Buccleuch Estate Rentals

Andrew Armstrong (descendant of Buccleuch tenants)

and their importance to genealogists…

• Glasgow

• Dalkeith

• Hawick

• Dumfries

• Kettering, Northants

• Melrose

• Innerleithen

• Selkirk

• Langholm

• Newcastleton

• Edinburgh

• Thornhill, D & G

• Sanquhar

Street names give us a clueabout the importance ………….

• Buccleuch Arms, St Boswells

• Buccleuch Arms, Moffat

• Buccleuch & Queensberry Arms, Thornhill

• The Buccleuch, Dalkeith

• Buccleuch Hotel, Hawick

Not to mention pubs…….………….

Buccleuch Estates

• Largest private landholder in Scotland today (>240,000 acres) and indeed the UK.

• Large tracts of Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire and Dumfriesshire

• Parts of Midlothian and Peeblesshire

• Boughton Estate in Northamptonshire

• Continuous ownership over hundreds of years

Buccleuch Muniments

• Records of the family of Scott of Buccleuch from the 12th century onwards

• In the care of the National Records of Scotland reference GD224

• Deeds,accounts,correspondence for many of the estates and family members

• Rentals for Border estates plus Dalkeith (but not Queensberry estate)

• To gain access to records it is necessary to sign a ‘no publication without permission’ undertaking

• Search index online

Internet Search https://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/search.aspx

What NRS say about estate rentals…

“Where individuals are mentioned, rentals only give the name of the head of the house and do not list wives, children or other dependants.”

National Records of Scotland website

http://www.nas.gov.uk/guides/estaterecords.asp

Names of Estates• Roxburghshire

– Branxholme, Wilton, Whitchester, Hawick, Burnfoot, Cavers, Hassendean/Roberton, Teviotdalehead, Liddesdale, Eckford, Melrose/Eildon

• Selkirkshire– Ettrick Forest

• Dumfriesshire– Canonbie/Debateable Land, Eskdale (Staplegorton, Westerkirk, Wauchope),

Eskdalemuir, Ewesdale

– Drumlanrig, Tibbers, Sanquhar, Mouswald, Ross

• Midlothian– Dalkeith, Sheriffhall, Inveresk, Musselburgh

• Peeblesshire– Kirkurd

Buccleuch Rental Records

• Each estate had a chamberlain responsible for

Issuing tacks, Setting and collecting rents, repairs etc AND keeping records !

• Generally records are of a high standard and have survived very well

• Classification and indexing is however not as straightforward – some smart searching required to find all rental information

• Estate names and spellings change over time• Names (Canonbie or Debateable Land). Hawick or Branxholm.

• Spellings = Canonbie, Canobie, Kanaby, Cannobie, Kannabie

Buccleuch Estates Map

Example of 1635 Rental

Example of 1711 Rental

Victual Rent

4 pecks = 1 firlot; 4 firlots = 1 boll. 1 peck = approx. 9 litres dry

Typical Rental Availability - Liddesdale

• 17th Century - almost every year 1630-1700

• 18th Century - 1705-1721,1729,1730,1732, 1739,1766-1774,1792-1797

• 19th Century - 1814,1829-1900

• 20th Century – 1901-1934

Typical Rental Availability - Dalkeith

• 17th Century -

• 18th Century - 1714,1720,1723-1772

• 19th Century - 1812-1829, 1851-1900

• 20th Century – 1901-1928

• So are the rentals just a list of names of farm tenants ?

Development of Langholm

• 99 year leases granted for house building in New Langholm in 1777.

1792-1797 Rental for Eskdale(GD224/528/1)

Border Reiver Families

• Rentals date from 1630 in Canonbie and Liddesdale, heartland of the Border Reivers• A generation after the reivers were executed, migrated (forcibly or otherwise), or learned to live in

relative peace and harmony with their neighbours

Fishings on the River Esk let to John Armstrong of Holhous (Hollows), from 1635 Canonbie rental. John was great grandson of the most infamous reiver of all -Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, hung along with his followers at Carlenrig by James V in 1530.

Reiver Nicknames

1635 Canonbie Rental : “Nether Whitliesyde sett to AndroArmstrang called hyde the bannie”

Nicknames from reiver times

• Willie ‘Redcloak’ Bell

• Jock ‘Half Lugs’ Elliot

• ‘Nebless’ Clem Crosier

• Archie ‘Fire the Braes’ Elliot

• Davy ‘the Lady’ Armstrong

• George ‘Buggerback’ Elliot

Family History Research Techniques

• Buccleuch Estates

– Paternalistic approach

– Tenant’s heir most likely to succeed to tenancy

• 1. Look for relative clues in the text…..

• 2. Year by year comparison

– possible range 1630 – 20th century

• 3. Combine with other sources (such as OPRs or Monumental Inscriptions)

Relatives mentioned in Rental(all from Canonbie estate)

• (1766) Inner Woodhead “Barbara SCOTT and William MARTIN her son”

• (1766) Auchenrivock “Andrew HEISLOP as succeeding his father John HEISLOP and Thomas HEISLOP his uncle tutor in law and cautioner”

• (1739) Glenzierbecknowe “William, George, James and Margaret IRVINE, children of deceased David IRVINE”

Year by Year: Orchard Farm,Canonbie

Year(s) Reference Tenant

1695 GD224/254/10 Francis Cavart

1701 GD224/241/1 Francis Cavart

1706 GD224/557/4 Francis Cavart

1710 GD224/557/4 Herbert Cavart

1713 GD224/557/4 Herbert Cavart

1734 GD224/557/4 Christian Edgar, David Hill cautioner

1739 GD224/557/3 Christian Edgar, David Hill and Wm Beatty cautioners for her

1766 GD224/285/5 William Calvert, Edward Calvert

1792-1797 GD224/528/1 William Calvert, Edward Calvert

1814 GD224/485/7 Herbert Calvert

© Relatively Scottish 2020

Use with other sources (where available)

• Monumental Inscriptions

• OPRs

Other Sources: Glenzier Garden, Canonbie

Year Reference Tenant Other Sources

1689 GD224/409/1 John Armstrong MI 1638-1710

1701 GD224/241/1 John Armstrong MI 1638-1710

1709 GD224/557/4 John Armstrong MI 1638-1710

1710 GD224/557/4 John Armstrong MI 1638-1710

1711 GD224/557/4 Blench Carruthers , Christopher and John her sons cautioners

MI 1642-1721 (Blench)MI 168x-172x (Christopher)

1713 GD224/557/4 Blench Carruthers her sons cautioners

MI 1642-1721

1734 GD224/557/4 John Armstrong None

1739 GD224/557/3 John Armstrong None

1745 GD224/239/5 Andrew Armstrong OPR birth of son 1762

1766 GD224/285/5 Andrew Armstrong OPR birth of son 1762OPR death 1790

1/3 of tenancy

Suggested Starting Point

• GD224/528/1 1792-1797 Rental of the Duke of Buccleuch'sestates in the counties of Dumfries, Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles, with accounts of variations

– 21 year tacks the norm so stable tenancies

– All changes in tenancy over the 5 year period detailed – deaths usually mentioned, successor tenant’s relation to previous tenant mentioned

Family of Mungo Park

Rental 1792-1797 for Ettrick Forest Foulshiells and Faeside let to Mungo Park (explorer’s father)

Tenancy transferred to John Park (explorer’s brother) upon the death of father Mungo in 1795

Other Famous Residents

• Thomas Telford (Westerkirk Estate)• Kirkpatrick Macmillan (Drumlanrig Estate)• James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd (Ettrick

Forest Estate)

Some other Estate Records with Rentals in South Scotland ?

• GD 1 various small estates

• GD 3 Montgomerie of Eglinton (Ayrshire)

• GD 10 Murray of Cally/Broughton (Galloway)

• GD 18 Penicuik (Midlothian)

• GD 25 Kennedy of Cassillis (Ayrshire)

• GD 40 Lothian Estates (Roxburghshire)

• GD 109 Dalrymple-Hamilton of Bargany (Ayrshire)

• GD 150 Earls of Morton – Dalmahoy (Midlothian)

• GD 157 Scott of Harden (Selkirkshire)

• GD 158 Hume of Polwarth (Berwickshire)

• GD 364 Hope of Luffness (East Lothian)

Thank You !

• Farm Names of Dalkeith & Border Estates http://relativelyscottish.com/buccleuch-estate-records/

• Farm Names of Queensberry Estates https://relativelyscottish.com/buccleuch-estate-records-for-the-queensberry-estate/

• © Relatively Scottish 2020