Kilwhiss

Kilwhiss CLS S NO2810 2

    (shielings for sheep in) Kalcos 1235 x 1264 Swinton 1905, 174 no. 4 [Ness to Uchtred grandfather of John of Kinloch; see Kinloch CLS, discussion]
    Ale ander de Culqhos 1350 x 1398 Watt, Graduates, 315–16
    Ale ander de Kylquos 1350 x 1398 Watt, Graduates, 315–16
    Ale ander de Kylquhous 1350 x 1398 Watt, Graduates, 315–16
    Ale ander de Culchwos 1350 x 1398 Watt, Graduates, 315–16
    Ale ander de Culchoyse 1350 x 1398 Watt, Graduates, 315–16
    de firmis de Kilquhous 1451 ER v, 468 [£4 from the fermes of Kilwhiss]
    Kilquhose 1456 ER vi, 249
    (Henry Scheves of) Gilquhas 1481 RMS ii no. 1467
    (Henry S<cheves> of) Gilquhus 1490 x 1494 RMS ii no. 2210 [John Scheves (Shevez) son of Henry S. of Kilwhiss; brother of Archbishop Wm of St Andrews]
    (John Scheves of) Kilquhouss 1506 Dunf. Reg. no. 499
    (half lands of) Kilquhus 1525 RMS iii no. 331
    (half lands of) Kilquhus 1531 RMS iii no. 1050 [with 3rd Wester Rossie CLS]
    (half of) Kilquhois 1541 RMS iii no. 2525
    Kilquhische 1541 RMS iii no. 2355
    Kilquhische 1541 RMS iii no. 2484
    Kilquhyis Wester c.1560 s Assumption, 33
    dykes of Kilchus 1593 RMS v no. 2340
    in villa et terris de Kilquhiss W’er 1608 Retours (Fife) no. 193
    E. Kyllwshk 1642 Gordon MS Fife
    E. Kyllushk 1654 Blaeu (Gordon) Fife
    W. Kylusk 1654 Blaeu (Gordon) Fife
    W’er Kilwhish 1669 Retours (Fife) no. 1067 [see Wester Kilwhiss AMY]
    lie Showbraids de Kilquhish 1669 Retours (Fife) no. 1067 [as preceding]
    E Kilwhisk 1775 Ainslie/Fife
    W Kilwhisk 1775 Ainslie/Fife
    Wester Kilwhiss 1788 Sasines no. 1971 [q.v.]
    E Kilwhiss 1828 SGF
    W<este>r Kilwhiss 1828 SGF [in AMY]
    Easter Kilwhiss 1856 OS 6 inch 1st edn
    Wester Kilwhiss 1856 OS 6 inch 1st edn

G cùil + ? G cas

‘Corner of leg-like piece of land’? The second element seems to go back to an original *cos, with ch(w), qhu, wh all expressing lenited c (ch). It may derive from G cas (f.), gen. coise ‘foot, leg; handle, stem’, perhaps used with some topographic sense such as ‘narrow strip of raised land projecting into a bog or loch’. This suggestion for the second element is reinforced by the existence of nearby Lurgmyre, associated with Shiells in 1540 (RMS iii no. 2114, for more details of which see Shiells CLS), where lurg derives from G lurg ‘shank, shank-shaped piece of land’ (see Watson 1926, 412; also Lurg TUL PNF 1).

    Both cas and lurg suggest thin, raised strips of land rising, within the context of the Howe, out of low marsh-land and flood-plain. It is perhaps no coincidence that a part of Wester Kilwhiss is called the Shuilbraids (Schulbraidis etc.). This is a Scots compound shuil-braid ‘shovel-broad’, in place-names referring to a narrow strip of land. It has given rise to the local surname Shuilbraid etc, which occurs frequently in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century documents relating to Auchtermuchty. There was another shed (division) of land called *Shuilbraid on Balone SSL, two acres of which are mentioned in a charter of 1634 (lie sched vocato Schuilbred) (RMS ix no. 1201).

    Alexander of Kilwhiss, who supplies several important early forms of this name, was bishop of Ross 1371–98. John of Kilwhiss (Kylwos, Kylwhaus), who was subdean of Ross from before 1395 until 1406 × 1417 (Fasti (Watt and Murray), 366) must have been a relative of Bp Alexander.

    Its resemblance to Kilcais AYR, which seems to contain G cill ‘church’, is purely coincidental (for Kilcais AYR see Watson 1926, 190).

    Easter Kilwhiss is in CLS, while Wester Kilwhiss is in AMY.

/kɪlˈhwɪs/

This place-name appeared in printed volume 4