The content of this page is an assortment of notes and accounts taken from photocopies of an incomplete set of handwritten papers by an unknown hand. The handwritten sections are highlighted here in Green italics. Everything else is comment or additional notes from the website author. The first part of those handwritten notes replicated here might just give a clue to the writer – it is a simple McKay family tree listed as follows:-
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- Donald McKay (date of birth not yet established)
- Peter McKay b 1742 at Clashnoir
- William McKay b 1788 at Clashnoir To Lockers
- Peter McKay b 1818 at Clashnoir To Lockers
- George McKay b 1862 at Lockers
- Frank McKay b 1891 at Lockers
- Self b 1913 at Marnoch
It is the last bullet point above (Self b 1913) which leads the author to suppose these notes, all in the same handwriting, are written by Frank McKay Jnr. who was in fact born at Marnoch in 1913. It is also thought that he was a policeman in London, the informant who registered his mother’s death, and may himself have passed in Glasgow or Edinburgh (the last point still to be confirmed).
The notes appear to be disjointed and unsequential or incomplete but included here partly for the sake of posterity, because they exist, and partly perhaps of some aid to future researchers if interested and able to access documents referred to. Clearly the notes writer has examined financial accounts for the Glenlivet Estate.
West Register House Charlotte Square. Ledgers of Tenants of the Estate of Glenlivet. Gordon Castle GD44 CR67
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- 6 1824-32 Indexed
- 7 1833-42 Indexed
- 8 1843-62 Indexed
- Wm & Robert McKay, Clashnoir, Pages 59 & 216
- Peter McKay, Clashnoir, Pages 62 & 192
- Christian McKay, Clashnoir, Pages 60, 137 & 205
- Thomas McKay, Timberford, Pages 75
6. Peter McKay N Clashnore. No Lease.
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| To Rent Crop 1824 | £10-10s-0d |
| Road Money | £0-2s-51/2d |
| Fox Hunter | £0-1s-5d |
Now occupied by Robert, son of Peter McKay deceased (continuous to 1832 then to new ledger). Peter passed in 1837, looks like his holding may have transferred to Robert 4 years prior to that.
****
Wm & Robert McKay at Clashnoir. No Lease.
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| To Rent Crop 1824 | £10-10s-0d |
| Wm, Part | £5-5s-0d |
| Robt, Part | £5-5s-0d |
| Road Money | £0-2s-6d |
| Fox Hunter | £0-0s-101/2d |
The Road Money and Fox Hunter payments not made until 1829. Payments continuous but usually in arrears.
NB: This is Wm McKay who left the Glen with his son Peter and built his own house (Turf-sod roof) and then took in 15 acres (The Lockers).
The William and Robert McKay who shared a holding at N(ether) Clashnoir were sons of Peter McKay – Robert (Snr.) took over his father’s (Peter’s) holding and William later left the Glen for The Lockers.
1833 Robert McKay Snr. (succeeded his father Peter)
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| To Rent Crop | £10-10s-0d |
| Road Money | £0-2s-6d |
| Fox Hunter | £0-0s-101/2d |
***
1843 Robert McKay Snr.
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| To Rent Crop | £31-0s-0d |
| Road Money | £0-6s-71/2d |
| Fox Hunter | £0-3s-101/2d |
| Proportion of Shepherd’s Wages | £0-8s-10d |
Paid by cash to 1857 and from this time Rent of Cotters houses were included to the amount of £0-17s-6d.
Also additional shepherd’s wages £0-8s-6d.
Accounts continued in new rental book 1861
***
Robert had a son of the same name and he also appears to have had a holding in N Clashnoir but seems to have been very much in arrears with his rent. In fact no payment was made until 1835 when it was made in part by George Smith and part by Captain Grant. He later resumed payments himself.
Thomas McKay of Timberford (Glenlivet)
1824 Rent Crop £1
1832 Repeat
1833 Thomas McKay of Timberford continued to pay his rent of £1 but then he fell in arrears to the amount of £3.
I have only shown the debit side of the ledger – payments are continuous but mostly in arrears and this appears usual for most tenants. There are only a few tenants with leases (usually 12 or 19 years) and they are mostly named Gordon. A John Gordon leased Upper Clashnoir (now a Government Research Farm at the time of writing) for 19 years from Whitsun 1824 and the rent crop was £51.
A Wm Grant (Achorachan)
Lease of 19 years from Whitsun 1823
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| To Rent Crop | £100-0s-0d |
6. Christian McKay N Clashnore. No Lease.
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| To Arrears Crop 1823 and precedings | £25-15s-0d |
| Rent Crop 1824 | £15-15s-0d |
Feb. 1825 Payment by James and John Taverner. Mr. Mitchell’s receipts produced for part of arrears. Payments continue to be made by the Taverner brothers.
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| Road Money | £0-11s-1d |
| Baron Court Expenses | £0-7s-0d |
| Fox Hunter | £0-8s-0d |
Several years arrears made good. In 1832 names changed to James and John Taverner & Christian McKay no longer appears.
Achnarrow (various spellings, perhaps Clashnoir renamed) is a farm at Glenlivet. The brothers William and James Taverner had dealings there and at nearby N Clashnoir. All were properties of the Duke of Richmond, as was the farm of Croftbain.
A James Grant was in Nether and Upper Achnarrow in 1848 and the total paid was £86.0s.0d. To clarify holdings (or perhaps further confuse), text from Banffshire Ordnance Survey Names shows as follows:-
Clashnore – A large farm steading & farm of arable land in the Braes of Glenlivet. James Grant, tenant. Robert McKay, Nether Clashnore. John Gordon, Upper Clashnore. Rent Receipt 1867.
Nether Clashnore – A group of houses comprising three farm steadings situated in the Braes of Glenlivet. James Grant, tenant. Robert McKay, Nether Clashnore. John Gordon, Upper Clashnore. Rent Receipt 1867.
Upper Clashnore – A middling sized farm steading and farm of land in the Braes of Glenlivet. James Grant, tenant. Robert McKay, Nether Clashnore. John Gordon, Upper Clashnore. Rent Receipt 1867.
The author presumes that the McKays had holdings (Clashnoir/Clashnore) as tenants or sub-tenants on property owned by the Duke of Richmond and tenanted by James Grant. It is also presumed that William McKay (brother of Robert McKay Snr.) and his family leaving the braes of Glenlivet did so due to lack of opportunity for all concerned in farming the relatively small area of Glenlivet, allowing younger brother Robert to continue on his own.
Wm Taverner, Achnarrow (Croftbain) 1848-1854
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| To Rent Crop | £61-0s-0d |
| Road Money | £0-18s-10d |
| Fox Hunter | £0-5s-6d |
| Insurance house & kitchen to Xmas 1855 | £0-6s-9d |
This carried on until 1861 when the total amount paid was £91.14s.4d.
****
James Taverner, Nether Clashnoir
This may well be one of the Taverner brothers who took over the holding of Christian McKay.
| Account Item | Pounds shillings and pence |
|---|---|
| To Arrears 1836 | £4-2s-83/4d |
| Rent Crop 1837 | £7-17s-6d |
| Road Money | £0-1s-103/4d |
| Fox Hunter | £0-1s-4d |
| No Payments Made | |
| To Arrears 1838 & Precedings | £47-1s-11/4d |
Tenant removed and place given to John Grant for crop 1839
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