Group of 15th century documents
c.1420-1496, relating to the 6th-8th Lairds of Kilravock
Estimate: £2,000 - £3,000
Auction: 18 June 2025 from 10:00 BST
Description
[The family of Lochloy] Writ dated the 15th February 1422 from Thomas Earl of Murreff[?] to Squire John, Lord of Lochloy, regarding an unfulfilled betrothal contract and associated gifts of lands, informing him that “It is in fresch memore with you, as we understand, that throu certane tailye made betwix us and your fadir, ye ar oblisit to spouse a douchtir of ouris” however “and now of new we haf herd be certane relacioun of our lufet cusine Donalde thayne of Caldor, that ye wald be releschit of your obliging til us of the saide mariage, and haf our licence, fredome and gude will to spouse a douchter of the saide Donalde thayne of Caldor”, written on vellum, 35 x 22cm, with an impressive seal attached [Rose, Shaw & Innes p.124];
Document dated 11th April 1431, with two attached seals;
[Copy of the Crown Charter] Re-affirming the ownership of the Kilvarock Estates, dated June 1440 (see lot 7);
[Resignation] into the hands of Alexander, Earl of Ross, by John Rose of Kilravock, in favour of Hugh Rose, his son, dated 22nd June 1440, 14 lines in Latin on vellum, 31 x 8.5cm;
and another copy;
[Charter of resignation] of Alexander Earl of Ross granting the barony (presumably to “John de Roos”), dated 2nd July 1440, 20 lines on vellum, 29 x 14.5cm;
[Charter of resignation] of “John de Roos” granting the barony to John, dated Inverness, 20th July 1440, 15 lines in Latin on vellum, 30.5 x 13cm;
[Confirmation of fiefdom] confirming the lands of Kilravock and Geddes as belonging to “Hugh Roos”, dated 20th July 1440, 13 lines on vellum, 28 x 10.5cm, with a finely preserved seal;
Document “infefting” Hugh Rose in the above lands, dated 9th September 1443, 31 lines on vellum, two large holes;
MacDonald, John, Earl of Ross - John of Islay, Fourth Lord of the Isles. Licence to build Kilravock Castle keep: “our full power ande licence till our luffid cosing, man ande tennand, Huchone de Roos, barou of Kylravok, to fund, big, ande vpmak a toure of fens, with barmkin ande bataling, wpon quhat place of strynth him best likis, within the barony of Kylrawok, without ony contradictioun or demavnd, questioun, or ony obiection to put in contrar of him or his ayris…”, dated 18th February 1461, 7 lines on vellum, 30 x 7cm, with intact seal [Rose, Shaw & Innes p.135];
[Lands or Urquhart and Glenmorison] Instrument relating to the ownership of these lands, 28 lines in Latin on vellum, 41 x 24cm, ink soiling obstructing text (dated 26th March 1479) [Rose, Shaw & Innes p.139];
and another document, unrecorded, dated 20th June 1463;
Grant of a piece of land in Elgin, dated 20th June 1472, comprising 36 lines on vellum, with two seals attached, 29.5 x 19cm;
“Receipt under the … seal for a Great Seal charter”, dated 2nd March 1475, relating to the document in lot 7;
and another document, unrecorded, dated 21st August 1475;
and another document, unrecorded, dated 1476;
and another document, unrecorded, dated 21st August 1479, with a good-quality Bishop's seal attached;
and another document, unrecorded, dated 13th August 1492;
and another document, unrecorded, dated 17th November 1494, with seal attached;
and another document, unrecorded, dated 17th November 1495, with remains of seal attached;
document regarding the accession of Hugh Rose, the 8th Laird of Kilravock, dated 20th May 1496, 29 lines on vellum, seal, 16.5 x 27cm;
and another document, unrecorded, dated 17th November 1498, with seal attached (23)
Footnote
Hugh, the fifth Laird of Kilravock, died some time before the year 1420 and was proceeded by his son, John. Often referred to as “John de Roos of Kilravock”, the sixth Laird took great pains to recover the legal rights and title to the Barony, which he had not automatically inherited. The documents here show the complex story of the resignation and granting of various lands and titles.
Hugh, the seventh Laird, well-cemented in his title and land by the 1460s, took advantage of James I's command that: “everilk lorde hafande Lands beyond the mownth, in the quhilk landis in aulde tymes thare was castells, fortalyces and maner places, big, reparel and reforme thar castells and manors, and dwell in thaim be thaim self or be ane of thare frends, for the gracious governall of their lands, be gude polising, and to expende the froyte of thai landis in the cuntre whare the lands lyis.” Accordingly, in 1461, the licence to build what would become Kilravock Castle's keep was issued by the Lord of the Isles and can be found here.