Charter

Scope and Content

Charter by Andrew, Bishop of Moray, in which he takes under his protection the house called the vale of St Andrew, founded by King Alexander in the forest of Ploschardin, and the Brothers of the Valliscaulian Order there, with their goods, men and possessions and confirms to them the place itself (locum ipsum) and the forest, all the land of Hochtertyr with appurtenances and all else which they have obtained or may obtain from the King or others of the faithful. He specifies certain possessions, viz. 20 nets above inuerspe, the mill of Elgin with the mills of Dunkinedin and Molen with their multures, the mills formerly belonging to the castle of Forais bailiary and their multures, the fishery of Polfode with all poles and fisheries which the said King held in Fynder ascending from Polfode, saving the fisheries belonging to his castle of Forais and the Thainage of Farnanan'. He also confirms to them, at the request of the King, its patron, the church of Durres with its appurtenances, the Brethren to have for their maintenance all tithes of sheaves and corn within that parish and the tithes of the mills and lands pertaining to the church, the Prior and Convent to present a suitable vicar on a vacancy who shall account to them for temporalities and to the diocesan Bishop for spiritualities. He further confirms to them all tithes of sheaves within the bounds of the above-named forest and the land of Hochtertyr, with the whole tithe of Ploschardin mill and of the iron found within the forest bounds and the whole tithe of iron found in the mines there. He approves all liberties and immunities which the late Pope Honorius granted them, by which they are exempt from tithes on their gardens, the young of animals and the issue of their larger animals.

Bibliography

The Latin text is printed in S. R. Macphail, History of the Religious House of Pluscardyn (Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier, 1881), Appendix H (pp. 201-3), and a translation is given in Appendix I (pp. 203-4). A facsimile appears on the plate facing p. 66. See also ibid., pp. 69-70.