Parish Number - 94
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Census:The following is taken from the Statistical Account of 1797
"This parish, in its present state, consists of the original parish of Croy and that of Dalcross annexed to it. It is not known when this annexation took place; but it is probable that it happened at the Reformation. There are accounts of a vicar at Dalcross in the time of Popery, but none of any clergymen being there since that time. The names are supposed to be of French origin: Croy from Croix, a cross; and Dalcross from de la Croix. The extent of it is very great; in length from N.E. to S.W. it is about 16 miles. The breadth is various. In some places it is indented and almost intersected by the neighbouring parishes; and in others, including the waste ground, it is 7 or 8 miles broad.
"The river Nairn, so called from the aller trees growing on its banks, runs through this parish for about 8 miles ... The banks of the river are well cultivated, or, when they do not admit of cultivation, covered with wood, natural and planted; which, with other circumstances to be afterwards stated, has a very agreeable appearance, and forms a scene of true rural amenity. The other part of the parish, lying to the N. and N.W. of the Nairn, is almost one continued ridge from one end of the parish to the other. As it consists almost entirely of waste moor ground, with small spots of land indifferently cultivated, the appearance is rather bleak and disagreeable. (It was "on this ridge, and near the middle of it, on the side towards Nairn, was fought the famous battle of Culloden ...").
" ... The great body of the people are employed in agriculture ... The people, in general, appear satisfied with their condition, though they labour under great disadvantages, chiefly from the causes already stated, namely, the unfavourable quality of the soil on the one hand, and their bad treatment of it on the other ...
"The parish is the property of ten heritors ... One resides at Kilravock the seat of Rose of Kilravock, one of the most ancient and respectable families in the country. Here is an old tower, said to be built in 1460, and an elegant modern house, on a rock, hanging over and washed by the Nairn. There are at this place gardens laid out with great taste; orchards, stocked with fruit trees of various kinds; woods of considerable extent, both natural and planted ... A little above Kilravock, lies Holme, the seat of Mr. Rose of Holme. It is a neat mansion-house, beautifully situated on the banks of the river, with some natural wood and planting by it. And above that again, is Cantray, the seat of David Davidson, Esq., who has built a neat commodious house there ... He has been remarkably active and successful in improving his estate, by cultivating and planting large tracts of waste moor ground ...The following is taken from the Statistical Account of circa 1820
"In draining a lake at the east end of the parish, an artificial mound appeared within a few yars of the shore, about 60 feet in circumference, and 5 in height. It was formed of alternate strata of stones, earth and oak; piles of oak being driven in the ground, were kept strong fixed by transverse beams of smaller size ... At about 100 yards distance, there is a circle of large piles of oak, driven deep in the earth, apparently the commencement of a second mound ... While draining the lake by cutting a deep canaal, oaks of gigantic size were found more than twenty feet below the surface as sound as the day they were overwhelmed by water, sand and gravel. At the same time, a canoe of most beautiful workmanship was found ... To the west of the church, there is a large gray stone, called clach na seanaish, that is, "the listening stone" ...
"Of old, and before the records of the kingdom, there were extensive forests of oak, birch, fir and hazel, which have been converted into moss in some places upwards of twenty feet deep, one of these,Blarna Fiadgh (Deer's Forest), shows what the language then was, and the use to which the forest was appropriated. In a moss 400 feet above the level of the sea, oaks of extraordinary size are dug up, some of them measuring from 50 to 60 feet, and of proportional thickness; and even at the height of 800 feet, where the parish joins the Strathdearn Hills, large blocks of fir are found, where now, from cold and storm, the dwarf willow can scarcely raise its downy and lowly head ...
"About four miles south of the church is Clava, in Gaelic Clavalag, remarkable for its many Druidical circles and cairns. The place is most dreary and bleak the imagination can conceive – dark stinted heath, without any other vegetation whatever. These circles vary from 140 to 12 yards in circumference, and many appear not finished; five of them are of very considerable size ...
"From 1640 to 1789, the parish records were kept with singular care. The collections for the poor, and texts of Scripture, regularly entered. The names and residences of the various delinquents, with inquisitorial minuteness, are all recorded, from 1640 to 1720, a period looked on by many as the golden age of the church. Whatever may have been the case elsewhere, this parish was certainly then ranked with every species of abomination. In the black catalogue, besides the sin of uncleanness, may be mentioned – drying and grinding corn and killing salmon on the Sabbath; brawling, drunkenness and fighting in church; defamation of character; fighting at lykwakes; casting the sieve and the sheers; and not a few for endeavouring to compass their neighbour's death by charms, spells, and many kindred follies. The cutty-stool got little rest; and, so late as 1748, a thoughtless wight, on the death of his aged mother, on a Sabbath evening, called together his ungodly neighbours to testify to his sorrow by a dance, which was continued with great glee until Monday morning, for which unseasonable and unseemly mirth, he and his fiddler had to appear in sober weeds for six consecutive Sabbaths ... no doubt to the great edification of the congregation, as the records do not furnish a similar demonstration of sorrow till the present day ...
"Within the last twenty years, a remarkable change has taken place in the habits and dress of the people; even at so late a period, it was the boast of the housewife to clothe her husband and children, by the work of her own hands. Spindles have vanished, and spinning wheels will soon be seen only in museums. Those who depend on the profits of their farms are generally poor ... that they live on the simplest fare is an undeniable fact. Butcher-meat, except on very rare occasions, is unknown, and small beer a luxury. Poultry, butter, eggs, are all for the market. Of all the farmers in this extensive parish ... there are not more than six who occupy the farms of their fathers, and not more than ten of any description of tenants who are natives of the parish ...Extracts from the Records of the Presbytery of Inverness, 1670-1688
At Croy May 15, 1683
"Convened the Lo. Bishop, wt. Mr. Alexr. Tod and Master Berald Innes, out of the prby of Elgin, Mr. Donald Mckpherson Moderator of the Prby of Forres, and Mr. William Falconer, Mr. Hector mcKenzie, Moderator of the Presbitry of Abernethy, wt the Bretheren of the Exercise at Inverness, and after Invocation of the Lords Name, Mr. Michael Fraser, Minister of Daviot, preacht, Text John 17, 18, 19.
"After Sermon the Lo. Bishop and Bretheren haveing conveened for visitation of the said Church, The names of the Elders of the said Parochin was delivered to the Clerk as followes:
"Elders: Alexr. Ross [Rose] of Clava, younger; John Dallas of Cantra [Cantray], Hugh Fraser of Daltullich, Alexr. Ross [Rose] of Holme, Robert Shaw of Wester Leyes, John Baly of Leyes Cruii, John McKillvray [Macgillivray] of Midleyes, Lewes Tulloch in Cantra.
"Deacons: Kenneth McIntoshie, Deacon; Donald McKintoshie, William Ross, older; William Ross, younger; John Dow Ross, John McKpherson, Alexr. McKlean, William McKay.
"The Elders being solemnly posed with uplifted hands to declare truth wherein they should be enquired anent the Minister, if he was diligent in catechising, exemplar in conversation, preacht to their edification, visiting the sick, administring the Sackrament, and impartiall in the exercise of disciplin, and other Ministeriall duties; in all these he received approbation, and good estimation, from all the Elders and Deacons, being severally inquired.
"The minister being inquired if he had satisfaction and concurrence of the Elders, declared affirmatively.
"The Lo. Bishop inquired if they had a Schoolmr in the Parochin for educating children and readeing the holy Scriptur. The Minr replied that they had no fixed salary for one, it was therefor strongly recommended to take speedy commenceing for settling one and providing mantinance conform to ye Act of Parl.
"It was inquired if the officer, Donald Davison, was dutifull in his office, sober and christian in his conversation, got approbation from all both Minister and Elders.
" ... The Minister complained of some abuse and indignities he and his wife had suffered of Donald McKandrew vain in Croy, saying that he had wrot a testament falsly, and was bribed to that effect. The sd Donald being conveened before the Commissary, and the sd calumny judiciall proven against him, was fined, and recommended to the Session of Croy back, to satisfy in sacco, and proveing obstinat, is cited and compeareing, is injoined by the Lo. Bishop to satisfy the disciplin conform to ye ordinance, also to be procest before the Presby.