Bad

Culross, Perth (now Fife), Scotland

Note 3

Bad, in the Lordship of Culross and Sheriffdom of Perth.

From The counties of Perth and Clackmannan. Imprint: Perth [1805] by James Stobie, fl. 1775-1804 Source: National Library of Scotland

Alexander Masterton, who then occupied these lands, received a charter from the Monastery of Culross, dated 16th April 1544. The month is blank in the original charter, but is supplied from the instrument of sasine, dated 17th April 1544. David, Archibishop of St.Andrews, on 4th March of that year appointed a commission, consisting of the Archdean of Whitthorn (Andrew Arnot), the Provost of Trinity College, near Edinburgh (George Clapperton), and James Wilson, Canon of the Church of Dunblane, to inquire whether this grant was for the benefit of the monastery. After two ratifications by these dignitaries, dated 9th and 18th March, we have the charter and sasine above mentioned. Ranald and his spouse, by charter dated 21st December 1599, made over to their son Robert, on his marriage, the lands and the coal therein (of which Ranald had a charter from the monastery on 23d November 1575) and on 6th December 1609 Ranald, with consent of his wife and of his son Robert and his wife, executed a contract of alienation thereof in favour of John Erskine of Little Sauchie.

The information for this note is, through the courtesy of Messrs. Mackenzie and Kermack, W.S., taken from the title-deeds in their possession as agents for John Alistair Erskine Cuninghame, Esq., of Balgownie.

These lands are to be distinguished from the lands of Masterton Baith, which appear in the Dunfermline Register, and also from the lands of West Bath, in the parish of Culross.

Cuninghame family, of Balgownie, Culross

Writs of lands of Bad in lordship of Culross, sheriffdom of Perth

1544

Including:

Letters by David, cardinal priest of St Stephen, archbishop of St. Andrews, primate of Scotland, legatus natus, addressed to the archdean of Whithorn, the provost of Holy Trinity near Edinburgh, and James Wilsone, canon of church of Dunblane, confirming grant by William, commendator of monastery of Culros, John, abbot thereof, and convent, in favour of Alexander Mastertoune and Jonet Coustoun, his spouse, of lands of Bad in lordship of Culros, sheriffdom of Perth, 4 nones March 1544.

Papers of the Cuninghame family, of Balgownie, Culross, Fife
1533-1924
NRAS2160/Bundle 28
Writs of lands of Bad in lordship of Culross, sheriffdom of Perth
1544-1615
Deposited in Central Library, Dunfermline

The Place-Names of Fife

by Simon Taylor with Gilbert Markus

BADS (Obsolete) [Culross parish] Settlement; National Grid Ref NS974883; (assumed location)

Bad 1540 x 1543 RMS iii no. 2869
Bad 1574 x 1586 RMS v no. 1109
lands of Bad 1587 Culross Chrs. 83 no. 50 [set in feu to Alexander Maistertoun]
lands of Bad 1587 Culross Chrs. 83 no. 51 [feu duty of great and small coal in the bounds of the lands of Bad set in feu to Ronald Maistertoun, fiar of Bad]
mire of Baid 1587 Culross Chrs. 86 no. 86 [free entry in the mire of Baid to cast turf, heather etc. ... set in feu to Robert Bruce of Blairhall]
lands of Bad 1589 RMS v no. 2152 [to James Colvill of abbey of Culross]
Bad 1592 RMS v no. 2152
mora de Baid 1592 RMS v no. 2152 [free entry to the muir of Bads (Baid) for digging turf, peat, etc.]
Bad 1609 RMS vii no. 9
Baid 1602 RMS vi no. 1280
terras de Bad 1634 RMS ix no. 134 [John Erskyne sells to Geo. Bruce lands of Bad 'in dominio de Culros, vic. Perth']
Baid 1642 RMS ix no. 1217 [John Erskyne retrieves his lands, including lands of Baid]
Bads 1783 Stobie
Bads 1821 Ainslie/S. Scotland

Gaelic bad or Scots bad
'Spot, clump (of trees)'. W.J. Watson considers this element to be a loan-word into Scottish Gaelic from either British or Pictish *bod 'residence', retained in the specialised sense of 'place, spot'. He says that it is found mainly in place-names in the east of Scotland, from Moray to Peeblesshire (1926, 423-4). However, I know of no occurrences in Fife proper. In this case it is more probably from either the Gaelic bad, or from the Scots loan-word from that bad or baud, both meaning 'thicket, clump of trees, bushes etc.'

Sources:
RMS Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scottorum ed. J.M. Thomson & others, Edinburgh 1882-1914.
Culross Chrs CULROSS ABBEY AND ITS CHARTERS, WITH NOTES ON A FIFTEENTH-CENTURY TRANSUMPT. By WILLIAM DOUGLAS, F.S.A.SCOT
Stobie 1783
Ainslie/Fife Map of the Counties of Fife and Kinross compiled and engraved by John Ainslie 1775.

Culross Abbey and its Charters

CULROSS ABBEY AND ITS CHARTERS, WITH NOTES ON A FIFTEENTH-CENTURY TRANSUMPT. By WILLIAM DOUGLAS, F.S.A.SCOT.
Charge of the Temporality of Kirklands. (relative to Annexation of Benefices to the Crown in the year 1587).

The Act of Parliament of 26th July 1587 for the Annexatioun of the Temporalities of the Benefices to the Crown, ruled that all the revenue of the Church be annexed to the Crown, on the ground that the Crown had been greatly hurt and impoverished in past times by the gift of the greatest part of its proper patrimony to the Abbeys, Monasteries and Clergy, and that the necessity for such disposition had ceased.

PERTHSHIRE: ABBEY OF CULROSS.

29. Feu-farm of lands of Easter Grange and pendicles thereof called Devoly, set in feu to Adam Maistertoun . . . . £11 0 0
capons 16
wedder sheep 1

50. Feu-duty of lands of Bad, set in feu to Alexander Maistertoun:.... £5 6 8
poultry, 16
kids, 2 (or 6/8 apiece)
augmentation £1 6 8

51. Feu-duty of great and small coal in the bounds of lands of Bad, set in feu to Ronald Maistertoun, fiar of Bad: ....£6 13 4