0042468

RHP92687

National Archives of Scotland

1st. Map of Brunston Marches 26 April 1717

Anonymous

Mapmaker

Clerk, John, Sir of Penicuik

Landowner

Forbes, John of Culloden & Newhall (d.1734)

Landowner

1518-1718

This map was prepared in support of the claims of Sir John Clerk, the first baronet of Penicuik (d. 1722), in his boundary dispute with his neighbours, the Forbes of Newhall. Originally, the dispute was with Sir David Forbes of Newhall, and there are two earlier maps from 1713 in images 00002145 and 0002255. By the time of this map, Sir David Forbes has died, and the Newhall properties have come into the possession of John Forbes, of Culloden, his nephew. The cause of the dispute is the seam of coal '6 foot thick', which runs across both the Newhall-Marfield and the Penicuik-Brunstane properties, and which the map in image 00002145 shows that Sir David had started to mine, in 1713, at which time he had claimed that the march line ran further north-east than Sir John Clerk thought, giving Sir David access to more coal. This map is dated 26 April 1717, and uses different colours of shading to show the properties of Walstone, Brunstane and Auchencorth, which belonged to Clerk, and Newhall and Marfield, which belonged to the Forbes. Interestingly, the crucial 'Coalcleugh', which Sir John had used as his march line, is now simply labelled 'cleugh', but Sir John sticks to the actual line itself in his claim. However, the map seems to be incomplete, as the march line claimed by the Forbes is drawn in pencil, and marked 'H' (leading to 'E', the 'Litle cruik' on the Monks Burn), but not explained or disputed, as it had been in the 1713 maps, and is in image 00002242, a map drawn a year later. Just as he had in 1713, Sir John Clerk uses a document from 1518 to substantiate his claims about the boundaries. That document had recorded in meticulous detail the walking of the marches between these two properties, on 7 October of that year, to establish the exact lines of the boundaries. Sir John transcribes the relevant part of it in the original Latin, on to the map, and adds his own note that the original officials who laid down the boundary stones, had 'appoint never to be altered'. He also emphasises the fact that these boundaries 'will [be] 200 years old come 7 October [1718]', the antiquity of the agreed and witnessed boundaries being an important legal point. There is a note on the verso that on 6 August 1717, a copy of this map had been given to 'My Ld Grange one of ye arbiters chosen by us', and another copy to 'Lord Polton', and a year later, on 17 March 1718, a copy of the details of the 1518 perambulations had been given to 'Mr. Ingles'. This map also shows the farms at Nine Mile Burn, the houses at Newhall, Marfield and Auchencorth, the North Esk, Monks Burn, and a second 'Coalcleugh or Coalsyke', this one running south from the Esk instead of north.

Manuscript map/plan

44 x 57cm (1' 5 5/16" x 1' 10 7/16")

Paper

Hand coloured

Auchencorth

Brunstane

Marfield House

Midlothian

Monks Burn

Newhall

Newhall House

Nine Mile Burn

North Esk

Penicuik

Scotland

Walstone

Boundary disputes

Mines and mineral resources

Sinclair, John, The Statistical Account of Scotland, v.10, Edinburgh, 1792, pp.419-432.

Chambers, Robert, Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen, updated, (Edinburgh & Glasgow, 1856).

Courtesy of the Keeper of the Records of Scotland

Cropped Tiff

100780108

1st. Map of Brunston Marches 26 April 1717 [1 of 2]

7072 x 7072

0042468c.tif

00001750

06/12/2000 10:35:00