.

.

De ad sexaginta porcos et ad sexaginta uaccas cum fetibus suis donec trium fuerint annorum et ad uiginti equas cum sequela sua donec quatuor fuerint annorum cum equicio meo uel heredum meorum et si equicium non habuerimus liceat eis nichilominus viginti equas cum sequela sua ut dictum est in pastura habere ubicumque equicium meum uel heredum meorum ire consueuerit. Concedo eciam eis mairebium in silua mea de Goauch ad fabricam ecclesie sue et ad nouam aulam suam edificandam et communem uenacionem in tota terra mea tam in plano quam in bosco per homines suos cum canibus uel quocumque alio modo Tenendam et habendam sibi imperpetuum in puram et perpetuam elemosinam libere quiete plenarie et honorifice sine omni exaccione et seruicio intrinseco et forinseco et consuetudine et demanda Excepto quod si capitalia placita ibidem emerserint in curia domini Prioris in eadem terra placitabuntur et si debeat iusticia fieri in curia mea et heredum meorum fiet saluo dictis Priori et conuentui emolumento si quod de placito illo contigerit Ego autem et heredes mei predictam elemosinam meam cum omnibus pertinenciis suis predictis Priori et conuentui contra omnes homines warantizabimus. Et sciendum quod ad peticionem et ad instanciam meam concessum est michi a Priore et conuentu Sancti Andree debitum unius canonici in obitu meo et ut corpus meum deferatur ad sepeliendum in cimiterio suo inter fratres suos Et ut predicta omnia rata et futuris temporibus inconcussa permaneant presenti scripto sigillum meum apposui Testibus. magistro Laurencio archidiacono Sancti Andree. domino Malcolmo archidiacono Abirdenensi domino Philippo de Maleuille domino Gregorio de Maleuille domino Ricardo de Karnebehyn · Simone et Laurencio prepositis Sancti Andree Germano filio Leving. et Alexandro burgensibus magistro Henrico de Norham Ranulfo filio Waldeui et multis aliis .

Confirmacio carte Ade Pingle. (A.D. 1362.)

Dauid Dei gracia Rex Scottorum omnibus etc. Sciatis nos approbasse

etc donaciones illas et concessiones quas Willelmus de Kethe Marescal

.

[From the Registrvm Magni Sigilli Regvm Scotorvm, p. 25.

Sir William of Keith, marischal of Scotland, with consent of Margaret his wife, granted the lands of Mathers to Alexander of Berkley, by a charter dated" apud mansum capitale nostrum de Strathekin," on the Feast of the Invention of the Holy Rood, (the third of May,) in the year 1351. (Nisbet's System of Heraldry, vol. ii., appendix, p. 238.)]

lus noster Scocie ac Andreas de Garvyache fecerunt dilecto et fideli nostro Ade Pyngle de terris de Knoc et de Gelestan/ videlicet / datis per dictum Willelmum in baronia de Strathechyn infra vicecomitatum de Kyncardon et de terris de Badcasse in tenemento de Kynbeone in baronia de Rothynormam infra vicecomitatum de Abirdene videlicet / datis per dictum Andream. Tenendas et habendas eidem Ade et heredibus suis in feodo et hereditate, adeo libere [etc.] sicut carte siue littere predicti Willelmi et Andree inde sibi facte in se plenius iuste continent et proportant Saluo seruicio nostro. In cuius rei etc. Apud Abirdene xv die Januarij die Januarij anno regnj nostri Tricesimo tercio.

1

.

Confirmacio carte Ade Pyngle et Mariorie sponse sue 1 (A.D. 1365.) Dauid Dei gracia Rex. Scottorum omnibus etc Sciatis nos quamdam cartam. Willelmj de Kethe Marescallj nostri Scocie et Mergarete sponse sue non rasam etc vidisse etc tenorem qui sequitur OMNIBUS hanc cartam visuris vel audituris Willelmus

continentem

.

de Kethe Marescallus Scocie et Mergareta sponsa mea neptis et heres bone memorie quondam Domini Alexandri Fraser militis domini baronie de Strathekyn salutem in Domino sempiternam Cum pleno concepimus intellectu quod dictus quondam Alexander auus noster infeodauerit hereditarie quondam Willelmum dictum Ingeramisman pro homagio et seruicio suo de terris dauate del Knoc et de Gelacbane cum pertinenciis infra baroniam predictam Noueritis nos bonum et fidele seruicium dilecti nostri Ade Pyngle considerantes. dedisse concessisse.

et hac presenti carta nostra confirmasse eidem Ade pro homagio et seruicio suo nobis inpenso et inpendendo et Mariorie sponse sue filie et heredi dicti quondam Willelmj ac eorum alteri diucius viuenti omnes illas terras prenominatas cum pertinenciis vna cum molendino de Camby eisdem terris adiacente cum croftis et multuris ac ceteris antiquis et vsitatis libertatibus suis quibuscunque Tenendas et habendas predictis Ade et Mariorie vt predicitur ac eorum heredibus de corporibus suis legittime exeuntibus quibus fortassis deficientibus heredibus predicti

1 [From the Registrvm Magni Sigilli Regvm Scotorvm, pp. 42, 43.

In a roll of missing charters by King Robert I., are " Carta Alexandri Fraser, of the lands of Strathean, de Essuly, Ballebrochy, and Auchincross"; and "Carta Alexandri Fraser, of the lands of Culpressache, in vicecomitatu de Kincardin." (Robertson's Index to the Charters, p. 1; Crawfurd's Lives of the Officers of State, p. 274.)]

K

Ade de nobis et heredibus nostris in feodo et hereditate per omnes rectas metas suas et diuisas antiquas in boscis planis moris marresiis aquis stagnis pascuis et pasturis cum piscariis aucupiis venationibus et siluis cum molendinis fabrili et bracina et cum omnibus aliis libertatibus [etc.] · Faciendo inde predicti Adam et Marioria ac eorum heredes supradicti domino nostro Regi seruicium quantum ad dictas terras de jure pertinet / et nobis et heredibus nostris tres sectas in anno ad tria placita nostra capitalia infra baroniam predictam. Volumus eciam et concedimus pro nobis et heredibus nostris quod heredes predicti quociens sibi succedere continget liberum habeant ingressum et saysinam hereditarie in eisdem terris et molendino cum pertinenciis Reddendo vnum pare calcarium deauratorum vel quadraginta denarios argenti • tantum pro warda releuio maritagio ac ceteris seruiciis secularibus [etc.] et nichilominus faciendo nobis et heredibus nostris homagium pro eisdem terris cum ad legittimam etatem poterunt peruenire [etc.]. In cuius rei testimonium presenti carte nostre sigilla nostra sunt appensa apud manerium nostrum Foreste de Kyntor. xijo. die mensis Maij. anno Domini millesimo trecentesimo. lxo primo Testibus domino Johanne de Strathechyn milite Willelmo de Melgdrum Jacobo Fraser . Jacobo Fraser Philippo de Dumbrek Ingeramo de Wentona Roberto de Camera et multis aliis . QUAM quidem cartam etc confirmamus saluo seruicio nostro. In cuius rei testimonium presenti carte nostre confirmacionis etc. Testibus etc · Apud Perthe sexto die mensis Aprilis anno regni nostri Tricesimo · Sexto.

Confirmacio Roberti de Kethe. (A.D. 1375.)

Robertus Dei gracia etc. Omnibus etc. Sciatis nos approbasse etc. donacionem illam et concessionem quas dilecti et fideles nostri Willelmus de Kethe miles Marescallus noster Scocie et Margareta Fraser sponsa sua fecerunt et concesserunt Roberto de Kethe filio suo de omnibus terris baronie de Strathechyn cum omnibus forestis eiusdem / videlicet / Foresta de Coulpersauche et de Corlethny cum pertinenciis infra vicecomitatum de Kyncardyn. Tenendas et habendas dicto Roberto et heredibus suis de dictis Willelmo et Margarete et de Roberto de Kethe herede earundem filio quondam Johannis de Kethe filij et heredis ipso

1 [From the Registrvm Magni Sigilli Regvm Scotorvm, p. 111.]

rum Willelmi et Margarete et de heredibus masculis ipsius Roberti. filij dicti Johannis quibus heredibus masculis forsan deficientibus de nobis et heredibus nostris in capite in feodo et hereditate inperpetuum/ adeo libere et quiete in omnibus et per omnia sicut carta dictorum Willelmi et Margarete prefato Roberto exinde confecta in se iuste continet et proportat Saluo seruicio nostro . In cuius rei etc Testibus etc

Apud Edynburghe

Quinto.

anno regni nostri

THE PARISH OF THE BIRSE.1

2

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PARISH OF BIRSE. (A.D. M.DCC.LXI.)

HE parish of Birse, in the shire of Aberdeen, has, on the north, the parish of Kincardine O'Neil; on the north-west,' the parish of Aboyne; on the west, the parish of Glentaner; on the south and south-west, the Grampian hills, part of which is called The Forest of Birse, where formerly most of the parishoners drove their cattle to graze all summer; but now it is inhabited by Highlanders, from the head of Dee, who have cultivated some parts of the barren ground, by which the summer grazing is much obstructed. In that Forest stands the remains of an old castle: on what occasion or for what purpose it was built does not appear. 3 The parish of Birse has, on the east, the parish of Strachan.

1 [See Collections for a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, p. 634.] 2 [From The Edinburgh Magazine for 1761, pp. 527, 528. Edinb. 1761. 8vo.]

3 ["In The Forest, or Glen-Birse, there is standing a good part of a castle, which was built by Gordon of Cluny, for a hunting seat, and which is now by the tenant converted into a sheep cot." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. ix., p. 127. Edinb. 1793. See also The New Statistical Account of Scotland, number xxxix., p. 792. Edinb. 1842.) "The Forest of Birse, with the haill parish of Birse, consisting of twenty-four towns, were feued out by the Bishops of Aberdeen; and, betwixt the years 1574 and 1636, came all into the person of Gordon of Cluny, except six towns, called Kenminity, Tillysnaught, Tillyfrosky, Enderchat, Tillygarmount, and Belfedy. The family of Cluny, while in possession of eighteen of the twenty-four towns, about the year 1610, did make encroachments upon The Forest, by building a castle, and enclosing a part thereof, called Haughspittal and Cranna, by force and violence, in opposition to the heritors of The Six

The kirk

stands in the west end of the parish, on the south side of the river Dee, and is covered with heather.

The parish is divided into three divisions.

That part of it that lies in the west end of the parish, and nearest the kirk, is commonly called The Six Towns. In this part of the parish is Birsebeg, situated about half a mile west from the kirk. It was formerly the seat of Alexander Ross of Birsebeg, esquire; and is now the property of the Earl of Aboyne. About half a mile to the south-west of Birsebeg, is New Miln, the property of Mr. William Ross, teacher of an academy at London. About half a mile east from New Miln, is Balfour, the seat of Alexander Farquharson, esquire.

The second division is about the middle of the parish, situated along the banks of a fine burn, which takes its rise a little above a place called Glencate, about two miles south-west from the kirk, and runs due east about four miles, and then loses itself in the river Dee, four miles above the kirk of Banchory Ternan. This division is commonly called The Burn of Catie. In this quarter is Tillysnaught, the seat of Thomas Forbes, esquire, situated on the bank of this burn, and about one mile south from the kirk. About half a mile east from Tillysnaught, is Midstrath, the property of Peter Young, esquire; and about half a mile east from Midstrath, is Inverquhate, the property of the laird of Finzean.

The third division is separated from the rest of the parish by a hill, called Cross-Dardar. On this hill there are some very large cairns of stones, and on the road-side, a large stone, set up on one end, called The Stone of Cross-Dardar. How, or on what occasion these great cairns of stones were gathered together, we have no account. Through this part of the parish runs the water of

Towns, who were then very poor, notwithstanding their rights to the said Forest were anterior to those of the family, and universal over the whole Forest. It is informed that, about the year 1640, the heritors of the said towns vindicated their right to the said Forest by burning the castle built by Cluny, and by turning his laboured ground again into commonty, and continued so to possess for fourscore years afterwards." (Memorial for the Feuars of The Birse, 1755, MS. in private hands.)]

1 ["In the year 1779, when they were razing the foundation of the old church, there was found a hill stone, near six feet long, with a two-handed long sword, a hatchet, and a cross carved upon it. The stone is now set up erect in the wall of the churchyard." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. ix., p. 127.)]

2 ["On the north of the burn of Chattie is Ballogie, formerly named Tillysnaught." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. ix., p. 104.)]

3 ["On the hill, about a mile north-east of Finzean, bearing the name of Corse Dardar, there is a place marked near the way-side with a long granite stone, which lately stood