Series 3 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Fourth volume)

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THE MANUSCRIPT HISTORY
The seal is remarkable for its ungrammatical legend, and is, I believe,
the earliest known Maclver seal. Each alternate gyron is rudely scratched
with horizontal lines—for the purpose of relief, the date being, of course,
too early for the modern method of depicting tinctures. But as I under¬
stand that the MacTavish family (and possibly also some of the Mad vers)
used the tinctures, blue and silver, I strongly suspect that they were taken,
at a later date, from this seal, under a misapprehension, as I suggested in
an article in the Oban Times of 28th April 1923.
Lands of Barkichbeyan.
6. At Inveraray, 10 Dec. 1481 : Charter of the 7b merk
land of Barrichbeyan in the lordship of Craignish by Colin,
Earl of Argyll, to his beloved cousin, Donaldo Johannis M‘Dugal
Cragnich, and the lawful heirs male gotten or to be gotten of
his body. Reddendo : the usual services, ward, relief, marriage
&c., and a six-oared galley when required. Witnesses : Archi¬
bald Campbell, Master of Argyll and Lome, Archibald Campbell
of Ottir, John, son of Allan Stewart, Archibald MTver of Penny-
more, Donald Campbell, Dougall, son of Allan Campbell, Niall
Campbell of Tovlaren and John Dewar, rector of Lochaw.
Note.—I give the grantee’s name exactly as it stands in the original,
as the author of the MS. states that his father was John gorm M'Dugal
Craignish. I published a practically full transcript of this charter in the
Oban Times of 1st July 1922.
7. 13 Dec. 1497 : Instrument of Resignation and re-infeft-
ment, narrating that Margaret Nekigile produced an old
charter of the lands of Bargabey (sic) to her deceased father
(not named), and showed that she was his fifth daughter and
thus owned one-fifth of the said land, which she resigned into
the hands of Colin, Earl of Argyll, for a regrant to Donald,
son of John M‘Coul Cragnich. Witnesses : ^Archibald, son
and apparent heir of John M‘Coul Cragnich of Corwarran,
Archibald MTver of Pennymore, Donald and John Campbell,
and John M‘Kellar. The notary is John Dewar, priest of
Argyll diocese.
Note.—The date actually reads ‘ 1407,’ nonagesimo being omitted in
error at the beginning of a new line. But the papal year, the sixth year
of Alexander vi., shows the true date. Oddly enough, there is a second
error in the document. Earl Colin had been dead for more than four
years ! It is almost inconceivable how the notary can have made such a
mistake.