Series 3 > Highland papers

INTRODUCTORY NOTE
More than twenty years ago the Duke of Argyll, who
had access to the writs of the ancient family of Campbell
of Strachur, personally transcribed a number of the older
ones and made abstracts or extracts from many others.
To these have been added material from the charter room
at Inveraray and other sources, and the whole collection
has been placed at the disposal of the Society for in¬
clusion in the present volume. His Grace has also had the
kindness to furnish numerous notes which much enhance
the interest and value of the documents.
To the student of Highland history as well as to the
genealogist, this material will be most welcome for many
reasons, and specially for the light thrown on the part
of the country to which it relates.
According to immemorial tradition, the Celtic missionary
who converted to Christianity the country extending east¬
wards from the marches of Argyll was St. Fillan, son of
St. Kentigerna and nephew of St. Congan. The organisa¬
tion of the Celtic Church, as is well known, was monastic
rather than parochial, and religious houses were founded
all over the country. The names of many of these old
monasteries are still preserved, but little is known of their
history and apparent decline even before the ecclesiastical
changes introduced by Queen Margaret and her sons.
Speaking generally, what seems to have happened was this.
With the decay of religion the lands of the monasteries
passed into the hands of laymen, who inherited or took
the title of Abb or Abbot, and left the religious services
to be performed by a Prior and a few clerics, often, if not
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