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Objects | Tain Burgh

A selection of items regarding the Burgh of Tain.

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Tain Burgess Ticket.A Tain Burgess Ticket, issued to James Ross of Pitcalnie on this day, the 24 August 1810. The ticket would have allowed James to vote on Burgh matters and trade freely from the town. These burgh councils were often dominated by Local landowners until the Burgh Reform act in 1833 introducing proper elections. The Burgess Tickets were later only handed out to people who were being given the Freedom of the Town.“At Tain, the twenty-fourth day of August one thousand Eight Hundred and ten years, in presence of Lieut. General Sir Charles Ross of Balnagown Provost of the Burgh of Tain Messrs William Murray, John Taylor and James Taylor Baillie’s thereof, Alexander Manson Dean of guild, George Murray Treasurer, and the permanent Members of the council of the said Burgh.Which Day James Ross Esquire of Pitcalny was admitted and received Freeman Burgess and Guild Brother of the said Burgh of Tain, with all the Privileges Liberties and Immunities competent to any other Burgess and Guild Brother thereof, and having taken the Oath usual at Admission of Burgesses, thereupon took Instruments Extracted byIllegible Signature”

Tain Burgess Ticket, 1810.

This beautiful silver medal was presented to Helen Ross a pupil at Tain Royal Academy in 1917. The medal has inscriptions on both sides as follows:- Presented by Provost Maitland. Awarded Helen Ross for excellence in English 1917. On the other side - Tain Royal Academy 1917, surrounding and emblem of St Duthus. Helen Ross was the daughter of Donald Ross the slater, Tain and later became a teacher at Tain Public School.

Tain Royal Academy Medal.

This map (with west at the top) was drawn by Alexander Sangster in about 1750 to show the boundaries of the Tain burgh lands, during a dispute between the town and Roderick Macleod of Cadboll, who was accused of

Map of Tain, 1750

Parchment certificate recording the admission of Malcolm Ross of Pitcalnie as a freeman burgess and guild brother of the Burgh of Tain 1713.

Tain Burgess Ticket, 1713.

Charter recording the grant of a tenement and garden in Tain by Paul Fresaill, Dean of Ross, to Donald Fresaill, dated February 4th 1534 or 1535. The burgh seal with the figure of St Duthac is on the first tag. Two other seals are missing. The charter is written on vellum or calfskin. It describes the location of the tenement in detail, placing it at the southwest end of the present High Street. The grant was subject to an annual payment of 3 pennies Scots to the church of St Duthac. After the grant was made, bailie Alexander Davidsoun transferred possession to Donald Fresaill by sasine, giving him earth and stone from the ground of the property. This was recorded by a notary as the Instrument of Sasine, or title to the property. Charter is in Latin with a translation inside the box. Other names mentioned are Donald Henryson Macgilleduff, James Keith, Donald Johnsone, John Scott, Alexander Fresaill, Donald Cuyk, Alexander Dingval.

Charter by Paul Fresaill, 1535.

Oddfellows sash; corded, watered silk sash in white with a blue band, with the letters

Tain Oddfellows Sash

This is the large seal that was granted to Tain on Queen Victoria's accession to the throne in 1837. Tain has Royal connections going back to Malcolm Canmore who first granted the town

Town\'s Official Seal of Office.

This deep silver quaich has an 1897 shilling set into the base. It was made in Glasgow but was retailed by William Ross, who was a jeweller and watchmaker in Tain. An inscription has been removed from the side of the quaich. It is likely that it was made as a presentation piece for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.The base is stamped with Glasgow marks for 1897/8 but the maker's mark is indecipherable. It is also engraved

Silver Quaich

One of several ceremonial spades in the museum collection, this beautiful silver one was made for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. It is solid silver, the spade having a shield-shaped blade, both top corners of which are engraved in a leaf design, above the inscription is engraved the figure of St. Duthus with the words St. Duthus EST BEATUS on either side. The shaft is plain except for a raised decorative end and two raised rings around the lower half. Inscribed and engraved on the face of the blade - Presented to E.H. McK Matheson Esq. Provost of Tain on the occasion of his planting a tree on Tain links in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of her Majesty Queen Victoria 22nd June 1897.

Silver Ceremonial Spade made for Queen Victoria\'s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

Hallmarked gold football medal awarded to H.R. MacLeod for playing in the Scotland v England International at Hampden Park Glasgow, 28/4/1928. H.R. MacLeod was a former pupil of Tain Royal Academy. It is in a velvet and silk lined box covered with red paper.

Scotland International Football Medal

Plain double-sided silver medal with 2 rings engraved around the thicker outer edge. A small roughly triangular ornamental silver scroll is attached to the top through which passes the fixing ring. Engraved on the front - presented by James Vass Esq. M.D. Provost of the Burgh of Tain. On the back - Tain Royal Academy to Donald Stewart The Best Classical Scholar Examination July 1880. News paper cutting from Ross-Shire Journal 1996-04-19.

Tain Royal Academy medal for The Best Classical Scholar

A Rolex Pocket watch from our collection that our database records as; “Rolex pocket watch, as issued to Officers in 1914 for synchronising before attacks. This one belonged to Lt. Ian Cameron, brother of Lt. George Cameron, Ex-provost of Tain.” The database cannot be right, as the watch was not made until circa 1940, so could not have belonged to Lt. Ian Cameron who was killed in action during WW1. Researching the watch we made the surprising discovery that Rolex was sending watches to British Officers that had been taken as a P.O.W during WW2. Angus George Cameron or A. G. D. Cameron the Ex Provost of Tain had been taken prisoner with the 4th Seaforth’s at St Valery-en-Caux in France and was held prisoner at the infamous Colditz Castle.Could this be a Rolex “Prisoner of War Watch”?

Rolex Pocket Watch

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The set consists of two steel blades with long narrow shafts and triangular heads. Each shaft has a small hole at the end to fit over a retaining pin in the brass holder/handle. A spring mechanism holds and releases the blade. The wooden case is covered with leather and lined with red velvet. The top is tooled with a decoration of thistles and is dated 1773. The knives may have been used by Hugh McFarquhar, a doctor in Tain from 1744 to 1794.

Set of Blood-Letting knives

Torpedo-shaped Hamilton bottle with a green tinge. There is a water fountain and the above words moulded on the outside.Moulded on the bottle - David Mair; Mineral Waters; Tain; Introduced in 1814 by William Hamilton

Torpedo-shaped Hamilton bottle

Wrought iron shackles with a hinge at one side and a hasp and staple type closure at the other for fixing a padlock. Near the hinge is an eye to which is fixed seventeen large chain links. Used on prisoners in Tain Court.

Leg-Irons from Tain Tolbooth.

This beautiful quaich is made of alternate staves of boxwood and ebony and probably dates from the late 17th century. The staves are held in place by silver bands at the base and halfway up. The lugs are covered with silver plates engraved with the initials WR and AM. A silver boss is set into the base of the quaich and is engraved with the crest and motto of the Rosses of Priesthill,

Ross Quaich.

This key was presented to Sheriff Guthrie by Provost Fowler on the ceremonial opening of the Carnegie Free Library, on the 4th August 1904. The handsome building was built by local architects A. Maitland and Sons, who were responsible for many of the fine stone buildings in Tain. The building was a gift from the world-renowned philanthropist Andrew Carnegie of Skibo Castle, the cost being £1250. The silver key was made by local jeweller William Ross, known as “Willie Tickie”. One side of has St Duthus and the inscription “St Beatus est Duthacus” and on the reverse “presented to Sheriff C J Guthrie K.C on his opening the Carnegie Free Library Tain 4th August 1904”.

Carnegie Free Library, Ceremonial key

Cream earthenware jug with handle and shaped at neck for cork stopper (cork inside). The owner's name, George Lang, Crown Hotel, Tain stamped in blue under the handle and For Auld Lang Syne, also in blue. on shoulder.

Crown Hotel Earthenware Jug

Gold chain presented to the Royal Burgh of Tain by ex-Provost James Maitland JP in 1925. The main plaque has the burgh seal and figure of St Duthac on the front. Details of the presentation are on the back. The smaller plaques, heart-shaped and surmounted by thistles, are engraved with the names and dates of the Provosts from 1925 to 1975. Hallmarked for Birmingham 1924/5, 18ct gold. Also marked for William Ross, a jeweller in Tain, who designed and retailed the chain and was Provost at the time of its presentation.

Provost\'s Chain