Covenanters 1670-1685 Millican, Milligan, Millikan, Milliken, Millikin, Mullican, Mulliken, Mullikin etc.

Hearth Tax Rolls of Dumfriesshire

1691

The Heart Tax Rolls of Dumfriesshire nearly all survive with three almost identical copies preserved in the National Archives of Scotland. Of the rolls themselves, the first copy dates from 1691 and it has been published by the late Duncan Adamson in the Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society. I have extracted all the "M" references and include them below. It will be noted under the list for the burgh of Dumfries, that three different variant forms appear, namely, Milligane, Millican and Millikine. Duncan Adamson remarks that in the town of Dumfries itself, the rolls where compiled by five different "hands", one for each of the town�s Quarters [local districts within the town]. It is known that all the families listed spelt their name as Milligan, it is interesting to observe how interchangeable the surname was in Dumfries. The number of hearths per household are given in brackets. Only two parishes have records pre-dating the 1691 hearth tax and of these only the parish of Dumfries has registers dating from 1605.

Burgh of Dumfries

Cross Quarter:- Robert Milligane (2).
Kirkgate Quarter:- Heugh Millican (1), John Millican (1).
Townhead Quarter:- Janet Millikine (1), James Millikine (1).

Note: Adamson remarks that in Dumfries "there were two comparatively wealthy areas, Lochmaben and Cross Quarters. An analysis of the quarters shows that Lochmaben quarter had by far the smallest proportion of single hearths, while most big houses (over three hearths) were in the Cross Quarter. In the Townhead and Kirkgate Quarters 71% of the houses had single hearth.

Parish of Holywood

Cowhill:- Andrew Millicane (1) [tenant of John Maxwell of Barshill].
Holm:- Robert Milligain (poor tenant).

Parish of Dunscore

Robert Milligane for himself part of Dempsterston (1); his tenants, John Maxwell there (1) Robert Milligan in Newtounhead (1).

Parish of Closeburn

Townhead of Auchenleck:- Thomas Milligan (1).
Newtoun Mains:- John Milligan (1).
[Dressertland?]:- Jo. Milligan & Jo. Mcclug (Mcclyge), cottars (2).
Townhead of Closeburn:- John Milligan, weaver (1).
Greenknow:- John Milligan (1).
Gate [of Closeburn]:- Jo. Milligane (2).
Longcroft:- Jo. Milligan (1).

Parish of Keir and Dalgarnock

Know:- James Milligane (1).
Nethertoun:- John Milligane (1).
B?yrnershank (Turnershank):- Cuthbert Milligan (1).
Broomland:- William Milligan (1).
John Milligan (poor tenant).

Parish of Glencairn

Mainly a statistical list of hearths.

Parish of Tynron

Auchengibbert:- William Kerr & Wm. Milligane (2).
Croglin:- Robert Milligan, cottar (1).

Parish of Penpont

Mccalstoune:- Isabell Milligane (1).
Little Green (Grennan):- Janet Milligane (1).
Clauchan:- Thomas Milligane (1).
Horres:- John Milligane (1), Mary & Agnes Milligane (1).
Nether Bagrahill:- Peter Laurie & Isabell Milligane (2).
Glenskeubine:- Jo. Mcclige & James Milligane (2).
Craigbow:- Wm. Hovitt & James Milligane (2).
Glengour:- Janet Milligane (1).

Parish of Morton

Burn:- Alexander Milligan (1).
Bush:- George Milligan (1).
Morton:- Wm. Milligan & Heugh Douglas (2).
Thornhill:- Gilbert Milligan & George Scotlo, younger (2).
Goat Fraeboor:- James Milligan (2).
[All tenants to the Duke of Queensberry]

Parish of Durisdeer

Scorgiehill:- John Milligan & Wm. Carson (2) [tenants to the Duke of Queensberry] James Milligane (2) [tenant to George Douglas].

Parish of Sanquhar & Kirkconnel

Tour:- Patrick Milligane (2) [tenant to the Duke of Queensberry]
Town of Sanquhar:- Jean Milligan (1) Sara Millikine (1) & Thomas Milligan (1).

District of Annandale - 1691

Parish of Kirkmichael
Hardop:- Wm. Milligan (1) [tenant of Sir Robert Dalyell]

Parish of Gretna

Thomas Milligan & Jo. Milligan [tenants of Viscount Stormont]

Note: The parishes of Kirkmichael and Gretna, respectively, have baptismal and marriage registers dating from 1727 & 1730.

It is difficult to estimate the number of "Ms" living in Dumfriesshire by 1691, as the above list only includes the names of each head of household and not their families. Based on the names given there was approximately 47 families, a figure which is almost certainly a conservative estimate. The actual figure is probably better represented in the infamous deposition rolls of 1684 and the parish censuses, which give the names of individuals above the age of 12, that were published in that same year. These list the names of thousands of parishioners in Dumfriesshire who had been summon to appear before the Inquisition set up to suppress those who opposed the Test Act of 1681. It required that all office holders in the Church take an oath of loyalty to the Crown and acknowledge royal supremacy in all matters temporal and ecclesiastical. This resulted in the exclusion of hundreds of Presbyterian ministers from their Churches, for refusing to take the Test Act, and the increase in conventicles or field meetings.

For Scottish Presbyterianism, which had never wholly accepted the restoration of bishops in 1662, the imposition of the Test Act by the Privy Council of Scotland in 1681, under the direct influence of the equally infamous James VII, laid the basis for what would become known as the "killing times". It mainly covered the period 1682-88, when hundreds of ordinary men and women were either publicly executed or summarily shot by royal soldiers in the field, whilst others either perishing through starvation or were deported to Barbados. The movement towards to repression reached it�s height in 1684, when judicial courts were set up to interrogate parishioners as to the whereabouts of known rebels of the State and to enforce the test act. The records relating to the 1684-5 Inquisition have largely survived and in the next issue, I hope to include the name of all those "Ms" who appear in the deposition papers covering Dumfriesshire.

Dumfriesshire Index