Bannatyne Club > Origines parochiales Scotiae > Volume 2, part 1

loNA.] PAROCHIALES. 295
Killenew in Ylay, and Killean in Torsay in Mull, to be prebendaries.^ In 1617 the appointment
was ratified by the Scotch parliament.- In 1G62 King Charles 11. and his parliament appointed
an archdeacon for the Isles, and assigned to liim as his ' proper kirks' the churches of Snisort
with Lendill, and the church of Slait and Strath, in the isle of Skye, and the islands of Egg,
Rum, Mac, and Canna.^
The nunnery of lona, an institution probably of the thirteenth century, is first mentioned by
Fordun.* It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and the nuns were of the order of Saint
Augustine, and wore a white gown with a rochet of fine linen.' In the year 1509 King James
IV. granted a letter of protection to his religious and oratrices the lady Agnes daughter
of Donald Makgillane, prioress of the monastery of nuns of the most Blessed Virgin Mary in
the isle of Saint Columba in the lordship of the Isles, and the convent of that monastery —
taking them, their monastery, and the churches, tithes, rights, privileges, liberties, lands,
revenues, and possessions, belonging to them in high land and low, and their bailies, officers,
tenants, familiars, factors, and servitors, and their goods movable and immovable, ecclesiastical
and secular, everywhere, under the special peace, protection, tuition, maintenance, and defence
of the King — and ordering all his lieges within the Isles and elsewhere, and specially Lauehlan
M'Gillane of Dowart, Eanald Alansoun M'Eory, and John M'Gillane of Lochboy, not to annoy
the prioress and the others in any way, or exact from them anything on pretence of ' sornyng
or almsdeed,' or allow others to do the same, but rather to protect them, and that under the
highest penalty.* This prioress, otherwise styled Anna the daughter of Donald M'Terlet,
appears to have died in 154.3.' In 1548 Queen Mary granted a precept under her privy
seal to admit to the temporality of the lands, rents, and possessions of the monastery the lady
Mary Farquhardson or M'Gilleone, prioress of IcolmkiU, promoted by his Holiness the Pope
(Julius III.) to the monastery or nunnery of the same.^ In 1567 the same queen by a letter
under her privy seal granted to Marioun Makclane (apparently the grantee of 1548) ' the
prioressie and nvnrie of the abbey of Ycolmldll Hand within the dioeie of the Ylis, now vakand
throw deceis of vmquhile Agnes M'Clane, last priores thairof, with all and sindrie places, houss,
manss, yairdis, landis, and fischeingis, quhatsumeuir pertening thairto, vsit and wount, for all
the dayis of hir lyftyme — with power to the said Marioun, hir factouris and procuratouris
in hir name, [to ask, craif, ressaue, intromet, and vptak, all and haill] the mailis, fermes,
protfittis, dewiteis, fruitis, rentis, prouentis, emolimentis, and teindis of the said priorissie and
nunrie of the abbay foirsaid vsit and wount fra all and sindrie takismcn, tennentis, parro-
chinnaris, and vthiris intromettouris thairwith, off" all yeiris and termes bigane sen the vacance
thairof, and siclyke yeirlie and termelie in tyme cuming during the said space to crave, ressaif,
vptak, and intromet with, and at hir plesour to dispoun siclike and als frelie in all thingis as
' Acta Pari. Scot., vol. iv. p. 554. c. 10. Ext. e Var. Cron. Scocie, p. i). Spotiswood's
^ Acta Pari. Scot., vol. iv. p. 554. Religious Houses.
3 Acta Pari. Scot., vol. vii. p. 403. " Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. iii. fol. 209.
' Forduni Scotichr., lib. ii. c. 10. ' Tombstone in Nunnery.
5 Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. iii. fol. 209. Ford. Scot., lib. ii. * Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xxii. fol. 37.