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Cartularium Comitatus de Levanax

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Cartularium comitatus de Levenax: Ab initio seculi decimi tertii usque ad annum M.CCC.XCVIII, John Dennistoun, Maitland, (Edinburgh, 1833)

Click HERE for a searchable copy of this work via Google Books

Contains references to the charters granting and re-confirming Elanvow (EllanVhow) to the Macfarlanes.

Nisbet ca1725

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A System of Heraldry, Speculative and Practical : with the True Art of Blazon, ...,  2nd ed., Alexander Nisbet. Published 1804

Click HERE for a searchable electronic copy of this work.  It may be possible to download this in PDF form and search this.

This is a key reference.  It references the charters for Elanvow as well as the construction of the castle in 1577 and the existence of a stone bearing the Macfarlane coat of arms in the wall of the castle.

Note that the pertinent reference material is in the Appendix .. which was added in this second version and was not in the 1722 version.  Nisbet himself died in 1725 and may have had written materials that were incorporated in the Appendix. Some were likely acquired and added after his death.  The second volume was first printed in 1744.

In the Preface, the editor, Robert Fleming, writes “But what takes up a great part of this Volume, is the memorials of private families, which neither Mr Nisbet nor the publisher are any ways answerable for; they must stand upon the faith of those who gave them in, and the vouchers they adduce for their support. Many of those printed in Mr Nisbet's lifetime were signed by  the parties concerned; but that practice was afterwards neglected, since every one, no doubt, will be ready to support what he has advanced for the honour and antiquity of his family”

Fleming also notes that he has added a work called "Historical and Critical Remarks on ... the Ragman Roll" from "a learned antiquarian", presumably George Crawfurd.

Fraser

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The Chiefs of Culquhoun and their Country,  Volume 2, Sir William Fraser, Printed by T. and A. Constable, 1869 - Dunbartonshire (Scotland) 

Click HERE for a searchable copy of this work via Google Books

Much of the key information provided by Fraser seems to be in reference to Nisbet 1804 .. although it does seem to include some embellishment.

Irving

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The Book of Dumbartonshire: Parishes
By Joseph Irving

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The Celtic Monthly

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MacKay, John.  THE CELTIC MONTHLY: A Magazine for Highlanders, Volume XI, 1902-1903, Glasgow

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Includes an article by F. Mary Culquhoun on Arrochar history and reference to early charters.

Of specific interest is the variation in the names of the "other" islands ... which seem to vary even though the name "Elanvow" does not ... and the reference to Elaig as "the islet near Tarbert".   It also mentions "a castle on Elanvann" ... deduced to be Elanvannow by comparison with other charters. No. 8, Volume 11, p. 158

Buchanan of Auchmar

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Click HERE for a searchable copy of this work via Google Books.

Buchanan seems to pull informatiom from the Register of Dumbarton

This is the 1775 version, but this was originally published in 1723 as can be confirmed by a search for works by this author.

​William Buchannon of Auchmar refers to the "present laird" p121 in a sucession suggesting it might be Walter (presumably 20th, 1705-1767) He also mentions Island Vow with a pretty good house and gardens, but notes that chief's principal residence is at Inverioch House or New Tarbet.  This was originally published in 1723 ... which then makes sense with the reference to Walter.

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Sir Robert Douglas
The Baronage of Scotland (1798)
Douglas died in 1770 so the content predated that even though not published until well after he died.  The preface confirms that the Macfarlane sketch is 1770 or earlier.

​Searchable copy here.

Douglas earlier published The Peerage of Scotland 1764
A searchable copy of and edited version of 
The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, Volume 1, Paul, 1904 can be found here.

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