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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Inverness => Topic started by: HelenO on Wednesday 19 September 07 19:32 BST (UK)
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Am attempting to trace a Donald McPhee who emigrated from his native home in South Uist or Benbecula bound for Cape Breton, NS about the year 1827 or 1828. There are several possibilities that help identify this particular Donald McPhee among many others of that surname at that time and in that area. Quite likely, “my” Donald is married to a Mary MacLean and lived in small settlement in South Uist known as ‘Garryfluich’; their records might be in the area known as ‘Iochdar’ and the parish of Ardkenneth. Based on his story here in Canada, Donald McPhee was born in South Uist about 1795. My quest now is to try to confirm the identity of my Donald McPhee and, if at all possible, to learn the names of his parents. If there is anyone who could offer advice or suggestions I would indeed be grateful.
Helen
Ottawa
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All of the placenames you mention are in the Civil Parish, and Established Church of Scotland Parish of South Uist and Benbecula. As with many of the island parishes, the records do not go that far back. The Old Parochial Registers (OPRs) for the South Uist part of that parish don't go any further back than 1839 for marriages. There are no birth OPRs at all for South Uist - thus no records until civil registration started in 1855.
However there is another option. South Uist is predominantly Roman Catholic, so it may be that you have to seek Roman Catholic church records. I am unsure where best to turn for these records - the church, the diocese or the National Archives of Scotland. Ardkenneth is a Roman Catholic parish - the Church is St Michael's.
In your searching you may need the Gaelic spelling of the places.
Uibhist a Deas = South Uist
Iochdar = Eoch(d)ar
Aird Choinnich = Ardkenneth
no sign of Garryfluich, but in general Gearraidh... = Garry...
ADP
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Thank you, ADP. I appreciate your considerate answer and your additional help supplying the Gaelic spelling of these placenames. [I blush to think of the blunders I make sometimes of even English spelling. When it comes to Gaelic -- yikes!] And of course you are right: my McPhee / MacLean ancestors were Roman Catholic, and I know it is almost impossible to get anything from those records, especially as early as 1820s. I am a little hopeful, however, that I might find some cemetery or burial records in South Uist that would indicate the possible parents for this couple who left at that early date. My Donald McPhee died 'over here' in 1878 at age 84 (b. 1794); his wife, Mary MacLean, gave birth to two children in Cape Breton: Donald John (1828) and Christy (1831), before she apparently died and Donald married again later in the 1830s. Possibly the Scottish naming pattern might indicate that Donald's father was a John McPhee in the area of (gulp!) Gearraidh Fliuch. So, my need is for suggestions and advice as to the chances for local Catholic burial records in South Uist. Again, thanks for your response to my initial inquiry.
Helen
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ADP thanks for posting that information. I have been looking at a 1861 marriage in Howmore district South Uist and have been stratching my head over the place where the marriage took place and that is it-Ardkenneth. I had been searching an old map but I guess a parish name wouldn't necessarily be on it.
A fluke as I haven't been to this forum for ages.
A question; the brides usual residence was Buldher or Buldha, or Ouldha. Do you know what it may be?
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Hi Dollard,
There is no good match for Buldher or Buldha, or Ouldha. The nearest that I saw was Boisdale (Baghasdail). That is at the other end of the island from Ardkenneth. Looking at various maps, there is nothing local to Ardkenneth (Aird Choinnich) or Howmore (Tobha Mor) that looks hopeful.
Can you find any sign of the bride's family on the censuses? That could give you another offering of the placename in different handwriting.
ADP
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Thanks for the census suggestion. I have now tried looking for the bride's family on the census but that didn't get anywhere. I did find the new bride and her husband on the 1861 census and they are at Balrosva but that doesn't help either.
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Have only just spotted this exchange but, just in case it is still and issue, Buldha or whatever you were seeing was Bualdhu in Iochdar at the time on te shore of the South Ford between South Uist and Benbecula and today quite close to the causeay connecting the two islands. Hope that may help someone.
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Have only just spotted this exchange but, just in case it is still and issue, Buldha or whatever you were seeing was Bualdhu in Iochdar at the time on te shore of the South Ford between South Uist and Benbecula and today quite close to the causeay connecting the two islands. Hope that may help someone.
Ahh. I can find that one on an old OS map as Buaile-dhubh. It is a short distance south-east(ish) of the top-centre of the map.
http://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch/view/?sid=74426999
It is also on the modern OS map.
Modern OS map showing Buaile Dhubh (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=78798&y=846412&z=120&sv=78798,846412&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=892&ax=78798&ay=846412&lm=0)
Or on Google maps streetview - see what it looks like.
Google maps streetview showing Bualadubh (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=57.392328,-7.349296&spn=0,0.043216&z=15&layer=c&cbll=57.392314,-7.349427&panoid=gGwDYKkuYsm2TfwR_xQuEw&cbp=12,299.35,,0,7.83)
ADP
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Angusm and ADP thank you very much for locating the place I was looking for.
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I know this is an old posting but may be of assistance to others.
Donald & Mary were married in 1827 (only year stated) although place of marriage is not listed. He was from Garryfluich but doesn't mention where Mary was from.
There is also a listing of a son John b 22 Jul 1829 baptised 29 Jul 1829 in Garryfluich which indicates parents would probably have been married in Ardkenneth.
Parents must have migrated after his birth in 1829.
Anne Marie.
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Anne Marie: well found but does the info perhaps need a bit of unpicking? The first marriage record for St Michael's surely dates from 1829 so my guess would be that the 1827 event must have been registered at St Mary's Bornish? That would presumably be the bride's RC parish and I put it that way because a church wedding was very rare, the priest usually going to the relevant township.
A Garryfluich [or Garryfliuch as it was normally written down] wedding would not normally have been a matter for the priest at Bornish but for the more northerly incumbent. 1827 was, in any case though, before St Michael's existed as it was built after the 1828 arrival of Fr James MacGregor though the move to Ardkenneth may have taken place before that, coincidentally from Garryfluich, where the priest from c. 1803-1827, Roderick MacDonald, was a son of the tacksman and 2 x great grandson of Ranald Og II of Benbecula. The couple then evidently settled in the husband's township, Mr Seumas was in place at Ardkenneth, conducted the baptism amd made the entry at St Michael's.
Is that how it reads to you? Angus
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Hi Angus,
You may be right with your info. re dates & which church etc. but I haven't gone into the historical aspects. I was only transcribing from the info. I have at hand which doesn't give details of which church the marriage took place but assumed that the place of birth for John was a possible clue and hoping it would be of assistance to root hunters like myself although this family are of no known connection to my own family.
It's good that people like yourself have more informative details to add though.
I periodically search out Uist enquiries when I have the time, out of interest and the fact that I have a wealth of info. at hand as my own paternal side are all Uist born and include so many names and I have gathered so much over the years and I'm as well to use it when possible as it's my hobbie.
Names predominent in my own tree are: MacKinnon, Steele, Cumming, Currie & Campbell among others. I must be related to at least a third of the island but find it hard getting anything on my Cumming branch for some strange reason. I would have thought that would have been the easiest branch to trace with it being such an uncommon surname but alas I have struggled with incoming info. to date.
Regards,
Anne Marie (nee MacKinnon)
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Hi Anne Marie
The more people like us that keep an eye out and add what we can, the more helpful it is to others so all power to your elbow. For my part, my roots are in Benbecula, hence my interest in St Michael's and, as it happens, my great great grandfather's marriage was about the first [from memory I think it was the first] recorded by Fr MacGregor at Ardkenneth in 1829.
Surprisingly, it is often the rarer names that are difficulat to track and pin dow, I suppose your elusive folks may have been Comyns way back?
Regards
Angus
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There are Cummings who I know who originated in Eriskay if that is any help.
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Hi Kilpheder,
I'm not sure if the name Cumming features in your tree but I would be interested in following up what you have and exchanging info.
Regards,
Anne Marie.
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Hello again Anne Marie: Don't know if it goes beyond what you already have but there are 14 Cumming births and/or baptisms recorded in the Catholic records for St Mary's, Bornish before the 1855 start of statutory recording. They were children of just two couples. The first was John Cumming and his wife, Isobel Campbell with a first recorded birth in 1825. The second, very possibly a son of the first couple, was Evan Cummingmarried to a Currie and their children were born towards the end of the period.