Belsie
Belseis 1511 Crail Charters no. 1 [David Morton (Myrtone) of Cambo KBS and Belsie(s), a rent of 10 merks from his lands to be paid for the altar of St Michael in the church of Crail (Carail)]
(lands of) Belcheis 1526 RMS iii no. 389 [the lands of Cambo and Belsie(s); confirming Crail Charters no. 1]
Belsis 1556 RMS iv no. 1023 [part of barony of Cambo (Cammo)]
Belsis 1623 Retours (Fife) no. 335 [part of barony of Cambo (Cammo)]
B< >leshis 1642 Gordon MS Fife [the missing letter is possibly a]
(lands of) Belses 1646 Retours (Fife) no. 694 [part of barony of Cambo]
(lands of) Belsis 1650 RMS x no. 4 [the lands of Belsie(s) with the mill and mill-lands of Cambo in parish of Kingisbarnes occupied by Thomas Millar and William Dykes (Dykis) granted to the Geddie family of St Andrews by Sir Patrick Morton (Myrtoune) of Cambo with consent of Dame Elisabeth Preston (Prestoune) his spouse]
Belsches 1653 RMS x no. 105 [to James Wood bailie of St Andrews ‘the lands of Cambo, Cambo-Milnes, Belsches and the mill lands thereof, Muirhouse (Murehouse) KBS and Grassmiston (Girmistane) CRA’]
(town of) Belsis 1654 RMS x no. 254
(lands of) Belsie 1659 RMS xi no. 483 [see KBS Introduction]
(the shed called) Belsie<dores> 1659 RMS xi no. 483 [see KBS Introduction]
Belsie Park 1970 Cambo Farm Plan
Belsie Daws 1970 Cambo Farm Plan
en Belsay
The first recorded mention of Cambo KBS is in a charter of c.1171 × 1174, where William I confirms his mother’s grant of Cambo to Robert of Newham (RRS ii no. 131; Chandler 1981, 128). Robert took his name from Newham in Belsay, Northumberland (now West Newham, Middle Newham and East Newham). Belsay Castle was built in the fifteenth century in the grounds of a manor that dates to, at the latest, 1240 (in that year Belsay was held by Richard of Middleton, who later became Chancellor to Henry III).[223] Robert of Newham seems to have brought the name Belsay with him and applied it to this part of his estate in Cambo. The ending would appear to be Sc plural –is.
The name does not appear on maps of Ainslie/Fife (1775) or SGF (1828). Its absence from Blaeu (Gordon) Fife (1654), however, is an error, since it is marked on Gordon’s manuscript map of Fife (1642), where it is shown as lying midway between Kingsbarns and Cambo Mill, a short distance from the coast. As can be seen from RMS x nos. 105 and 254 it was often listed with Cambo Mill. For some good detail regarding these lands, see RMS xi no. 483 (1659), quoted in KBS Introduction, Local Detail.
The name has survived, as Belsie Park and Belsie Daws, attached to two fields south-east of Kingsbarns village, centred at NO597118 and NO598115 respectively (Cambo Farm Plan). The latter clearly represents Belsie<dores> of RMS xi no. 483 (1659), with loss of r probably due to the influence of the non-rhotic standard English of the Erskine family at Cambo House.
/ˈbɛlsɪ/
This place-name appeared in printed volume 3