Hearth Taxes in  Kirkudbrightshire and Wigtonshire – 1694, 1695

In a previous webpage, we listed Parishioners in Wigtonshire and Minnigaff in 1684. This must have been a low time for the McKie/M’Kie clan as they had been fighting a loosing struggle to defend their strong Presbyterian convictions. Their situation improved in 1689 when a Bill of Rights was approved by the English Parliament and most confiscated lands were restored.

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In 1691 a tax was announced for Scotland, primarily about raising funds for the army. Hearth tax records list the people who were liable for tax on hearths (including kilns) in Scotland at that time. They provide clues about the size of each building, place, estate, or parish in the late 17th century. Heads of households of each building were liable for a tax of 14 shillings, and only hospitals and the poor were exempt.

Transcriptions of these records are now available under Tax Rolls on the ScotlandsPlaces site – Hearth tax records 1691-1695. In Kirkudbrightshire, these taxes were recorded without the names of the landlords, but in Wigtonshire the landlords were included, making them more useful now as family history.

From the 1694 tax records for Kirkcudbrightshire, we have copied the transcription for Minnigaff Parish, which was home of the McKie clan at Larg. We  note that Garlies listed 87 hearths and Minnigaff and Larg listed 75 hearths – both large numbers!

The parochen of Minniegaff
Eleven poor
Item Impr [Imprimis] The stewartrie of Gairlies -- 87 -- £60.18.0
Item the toune of Minnigaff and Barronie of Larg Laird herrons Interest included -- 75 -- £44.16.0
Item paulgouens hearths -- 18 -- £12.12.0
Item Machriemore -- 28 -- £16.16.0 qrof [quherof] 4 beggers
The Barronie if Bardrocket -- 20 -- £19.10.0
Item patrick Murdoch of Cornlodden 3 beggers included -- 24 -- £20.14.0 Four deficients
[Total] -- 252 -- £169.16.0

This tax was collected in Wigtonshire in 1695. A transcription is available on the same ScotlandsPlaces site – Wigtonshire 1695 Hearth Tax.

In this Wigtonshire list, we see 63 families listed as McKie. As we did with the 1684 Parish List it is interesting to tabulate the first names of these McKie families. Table 1 lists the most common McKie names in this tax list from Wigtonshire in 1695. Just like the earlier parish lists, we see the most common Mckie first names as John, Patrick, William and Alexander. Andrew had one listing here.

Table 1 First Names for McKies in Wigtonshire – 1695

FIRST NAMES	NUMBER
John	16
Patrick	7
William	6
Alexander	5
Thomas	4
Robert	4
James	4
Andrew	1

If “our” Andrew was baptized in Minnigaff Church, 1695, with father Andrew McKie, then Andrew McKie in this list will be of interest. Here is the entry (p 46) for Andrew McKie at Merton Hall (then Myrton McKies), Penninghame Parish:

E69/25/1/46 
Payd of Myrton Mckies subt [subscrivt] List The house of Myrtoun -- 5
 Andrew Mckie in Heshegreen -- 1
 Payd of Larg mckies subt [subscrivt] List in Peningham Alexander McCain in Nether bar -- 1
 Alexander Mcgill thr [there] -- 1
 Allan Mcgill thr [there] -- 1
 William Mcgill thr [there] -- 1
 John Mccrackan thr [there] -- 1 As also a kiln -- 1
 Payed of Airies Martin's subt [subscrivt] List His own house -- 1
 John Mcquie -- 1 As also a smiddie -- 1
 Payd of Drumbuys subt [subscrivt] List His own house -- 2 As also a kiln -- 1
 Two Cott-houses -- 2 One in ardoch -- 1 One in stranknock -- 1 One in drammvenenand -- 1
 Payd of Barvenand subt [subscrivt] List Alexander Mckie thr [there] -- 1
 John Hannay -- 1 [TOTAL] 25 p.46

Looking at the Wigtonshire tax list (with 3344 landlord names included) I tabulated the number of landowners in the major families and these are listed in Table 2. I was surprised to see McKie near the top of the list!

Table 2 Wigtonshire Landlords – Number by Name – 1695

Order	Name	Number	Fraction (%)
1	Hanny	74	2.2
2	McKie	70	2.1
3	McDowall	63	2.0
4	Stewart	50	1.6
5	McConnell	43	1.3
6	McCulloch	42	1.3
7	McCracken	41	1.2
8	McWilliam	38	1.1
9	Mcilroy	36	1.1
10	McCredie	33	1.0
11	McMaster	28	0.8
12	Blaine	26	o.8
13	Campbell	26	o.8
14	Ross	26	0.8
15	McGill	25	0.7
16	Gordoun	24	0.7
17	Adair	21	0.6
18	McBryde	21	o.6
19	Paterson	19	0.6
20	Agnew	18	o.5

I have also tabulated the number of landowners listed from our “allied families”, and they are listed in Table 3.

Table 3 Allied Families, Wigtonshire – 1695

NAME	TOTAL	INCLUDES
Blain	29	Blaine, Blane
Boyd	7	Boyde
Cochran	8	Cochrane, Cochren
Devitt	0
Dunleavy	0
Elliot	0
Findlay	7	Finlay, Findley, Findly
Gordoun	24	Gordon
Lockhart	4	Lockart
Love	0
McClintock	0
McConnel	21	McConnelle
McDowell	63	McDowall
Nicolson	0