninghar, and fischeing thairof, lyand within the toun of Peslay and Ragalitie of the samin’.

 

Oakshawhead

Oakshawhead (a road) appears on the north side of Wellmeadow Street in the OS 6” 1^st edition map of Paisley (Renfrewshire Sheet XII). Immediately to north is Oakshawhead Ho(use). A little to ENE is Oakbank Ho(use) and just ENE of that is Oakshaw Ho(use). Pont and Blaeu both give Okeshawhead so Pont (at least) must have thought it referred to the type of tree.

In the Paisley Rental we have references to both Oxshawhead and Oxshawside – which probably lay nearby. All the Rental entries begin with Oxs-, Ochs- or  Ocs-, which suggest that the original was named after oxen, not oak-trees. Against that we have the middle-element of the place-name – ‘shaw’ – which probably derives from Old English sceaga (copse or small wood).

 

Oxschawhede (i.e. Oxshawhead) p lx 1460 pays 6s p.a.; 6s Ye Ocschawhede p lxxxii c. 1472 – one acre thereof pays 6s p.a.; Oxschawhede 6s p cvi c. 1484 – pays 6s p.a.; The Oxschawheid 36s p cliv c. 1525 – three tenants pay a total of 36s.

 

Oxshawside occurs as Le Ochschawside and Oxschawside on p lx (1460), as Le Ocschauside and Ochauside on p lxxxii (c. 1472). It is Oxschawsyde on pp cvi-cvii (c. 1484) and Oxschawsyd on p cliii (c. 1525). The earliest rental (1460) suggests it may only have consisted of a few acres. 5½ acres were set to William White for 10s p.a.; another acre was set to Thomas Schelis for 6s; and one acre to Arthur Smale for 2s 4d. (This gives 7½ acres but for one part of the property we are given no detail). In c. 1472 it appears 5 acres gave 5s, 4 acres gave 4s, and 1 acre gave 7s. (This gives a total of 10 acres, with the quality presumably very variable). In c. 1484 4 acres gave 4s, one acre gave 7s and one ‘part’ gave 6s p.a.

The last entry is on p cliii and is c. 1525. The heading states £6 13s 8d which is the same as 10 merks 4d. (Although it looks as if this might be overstated by 4d in fact the entries listed underneath total 10m 4d). 11 tenants are listed, 8 of whom pay exactly one merk which suggests some sort of standard allocation.

 

On the basis of the above we cannot hazard valuations for either Oxshawhead or Oxshawside. The latter was probably no more than 11 acres in total and the former probably even less than that.

 

Saucel Hill

RH1/2/627 1283-1294 is (according to the NRS catalogue entry) a ‘Charter by James the Steward of Scotland to Thomas, called the Brewster, of the land near Paisley called Sauserland, with pasture in the Park of Black Hall and the Rais’.

ER IX p 670 1465 gives a sasine to Thomas Steuart of Barsquyb (Erskine parish), Hunterhill, Salsahill.

ER XII p 711 1502 gives a sasine to George Steuart of Barskub, Sauserland, Hunterhill.

ER XIII p 661 1510 gives a sasine to George Steuart of Berscub and Sauserland.

ER XVIII p 395 1545-6 and ER XVIII pp 566-7 1554 both refer to pasture rights in Blackhall park.

Renfrew Retours (152) 1658 gives ‘Saucerland now callit Saucerhill extending to a 20 shilling land of auld extent’. Also in Renfrew Retours (158) 1659.

NSA, Paisley, p 139 footnote, derived the name from sacellum (chapel) in Latin.

See also Hunterhill below.

 

Causeyside

For more evidence from the Paisley Rental see also under Rouchbank above, where it appears Gilchrist Lech’s widow had 11s of the ‘Syde’ c. 1472.

On p lxxxi (1460) we find the briefest of entries – xviii s. ye Causaside – which implies Causewayside might have been 18s.

On pp cliii-cliv (c. 1525) we have a longer entry which starts The Cawsasyd xv lib. ii s. ii d. (i.e. The Causewayside £15 2s 2d) which cannot be a valuation but rather a total rent payment. 16 tenants are listed and the total of what are presumably their rents comes to £13 7s 2d.

There is very little to go on but the earliest evidence may be the closest to a valuation.

NSA Paisley p 168, footnote, claims Causewayside Street must take its name from the old Roman causeway.

 

Blackhall

£5 in RSS II (3371) 1539-40; £5 AE in RMS IV (2985) 1579-80 on original of 1574; RMS IX (107) 1634; Renfrew Retours (152) 1658, (158) 1659.

£5 AE in The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 54 No 3, 1785; also p 308 No 4 1785, No 6 1795.

Purves p 161 gives Blackhall, Argownie, Auchingown and Fermock as £20 (30m).

Stewart f 49v gives Blakhall, Argownne, Aughingowne and Fi(n)nok as £20 (30m).

We have numerous other references to these 4 properties (Blackhall, Paisley; Ardgowan, Inverkip; Auchingown, Lochwinnoch; and Finnock, Inverkip, as a £20 estate.

 

Inglistoun

RMP pp 20-21, W.W. Scott No 23 1226 x 1232, is a charter by Walter II, for an exchange involving ‘illam carrucatam terre apud Hillington quam Radulphus capellanus tenuit’ (that carucate of land at Hillington held by Radulphus/Ralph the chaplain). Adam of Kent’s land of ‘Ingliston’ is also mentioned. The monks gave up their land in Innerwick and instead were given a carucate in Hillington, 30 bolls of meal p.a. from Adam and his heirs, plus their service.

RMP p 58, W.W. Scott No 50, c. 1260 x 1283, is a sale by Adam, called the Carpenter, who, compelled by poverty, sold to the Abbey and convent, all his land of ‘Haldhingleston’. The boundaries are given by a reference to a ‘wascellum’ (stream-bed or ditch) and the land of Adam of Kent, which must have lain adjacent. Since Adam the Carpenter possessed a seal, and the witnesses included the earl of Menteith, two knights, and Ralph Lile, lord of Duchal, we may assume that the value of the land was not trivial.

RMP p 59, W.W. Scott No 51, c. 1260 x 1283, is a letter of Thomas, son and heir of Adam the Carpenter (see document immediately above). This letter must be contemporary with, or soon after, the sale by Adam. Thomas confirms to the abbot and convent of Paisley ‘illam portionem terre de Haldehingleston’ sold to them by his father, Adam. There is an important distinction here. The bit of ‘Haldehingleston’ which the monks were getting was only a portion or part of the whole. (The word ‘portion’ is repeated three times later in the document). Adam had described it as ‘total terram meam’ (all my land) of Haldhingleston but it was evidently not all of the property of that name. Thomas also had his own seal.

RMP pp 59-60, W.W. Scott No 52, c. 1260 x 1283, is a confirmation by Alexander, steward of Scotland, of Adam’s sale in No 50 above. This confirmation also makes clear that Adam had only sold a part of Aldhingliston. There was apparently more on the east side.

The next issue to be resolved is the meaning of the prefix ‘Hald’, ‘Halde’ or ‘Ald’. It occurs a number of times in Renfrewshire and could mean one of two things. In a name such as ‘Aldpatrick’ (Paisley) it derived from the Gaelic ‘allt’ (stream or burn). In names such as ‘Aldton’ (Mearns) or ‘Aldhouse’ (Eastwood) it comes from the Scots ‘auld’ (old). In this context it is more likely to be ‘Old Inglistoun’. RMP pp 20-21, W.W. Scott No 23 1226 x 1232 shows us that there was already a plain Ingliston nearby. Adam the Carpenter’s property evidently lay in Old Inglistoun.

 

Ralston

ER IX p 679 1478 is a sasine to John Ralistoun of the lands of Ralistoun.

Crawfurd, 1710, p 38, writes:

A little North from Whitefoord lies the Lands of Ralstoun, the Possession of an Ancient Family of the same Sirname, who are said to derive their Pedegree from Ralph, a younger Son of One of the Earls of Fife; who having obtained these Lands from the High-Stewart of Scotland, they were afterwards called Ralphstoun, from the proper Name of their Predecessor.

 

Cardonald

ER IX p 659 1444 is a sasine to Annabella, Isabella and Elizabeth Norvallis of Cardonald.

ER IX p 679 1479 is a sasine to Fergus Kennedy of half of Kerdonald.

Purves p 161 gives £11 (16½m) for Cardonald and Easter Hendriestoun (Henderstoun).

Stewart f 49v gives £11 (16½m) for Cardonald and Eister Henristoun.

On the basis of our earliest figures I think Easter and Wester Henderstoun were each £5, as was Cardonald. In that case the reason why Purves and Stewart give £11 for Cardonald and Easter Henderstoun may be because £11 included the £1 valuation of Wrightland (see below). This was a neighbouring property, which I have not precisely located, but is separate from the place of the same name in Inchinnan parish.

 

Henderstoun

The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 222 No 1 1477 gives 8m of the west part of Henrystoun; see also No’s 2 & 3 1495.

The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 223 No 4 1503 gives £5 land of the west half of Henristoun.

GD3/1/10/85/1 1520 refers to an annualrent from Henderstoun Easter.

RMS III (938) 1530 refers to eastern quarter of Hendirstoun, extending to 2 chalders of victual annually.

RSS VI (1663.44) 1572, on an original of 1513, gives £5 Henderstoun Eister.

The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 223 No’s 6 & 7 1552 give £5 Wester Henderstoun.

RMS IV (2098) 1572, on an original of 1571, gives £8 Eister Hendirstoun.

The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell pp 88-89 No 7 1594 & p 224 No 9 1594 give £5 Wester Henderstoun/Henderston.

ER XXII p 510 1594-5 refers to half of £5 AE Hendirstoun.

RMS VI (509) 1596-7, on an original of 1595, refers to £5 AE Wester Henderstoun.

RMS VI (833) 1598-9 gives £8 Eister Hendirstoun, £5 AE Wester H(endirstoun).

Renfrew Retours (19) 1604 refers to £5 AE Eister Henderstoun; also (82) 1630.

RMS VII (1314) 1615 gives £8 AE Eister Henderstoun, £5 AE Wester Henderstoun.

Renfrew Retours (108) 1639 gives £8 AE Eister Henderstoun, £5 AE Wester Henderstoun. Also (118) 1643.

Laing Charters (2397-8) 1649 give £5 Wester Hendirstoun.

Purves p 161 gives £11 (16½m) for Cardonald and Easter Hendriestoun (Henderstoun).

Stewart f 49v gives £11 (16½m) for Cardonald and Eister Henristoun.

On the basis of our earliest figures I think Easter and Wester Henderstoun were each £5, as was Cardonald. In that case the reason why Purves and Stewart give £11 for Cardonald and Easter Henderstoun may be because £11 included the £1 valuation of Wrightland (see below). This was a neighbouring property, which I have not precisely located, but is separate from the place of the same name in Inchinnan parish.

Purves p 161 gives £5 for Wester Hendriestoun.

Stewart f 49v gives £5 for Wester Hendrestoun.

In summary we can say that Wester Henderstoun was £5 whilst Easter Henderstoun was either £5 (1513) or £8 (1571). I have preferred the earlier evidence.

 

Hunterhill

ER IX p 670 1465 gives a sasine to Thomas Steuart of Barsquyb (Erskine parish), Hunterhill, Salsahill.

ER XII p 711 1502 gives a sasine to George Steuart of Barskub, Sauserland, Hunterhill.

Renfrew Retours (152) 1658 gives ‘20 shilling land of Hunterhill (AE)’. Also in Renfrew Retours (158) 1659.

See also Saucel Hill above. In light of the entries in Purves and Stewart I am inclined to think the references to 40s Hunterhill included Saucel Hill.

 

Seedhill

Seedhill appears in the Paisley Rental on pages lxi, lxxxiii, cxxx and cliii. Spellings are Le Sedhill, Ye Sedhil, Sadill, The Sedyll. The notices are brief and relatively uninformative. In 1460 one half was set for 10s, another part for 4s. In c. 1472 we are told of two parts of 10s each, one of which belonged to the mill. On p cxxx, < 1522, we are told of the waulk-mill of Sadill and on p cliii c. 1525 The Sedyll was linked to the ‘Welmedow’ (now a street in Paisley). On the basis of the evidence in 1460 & c. 1472 it seems it was a 20s land.

Paisley Abbey also had a corn-mill ‘in the sedyll’ (Seedhill) which is the subject of a lease, along with the kirks of Paisley and Lochwinnoch, given in AHC Volume I No 110 25 November 1539. (The source given is ‘MS Chartulary of the Monastery of Paisley, II, p 173). The document is of particular interest because it gives the names of Abbot John and 15 monks. See also Metcalfe(1902) p 193 and Cameron Lees, Appendix pp liv-lv.

 

Dykebar etc

Our earliest record is calendared in The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 6 No 1 of 1400 which refers to the fee of the lands of Castelbar, Mathowbar, and Dykbar, in the barony of Renfrew. The original is given in Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok, pp 139-142, No 20. The relevant part reads:

of the fee … of the land that was conquest fra Alysunder Tayte … the qhwylk ys callit Castelbar, Mathowbar, and Dykbar … the qhwylk forsayd land sal stand for fyfe markis worth of land

(of the fee … of the land that was ‘conquest’ [a term used in Scots law to indicate property acquired otherwise than by inheritance] from Alexander Tait … which is called Castelbar, Mathowbar, and Dykbar … which foresaid land shall stand for 5 merks worth of land).

The last curious phrase implies some uncertainty about the exact valuation of these three properties.

Dikbar, Castailbar, Mathovbar & Commone – 5m AE, 1494, in Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok Vol. I p 208, No 68, in the lordship of Nether Pollock. (Also The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 8 No 8 1494). ‘Commone’ presumably represents the shared common grazing. In subsequent listings ‘Commone’ disappears and we simply have the trio of Dykebar, Castelbar & Mathowbar. They were probably in close vicinity of each other but only Dykebar survives on the map.

Dykbar, Mathoubar, Castelbar in ER IX p 662 1453.

Dikbar, Mathobar & Castelbar in ER XIV pp 528-9 1513. Dikbar, Castelbar & Mathewbar in RMS IV (253) 1548.

ER XXI pp 457-8 1581 gives 5m AE Dykbar, Castelbar & Mathowbar. This becomes £5 AE in Renfrew Retours (36) 1615, (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (112) 1641 and (139) 1649. I have preferred the earlier evidence of 5m AE.

 

Halkheid and Ralystoun

ER XII p 711 1502 gives a sasine to John Ros which includes Halkheid, Leys, Thurscrag. Rochmoshil, Arthurle and Auchinbankis.

ER XII p 711 1502 gives another sasine to John Lord Ros of Inch (Renfrew parish).

ER XII p 712 1503 gives a sasine to John Lord Ros of Overauchinbak, Duncardle and Dubbis.

Not all of the foregoing properties are in Paisley parish but perhaps they helped make up the £32 estate mentioned by Purves and Stewart.

 

Rais

ER IX p 678 1477 gives a sasine to Alexander Tayt (Tait) of Rais.

RMS IV (252-253) 1548 give the components of the Ross of Halkhead estate, although not all lay in Renfrewshire.

Robertson(1818) pp 313-314 gives the Earl of Glasgow as proprietor of Logan’s Raiss and also part of Stewart’s Raiss. In the National Records of Scotland GD20 refers to the Papers of the Earls of Glasgow. GD20/7/186 gives titles to the lands of Rais. GD20/7/75 gives titles to the lands of Stenhouse and Rais. I have not researched these.

 

Tower Rais

ER IX p 674 1469 gives a sasine to Hector Steuart of Ras and Bordland.

ER XIII p 661 1510 gives a sasine to Alexander Steuart of Bourland de Rais.

Ovir Rais in RMS IV (253) 1548.

ER XXI pp 457-8 1581 gives 33s 4d AE Over Rais.

Renfrew Retours (36) 1615 gives Overrais – (no extent).

Renfrew Retours (92) 1634 gives £3 AE Over-rais. Also in (99) 1636, (112) 1641, (139) 1649.

RHP 3576 (1835) shows Rais.

 

Logansraes

ER IX p 681 1481 gives a sasine to James Logan of Raislogane.

GD3/13/3/1 1585 is a tack of 5 acres in the townhead of Mains of Rais.

Renfrew Retours (54) 1620 gives £10 AE Logane-Raisse, comprehending the lands of Park & Boig with the grain mill. Also in Renfrew Retours (92) 1634, (99) 1636, (112) 1641. Renfrew Retours (134 & 135) 1649 gives the same halved between two sisters.

RHP95072/3/6 1845 suggests Logans Rais was near or became Blackbyre.

RHP 3576 (1835) shows Blackbyres.

 

Ruffles

ER IX p 681 1481 gives a sasine to Thomas Sempill which includes Raflat.

This is probably Raiflat of Renfrew Retours (49) 1619.

RMS VII (672) 1612, on original of 1611, gives £10 Fernines & Ryflatt. RMS IX (2145) 1649 gives Farnenies & Reflas.

The Semple Rental of 1644 (AHC Volume II pp 178-179) gives a detailed breakdown of the components of this £10 land. The properties include Reflass 5s land.

We now have an anomaly over the valuation of Ruffles (Raflat, Raiflat, Ryflatt, Reflass etc). In Renfrew Retours (49) 1619 it is given as 3s 4d AE. In the Semple Rental of 1644 it is given as 5s. I have preferred the earlier evidence but for a full discussion see under Fereneze (Neilston parish).

 

Dormontsyde

NRAS1209/1111/47 1483 gives Dormonsyd in lordship of Dernle (Darnley).

GD220/6/1965/1 1517 gives 4m AE Dormotisid in lordship of Dernle. (See also Lennox, I, p 337).

GD220/1/G/4/2/2 1567 gives 40s Dormontside.

The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 190 No’s 13 & 14, 1567 both give 3m 6s 8d (46s 8d) AE Drummondsyde in the lordship of Darnlie. I assume this is Dormontsyde.

RSS VI (1663.3) 1572, on an original of 1567, gives 40s Dormontsyde.

Renfrew Retours (72) 6 November 1627 gives 40s AE Dormonthsyid, in barony of Cruixtoun; also in GD220/1/G/4/2/4 6 November 1627.

GD220/1/G/4/2/3/1 1628 gives 40s Dormontside.

The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell pp 37- 41 No 4 1761 & No 10 1762 give ‘Hall of Dormonside, now called Honymuggs’.

 

Temple lands of Dormontsyde and Greenend. One of the reasons for the varying assessments given immediately above may be the existence of temple-lands on this property. Unfortunately I have no valuation for them but we have references to them. The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell pp 197-198 No 9 1816 refers to the temple lands called Porterfield’s Greenend (i.e. Greenend owned by Porterfield), and temple lands of Dermontside, in the parish of Paisley; pp 144-5 No 3 1675 gives more detail. It specifies temple lands in the town and territory of Aldcruikstoune (Old Crookston) and Dermuntsyde, and in the croft of Nethertoune, on the south side of the Castle of Cruikstoune.

 

Temple Lands

For further information about temple lands in Renfrew see The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell; p 191 ff deals with the Tenandry of Greenend (see also p 200 No 1, p 201 No’s 5 & 6).

 

Wrightland

ER IX p 679 1479 is a sasine to Fergus Kennedy of Kerdonald (Cardonald, half only) and Wrichtisland.

RMS IV (2098) 1572, on original of 1571, 20s Wrichtland.

RMS VI (833) 1598-9, 20s Wrichtland.

RMS VII (1314) 1615, 20s Wrychtland.

Renfrew Retours (108) 1639, 20s AE Wrightland; (118) 1643.

Laing Charters (2397) 1649 20s Wrichtlands; also (2398, 2401, 2402) 1649.

I have not yet located this property precisely. The evidence suggests it lay in the immediate vicinity of Cardonald, East Henderson and Corkerhill – perhaps including the latter. 20s Wrightland in The Cartulary of Pollok-Maxwell p 56 No 13 1819; pp 224-5 No’s 11-13 1819; p 226 No 16 1845.

GD86/1002 is a Collection of Inventories of Writs, found amongst the Sir William Fraser Charters. No 7 deals with the barony of Blantyre and the lands of Wrightsland, Cardonald, Easter and Wester Henderston. I have not researched these but they may give us a closer view of Wrightland.

See also above under Cardonald.

 

Blackfauld

There was a Meikle (Big) Blackfauld and a Little Blackfauld.

Mekil Blakfalde appears on p lix (1460) of the Paisley Rental and paid 8s p.a. On p lxxxii (c. 1472) there is a bare entry of Mekyl Blakfalde 8s. On p cvi (c. 1484) it is marked as 8s and the annual rent was 8s.

Litil Blakfalde appears on p lix (1460) and pays 6s p.a.

Lytyl Blakfalde is marked as 5s on p lxxxii (c. 1472) and was divided into two parts, each paying 2s 6d – giving a total of 5s.

Lytyl Blakfalde is marked as 6s on p cvi (c. 1484) and paid 6s p.a.

Despite the minor runkle of 5s Little Blackfaulde c. 1472, it seems reasonable to conclude that Mekill was 8s, Little was 6s, giving a total of 14s.

 

Altars etc in Paisley

Because the endowments are generally of very small units of land I have not gone into these in detail. Those who are interested may wish to consult the following sources:

RMS IV (2520) 1575-6, on original of 1571, tells us of a house called St Ninian’s House which belonged to the chaplain of the altar of St Ninian formerly situated in the parish church of Paisley.

RMS IV (2627) 1576-7 names the following altarages (i.e. revenues from offerings at the church altar) etc., lying in the burgh, parish and liberty of Paisley: Altarage of St’s Mirin and Columba, St Ninian, Virgin Mary, St Nicolas, St Peter, St Katherine, St Anne, chapel of St Roch (Roque) and 7 roods belonging to that chapel. See also NSA Paisley p 177.

Metcalfe, W.M. (ed.), Charters and Documents relating to the Burgh of Paisley, Paisley, 1902, pp 129-132 gives this list of altars within the parish kirk of Paisley: Our Lady Altar; St Peter’s Altar; St James’ and St Nicolass’ Altar; St Katrenis (Catherine’s) Altar; St Ninianis Altar; St Anis (Anne’s) Altar; St Roikis (Roque’s) Altar. Metcalfe adds the altar of Saints Mirin and Columba (footnote p 132 referring to Charter No 26 pp 52-58).

 

For more on altars see J. Durkan, ‘Paisley Abbey in the Sixteenth Century’ on pp 55-68 of Malden.