This extract is from "The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland - Volume IX" page 587, published by His Majesty's General Register House, Edinburgh 1878.
In essence the entry is part of the Rentals of Crown Lands and confirms the tenancy of the estate of Murthocarny in the Lordship of Fife. The Contents states that the Rental was for lands let on 15th March 1481-82 although on the page of the entry the date AD 1480 appears.
Rentalia Domini Regis
[AD 1480]
Murthocarny, cujus una medietas in manibu Marchmond harraldi ad vitam per literas regis, inde pecunia xiij li. vj s. viij d. xij capones xij pultre. Alia medietas, -- George Balfour j quarter, Johne Creich 1/2 quarter, John Bell 1/2 quarter -- assedatur eisdem pro terminis ut supra, inde pecunia xiij li. vj s. viij d. xij capones xij pultre cum servicie consueto, grassuma xiij li. attenta eorum paupertate.
Commentary
My Latin is not too good either. Perhaps someone can help out. I gather that this estate of Muthocarny, was held directly of the King. One half was held by Harrald Marchmond for life only, at a rent of £13 6s. 8d plus 12 capons and 12 pullets. The other half was split into two quarters, one of which was held by George Balfour. The final quarter was split even further with Johne Creich and Johne Bell holding a half-quarter each.
It took some time to identify the location of the fermtoun of Murthocarny. By a stroke of luck, while looking up the parish of Kilmany in Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1892) in connection with another mediaeval transcription, a mention of Murdochcairnie Hill was found. A check on the modern Ordnance Survey map showed the hill and a farm named Murdochcairnie in Kilmany parish.
This was not just a piece of luck in finding the place, it also pointed to what may be more than co-incidence. Kilmany parish, where Richard de Creche was priest in 1432 actually adjoins the parish of Creich, which we have suggested as one of two possible origins for the surname. Now we also have Johne Creich occupying a farm in the parish of Kilmany in 1480. The map shows how close Murdochcairnie is to Creich.
Of all the mediaeval records of possible Cree surname variants, this is the one that has given me a feeling of closing in on a final solution of the puzzle of the origin of the surname Cree. We are not there yet. [Mike S, 19th June 2001]
