Abbotshall

Abbotshall KDT AAX, KXY PS NT271913 1 0m

(lands of) Abbotishall 1539 RMS iii no. 2138 [with its muir (mora)]
Abbottishall 1556 x 1585 RMS v no. 843 [part of the barony of Kirkcaldy; see KDT, KXY Introduction for more details]
Abitishall 1561 Dunf. Reg. p. 429
Abbotishall 1642 RMS ix no. 1511 [Abbotishall, Milntoun et Linktoun eiusdem (Abbotshall, Milton and Linktown of the same i.e of Abbotshall)]
Abbots hall 1642 Gordon MS Fife
Abbottishall 1647 RMS ix no. 1833 [see notes below]
Abbots hall 1654 Blaeu (Pont) West Fife
Abotshall 1654 Blaeu (Gordon) Fife
Abbotishall 1647 RMS ix no. 1833 [Linktoun de Abbotishall]
Abetsaa 1664 Lamont’s Diary, 173
Abbotshall 1753 Roy sheet 17, 5
Abbots Hall 1775 Ainslie/Fife
Mill of Abbotshall 1782 Sasines no. 385 [‘Mill of Abbotshall called Craigneish Mill’]
Abbotshall 1828 SGF
Abbots Hall 1856 OS 6 inch 1st edn.

Sc abbot + Sc hall

A dwelling of the abbot of Dunfermline, who was the feudal superior of the shire of Kirkcaldy from the twelfth century to the Reformation. The NGR given above is from the OS 6 inch (1856) map, where it is marked as an antiquity, referring to the house built c.1700 on the site of the old abbot’s house. The area is now a housing estate on the south-west of Kirkcaldy, but several stone walls and arched gateways have survived from the earlier buildings (NMRS NT29SE 5).

In 1647 part of the lands of Abbotshall (Abbottishall) were granted to George Ramsay of Wester Raith and Dalhousie. They are described as comprising the mains of Abbotshall, the lands of The Scars (Skarris), Gedbys (Gaidbie) and Mounthooly (Monthulie), with the mill and manor of Abbotshall in the parish of Kirkcaldy, regality of Dunfermline (RMS ix no. 1833).

Abbotshall became the name of a new parish in the seventeenth century, for details of which see Introduction above. For divisions and closely associated lands, see Linktown, *Milton and Southerton below.

Abbotshall BUI also belonged the abbot of Dunfermline. This later became Rossend Castle (see Blyth 1948, 172), and is referred to in 1542 as ‘domu<s> lapide<a> Abbatis-aul<a> nuncup<ata>‘ i.e. ‘a stone house called Abbot’s Hall’ (RMS iii no. 2731 and footnote).

/ˈabəts hɔl/, locally /ˈabəts hɔ:/

This place-name appeared in printed volume 1