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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Inverness => Topic started by: ceitidh. on Monday 20 August 07 22:34 BST (UK)

Title: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: ceitidh. on Monday 20 August 07 22:34 BST (UK)
I am trying to obtain any further information on ancesters of mine who lived certainly at one point in Mallaig. In particular, Duncan MacMaster/McMaster, his wife Mary whose maiden name was I believe, Stewart. They had five children that i'm sure of; Sarah, Catherine, Ronald, Angus and Flora. Their son Ronald MacMaster is my great-great-great grandfather.

I know that Duncan was at one point employed as a "Foxhunter" and that he was born c. 1781, though where, i'm not sure. The last I could find record of him is in the 1841 census where he and his family are recorded as living in Mallaig. I'm fairly certain that both he and his wife Mary died prior to 1851, though I can't be certain.

The resulting generations of MacMaster's spread around a little, though there seems to have remained a concentration of them in the Knoydart region; specifically Barrisdale on Loch Hourn. One other branch moved down into Fife and from there individuals went to Australia post World War One; Donald Bain MacMaster and Hector Cecil Stanley MacMaster. One interesting point, is that the occupation of Gamekeeper and a passion for Wild Sports seems to have been passed on from when Duncan MacMaster was employed as a Foxhunter in the early part of the 1800's, down to when my Grandfather was employed as a Gamekeeper from the 1950's onward and in the current generation where both my father and brother are active fisherman.

So basically, to round it off! I'm interested in MacMaster's in and around Mallaig, Glenelg, Barrisdale, Rhunival, Skiary, Inverie, Inverinate. The period being from the 1780's onwards. Just on the off chance that anyone might have or know of any info, any information at all would be most welcomed!

Ceitidh macmaster.
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: David_Mackay on Monday 01 April 19 21:52 BST (UK)
Hi

I am researching my Knoydart family tree as my mother was a McDonald from Airor.
In the process, I was sent an image of Knoydart gamekeepers which I am sure will be of interest to you!

Best regards

David Mackay
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Monday 26 June 23 23:03 BST (UK)
Hello, I am also trying to find information on McMaster/MacMaster relatives. My grandfather Donald MacKillop was born to Maggie MacKillop from Loch Hourn in 1913. We know that his father's surname was McMaster/MacMaster from further round the loch but that's all we have on that surname. My grandfather's birth certificate has Angus McKillop (sp) 'grandfather' as a witness, who I presume is Maggie's father. My grandfather also had a cousin called Duncan MacKillop from Glencoe, who has a daughter called Ann Armstrong and is in Hartlepool. Also a relation called Neil MacKillop in Elgin or Banff. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack!
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: Forfarian on Thursday 29 June 23 20:35 BST (UK)
Suggest that you take a look at the 1911 census to see if there are any M(a)cMasters listed there on Loch Hourn. It's at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk - pay-per-view but modestly priced.
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Sunday 02 July 23 23:30 BST (UK)
Thank you for your help  :)
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: isobelw on Tuesday 11 July 23 20:27 BST (UK)
There is one Macmaster family listed in Knoydart in 1911. Going back to 1901 they appear to belong to the extended family of Ronald McMaster(s), Gamekeeper and Mary Ann Cameron. They had quite a few sons ( at least five).
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Tuesday 11 July 23 20:37 BST (UK)
Hi Isobel, thanks for your reply. If I'm not mistaken, this particular MacMaster family had 3 sons, Alexander, Angus and (I can't remember the 3rd) who emigrated to America before 1912, so they can be ruled out. I have DNA connections with people from Massachusetts and Halifax, Canada who have MacMasters in their family surnames but I'm struggling to pinpoint anything. Connections with Cape Breton, Canada is a real possibility too.
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: isobelw on Tuesday 11 July 23 20:40 BST (UK)
There were more than three sons and there were also grandsons. I would be particularly interested in John McMaster age 34 who was with the family in Knoydart in 1911.
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Tuesday 11 July 23 21:02 BST (UK)
I have the 1911 Census for John MacMaster living with his aunt and uncle in Barrisdale. There is a female visitor in the household with the surname MacEachern. I have DNA matches with the surname MacEachern, just to add to my confusion  :D
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: isobelw on Tuesday 11 July 23 21:12 BST (UK)
John was the son of Ewen MacMaster and Margaret Stalker. He married Margaret MacPhee in Knoydart in 1921 and died in 1954 and is buried with his wife and parents in Roshven Burying Ground. The MacMaster family in Knoydart were all interrelated. There appears to have been three brothers, Ronald, Angus and Archibald. John was Archibald’s grandson. His father was Archibald’s son Ewan ( born about 1846).
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Tuesday 11 July 23 22:50 BST (UK)
Thank you for this information. Do you know if they were any relation to Ronald and Mary (Cameron) MacMaster?
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: isobelw on Wednesday 12 July 23 07:52 BST (UK)
Ronald was the one who was married to Mary Cameron. As far as I can ascertain the John McMaster  who was in Knoydart in1911 ( age 34) was the great nephew of Ronald. Ronald’s brother Archibald was John’s grandfather.Ronald and Archibald were both sons of Duncan Mcmaster, Foxhunter. Their mother’s surname was Stewart. According to Archibald’s death certificate her name was Mary Stewart but on Ronald’s she is  just down as blank Stewart. Both Ronald and Archibald were Gamekeepers. Ronald died in 1906 at Runaval, Knoydart age 78. Archibald died in 1880 at Airor, Knoydart age about 66 ( his wife was Lilley McDonald). Archibald and Lilley’s son Ewen was the father of John above.
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Wednesday 12 July 23 08:15 BST (UK)
This provides names to research and hopefully find living relatives of them to rule out or confirm DNA with. Thank you very much
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Wednesday 12 July 23 18:58 BST (UK)
I've had time to think, and unsure if John could be my grandfather's father. His mother was 21 when she had him and John was 34....so there's quite an age gap. I think we're on the right track with the relations beyond John, but something is niggling that it's possibly not him. What do you think?
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: isobelw on Wednesday 12 July 23 23:21 BST (UK)
It may not be John although he certainly seems to have been around at the time. I don’t think the age difference is so great as to be completely discounted. Whoever the McMaster father was he was almost certainly a descendant of Duncan McMaster, Fox Hunter, and Mary Stewart,  as all the McMasters in Glenelg at that time link back back to them. Duncan and Mary were living in Glenelg in 1841 ( in a property called Mallaig) along with sons Ewen and Ronald. Their other son Archibald was also living in Glenelg in 1841. All three sons then married and had family in Glenelg.
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: Forfarian on Thursday 13 July 23 09:28 BST (UK)
Duncan and Mary were living in Glenelg in 1841 ( in a property called Mallaig)
The parish of Glenelg is very extensive, and it includes the north shore of Loch Morar.

The Macmaster household is one of four enumerated together in Enumeration District 7 in the 1841 census. Other places in the same ED include Kinlochmorar, Stoule, Bracora, Beorad, Tarbet, Ardintigh, Swordland, Brinicory, Glasnacardoch and Buorblich, all of which can be found on the First Edition of the six-inch Ordnance Survey Map and most of which are still named on the modern 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map.

Mallaig, in particular, is shown on that map as a crofting township a little to the east of the present town and port of the same name. See https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.4&lat=57.00900&lon=-5.81417&layers=5&right=ESRIWorld. The 1865 Valuation Roll records that Lord Lovat was proprietor of Mallaig.

All the other McMasters in the parish of Glenelg are at Ellenreoch, which is Eileanreach, a short distance south of the Kirkton of Glenelg. See https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.9&lat=57.20030&lon=-5.63259&layers=5&right=ESRIWorld

In the mid-19th century the only sensible way to get from Ellenreoch to Mallaig was by boat.

The shortest alternative route today if you don't have access to a boat would be by the Glenelg-Kylerhea ferry https://skyeferry.co.uk/times-fares/, then down through Skye to Armadale and the ferry to Mallaig. If the Glenelg-Kylerhea ferry isn't running it would involve driving over Mam Ratagain to Loch Duich, round the east end Loch Duich, west to Kyle and over the bridge to Skye, then to Armadale and the ferry to Mallaig, which is over 50 miles plus a ferry crossing. (By road only it would be 106 miles via Invergarry on Loch Ness.)



Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Thursday 20 July 23 17:30 BST (UK)
Hello, just a wee update. I followed the DNA and narrowed it down to either John Duncan MacMaster (born 1888) or Charles Angus MacMaster (born 1891), brothers from Port Hood, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, Canada. I'm relying on shared DNA connections via their wives to hopefully determine which one was my grandfather's father. Thanks for your help  ;)
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: isobelw on Thursday 20 July 23 17:45 BST (UK)
So you are suggesting that one or other of these men was in Scotland in 1913?
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: x Caz x on Thursday 20 July 23 17:56 BST (UK)
Yes, I'm struggling to find clarification on that. Their parents were Hugh and Catherine (Gillis) MacMaster. John Duncan married in 1920 and Charles married in 1923 so either one could have been over visiting Scotland before then. I have a 3rd cousin DNA match and his great, great grandfather was my great grandfather's brother (if I've worked it out correctly lol). I set it all out on a tree on my heritage and it looks correct (hopefully).
Title: Re: MacMaster/McMaster.
Post by: Rosinish on Thursday 20 July 23 22:23 BST (UK)
It would be an idea to do a timeline with names/dates/places all in one place as there's little info. within your posts to follow with ease.

Annie