Major TYRRELL C. Ross, H.L.I., Army and Navy Club, London. Ex-Bailie WM. Ross, Chairman of Parish Council, Tain. DONALD ROSS, Esq., Balnagore, Fearn. DONALD ROSS, Esq. (of Wallace & Fraser), Town Councillor, Tain. GEORGE A. Ross, Esq. of Rhynie, Fearn. G. C. Ross, Esq., Ankerville, Nigg. JOHN Ross, Esq., Millcraig, Rosskeen, Ross-shire. A. MACDUFF-Ross, Esq., London House, Tain. WILLIAM ROSS, Esq., Jeweller, Victoria Buildings, Tain. W. A. Ross, Esq., Solicitor, Stornoway. WILLIAM ROSS, Esq., Johannesburg, South Africa. His Grace The Duke of SUTHERLAND, K.G., per Rev. Dr Joass. The Count de SERRA LARGO of Tarlogie, Tain. (The late) Captain JOHN W. SUTHERLAND of Forse, Caithness. RUPERT SHOOLBRED, Esq. of Wyvis, Ross-shire. JOHN A. SCOTT, Esq., M.D., Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia. Dr A. N. URQUHART, Murray Royal Asylum, Perth. W. J. WATSON, Esq., M.A., B.A. Oxon., Rector of the Royal VERNON WATNEY, Esq. of Fannich, Ross-shire. JAMES D. WALKER, Esq. of Devon Estate, Talawakelle, Ceylon. THOMAS WOOLEY, Esq., Royal Hotel, Tain. Rev. THOMAS YOUNG, B.D., The Manse, Ellon, Aberdeenshire. Future subscriptions acknowledged on inserted leaflet. ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA. Page 1, line 14, read " Antiqui infeofamenti " (as in MS.). No. 14, line 5, after " ferne on yat adu ane pairt and ane honorabill man Alexr. Innes of Plaids, on yat uther pairt," &c. No. 37, 1. 13, "a fortnight afterwards," &c. Page 25, line 20, omit repetition" to be held on the Lord's Day thenceforward." No. 56, 1. 8, minister," and No. 134, 1. 4, "dochter." No. 136, 1. 9, page 108, 1. 33, and page 111, 1. 28, after bannock "-note-[servant's fee or perquisite paid in kind.] Page 65, 1. 16, after "shane dance "-note-[still applied locally to a dance or set of dances in which the steps are those of the sheean trubhais, or chiefly so.] No. 236, 1. 22, after "salmon "-note-" or night-poaching. For places, see old map facing p. 36." Page 126, 1. 1, after "rubbures "-note-[oak casks or tubs], and No. 337, 1. 6, after "latron "-note-[desk.] Page 129, top, and p. 167, 1. 46, after muttie-note-[about half a stone of meal.] Page 129, foot, after "speeke wheills" note [with spokes], and page 130, line 6, should be £4912. Page 133, 1. 23, after "clockback with two pilgets," and in page 135, 1. 3, after "clogbag trunk for lady's linnens," and No. 358, 1. 10, after "Clockbagg with ye papers and chartors "--note-[cloakbag or portmanteau fitted for carrying on horseback. The pilget is said in "New English Dictionary to be apparently equal to pillion," but seems in above rather to belong to the cloakbag.] No. 358, 1. 10, and page 140, 1. 6, after "demipick (or -pike) saddle"-note-[half-peaked, i.e., with the peak half the height of that of the old war-saddle.] No. 332, 1. 3, No. 348, 1. 5, and page 138, 1. 17, after "Lungsadle or langsaidle-note-[folding bed or long wooden stool.] No. 349, I. 38 in note, after stells add or props." Page 137, 1. 23, after "deak for a laidn horse," and No. 775, 1. 17, after "horse daik "-note-[The word in this use does not appear to occur elsewhere. The first passage shows it has no connection with daik, to ornament or trim. It was clearly a part of the harness or trappings on which arms could be stamped, and was different if the horse was laden. In 1731, owing to defect of roads, burdens were still generally carried on the horse's back, and the deak may have been the part which held up the panniers or the shaft of a vehicle.] No. 368, 1. 13, after cuittikins stokins "-note-[worn as gaiters.] No. 379, 1. 5, pantoufles, and No. 386, 1. 7, resoudé, and 1. 8 for [osselet] put [see Appendix, 386.] No. 415, end, after Engadill "-note-[but see Ingadill in old map.] No. 453, 1. 4; 462, 1. 6; 463, 1. 32; and 827, 1. 13, after "last"-note-[12 barrels of herring, &c., or 13,000 herrings.] Page 216, top, SECTION VI. No. 546, end-note-[John, 2nd of the Earls of Kinghorne, now Earls of Strathmore.] No. 554, 1. 9, prejude, and No. 627, 1. 14, prosecution. Page 248, top-No. 628, not 228; and page 251, 1. 9, insert "397 after 981,"" 404 after 988." In 1. 10 insert " 524 after 962." No. 673, 1. 14, after "peper (( insert ane pund of masis [mace], halfe pund off saferen [saffron], ane pund off nuytmeks [nutmegs]." No. 684, end-negotiations, and page 274, 1. 19, after "nakat "-note-[wicked or precocious child, cf. Aberdeenshire "nickum "; but handy or clever is the sense here.] No. 731, I. 17, after "London "-note-[massive silver vase and salver, each inscribed:-" Presented by the Two Assurance Companies and Merchants of London to John Lockhart, Esq., Captain of His Majesty's ship Tartar, for his gallant service in protecting the Trade of the Nation by takeing many French Privateers in the years 1756 and 1757, and a large salver of solid silver with the same inscription and an engraved sea-piece with figures."] After "and Bristol "-note-[a vase of solid gold, inscribed, "Presented by the Society of the Merchant Venturers of the City of Bristol to Captain John Lockhart, Commander of His Majesty's ship Tartar, for the important services he rendered to the trade of that City by ably protecting her merchantmen and Distressing numerous French privateers."] Page 299, 1. 13, in CALROSSIE put" 289 " instead of 162, and in No. 793, DINGWALL, insert "956 "; in page 318, 1. 2, insert 352"; in No. 816, 1. 38, insert " 676"; in page 333, 1. 28, insert " 997 "; and in No. 933, after Strathconan, 256, 815." No. 800, 1. 19, after "calke is no sheyres "-note-[proverb, from tailor-work, "Chalking the cloth is not cutting it"; "Planning is not executing."] OLD ROSS-SHIRE AND SCOTLAND AS SEEN IN THE TAIN AND BALNAGOWN INTRODUCTION. IN the County and Municipal Buildings in the ancient and Royal Burgh of Tain there are stored a very large number of documents of the Courts held there and in Fortrose and Cromarty for nearly four centuries, also a smaller number of parchments belonging to the Burgh, but till now there has been no systematic examination of them for historical purpose and publication. Under the present custodians, the Commissary Clerk Depute and the Town Clerk-to whom grateful acknowledgment is now made for the facilities afforded the documents have been excellently kept. But in the collection there is only too clear evidence of deplorable loss and damage suffered in past centuries. That fire and sword were among the causes is shown in Royal Charter (No. 42):-"quamvis eorum antiquaa infeofamenta et cartae per barbaros et quosdam rebelles subditos hyberniae prout nobis manifeste constat crudeliter per incendium consumptae fuerunt prout in attenticis testimoniis coram nobis productis continetur." That careless custody was another cause is shown in a letter of 1778 from an ex-sheriff-clerk to his "I as well as my predecessor were obliged to take them (i.e., the documents) as we found them without any inventory. They appeared to me to be in perfect confusion lying in an old broken house that was not watertight." They were put into better order recently, and papers of the 19th century are well separated from those of the 16th, 17th, and 18th. As these latter proved enough to fill a volume of any feasible size, the examination was practically stopped with the end of the 18th century. One paper, of 1809, however, was part of a memoir by Thomas Suter as to a collection of documents he had sorted and put into two boxes, a trunk, a chest, and a cabinet at Balnagown Castle. On this paper being placed before Sir Charles Ross, he said he knew of a trunk, a chest, and one box only, and had them opened. successor : They were filled with 16th, 17th, and 18th century documents, but disturbed and in confusion. Grateful acknowledgment is due to Sir Charles for at once granting full facility of examination. They prove quite equal in interest to the Tain documents, and the two collections are largely supplementary and helpful to each other. Throughout this work documents found at Balnagown are distinguished by B before the number. The whole proved to be of such variety and range of subjects illustrated as to suggest the arranging of them under the heads of subjects illustrated. It is hoped this may make the work more interesting to the majority of readers. Latin texts, Lists, Rolls, etc., are placed in an Appendix. For the sake of condensation, all legal verbiage, repetitions, and well known formulae are omitted, and everything else of no apparent importance. Omission of a few words is indicated by ; of a line or two by ; and of more by For further condensation, figures are sometimes used instead of the lengthy spelt-out numbers, and initials for names when repeated in the same paper. Also in charters, N., S., E., and W. for the directions. Documents are numbered, are printed under the subject they first or chiefly illustrate, and for other subjects are referred to by number. Parts wanting, through tearing, fading, rotting, or obliteration, are shown by (), but if the missing words can with fair certainty be supplied, they are printed inside. Language and spelling of English, Scots, and French papers are reproduced, also such contractions as can be conveniently represented in ordinary type. Lastly, all notes, explanations, or remarks-everything that is not of the actual text or literal translation of a paper-is placed within square brackets [ ]. These conventions will save much repetition of notes; and so will the following note of frequently recurring contractions: -y for th, as in yt. for that; ym. for them; yr. for their or there; Suyrland for Sutherland; uyrs. for others, etc.; q for wh, as in qn. for when; qm. for whom ; wt. for with, and wtin. for within; q or qu for wh, as qlk. for whilk; q also for con., as qtract for contract. |