Balmullo
Balmullo ~ LEU S NO429210 1 352 45m
Balmolan 1207 St A. Lib. 86 [1 of vills owing teinds of wheat to Leuchars kirk]
Balmolan 1240 St A. Lib. 164 [1 of vills owing garbal teinds to Leuchars kirk]
? Balmulty 1476 RMS ii no. 1245 [error for Balmully? or Balbeuchly # LEU? Leuchars-Wemyss barony, listed between the Milton and Balconie # LEU]
terras de Balmullo 1513 RMS ii no. 3817 [George earl of Rothes, lord Leslie, sells to M. John Scrymgeour (Skrimgeour) of Glastre, [271] spouse to late Janet Ogilvie, and his heirs, the lands of Balmullo vic. Fife, to be held of the king for a pair of gloves in the name of blancheferme]
Balmulla 1551 St A. Tests. 64
Ballmullo c.1560 s Assumption, 13
terris de Balmullo 1616 Retours (Fife) no. 264 [Adam Adamson, son of Alexander Adamson in Pusk (Pursk), annual rent of 2 bolls of barley]
Ballmulla 1775 Ainslie/Fife
Ballmulla 1827 Ainslie/East Fife
Balmullo 1855 OS 6 inch 1st edn
G baile + ? pn Maolan
‘Maolan’s farm’? For more on this G personal name, see Fliskmillan FLK, above. The same word, the root of which is maol ‘bald’ can also refer to a landscape feature, in the sense of a bare hill (Dwelly’s ‘bleak eminence’). While this explanation is perfectly compatible with the earliest forms (in –molan), if it is correct, then the later forms have undergone re-analysis or assimilation to place-names ending in –o , earlier –ach, found locally in Balmerino (above), Largo (PNF 2), Pitbladdo CUP, above, and Pitgorno SLO (below). Alternatively –an is to be read –au (see Pitcullo LEU, below).
Apart from the village of Balmullo OS Pathf. shows Balmullo Farm NO427207 (at 40 m). The above NGR is of the modern post office. However, in 1855 the site of the then post office in the centre of the much smaller settlement of Balmullo is at NO428208.
/bəlˈmʌlo/ or /balˈmʌlo/, locally /bəlˈmʌlɪ/
This place-name appeared in printed volume 4