Fyndachyfeilde with the pertinentis and for the vpbreking of the said Johnnis compt burdis and spoliatioune of certane charteris and evidentis and vtheris gudis as is contenit in the summondis is be the lordis auditouris contenewit to the viij day of October nixt tocum with continiatioune of dais in the sammyne forme and effect as it now is but preiudice of partij And ordinis him to haf lettrez to summonde his witnes anent the said spuilye and the partiis ar summond apud acta. THE PARISHES OF ROTHVAN (OR RATHVEN) AND FORSCAIN. 1 Carta fundacionis domus leprosorum apud ecclesiam Sancti Petri de Rothfan per Johannem Byseth concessa (A.D. 1224-1226.) MNIBUS has literas visuris vel audituris Johannes Byseth eternam in Domino salutem Universitati vestre significo me caritatis intuitu et pro anima domini Willelmi Regis Scotie et pro salute domini mei Alexandri nobilis Regis necnon et pro salute animarum antecessorum et successorum meorum dedisse concessisse et hac presenti carta mea confirmasse Deo et ecclesie Sancti Petri 1 [See Collections for a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, pp. 648, 649. "On the moor of Rannachy, at the distance of a hundred paces from the road, is an eminence evidently artificial, called Tarrieclerack. On the heights of Corridown, there was a remarkable Druidical temple called The Core Stanes; the stones of which were employed in building the new house of Letterfourie. There is a large heap of stones on an eminence in one of Lord Findlater's enclosures, near Woodside, southward of the public road, commonly called The King's Cairn. On the moor between Findochtie and the plantation of The Bauds, a great number of small cairns are distinguishable. About thirty years ago, a countryman discovered in a tumulus or cairn, on the farm of Westerside, at no great distance from the house of Rannes, a stone coffin containing human bones. Another was discovered, four or five years ago, a few feet to the northward, in the same tumulus. The ruins of an old chapel, near the house of Farskane; of the house of Findochtie; and of some buildings on the tops of two hills, on the east and west side of the harbour of Portknockie, the former called The Green Castle, and the latter The Tronach Castle, are still to be seen. Tarwathie was, in former times, the watch-word for convening The Enzie men, in times of danger, or at markets, and other places of public resort, when any of them happened to be engaged in a fray. There are two annual fairs in the parish, both named Peter-Fair." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xiii. pp. 407, 421, 422, 423, 426. Edinb. 1794.) "The only man of learning and genius, so far as can be discovered, a native of this jus sicut aliqua ecclesia ab aliquo mi de Rothfan ad sustentationem leprosorum ibidem Deo servientium patronatus et quicquid habui in donatione ecclesie de Kyltalargy quantum ad meam pertinet donationem. Habendam et possidendam sibi et successoribus suis de me et heredibus meis adeo libere quiete plenarie et honorifice in liberam puram et perpetuam elemosinam lite vel barone in regno Scotie liberius quietius plenius et honorificentius tenetur et possidetur. Preterea dedi domui tantum de rebus meis et averiis unde placati sunt et fideliter mihi et heredibus meis promiserunt et per pupplicum et solempne instrumentum se obligaverunt quod unum capellanum ibidem Deo sacra ministrantem et septem leprosos et septem leprosos et unum famulum illis servientem pro redemptione peccatorum suorum in perpetuum sustinebunt ac illis singulis in necessariis competenter ministrabunt Cum autem aliquem illorum infirmorum mori contigerit vel de domo predicta recesserit donec predictus numerus compleatur per me vel heredes meos alius presentabitur et instituetur. Quod ut ratum et firmum in perpetuum habeatur presens scriptum cum sigillo meo dignum duxi roborandum Hiis testibus domino Andrea episcopo F decano. H. archidiacono Moraviensi H. decano Rossensi [A.] vicecomite Mora viensi Thoma Hostiario de Inuernys W. Prath de Inuernarrin· R · H Corbeth qui hanc cartam scripsit. Wadino scuti Alia carta ejusdem Johannis Byseth de eadem domo leprosorum de Rothfan (A.D. 1226.) Omnibus Christi fidelibus hoc scriptum visuris vel audituris Johannes Byseth salutem Noveritis universi me pro anima Regis Willelmi quondam Scotorum et pro salute Domini mei filii ejus Alexandri illustris Regis Scoto parish, was the celebrated Dr. Alexander Geddes. He was born at Pathheads, in the year 1737. His father was a small crofter on the Arradoul estate; his mother was Janet Mitchell, a native of Nether Dallachy, in the parish of Bellie. He died at London on the twenty-sixth of February, 1802." (The New Statistical Account of Scotland, number xxxviii, pp. 251, 252. Edinb. 1842.) A memoir of Dr. Geddes will be found in Dr. Irving's Lives of Scotish Poets, vol. ii. pp. 351-410. Edinb. 1804. 8vo.] 1 [From the Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, p. 77. "There is a Bede-House still in being, though in bad repair, and six bede-men on the establishment; but none of them lives in the house. The nomination to a vacancy is in the gift of Lord Findlater, as proprietor of Rannes; and the yearly income of the bede-men is as rum • necnon et pro salute animarum antecessorum et successorum meorum concessisse et hac presenti carta mea confirmasse Deo et ecclesie Sancti Petri et domui leprosorum de Rothfan et fratribus ibidem Deo servientibus et servituris in puram et perpetuam elemosinam ecclesiam de Kyltalargyn cum omnibus pertinentiis suis. Atque dominum Andream Moraviensem episcopum ad instantiam et supplicationem meam atque presentationem Willelmum priorem dicte domus nomine fratrum suorum ad predictam ecclesiam canonice admisisse et eandem dedisse et concessisse et carta sua confirmasse domui leprosorum de Rothfan et fratribus ibidem Deo servientibus et servituris in puram et perpetuam elemosinam Habendam in proprios usus ad sustentationem suam in perpetuum cum omnibus ad eam juste pertinentibus in terris et decimis et oblationibus obventionibus et omnimodis ecclesiasticis rectitudinibus libere plenarie quiete et honorifice Testibus domino Andrea episcopo · Freskyno decano・ Hugone archidiacono Moraviensi · Henrico decano Rossensi et vicario de Dulbathlach Henrico capellano meo. W fratre meo Thoma Hostiario vicecomite de Inuernys Waltero Prath vicecomite de Inuernarrin Ricardo vicecomite de Forays Alexandro vicecomite de Elgyn H. Corbeth Wadino scutifero meo aliis Actum anno gratie m°. cc. xxvi°. mense Junio dem decimo nono apud Inuernys The rentall of the Personage of Rothwan. 2 (A.D. 1563.) The rental of the personage of Rothwan with the annexis tharof liand within the diocesis of Abirdene and Murray respective sheriffdomes of Banff and Murray respective follows: from the lands of Rannes, every bede-man has half an acre of land during life, and one boll of oat-meal annually; from the lands of Findochtie, eight shillings, a penny and a farthing; and from Freuchnie, formerly part of the lands of Rannes, one shilling, four pence and three farthings, making in all nine shillings and sixpence yearly." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xiii. p, 412.) "The Bede-House is still standing in the village of Rathven, and was very lately repaired: two of the six bede-men, who are still maintained on the establishment, at present live in the house." (The New Statistical Account of Scotland, number xxxviii. p. 268.)] 1 [From the Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, p. 78.] 2 [From the Book of Assumptions, or Register of Valuation of Benefices, MSS. Adv. Bibl. (Jac. V. 6. 20; Jac. V. 3. 1.) 21 October 1488. "The lordis [of consale] decrettis and deliueris that Dauid Ogilby of Tolmade sall content and pay to maister Alexander Giffard dene of Dunbar and per In the first the teinde silver of the parochin of Ruthvan vjxx vj lib. Item the kirk of Dundurcus sett for xl lib. Item the kirk of Kintallartie sett for. xxiiij lib. Item the landis of Mulben liand in the parochin of Dundurcus . xvj merkis Heirof deducit of ordinar chargis to sex beidmen xlij merkis. Item to their habittis. vij lib. iiij s. Item to the staller in Abirdene. . Item gevin furth of Dundurcus to the Abbay of Kinlos. vj lib. Sic subscribitur G Hay w my hand Personage of Rothwan the beidmennis pensionnis and claith deducit in the haill. ije vj lib. x s. Third thairof. iij lib xvj s. viij d. Beir. vj chalderis iiij bollis Third thairof. ij chalderis j boll j peck j third part / · 1362.) Dauid Dei gracia . (A. D. Rex Scottorum Omnibus etc / Sciatis nos approbasse etc assedacionem illam quam dilectus et fidelis noster Johannes de Haya / soune of Rothuene for the tyme the soume of aucht skore ten merkis vsuale money of the realme for a yeris froitis of the said kirk of Rothuene aucht be him to the said maister Alexander of termes bigane lik as he is bundin be his obligacioune schewin and producit before the lordis And ordanis our Souerane Lordis lettrez be writtin to distrenye him his landis and gudis herefore. In presens of the lordis my lord chancellare [William bishop of Aberdeen] protestit that the recouering of this soume of viijxx. x. merkis apone Dauid Ogilby of Tolmad for the froitis of Rothuene sulde turne him to na preiudice anent the soume of ixxx of merkis for the quhilk the Erle of Huntle is bundin to him be his obligacioune for the froitis of the sammyn kirk of Rothuene." (Acta Dominorum Concilii, p. 88.)] [From the Registrvm Magni Sigilli Regvm Scotorvm, p. 32. In a roll of missing charters by King Robert I. are "Carta Gilberti de Hay de Locherward, the lands of Auchenus, etc. in vicecomitatu de Banffe;"" Carta to Gilbert Haye, of T fecit Johanni Yung vicario ecclesie de Fordys de terra de Rove Buky in le Awne infra vicecomitatum de Banff Tenendam et habendam eidem Iohanni adeo libere etc. sicut in literis Johannis dicti de Haya predicto vicario inde confectis plenius continetur Saluo seruicio nostro In cuius rei etc Apud Edynburgche・ xiiijo. die Octobris anno regnj nostri Tricesimo quarto the lands of Awne, in Bouyn, with many others, in vicecomitatu de Banffe;" and "Carta to Gilbert Hay of Locherward, of the forest of Dwne etc. in vicecomitatu de Banffe." (Robertson's Index to the Charters, p. 16.) In a roll of missing charters by King David II. are "Carta to Philip of Meldrum, of the forest of Awne;"" Carta to John Hay of Tulliboyll, of the lands that lye betwixt Spey and Tynot in the forest of Awne;""Carta to William Waux, of the keeping of the forest of Buyne and Awne." (Robertson's Index to the Charters, pp. 32, 42, 45.) On the sixteenth of March 1479, there was an "actioune and cause persewit [before the lordis auditouris] be William Lord Forbese aganis George Erle of Huntly anent the wrangwiss vptaking lifting and raising of the malis and proffitis of certain landis of the Forest of Aynye liande within the schirefdome of Banf of vj termes bigain extending to the soum of iijc merkis assignit to the said William be the said lord erle as was allegeit." (Acta Dominorum Auditorum, p. 78.)] |