Fordel
Fordel LEU S NO450238 1 352 12m
Fordale 1372 RMS i no. 447 [3rd of Cowbakie (Kulbaky), Fordel (Fordale) and Strathburn (Straubren) to Robert Stewart of Shanbothy CLA]
(third of) Fordall 1390 x 1406 RMS i app. 2 no. 1734 [Wemyss; see LEU Intro., Lordship and Baronies]
(third of) Fordale c.1420 Fraser, Southesk, 508 [see Garpit FPC, above]
(third of) Fordale 1428 RMS ii no. 115 [Stewart of Rosyth; see Garpit FPC]
(John Thane of) Fordalle 1451 Dunf. Reg. no. 435 [charter of John Thane of Fordel, and his son Alexander Thane, selling their annual rent of 5 merks from the lands of Ferry Hills (Feryhill) IKG to Dunfermline Abbey][283]
(third of) Fordale 1491 RMS ii no. 2082 [see *Thaneslands LEU]
(third of) Fordale 1511 RMS ii no. 3715 [see *Thaneslands LEU]
(third of) Fordell 1543 Retours (Fife) no. 2 [see *Thaneslands LEU]
Fordell c.1560 s Assumption, 13
Fordell 1622 Retours (Fife) no. 323 [David Kinnear, a third of Strathburn, Fetters and Fordel, in the barony of Kinnear, with the mill of Strathburn]
Fordell 1622 RMS viii no. 370 [Andrew Bruce, a third of the toun (with 7 named tenants) and lands of Fordel and Cowbakie (Kowbakie)]
umbralem dimidietatem tertie partis de Fordell 1629 RMS viii no. 1444 [lands of Craigie LEU, Garpit FPC and ‘the shady half of a third of Fordel’, to David lord Carnegie of Kinnaird]
Fordell 1643 Retours (Fife) no. 648 [Andrew Bruce of Earlshall, a third of lands of Strathburn, Fetters and Fordel]
Fordell 1654 Blaeu (Pont) East Fife
Fordell 1654 Blaeu (Gordon) Fife
Fordell 1658 Retours (Fife) no. 882 [James earl of Southesk, ‘ane third pairt of the lands of Fordell and Straeburne (Strathburn)’]
tertia parte villae et terrarum de Fordell 1665 Retours (Fife) no. 975 [Andrew Bruce of Earlshall, a third of the toun and lands of Fordel’; see Fetters LEU]
Fordall 1685 Retours (Fife) no. 1248 [Janet, Joanna and Christiana Meldrum, daughters of James Meldrum of Bruckley (Brughtie), £80 from the lands of Broad-land (Broadland) called Leuchars-Bruce (Leuchaires-Bruce), *Pusk Milton (Puskemilnetone), and Fordell]
Fordell 1688 Retours (Fife) no. 1292 [Charles earl of Southesk, third of lands of Strathburn and Fordell; also the shady half of a third of lands of Fordel]
Fordell 1700 Retours (Fife) no. 1440 [James earl of Southesk, a third of lands of Fordel and Strathburn; also the shady half of a third of lands of Fordel]
Fordel 1785 RHP1684 [the tenant is George Norie; also shows Clayland of Fordel on west side of Great Drain, south of Clayland of Craigie]
Fordel 1828 SGF
Fordel 1855 OS 6 inch 1st edn
G for + G dail
‘(Place) above (for) the haugh or water-meadow (dail)’? This was the meaning given for Fordell DGY (PNF 1). See PNF 5, Elements Glossary under for for more discussion.
A very large estate, it originally measured c.3.5 km east to west. It had been divided into three parts by the third quarter of the fourteenth century at the latest (see RMS i no.447). In about 1800 the portion east of the main road to Tayport (which included Fordel) was joined to Craigie farm, while the wester part became known as Fordelhill (JMH). The name also occurs on the OS Pathf. in Fordle Bank (sic).
/ˈfɔrdəl/
This place-name appeared in printed volume 4