Urquhart and Glenmoriston
Olden Times in a Highland Parish

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I. LEASE BY THE BISHOP OF MORAY TO JOHN MACKAY AND HIS WIFE, OF ACHMONIE. 1554. [Translated from the Latin, in MS. Register of Moray, in Advocates’ Library.]

To all and sundry, sons of the mother Church, to whose notice these present letters may come, Patrick, by the mercy of God bishop of Moray and perpetual commendator of the abbey of Scone, health in the Lord everlasting: Wit ye us with express consent and assent and advice of the chapter of our Cathedral Church of Moray, chapterly assembled for the occasion, and the utility of us and of our said church of Moray being foreseen, meditated, considered, and understood, and diligent discussion and mature deliberation having been had beforehand, to have set, rented, let, and at feuferme dimitted to our lovites John McGilleis alias McKaye, and Katherine Euen Canycht his spouse, and the survivor of them, and their heirs and assignees and land labourers and sub-tenants, many or one, of no greater authority than them selves the principals John and Katherine, all and sundry our lands of Awchmonye, with the brew-house thereof called Kill michaell, with all and sundry their pertinents, lying within the barony of Kinmylies, regality of Spynie, and shire of Inverness, for all the terms and years of nineteen years, beginning at Whitsunday in the year of the Lord 1554, and thereafter continuing together and successively from year to year and term to term to the complete course and ish of nineteen years aforesaid: To hold and to have all and sundry the before-named lands of Awchmonye and brew-house thereof called Kilmichaell, with all and sundry their pertinents lying as aforesaid, to the aforesaid John McGilleis alias McKaye and Katherine Euen Chanycht his spouse, and the survivor of them, and their heirs and assignees and subtenants and land labourers, many or one beforesaid, of us and our suc cessors, bishops of Moray, for all and sundry terms of the said nineteen years, as the said lands with the pertinents do lie in length and breath due and wont, in houses and biggings, with culture and common pasture, free entry and ish, together with all other and sundry liberties, commodities, profits, and easements, and their just pertinents whatsoever, far and near, to the afore named lands, with the pertinents and brew-house thereof, belonging or that may in any way in future justly belong, fully, quietly, wholly, honourably, well, and in peace, without any reserve, revocation, contradiction, or obstacle whatsoever: Rendering therefor yearly the said John McGilleis alias McKaye and Katherine Euen [480] Chanycht his spouse, and their foresaids, to us and our successors, one or more, and our and their chamberlains or factors, one or more, for the time, for the said lands of Awchmonye and brewhouse thereof, with their pertinents, the sum of three pounds usual money of Scotland, three shillings and fourpence for two firlots of dry multure, and two kids, at the two usual terms of the year, Whitsunday and Martinmas in winter, by equal portions, with the other services due and wont from the said lands of Awchmonye and brew-house thereof, contained in the old rental: And we truly, the aforesaid Patrick, bishop of Moray, and our successors for the time being, do warrant, acquit, and for ever defend, all and sundry the aforesaid lands of Awchmonye and the brew-house thereof, with all and sundry their pertinents, lying as said is, to the said John McGilleis alias McKaye and Katherine Euen Canycht his spouse, and the longer liver of them, and their heirs and assignees, and their tenants and land labourers, one or more aforesaid, during the space and terms of nineteen years, as afore said. In witness of the which thing, our round seal, together with the common seal of our chapter of Moray, and the manual subscriptions of us and of the canons of our said chapter, are appended, at Elgin the 31st day of March 1554. Witnesses, John Gordon vicar of Kincardine and Rothimurchus, Sir James Douglas, Sir Alexander Douglas, chaplains, James Tunes of Drany, Alexander Gordon in Achortes, Mr Hugh Cragye, Thomas Seres, and Sir John Gibsoun, notaries.

PA. MORAVIEN. epus. et de Scona c’me’datari’.
W. PAT’SON subdecanus Morauien.
GULIELMUS HEPBURNE rector de Dupill.
TEOMAS HAYE rector do Spynie.
JACOBUS STRATHAUCHIN rector do Botarie.
THOMAS WALLAOK rector do Unthank.
THOMAS GADERAR do Talaricie.

II. LEASE BY TEE LAIRD OF GRANT TO DONALD CUMMING OF DULSHANGIE, OF MEIKLE PITKERRALD. 1660. [From original at Castle Grant.]

BE It kend till all men be yir prnt ires [i.e., these present letters,] Me James Grant off ffrewquhye to hawe sett, and in Tack and Assedatione Latten, Lykas be the tenor hereof I sett and in tack and assedatione Lett To dod. Cuming of dulsangzie and to his aires and assyneys of no higher degree then himself is off, all and heall the plewghe and quarter of land of meikill pitkerrel, presentlie possessed be dugall mc Rorie lait tennent of the same, [481] withe the multures, teynds, great and small, parsonage and wiccaradge, of the same, withe housses, biggings, zairds, toftes, croftes, partes, pendicles, and remanent vniversall pertinents thereof, Lyand within the Lordship of wrqrt, parochin yroff and sheriffdom of Invernes: and that for all the dayes, yeires, space, and termes off fywe yeires nixt and imediatlie following the feast and term of Whitsunday last bypast in the zeir of God 1660 zeires, qik shall be (God willing) his entrie to the sds lands and their pertinents be wertewe heirof, with ifrie Ishewe and entrie thereto, and with all and syndrie uther priviledges, easments, and ryghteous pertinents perteining or that shall be knowen to appertein thereto, well, quietlie, and in peace, but [without] anie obstacle or Impediment to be maid in the contrar: Payand therefor yeirlie the ad. donald Cuming, likas be the tenor heirof be faithfullie Binds and obleisses him and his forsds to content and pay to the said James Grant or to his aires, exrs [executors], suc cessors and assigneys, or to their chalmerland in their names, The number off Tuall boils guid and sufficient wictuall, hail meall half Bear, at anie place or part that the rest of the fermes of that countrie is payed at, and that preceislie at the feast and term of Candilsmaise nixt and Imediatlie following the shearing, winning, and Ingathering of the cropt, and failzieing of the sds Tuall boils wictuall at the terme abow-speit [above specified], the pryces of the sam according to the feir and pryces payed be the remanent tennents of the countrie, at the termes of payment vsed and wount: Beginand the first zeires payt thereof at the feast and term of Candilsemaise 1661 yeires, and sua furthe zeirlie during the space forsd of fywe zeires: with ane half custom mairt, flour old wedders, Tuo yowng wedders heall bawed wn-clipped [i.e., left wholly unshorn], Tuo stain weight of butter, sex henns, ifourtie sex shillings Scottis of land meal [mail or rent] and Stewart silver at the termes of payment vsed and wount, with service carriadge and harriadge [i.e., service of carriage and ploughing] as the remanent of the tennentrie of wrqrt sail doe for anie quarter land yrof: Releiwand [relieving] the said James Grant and his forsds of the teynd and wiccaradge silwer [stipend] presentlie imposed or that shall be imposed on the sds lands: Moreover, the ad donald Cuming obleisses him and his forsds to Grind their cornis that growes on the sds lands at the ad James Grant his miln of wrqrt, and to discharge and doe all manner of dewtie thereto that anie uther quarter of land within the suckin of the ad miln is obleist to, according to vse and wount: And for the mair securitie Bothe the ads pairties ar content and consents that thir prntis be insert and registrat in the high court books of Justice, shireff or comxnissar books of Invernes, or anie uther

[482] Judicatorie books withein this natione, that executiones of horn ing, poynding, and wthers necesser, may passe heiron vpon a singall charge of tenn dayes allenarlie, and to that effect con stitutes our lawfull procurators: In witnes qr off, bothe the saids pairties have subscriwe thir pntis (wreitten be Mr Alexr. Grant, servitor to the sd James Grant) withe their hands, at Ballachastell [Castle Grant] the ifourtein day of June 1660 zeirs, befor thir witnesses, James wrqrt, Wm. Grant, and Duncan Grant, and the sd Mr Alexr. Grant, wreiter heirof, servitors to the said James Grant of frewquhie.

DONALD CUMMING.
JAMES URQUHART, witnes.
D. GRANT, witnes.
W. GRANT, witnes.
Mr ALEXR. GRANT, wreiter and witnes.

III. ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN JAMES GRANT, ESQUIRE OF GRANT

[AFTERWARDS SIR JAMES GRANT], AND JAMES DOLLAS, MASON AT GABTHEEEN. 1770. [From the original presented to the Author by Mr Fraser-Mackintosh.]

THE said James Grant is to set to the said James Dollas the twelve boils pay of Wester Gartaly and one boils pay of Easter Gartaly called Carrachan excepting the houses and croft taken off for the Milns, to be entered to at Whitsunday seventeen hundred and seventy, with liberty of subsetts as he shall find proper for the works aftermentioned, and for which ifarm the said James Dollas is to pay Twenty five pounds sterling of yearly Rent, Three Wedders and Reek Hens; and in respect of carrying on the Lyme work aftermentioned the services are passed from; And the rent to be payable at the usual terms with the rest of the Estate; with allowance for building dykes as others, As also for putting up houses on the ifarm to the amount of Twenty five pounds sterling of melioration; And further the said James Dollas is to employ proper hands and with them to carry on a Lyme work at Loan ghrannach, as also at Carrachan, where Lyme stone quarreys are opened, and to take Peats for the Lyme to be burnt at Carrachan from the moss above Oulnakeerk, And to take Peats for the Lyme to be burnt at Loanghrannach from the mosses nearest thereto; and the said James Dollas is to burn what Lyme he possibly can at both the saids places, and to sell the same to the said James Grant and his tenants and possessors of Urquhart at most at

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seven pence p. boil at the Upper Lyme quarry, and ninepence p. boll at Carrachan, reckoning the boll at Four ifuriots of the meal measure of the County of Inverness, and if the said measure can be turned into weight conveniently the same to be given accordingly of the Lyme after it is harped, and to make from two to four thousand boils in the year as the weather wifi allow; and which quantity is to be yearly taken from the said James Dollas by the said James Grant and his tenants; and the said James Dollas is to have an allowance for building a Lyme house at each kiln. And the said James Dolias is to make a Tryal of the above work for three years from this Whitsunday, certain. And for seven years if no other person shall undertake the said Lyme work, and sell the Lyme cheaper; and no Lyme to be sold out of the said James Grant’s Estate without his allowance. This is written by James Grant, Clerk at Castle Grant, and signed by the saids parties on this and the preceding page at Kilmore the Eleventh day of May seventeen hundred and seventy years. Before witnesses, Alexander Innes of Breda, and the said James Grant writer hereof.

JAMES GRANT
I.D.
ALEXR. INNES witness.
JAMES GRANT witness.

The Peats and Lyme stone already laid in at the upper kiln are to be burned, and after the same are burnt James Dollas is to account to Mr Grant at the sight of Mr Willox [Mr Willox, or Macgregor, the Factor,] for what the same may burn out.

J.           G. I.D.

Appendix C