Records of the Camerons of Lochiel 1727-2006 Volume 1: Estate papers CL/A/1-15 Highland Archive Service: Lochaber Archive Centre CONTENTS Foreword 3 Introduction 4 1 The Lochiel Inventory 7 2 Legal documents 7 3 Correspondence 3.1 Letter books 9 3.2 Subject files 13 3.3 Annual correspondence files 62 4 Court cases 68 5 Reports and Statistics 71 6 Valuations 76 7 Lochiel Estate Trustees 78 8 Financial records 78 9 Maps and Plans 111 10 Architects‘ Plans, Diagrams 118 11 Ballachulish Ferry Company Limited 121 12 Glen Quoich Estate 123 13 Loch Shiel Estate 132 14 DM Macniven 132 15 Keil Estate 133 Index 134 Map of Lochiel Estates c1700 2 Achnacarry House Achnacarry I am delighted that this collection of records from the Lochiel family is now safely deposited in the Lochaber Archive Centre where I hope it will be of interest to researchers and other interested parties. I would like to thank and praise Dr Sandra Bardwell for her excellent work in sorting, preserving and cataloguing the collection, and Susan Beckley, Highland Council Archivist, for her supervision and encouragement. Without their help and knowledge, these records would not have been so expertly arranged and preserved for future generations. I hope, too, that others will be encouraged to lend or gift historical documents to this excellent Archive Centre in Lochaber. Donald Cameron of Lochiel 27th Chief of Clan Cameron 3 _______________________________________________________________________________________ GB 0232 CL Records of the Camerons of Lochiel 1727 – 2006 RECORDS IDENTITY STATEMENT Reference Code: GB 0232 CL Title: Records of the Camerons of Lochiel Dates of creation of material: 1727 – 2006 Extent of the unit of description: 39 linear metres RECORDS’ CONTEXT Names of creators: Estate employees, tenants, contractors, agents, solicitors, accountants, bankers Clan Chiefs and family members Other members of Clan Cameron Other people, including relatives and friends Officers of national and local government, and of government of a few overseas countries. Officers of government agencies, commissions Private business people Administrative History: Relatively little material relating to management of the estate before 1745 and the subsequent annexation of the estate by the state has survived. Following the restoration of the estate to Donald Cameron of Lochiel, 22nd Clan Chief, under the General Act of Amnesty 1784, management of the estate was gradually formalised, and was professionally organised after the accession of the 23rd Clan Chief in 1832, with at least one local factor, other estate staff and, in due course, solicitors and accountants. Very few personal papers have survived pre-1800, apart from a relatively small body of ‗Jacobite‘ papers and the Lovat correspondence. Records of the 22nd Clan Chief are also few in number but for the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th Clan Chiefs, generally extensive, referring to a wide range of responsibilities and interests. 4 RECORDS’ CONTENT AND STRUCTURE Scope and Content/Abstract: Lochiel estate: legal records relating to status, ownership, boundaries, feus, tenancies, crofting, correspondence and financial records relating to management of lands (especially for sport), stock (mainly sheep), forests, buildings, fences, roads, statistics and reports, maps and plans (1727-2006). Other properties: Ballachulish Ferry Co: minutes, agreements, ledger (1909-1975); Glen Quoich estate: letter books, cash books, expenditure book (1873-1907). Others: Clan Chiefs and others: correspondence, papers re legal and financial matters, photographs, pictorial material, publications, newspapers (1735-2006). Appraisal, destruction & scheduling information: This material was initially surveyed by The National Archives of Scotland c1980. Some attempts were made by an amateur researcher during the late1990s to impose a scheme of arrangement on some of the personal papers. No material has been considered for destruction. Accruals: Accruals are possible, from past solicitors, accountants and bankers, from members of Clan Cameron and other interested individuals. Scheme of arrangement: A minority of the estate papers and a substantial proportion of the personal papers were found in varying degrees of disorder. In general it was found possible to clearly distinguish between estate and personal papers, though not universally. In cases of uncertainty, papers have been allocated to personal groups. Within these two major groups, the estate papers have been arranged generally in accordance with established orders, based on subject and general purpose. For the personal papers, the basic unit of arrangement is the Clan Chief, following established practice, followed by their immediate, then close families, other members of Clan Cameron and other people, then records of general relevance, mainly subject files of secondary material. RECORDS’ CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE Legal status: Private records deposited by the owner, Donald A Cameron of Lochiel. Access: All records dated 50 years prior to the present date are closed. Access to B/21/1/1, B22/1/1 and B/29/1 is restricted. Copyright/Conditions governing reproduction: Requests for permission to reproduce records should be made to the Highland Council Archive: Lochaber Archive Centre in the first instance. Requests for permission to publish the records should be made through the Highland Council Archivist, to Donald A Cameron of Lochiel, Achnacarry House, Achnacarry, Fort William, PH34 4EJ. 5 Languages of material: English, Gaelic, ‗Old Scots‘; a very small number of French, Italian and German records. Physical characteristics: Some early documents are written on parchment. Many papers are in bundles; there are extensive runs of volumes of factor‘s accounts and estate correspondence to the mid- 20th century. Many drawings, plans and maps are folded or rolled. Some estate papers, mainly vouchers of account, have been damaged by damp and mould and are in poor to very poor condition. Photographs are loose, mounted and in albums. Finding aids: This is the sole finding aid, available in hard copy and in digital format. ALLIED MATERIALS Location of originals: These are the original records, held at Highland Archive Service: Lochaber Archive Centre, An Aird, Fort William. Existence of copies: Copies of printed materials, including reports, Acts and Bills, publications (including newspapers and magazines), may be found elsewhere. Related units of description in same repository: D271, Cameron-Head papers (Inverailort estate) Associated material: Records of other Camerons; records of adjacent estates (eg Inverailort); Archives of the Earls of Buckingham, c1252-1931, reference D-MH, Centre for Buckinghamshire studies; records of the Dukes of Buccleuch 1165-1947, reference GB/NNAF/F185176, GD224, online catalogue National Archives of Scotland (www.nas.gov.uk); records of Grahams, Dukes of Montrose, reference GB/NNAF F88558, GD220, online catalogue at National Archives of Scotland (www.nas.gov.uk). Publication note: John Stewart of Ardvorlich, The Camerons, A History of Clan Cameron Charles Fraser, A History of Clan Cameron The Clan Cameron Association, www.clan-cameron.org 6 HIGHLAND COUNCIL ARCHIVES Accession Reference GB232/Acc.1624 CL CL/A ESTATE 1727 – 2001 CL/A/1 The Lochiel Inventory 1727-1760 CL/A/1 Inventarie of The Charters, Infeftments 1727-1760 Conveyances and other Securitys Personall & Reall, compiled by John Drummond. Leather- bound manuscript volume of c275 pages, c80 pages of which are blank, with transcripts of the then only surviving writs of the family of Cameron of Lochiel pre-1746, but since lost. Transferred from National Archives of Scotland as GD1/658/1. For detailed explanation see The Lochiel Inventory 1472-1744, Jean Munro (editor, published by Scottish Record Society, 2000), a copy of which is held at Lochaber Archive Centre. CL/A/2 Legal documents 1785 – 1892 CL/A/2/1 Instrument of Sasine, Donald Cameron of 1785 Lochiel and John, Duke of Argyll re forfeited lands of Lochiel CL/A/2/2 Literae Praesentationis, Donaldi Cameron, 08/05/1785 Baroniae de Lochiel aliorumq, re granting of forfeited Estates. Most of the document is written in Latin, and is enclosed in an envelope bearing the above title. CL/A/2/3 Literae Praesentationis, Donaldi Cameron, 08/05/1785 Baroniae de Lochiel aliorumq, re granting of forfeited Estates. Most of the document is written in Latin; pencilled notes added. CL/A/2/4 Literae Praesentationis, Donaldi Cameron 1785 7 Baroniae de Lochiel aliorumq. Cover sheet only, also marked ‗141‘ CL/A/2/5 Literae Praesentationis, Donaldi Cameron 1785 Baroniae de Lochiel aliorumq: Cover sheet only, also marked ‗Ext.‘, ‗intus‘. CL/A/2/6 Instrument of Sasine by Donald Cameron to 23/05/1791 the Rt Hon Henry Dundas and others (as Trustees), re all the forfeited lands of the estate CL/A/2/7 Conveyance in Trust, By Donald Cameron of 12/05/1792 Lochiel in favour of The Right Honble Lord Melville [Henry Dundas], Sir Ewen Cameron and others. The document vests the Estate in Trustees and arranges for the discharging of debts. Cover sheet (marked No 5, James Arnott WS) detached, in blue envelope. CL/A/2/8 Conveyance in Trust. Donald Cameron of 1792 Lochiel Esq To the Rt Honble Henry Dundas & others. Cover sheet only. CL/A/2/9 Carta resig: Colonelli Donaldi Cameron de 30/07/1807 Lochiel Terrarum de Glenloy et Locharkaig. Document written in Latin CL/A/2/10 Instrument of Sasine In favour of the Right 10/10/1809 Honourable Robert Dundas and others Trustees for Donald Cameron of Lochiel of the Lands & Estate of Lochiel CL/A/2/11 Conveyance in Trust Donald Cameron of 04/02/1812 Lochiel and his Trustees to Robert Dundas and others CL/A/2/12 Renounciation Sir Ewen Cameron of Fassfern 11/04/1817 Baronet and Duncan Cameron Esquire Writer to the Signet In favour of Donald Cameron Esquire of Lochiel, as only surviving Trustees (see CL/A/2/7), in original envelope CL/A/2/13 Instrument of Sasine in favour of Donald 19/09/1817 Cameron of Lochiel of the Lands of Torcastle & others CL/A/2/14 Contract of Agreement between Donald 29/07/1818 Cameron of Lochiel, Donald Cameron Younger of Lochiel and Sir Ewen Cameron and Duncan 8 Cameron CL/A/2/15 Carta resig.