THE HISTORY OF THE AREA
The Reformation / Ross of Morangie
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THE HISTORY OF THE AREA
The Reformation / Ross of Morangie
In 1567, Thomas Ross, related to the Rosses of Balnagown, received the provostry of the college and from 1569 he was also abbot of Fearn. Although royal charters continued to speak of the various chaplainries of the college until well into the 17th Century, by his death in 1596 the collegiate church had effectively long since ceased to exist. Thomas seized many of the opportunities which the Reformation brought, including the right of the clergy to marry, thus founding a legitimate family succession. As provost, moreover, he enjoyed the tithes of Cambuscurrie, Morangie and Tarlogie, and in 1580 acquired a large block of what had once been burgh-common, intending that it be the inheritance of his son, Walter, who at the age of five in 1580, had also received a seven-year grant of the chaplainry of Morangie on the death of the old chaplain, Jerome Pait. When his seven year tenure neared expiry, Thomas arranged for Walter's succession in the lands of Morangie by his younger son, William. William's temporary possession of the chaplainry of Morangie was then converted into a life rent, on the understanding that on his death it would pass to Walter or his heirs. By January 1595 Walter was calling himself 'Walter Ross of Morangie'.The mill of Morangie, which had been one of the endowments of the sacristan of Tain, was another much sought-after plum, due to the revenues derived from the milling of flour there. One of the ancient rights of lordship was that tenants were obliged to have their grain milled at the mill of their lord, and pay for that dubious privilege. When the property was granted to the church in the 15th Century that obligation - known as 'thirling to the mill' - had also been transferred to the new owners. In the later 16th Century, when many former tenants had gained possession of their holdings by feu-charter, amongst the few burdens on them that were maintained, was this obligation of thirlage and the payment of multures (the fee for the milling), although many paid a fixed fee to avoid the inconvenience of the obligation. For example, in 1586 when William Ross of Logie, in the parish of Nigg, acquired his feu-charter, he was still obliged to cart his grain the seven miles or so to Morangie to have it milled. Control of the sacristanship of Tain and its rights at Morangie was secured by the Rosses of Cambuscurrie and in 1598 Malcolm Ross was confirmed in possession by the king, but ten years later in a general grant of lands in Ross-shire to George Munro of Davochcarty, the mill was transferred from Ross hands.
The First Rosses of Morangie
Before the death in 1596 of his father, Walter Ross was established in control of the kirklands at Morangie and this was to form the basis of his personal fortune. Most of the property was scattered around Tain itself rather than concentrated solely at Morangie (although the 'toun' of Morangie itself consisted of half a davoch of land - 60 acres). There does not seem to have been a 'big house' at Morangie and the chief building property of the old chaplains had been a large manse in Tain itself. This, however, had fallen into disuse and was disposed of by the Rosses, who instead built a new residence in the burgh.
Walter worked consistently to build up the inheritance which his father had left him. In 1603 he gained possession of the mill of Morangie by a short contract with Malcolm Ross, but this was not renewed and in 1608 it passed forever beyond his reach. It was in Tain that most consolidation was undertaken that placed Walter in the top six landowners in the burgh.
Divisions appeared in Walter's family, even before his death between Thomas, the son of his first marriage, and his second wife, Alison Clephane and her brood of ten children. Naturally, the dispute was over property, for Walter had 'wadset' or mortgaged his possessions to Alison and her children, the pledge being redeemable by Walter and Thomas on payment of £4000 for the Tain lands and 4000 merks for Morangie. Walter had obtained letters of reversion on the property, which he transferred to Thomas, but full settlement of the wadset was still outstanding in 1629 when Alison and her eldest son, John, received title to Morangie. Thomas at once started to buy out his half-brother's interest, paying 1000 merks up front and the balance in 1633. The Tain property did not pass to Thomas, but was kept instead to provide for the ten children of Walter's second marriage.
Thomas, born in March 1599, graduated with an MA from the faculty of Arts at St Salvator's College, St Andrews in 1619. In the early 1620s he became a notary and in 1628 was master of Tain grammar school. In about 1630 he entered the service of the young David Ross XII of Balnagown, possibly as a tutor to the young lord. Through this connection he received a tack or tenancy of the lands of Milton of Westray in Edderton parish, a property of some 60 acres which restored his position as nominal head of his own kin. It did, however, bring problems, for in 1644 its value at 400 merks by the occupying Cromwellian garrison in the district, placed him at the head of the list of property-owners in Tain, resulting in his appointment as the man responsible for the supply of 'cess' or military provisions from the parish, a job which made him very unpopular. Despite this, he retained his local standing and was still a gentleman of substance when he died on 13th September 1658.
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