Freeland
Freeland # ABE S NO273163 2
Freland c.1480 Laing 1876, 416 [rental of Lindores Abbey]
Freland 1488 x 1492 RMS ii no. 2117 [charter of Robert Blackhall (Blakhall) of Freeland (Freland), granting half the lands of Freeland in Fife to his nephew, William Blackhall, in 1488][29]
the Freland of Lundoris 1516 Fife Ct. Bk. 30 [the sisters of John Rattray of the Freeland of Lindores are prevented from entering on that land, because their brother, the righteous heir, is alive]
Freland 1524 RMS iii no. 267 [William Blackhall, son and heir of William Blackhall of that Ilk (Blackhall, Inverurie ABD), sells to John Beaton of Creich half the lands of Freeland]
the Freland c.1560 s Assumption, 32 [rental of Lindores Abbey; listed between Woodmill (The Wodmylne) ABE and Inchrye (Inchery) ABE]
Freland c.1560 s Assumption, 37 [‘Wodmylne and Freland’; Lindores Abbey]
dimedietatem de Freland 1563 RMS iv no. 1460 [to Johanna De Laryneveile (sic), wife of Robert Beaton of Creich, in life rent, and to David Beaton their son … , lands of Urquhart SLO, lands of Dunbog and Countryhills (Donbug et Contrahillis) DBG, with mill etc., and various lands in Kincardineshire; and to the said David Beaton and Beatrice Leslie, his wife, lands of Creich with tower, etc., the lands of Nether Rires KCQ, ‘half of Freeland’, £10 a year from the rents of Newton FGN, 2 merks from the rent of the lands of Flasshill FGN, etc.]
Freeland 1590 x 1599 Pont MS 54B
Frieland 1617 RMS vii no. 1721 [in parish of Abdie]
dimidietate terrarum de Freiland 1628 Retours (Fife) no. 400 [David Beaton of Creich (Creiche), ‘in half the lands of Freeland’]
Frieland 1646 RMS ix no. 1691 [lands of *Eastwood (Eistwood), *Westwood (Westwood), *Weddersbie Bank (Weddersbiebank) and Freeland, and the lands of Inchrye (Inscrhye) in the parish of Abdie]
Freeland 1654 Blaeu (Pont) East Fife [1654; not on Gordon]
(John Beverage tenant in) the Louhend of Woddmylne or Frierland 1685 St A. Tests. 38 [‘the Lochend of Woodmill ABE or Frierland’, an error for Frieland]
dimidium terrarum de Freeland 1692 Retours (Fife) no. 1332 [Alexander Bannerman of Elsick heir of Master George B. of Dunbog in touns and lands of Dunbog comprising touns and lands of Dunbog, Countryhills etc, touns and lands of Gadvan DBG and Johnston DBG, ‘half of lands of Freeland’, teinds of all foresaid lands, all within DBG and ABE and united into barony of Dunbog]
Sc freeland
This probably originally referred to land held in a way which distinguished it from other land in the vicinity, perhaps with the minimum of feudal burdens, or directly from the crown. One definition of OSc fre is ‘without being subject to any other person or authority’ (DOST). See also PNF 5, Elements Glossary, s.v.
Laing (1876, 442) says that this is the older name of the lands of Lochend ABE, q.v. This is confirmed by the 1685 form (reading Frieland for Frierland).
This place-name appeared in printed volume 4