THE BARONY AND DISTRICT OF STRATHSPEY.
[lix] Strathspey, as has already been remarked, was the home of the Grants in Scotland, and, at one period or other, the greater part of the territory lying in the valley, from Laggan to Fochabers, has formed part of their possessions. The voluminous and rapid river which traverses the valley and gives it its designation, is noted as one of the principal water-courses of Scotland, excelled in the extent of its drainage area only by the Tay, and perhaps the Clyde. Taking its rise in Badenoch, at no great distance from Glen Roy, it flows at first eastwards, then, bending in a north easterly direction near Laggan, pursues that course steadily until it reaches the Moray Firth at Speymouth. Although unsuited for navigation, the river was utilised by the proprietors along its banks for the conveyance of their forest timber to Garmouth, the supply of water in autumn, winter, and spring being, in general, sufficiently copious to permit the passage of rafts. The G rants of Tulchan are reputed to have been the first to attempt the transport of timber from the rich pine forests of Rothiemurchus, Glenmore, and Abernethy to the river’s mouth. Their method was to fasten a few trees together by means of ropes, and to pilot the mass down the stream from a “curach " The curach was simply a frame of wicker-work covered with skins and hides. It was so light that the boatmen easily conveyed it home again on their backs. A story is told of a sailing match which once took place on the Thames, between a Strathspey woodman with his curach and a number of the Thames boatmen. The contest was occasioned by the following circumstance. The Laird of Grant, being in London on a visit, was one day looking, with an English friend, at the shipping on the Thames, when the latter made some remark in disparagement of the Laird’s native river, and its ability to produce a similar spectacle. This elicited the rejoinder, from the Laird, that he had a subject on the Spey who could outstrip, in his boat of bullock’s hide, the fleetest of the boats on the Thames. The English man ridiculed the idea, and the result was that a wager of considerable amount was laid on the matter. The Laird appealed to his woodmen, and a youth of eighteen years soon appeared in London with his curach to vindicate the honour of his chief. On the day appointed he took his place amongst a numerous host of competitors, and, without the slightest difficulty, easily succeeded in distancing them all. The Laird at once won his wager, and established the fame of his native stream and the inhabitants of Strathspey. [Highland Legends, by Glenmore, p. 41.] rowed in advance, while assistants, walking along the banks of the river with tail ropes from the float, guided and controlled its movements. The working of the forests was afterwards intrusted to [lx] companies of Englishmen, who introduced modern appliances and superseded the use of the curach.
The Spey has frequently proved a source of considerable damage to the inhabitants of its strath, the most notable instance of which is probably 'that of the floods in the year 1829, so graphically recorded by a late popular writer. Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, in his Account of the Great Floods of August 1829, in the province of Moray and adjoining districts. Many were the hairbreadth escapes, and many the devices resorted to by the bewildered denizens when they found their retreat impeded by the rising torrents. But, perhaps, none was more remarkable or ingenious than that of a widow and her children at the hamlet of Cullachie of Gartenmore, who succeeded in making their escape upon a "brander." The story, as told by Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, is worth quoting. In making his investigations into the extent of the disaster, he came to Mrs. Cameron, the widow above referred to, and asked the history of her disasters. "'Ou, sir,' said she, 'ye see Spey was just in one sea a' the way frae Tullochgorum yonder, on the tither side o' the Strath, to the muiry hillocks out by there, ayont the King's road forenent us; and, or ere we kent whar we war, the water was a' in aboot huz, and up four or five feet in our houses; an' it destroyed a' our meal, and floated aff oor peat-stacks - see till some o' the peats lyin' oot on yon hillock-side yonder, twa hunder yairds frae whar we're stannin'. I was feared oot o' my judgment for my bairns, and sae I but to be oot o' this wi' them.' 'And how did you escape?' demanded I with the greatest anxiety. 'Ou, troth, just upon a brander,' replied Mrs. Cameron. 'A brander!' exclaimed I with astonishment, arising from my ignorance that the word was applied to anything else than a Scottish gridiron, and thinking that the riding to the moon on a broom, or the sailing in a sieve to Norway, were nothing to this. 'A brander! What do mean by a brander?' 'Ou, just a bit float,' replied the widow, 'a bit raft I made o' thay bit palins and bits o' mossfir that war lyin' about.' 'What! and your children too?' exclaimed I. 'Ou, what else!' replied she, amused at my surprise 'what could I hae done wi' them else? nae horse could hae come near huz. It was deep eneugh to droon twa horses.' 'And how did you feather yourself over?' inquired 1. 'Troth, sir, I hae nae feathers,' replied Mrs. Cameron very simply ; 'I'm no a dewk to soom. But, ye see, I sat on my hunkers on the middle o' the brander, wi' my bairns a' aboot me, in a knot; and the wind, that was blawing strong eneugh frae the north, just teuk us safe oot to the land.' 'And how did your neighbours get out?' I asked!. 'Ou, fat way wad thay get out but a' thegetber upon branders,' replied Mrs. Cameron." [Account of the Great Floods in Moray, p. 189.]
The Deanery of Strathspey formed one of the four divisions into which the
See of Moray was anciently divided, Elgin, Inverness, and Strathbogy being
the other three. The "decanatus" of Strathspey embraced the churches
of Cromdale and Advie, Kingussie and Inch, Duthil, Inveravon. Abernethy, Kincardine,
Rothiemurchus, Logykenny, and Alvie. Registrum Moraviense,
pp. 361-366. In 1364 Alexander, Bishop of Moray, was invested, by King
David the Second, with power of justiciary within the districts of Strathspey
and Badenoch; and two years later, in 1 366, these powers were confirmed to
the same [lxi] bishop.
Registrum Moraviense. pp. 361-366. This shows, and there is otherwise
abundant proof of the fact, that the bishops of Moray had acquired possession
of a considerable portion of the lands of Strathspey, and of that part of
Badenoch abutting on the Spey. These lands, in course of time, were consolidated
into a temporal lordship, under the name of the Barony of Strathspey. In a
rental of the bishopric of Moray, compiled in 1565, Strathspey is named as
one of eight baronies paying rent to the bishops. The barony of Strathspey
extended from Laggan, in the county of Inverness, to Arndilly, in the parish
of Boharm, in Banffshire, and embraced much of the land lying on either side
of the river Spey. At the period mentioned above, it was rented at a sum of
187, 3s. 9d., to which, in one or two cases, payments in cattle and grain
were added. ibid. p. 449.
Previous to 1539, the greater part of the lands in the bishop's barony of Strathspey were let, on terminable leases, to the Lairds of Freuchie, but in that year negotiations were entered into for giving the lands to the Grants on terms of a more permanent nature, and which ultimately resulted in their acquisition by the Grant family.
On 24th February 1539-40, James Grant, the third Laird of Freuchie, and Patrick,
Bishop of Moray, met at Edinburgh, and entered into an agreement by which
it was arranged that the lands of Strathspey should be feu farmed to the Laird
of Freuchie and seven other persons, hearing the sirname of Grant. The lands
to be thus disponed were the following: Laggan, Ardinch, with croft thereof,
Kinchirdy, Kinakyle, Easter and Wester Elchies, with the mill and croft of
Wester Elchies, Allachie, Arndilly with croft thereof, Advoky, Carron, Easter
and Wester Daltulie, Auchannochy, Dalvey, with mill thereof, Advie, Rirorie,
Calledir, Tulchan, Auchnahandat, and Nether, Mid, and Over Finlarg. The Bishop
came under obligations to infeft the Laird of Freuchie and his seven Grant
friends in these lands, and either to obtain the consent of his chapter to
the transaction, or if they refused, to purchase the service of a commission
from the Court of Rome at his own charges. Should he be also unsuccessful
in procuring the commission, he pledged himself to grant to the Laird a new
lease of the lands for five years following the termination of his last lease
of them. [lxii] James Grant, on the
other hand, became bound to pay, within a certain period, the sum of four
thousand merks, and for the payment of the yearly rental of the lands to the
Bishop, augmented by one-third, or as the con tract puts it, "in agmentatioun
of the said reuerende fadir rentale, extending to the thrid penny mair thane
the said reuerend fader rentale beris or enir gaif to the said reuerende fadir
predecessouris of befoir." Thus, the previous rental was £93, 10s.
yearly, and £31, 3s. 4d. was added, making the new rental £124,
13s. 4d. In addition to this there was the rental of the mill and multures
of Dalvey, paid in kind, and amounting to twenty four boils victual, sixteen
customs marts, and two chalders eleven boils of customs oats. There was the
usual doubling of the feu-farm on the entry of heirs, and the usual knight's
service from the lands. From this last, however, the Laird of Freuchie was
exempted, as he was "ane baron of the King's grace," but he was
required to provide a number of men corresponding to the proportion of the
lands of Strathspey held by him. The Laird of Freuchie was to give three suits
yearly in the Bishop's three head Courts of Moray, and personal attendance
at the Bishop's justice-ayre or ayres, wherever these should happen to be
held. Another provision relates to the partition of the lands. James Grant
was to receive land to the value of forty merks, and the rest was to be equally
divided among the other seven, in such a way that none of them should have
more than the value of twenty-four merks, and each was to be obliged to effect
certain improvements on the land feu-farmed to him in building of houses,
stables, dove-cots, etc., planting trees, and such other meliorations as their
particular infeftments might require. Vol. iii. of this work,
p. 272.
This contract was executed in duplicate by both parties. Both duplicates are still preserved in the Grant Charter-chest. The parties agreed to the contract being registered in the Official Books of Lothian, and this was done the same day, the official, John Weddale, admonishing the parties to the due performance of the terms of their agreement under pain of the major excommunication.
On the back of both contracts an addition was made on the same day to the effect that if the infeftments were offered at the time appointed, the [lxiii] term of Michaelmas following, and refused, the Laird of Freuchie should still be under obligation to pay the four thousand merks, with any other sums the Bishop might be able to recover for the non-fulfilment of the contract. On the other hand, should the Bishop fail in offering the infeftments by the stipulated term, the Laird was to be held as free from the payment of this money. Besides this addition, one copy of the contract has two other indorsations of significant importance respecting this transaction, and also a sentence added to the one just noticed, providing that the seven persons of the name of Grant to whom the infeftments are to be given, should be chosen by the Laird of Freuchie, and that their names should be notified to the Bishop against the specified term. Vol. iii. of this work, p. 276.
The first of these two indorsations sets forth that on the last day of February, the same year, in the house The house of Cardinal Betoun was long an object of interest to antiquarians and others. It stood in a street of Edinburgh known as the Cow gate, a little to the west of the site of the ancient Scottish Mint. But it has lately been taken down in order to widen the thoroughfare into which it projected, and to permit other desirable improvements being effected. of the Cardinal (Betoun), and in his presence, there being also present the Bishop of Brechin, Alexander, Abbot of Cambuskenneth, Henry White, Dean of Brechin, John Weddale, Official of Lothian, Robert Galbraith, Rector of Spot, and others, the Bishop of Moray made the statement before a notary that of his own will, and at the sight of the King, he was content to renounce the contract, and, so far as he was concerned, consented to its dissolution, pro vided that James Grant, the other contracting party, was willing, for his part, to do the same, but not otherwise. Vol. iii. of this work, p. 276.
The remaining indorsation on the Bishop's copy of the contract is also a notarial statement that on the 4th of March following the date of the contract, David Wood of Craig, the King's Comptroller, and James Lermonth of Balcomie, were warned on their own confessions under the pain of excommunication, submitting themselves to "our jurisdiction" To whose jurisdiction they submitted them selves is not clear. in this case, together and separately, in renouncing benefit of division and all privileges or exemptions granted or to be granted to either or both of them for relieving and keeping scatheless the reverend father at the hands of James [lxiv] Grant of all the contents of this contract, and also for employing diligence at the hands of the King to cause James Grant to renounce the contract. Vol. iii. of this work, p. 277.
From these additions to the contract it is evident that opposition was being offered by outside parties to the carrying out of the agreement, and even that sinister methods were being employed, and pressure put upon the Bishop and the Laird separately to get the contract cancelled. Certain of the lands mentioned in it, those of Advie, Tulchan, Calledir, Rirorie, and Advoky, appear to have been inhabited, at the time the agreement was made, by John Grant of Ballindalloch, or at least they lay in close proximity to his other possessions, to which he was desirous they should be annexed. He also sought that his brother Patrick should obtain the lands of Dalvey, and by the intervention of King James the Fifth he was successful. Ibid. The mode in which pressure was brought to bear on the Bishop of Moray will be found narrated in the memoir of James Grant, third of Freuchie.
The King also, it would appear, in furtherance of his designs to give Dalvey and the other lands to Ballindalloch and his brother, had sent letters to the Dean and Chapter of Moray, discharging them from giving their consent to the contract between their Bishop and the Laird of Freuchie. But on the 27th April he wrote again, "We pray zou rycht effectuislie gif zour consent and commoun sele vpoun the said James chartir of feu-ferme of the saidis landis, but ony delay, as ze will do ws singulare emplesour, and report our speciale thankis, nochtwithstanding ony our letteris of discharge gevin to zow in the contrare of before," and referring them to the messenger for further reasons. Ibid. p. 84.
If there had originally been any opposition on the part of the Dean and Chapter to the feu-farming of the lands of Strathspey to James Grant of Freuchie other than that evoked by the King's letters, it was overcome, and with the exception of the lands given to Ballindalloch and his brother, the terms of the contract were carried into effect, but with a modification of the sum agreed upon to be paid as grassum to the Bishop by the Laird. In a discharge granted by Patrick Bishop of Moray to James Grant of Freuchie, John Grant of Culcabock, his brother, and John Grant, the Laird's son and heir-apparent, acknowledgment is made of the payment by them [lxv] of thirteen score of merks as the balance in complete payment of two thousand eight hundred merks (instead of four thousand, as originally agreed upon) as gratitudes and grassum, and for the feu of the lands to them by the Bishop with consent of his Chapter.
This discharge then narrates the apportionment made of the lands, as follows:
Laggan, Ardinch, Auchnahandat, Kinakyle, Auchehangen, Wester and Easter Daltulie, with the Croft of Cardell, Arndilly with its croft, and Allachie, with the fishings of these lands upon the Spey, and those also of the lands of Dalvey, Advie, Calledir, Tulchan, and Advoky, were all feu-farmed to James Grant, Laird of Freuchie.
Easter Elchies, with fishings on the Spey, and other pertinents, were feu-farmed to Duncan Grant, the Laird's son.
Finlarg or Muckrath, Over, Mid, and Nether, were feu-farmed to William Grant,
another son of the Laird's.
Wester Elchies, with its mill, fishings on the Spey, Porter's Croft and Ferry Coble; Kinchirdie, with its fishings and pertinents, and the lands of Carron, were feu-farmed to John Grant of Culcabock. Original Discharge, dated 7th May 1544, in Grant Charter-chest.
Advie, Tulchan, Calledir, Rirorie, and Advoky, as already noticed, were feu-farmed to John Grant of Ballindalloch, and Dalvey, with its mill, to which were thirled the lands of Auchnahandat, Finlarg, Kinchirdie, Kinakyle, Ardinch and Laggan, to Patrick Grant, the brother of Ballindalloch. The fishings of these lands, however, were left in the hands of the Laird of Freuchie.
Under the Bishops of Moray the Barony of Strathspey included also the lands of Kincardine, Rothiemurchus, and Kingussie, Registrum Moraviense, p. 450 but after it became the property of the Lairds of Freuchie, it lost its distinctive character as a barony. Strathspey, as described in later rentals of the family of Grant, included, besides these, Tullochgorm, Curr, Clurie, Knockando, etc.
All these church lands, with others belonging to the Bishops of Moray, were in 1541 erected by King James the Fifth into the Regality of Spynie in favour of John, then Bishop of Moray, and his successors, and hence
they were for some time usually designed as lying in the regality of Spynie. [lxvi] Those, however, which had been acquired by James Grant of Freuchie were in course of time consolidated by themselves, with the addition of the lands of Bellivat and Ardclach, in the parish of Ardclach and county of Nairn, into a free tenandry called the Tenandry of Finlarg. The date of this erection has not been definitely ascertained, but it appears to have been prior to the year 1613, when one of the Strathspey lands, Auchehangen, is described as lying in the Tenandry of Finlarg. So is it with the estate of Arndilly in 1620. Original Documents at Castle Grant. In 1624 Sir John Grant of Freuchie renewed his titles to all these lands, and was infeft in them on 24th May 1624, on a precept of clare constat by John (Guthrie) Bishop of Moray, Precept, dated 19th March 1624, ibid. and the terms of both these documents indicate the pre-erection of the Tenandry. In the following year, Sir John Grant resigned the lands comprising the Tenandry of Finlarg into the Bishop's hands, Instrument of Resignation, dated 17th May 1625, ibid. and from him received a charter of regrant of them in free tenandry, Charter, dated 18th May 1625, at Castle Grant. which was confirmed by King Charles the First. Charter, dated 2.5th July 1625, ibid. The lands of Nether Finlarg were appointed the principal messuage of the tenandry, one sasine taken there sufficing for the whole. This was in marked contrast to the proceedings at the infeftment of James Grant of Freuchie in his lands of Strathspey in 1554, when, according to the notary's statement in the instrument of sasine, the round of the whole lands had to be made, and sasine taken on each of them separately, a process which, on that occasion, occupied from six in the morning till five in the afternoon. Original Instrument of Sasine, ibid.
One of the designations very commonly applied sometimes to the upper and sometimes to the central of the three davochs of Finlarg was that of Muckrath. The name, it seems probable, was derived from former possessors under the Bishops of Moray, one document relating to the district making mention of a Christian McCrath in 1386. Registrum Moraviense, p. 196. The Castle of Muckrath, or Muckraw, of which a representation is here given, is now a ruin. The castle is said to have been built by Patrick Grant of Rothiemurchus while Laird of Muckrath. A large armorial stone bearing the date of 1598, with the initials, P. G. for Patrick Grant, and I. G. [lxvii] for Jean Gordon, his wife, with two shields of arms, surmounted by the motto, "In God is al my traist," still exists at the Doune of Rothiemurchus, where it is built into a wall behind the mansion. This stone is said to have been brought from Muckrath when Patrick Grant changed his residence to Rothiemurchus. But the date of 1598 is not consistent with that tradition, as he had previously removed from Muckrath. The armorial stone afterwards served as the lintel of the door of a house at the Dell of Rothiemurchus, until in 1879 it was removed to the Doune.
The lands of Tullochgorm have been rendered famous in Strathspey history, not only as the traditional seat of the Clan Phadric, but more especially in later times from its connection with the song lore of the High lands. The "Reel of Tullochgorm" is one of the most famous of the world renowned Strathspey reels. As is well known, words were written to its music by the Reverend John Skinner, Episcopal clergyman at Longside, Aberdeenshire, father of Bishop John Skinner, and it was by this perhaps that his lyric fame became first widely established, one of his commonest designations being the "Author of Tullochgorm." Mr. Skinner wrote two other popular songs, John o' Badenyon, and Ewie wi' the crookit Horn. In a letter to his brother James, a writer in Edinburgh, dated at his residence at Linshart, 19th June 1790, Mr Skinner, inter alia, says, " I am very thankful for what I have seen, 'my children's children, and peace upon Israel.' Three of us, and of the same name, in different pulpits at the same time, and in the three orders of the Church (though not in the order of nature), is a Curiosity few, if any, of my brethren can boast of, which I own I do, and hope I shall be excus'd and pardon'd if need be for it." The three referred to are himself, his son Bishop John Skinner, and the Bishop's son, also John Skinner, who was then in orders, and became Dean of Dunkeld and Dunblane. [Original Letter in the possession of William Skinner, Esq., W.S., Town Clerk of Edinburgh, who is also the custodier of several other characteristic letters written by the author of Tullochgorm from Linshart between the years 1779 and 1803.] Burns said that Tullochgorm was the best Scotch song ever Scotland saw.
O Tullochgorum's my delight;
It gars us a' in ane unite;
And ony sumph that keeps up spite,
In conscience I abhor him.
Burns was also much pleased with another Highland strathspey connected with Rothiemurchus. In a letter to Mr. Thomson, editor of the Scots Musical Museum, Burns says, "Many of our strathspeys, ancient and modern, give me most exquisite enjoyment, where you and other judges [xviii] would probably be showing disgust. For instance, I am just now making verses for Rothiemurchies' rant, an air which puts me in raptures; and, in fact, unless I be pleased with the tune, I never can make verses to it." The result was his well-known song, "Lassie wi' the lint-white locks." Life and Works of Burns, by Robert Chambers, vol. iv. pp. 94, 117. Another song in which Tullochgorm is referred to was written by Sir Alexander Boswell of Auchinleck, of which the following verses may be quoted:
"Come the Grants of Tullochgorum.,
Wi' their pipers gaun before 'em,
Proud the mithers are that bore 'em,
Fee fa fudle fum.
Next the Grants of Rothiemurchus,
Every man his sword and dark has,
Every man 's as proud 's a Turk is,
Fee fa fudle fum."
The fortunes of the lands of Tullochgorm were for long bound up with those of the neighbouring davochs of Curr and Clurie. Prior to the year 1379 all three belonged to John of Inverpeffer, who resigned them into the hands of King Robert the Second, and that king granted them to his son Sir Alexander Stewart, Lord of Badenoch, on 18th October 1379. The charter describes the lands as those of Curr and Cluthry, and the two towns which are called Tulachgorme, with their pertinents, within the shire of Inverness. The tenure was blench of the king for payment of a silver penny annually at Inverness, if asked. Registrum Magni Sigilli vol. i. p. 151.
These three lands, which are generally described as lying in the lordship of Badenoch, passed at a later period into the possession of the Earls of Huntly, who were also Lords of Badenoch. Two of them, Tullochgorm and Corroo, or Curr, were disponed on 14th June 1491 by George, second Earl of Huntly, with consent of his eldest son, Alexander Lord Gordon to John Grant of Freuchie "for satisfactioun and contentatioun of the landis of Fotterletter, Innerloquhies, and tua Innerrowries, lyand within the baronie of Strathdowin and sherefdome of Banff." Charter mentioned in Old Inventory of Documents at Castle Grant, dated 1622; also in an Inventory, dated 1794, of papers taken to Edinburgh. See also vol. iii of this work, pp. 39, 40.This [lxix] was evidently an excambion, and places the date of the original agreement, so far as Tullochgorm was concerned, much earlier than that stated by Shaw, which is about 1606. History of the Province of Moray, third edition, vol. i. p. 24 This is the date of a later contract of excambion, in which John Grant of Freuchie obtained certain lands in the parish of Abernethy from George Marquis of Huntly, in exchange for Blairfindy and other lands, and in it opportunity is taken to renew and confirm the former excambion respecting Tullochgorm and its neighbouring davochs. Inventory of Documents at Castle Grant. The lands of Clurie also were sold to John Grant of Freuchie on 4th February 14913 , Original Charter by George, second Earl of Huntly, dated at "our place of Gecht," at Castle Grant. Precept of Sasine of same date, printed in vol. iii of this work, p. 40. and all were to be held of the Earls of Huntly.
The rights of the Grants of Freuchie in Tullochgorm, Curr, and Clurie were fully recognised and acknowledged by the Earls of Huntly, until, in 1555, when John Grant of Freuchie, grandson of the Laird who acquired the lands, having been retoured heir to his father in other lands, claimed also to be served heir to his father, James Grant of Freuchie, in these lands. The Sheriff-principal of Inverness, who was none other than George, fourth Earl Of Huntly, himself, refused to expede the service, or allow it to proceed, and the Laird of Freuchie had to apply to the Lords of Council, who, after hearing parties, appointed a special Commission to expede his service, as heir to his late father, in these lands, with others acquired from the Earls of Huntly since 1491. Vol. iii. of this work, pp. 117-119. But this is the only case in which his title was impugned, and it was afterwards fully acknowledged. Precept of clare constat and infeftment thereon was given to John Grant in these lands in 1562
The lands of Tullochgorm were wadset in 1614 to John Grant, son of Patrick Grant, who had formerly been tenant or lease-holder of them, as he is designed sometimes "of" and at other times "in" Tullochgorm; and although a Patrick G rant occupied the lands as early as 1530, no reference to titles prior to the wadset of 1614 is ever made by the descendants of John Grant. These held the estate until 1777, being enabled to do so
a prorogation of the redemption of the wadset in 1752 for twenty-four years. But in 1777 Sir James Grant resumed them, and the Grants of Tullochgorm afterwards were only tenants of the Lairds of Grant.
 |
 |
Volume I Introduction (vi) |
 |
 |
 |