Tag Archives: mail lands

2021.55.10

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Digitised copy of Memorandum of the rental of the east end of Tiree and of the west end of Tiree, 1662.

Contains the extent of the land measured in mail lands (a unit of land tenure possibly deriving from the Old Norse word mælir), with personal names included in the patronymic form. The townships listed are: Ballemulline (Balevullin), Killimulwaige (Kilmoluaig), Bijt (Beist), Basbwll (Bhasapol), Cornegmore (Cornaigmore), Cornegbeg (Cornaigbeg), Kenivaij (Kenovay), Ballefetrishe (Balephetrish), Kirkboll (Kirkapol), Wall (Vaul), Shallum (Salum), Qwaige & moill (Ruaig and Vuill), Caillis (Caoles), Hienishe (Heanish), Baighe (Baugh), Hilliboll & Crossboll (Heylipol & Crossapol), Balleno (Balinoe), Cw[y]eisse (Cuigeas), Sorribij & Ballemertine (Soroby & Balemartine), Manwell [Mannal], Heynish (Hynish), Herrinnine (Heren), Ballefwill (Balephuil), Kenivar (Kenavara), Barbwll (Barrapol), Ballemeanach (Middleton), Santaige (Sandaig), Grenall (Greenhill), Kerrafergosse (Kerreferguss), Kerremeanach, Kerrenakill (Keranokile), Crossiger (Kerachrosecar), and Mwrdate (Murstat). 

This document is written in secretary hand. Click to view a transcript of this item.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2021.53.81

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Digitised copy of Copy memorial by Malcolm McLaurine, chamberlain of Tiree, to the Duke of Argyll, 1 Nov 1803, with subsequent correspondence with James Ferrier, the 5th Duke of Argyll’s lawyer (2 sets).

The main topic of the correspondence is the prospect of McLaurin being provided a farm at Balephuil. The correspondence also mentions: the farm occupied by McLaurin at Crossapol; the prospect of farms at Balephuil and Crossapol being divided into crofts; the prospect of converting the Chamberlain’s house at Crossapol into a church or inn and granary; the purchase of cattle and the distemper which can affect them; the subject of McLaurin ‘grasping’ at a farm in Balemartine; the Post Office; Mr McLean of Coll; value of land in Coll; mail lands; rent; Hector MacLean’s lease at ‘Haynish’; Balephuil March Dykes; planned improvements to the island.

Click to view a record for this item on Inveraray’s online catalogue.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2021.53.79

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Digitised copy of Petition by Alexander Campbell and other tenants in Tiree, 1803. The petition is submitted by Alexander Campbell, Donald Campbell, Murdoch Campbell, Donald Campbell junior, Angus Campbell, Farquhard Campbell, Hector Campbell, Angus Sinclair, Malcolm Sinclair, John MacInnish, John Carmichael, Donald MacInnish, Donald Campbell, Allan MacLean and Neil McDonald – all tenants of Barrapol and Kenovar.

The petition mentions increase in rents; the division of land into crofts; a penalty of £10; difficulty in disposing of cattle due to distemper; being ‘burtherned and oppressed” by needing to perform services to the Factor and his servants; request to reduce the rent.

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Click to view a record for this item on Inveraray’s online catalogue.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2021.53.78

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Digitised copy of Letter from Malcolm McLaurine, chamberlain of Tiree, to the Duke of Argyll, 15 Apr 1803. McLaurine discusses: carrying out the plan of four mail lands; threat of emigration; crofts; joint occupation of the mail lands; obtaining compliance with the mail lands scheme; fishing; mills; encroachment of the Reef; barley and distilling; smuggling of gin brandy and tobacco. In a post script, McLaurine discusses tenants, mail lands, and quarrying tools.

Click to view a record for this item on Inveraray’s online catalogue.

Click to read a transcript of this item.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2021.53.77

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Digitised Copy letter from Captain Archibald Campbell, secretary to the Duke of Argyll, to Malcolm McLaurine, chamberlain of Tiree, 8 Apr 1803. Campbell discusses: plans surrounding the division of the island into four mail lands; emigration; selecting ‘quiet and industrious’ tenants for joint occupancy of the mail lands; mills; postponing building of the schoolhouses.

Click to read a transcript of this item.

Click to view a record for this item on Inveraray’s online catalogue.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2021.53.76

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Digitised copy of Letter from Malcolm McLaurine, chamberlain of Tiree, to James Ferrier, 22 Mar 1803. James Ferrier was one of the Principal Clerks of Session. Also included is an incomplete copy of this letter.

In this letter McLaurine discusses cutting down the farms of Scarinish, Hianish [Heanish] and Balemartine and opposition to the plans to establish four mail lands from tenants of Barapoll [Barrapol] and Kenovar. McLaurine names Archibald McLean as being the most active protester and mentions that the inhabitants do not wish to ‘adopt any improvements inconsistent with their old customs & habits’ and that ‘their old hereditary customs and practices must be sacrificed’. McLaurine ascribes the inhabitants aversion to crofts and fishing as being due to ‘the idleness and laziness of their habits’. McLaurine also mentions the removal of ‘whisky delinquents’ to ‘upper Canada’.

Click to read a transcript of this item.

Click to view a record for this item on Inveraray’s online catalogue.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2021.53.75

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Digitised copy of Copy sketch of Tiree set, 22 Mar 1803. Contains a table showing the farms in Tiree to be divided into mail lands (a unit of land tenure), and contains some remarks on how receptive the tenants were to the proposed changes. The table also contains the number of mail lands and tenants for each farm, as well as the number of tenants to remain and to be removed.

Click to read a transcript of this item.

Click to view a record for this item on Inveraray’s online catalogue.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2021.53.73

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Digitised copy of Letter from Malcolm McLaurine, Chamberlain of Tiree, to the 5th Duke of Argyll, 29 Mar 1802. In this letter, McLaurine discusses the removal of people from the island. Those selected for ‘Removings’ include: those found guilty of illegal distilling, two young millers at Cornaigmore who ‘paid no attention to the machinery, nor to their work’, and Malcolm McDonald (Caoles) for taking trees from Loch Sunart to sell in Coll. Those in fishing stations were under warning. McLaurine also discusses: the division of land into four mail lands; Major Maxwell and George Langland; the use of the Reef by cottars and the lack of ‘grass mail’ paid by them. McLaurine mentions the 5th Duke of Argyll’s instructions to remove ‘every 10th man, and those the most criminal’.

Click to view a transcript of this item.

Click to view a record for this item on Inveraray’s online catalogue.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.