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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Inverness => Topic started by: thornhill121 on Monday 15 September 14 15:30 BST (UK)
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Hi
I was wondering if anyone has a copy of Croft Histories of North Uist volume 4: Clachan to Boreray. I am looking for information on the MacLennan family who lived at Trumaisgearraidh (Trumisgarry). My GGGrandfather Kenneth was living there in 1851. He left sometime after 1871 to move to Barra.
My local library is struggling to find a copy of this book for me. Any information or help gratefully received.
Thanks.
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Hi,
You can order the book directly from here:
http://www.billlawson.com/books.htm
Anne Marie
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What info. are you looking for as you haven't specified anything in particular?
Do you have any info. regarding Kenneth e.g. dates, family etc?
There is a family in Glen, Barra (1881) which could be them ?
Kenneth Maclennan Head M 56 Shepherd Harris Inverness-shire
Mariah Maclennan Wife M 54 North Uist Inverness-shire
Donald Maclennan Son U 18 North Uist Inverness-shire
Christina Maclennan Dau 16 North Uist Inverness-shire
Murdoch Maclennan Son 14 North Uist Inverness-shire
Catherine Maclennan Dau 12 Scholar North Uist Inverness-shire
John Maclennan Son 8 Scholar North Uist Inverness-shire
Annie
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Hi Annie
Thanks for your reply. This is the family that I am looking for. I do have the information on them on Barra but wanted to go further back. I really wanted to know who took the croft over after Kenneth left for Barra (did it stay in the family?) also if there is a date they took it over? I have not seen these books so don't really know what information to expect from them
Thanks
Lucy
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Lucy,
I don't have the croft book but if the census are consistent with same neighbours then by comparing them this will give you an idea as to whether the croft remained within the MacLennan family or not ?
Annie
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You could try this for free:
www.freecen.org.uk
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Thanks Annie
I hadn't thought of checking the neighbours. I will try that and see what that throws up.
Lucy
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Hi there,
I have all four volumes of Bill Lawson's crofting histories for North Uist. I have just searched the Trumaisgearraidh entries in Vol 4 and can find no mention of any MacLennans.
Are you sure that's where they were?
Christine
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Glen, Barra (1881)
Kenneth Maclennan Head M 56 Shepherd Harris Inverness-shire
Mariah Maclennan Wife M 54 North Uist Inverness-shire
Donald Maclennan Son U 18 North Uist Inverness-shire
Christina Maclennan Dau 16 North Uist Inverness-shire
Murdoch Maclennan Son 14 North Uist Inverness-shire
Catherine Maclennan Dau 12 Scholar North Uist Inverness-shire
John Maclennan Son 8 Scholar North Uist Inverness-shire
Hi Christine,
This census indicates that the family were in N/Uist from 1863 - sometime prior to 1881 as all the kids were born there.
Does the Croft Books not only give the info. from 1841 & 1851 unless the families remained there whereby there will be more info?
Anne Marie
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Here they are in 1871
Name: Kenneth Maclennan
Age: 47
Estimated birth year: abt 1824
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Mary Maclennan
Gender: Male
Where born: Harris, inverness shire
Registration Number: 113
Registration district: North Uist
Civil Parish: North Uist
County: Invernessshire
Address: Brenish House
Occupation: Shepherd
ED: 16
Household schedule number: 41
LINE: 1
Roll: CSSCT1871_21
Household Members:
Name Age
Kenneth Maclennan 47
Mary Maclennan 42
Donald John Maclennan 9
Christina Maclennan 7
Murdoch Maclennan 5
Catherine Maclennan 3
Angus Mackenzie 20
Annie
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That 1871 census (online) was taken in Brenish, North Locheport (from transcriptions I have)
Anne Marie
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I do have the information on them on Barra but wanted to go further back. I really wanted to know who took the croft over after Kenneth left for Barra (did it stay in the family?) also if there is a date they took it over?
In order to go back further a name for his wife would be helpful ???
Do you have details of the marriage from the kids birth certs.?
The birth certs. will provide date & place of marriage ;)
Do you have the marriage cert. as both parents names will be on it ???
Anne Marie
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I think this is the marriage details ;D
Name: Kenneth Maclennan
Gender: Male
Marriage Date: 14 Feb 1861
Marriage Place: North Uist, Inverness, Scotland
Spouse: Mary Johnson
FHL Film Number: 6035516
A copy from SP will cost less than £1.50 & give you both parents for each ;D
Anne Marie
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Hi there,
I've had another look at vol 4 but there are definitely no Maclennans. Mr Lawson tends to start with the earliest rental lists, sometimes back to 1799, and continues up to the the end of the 19th century or even later. (My mother, for example, who was born in North Uist in 1913, and is mentioned as moving to Greenock on her marriage).
One thing to point out is that the crofting books only deal with crofts, not with larger houses.
I'll have a look through the other volumes when I get a chance, but there are no indexes, so there's no guarantee I'll find them, as it's easy to skip over something.
I have, however found a reference to MacLennans in Bill Lawson's book, North Uist in History and Legend. It says a Donald Maclennan (Domhnall a Choibair) was a shepherd at Greinetobht and had come originally from Harris.
"The Maclennans had come from Tarasaigh in Harris, and when forced to leave there, had scattered, one to Fionnsbhagh in Harris, others to Airidh a Bhruaich in Lewis, and Donald to Greienetobht. Donald had died in 1889, but his son Donald took over as shepherd."
I'll have a look at the volume that includes Greinetobht tomorrow for you.
Christine
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Christine that sounds good but I have a feeling this may be another branch of the family?
I think Kenneth (b c 1837) who married Mary Johnson, his father was Murdoch & mother Christina?
Anne Marie
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Right, I've gone through vol 2 for you now, and the only Maclennans are the shepherds mentioned in Bill Lawson's book. I've taken a photo of the page for you and was going to attach it here but it seems to be too big to send. I'll try and reduce the size and post it later.
Will check through vols 1 and 3 later.
Christine
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Brenish, North Locheport
Christine,
Is it possible to check what Brenish House in North Locheport was please?
It looks as though the workers lived on the owners land but I dont know for sure as Im only reading between the lines?
Regards,
Anne Marie
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Hi, I've pm'd you the photos of the relevant pages.
As I said earlier, the crofting history books only deal with crofts, not with large houses. There's no mention (at least not in the index) of Brenish House in the History and Legend book and Locheport isn't covered in the crofting books. He hasn't finished the whole island yet. I've been waiting years for another volume.
The system was that a tacksman would live in a larger house and collect the rents from the crofters on the land that came under that house's jurisdiction. Most crofters lived off their own patch of land but there wasn't much left over once they paid the rent. They only made extra by working extra for the tacksman or lord/owner of the land, for example by gathering kelp for him etc.,
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Have just found a reference in the History and Legend book about shepherds at Locheport being based out of Balelone, (which is on the other side of the island) so have checked the crofting book for there and found another family of Maclennans. Will photo and post.
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Sorry, wanted to post the photo but it's too big(again!). Don't know how to make it smaller, so here are the details from Balelone:
Donald MacLennan 1823 - 1904 (mac-Choinnich Dhomnaill) (I think that means son of Donald the shepherd) (from Caolas Phaibeil ex Gairloch)
= (1) Kirsty Monk 1828-1860
children:
Alex - 1851 = Catherine Macinnes and moved to Paiblesgearraidh
Kirsty - 1853-1878
Georgina - 1856
Ann - 1858
= (2) Catherine Ferguson 1826-1894
children:
Kirsty - 1860
Rachel - 1864 = Alex MacPhail and moved to Locheport
Still not the right family, but must be connected.
Unfortunately Kylis Paible (Caolas Phaibeil) is one of the places still not covered by the crofting books, one I've been waiting for myself.
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Donald MacLennan 1823 - 1904 (mac-Choinnich Dhomnaill) (I think that means son of Donald the shepherd) (from Caolas Phaibeil ex Gairloch)
= (1) Kirsty Monk 1828-1860
children:
Alex - 1851 = Catherine Macinnes and moved to Paiblesgearraidh
Kirsty - 1853-1878
Georgina - 1856
Ann - 1858
= (2) Catherine Ferguson 1826-1894
children:
Kirsty - 1860
Rachel - 1864 = Alex MacPhail and moved to Locheport
Thanks Christine,
That Donald (1823 - 1904) is son of Kenneth who is son of Donald .
So, this Donald seems to be a brother of Kenneth who moved to Barra?
Thornhill will need some certs. to prove my thoughts though :P
Anne Marie
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HI there,
Just thought I should let you know that I've checked through the remaining volumes of the North Uist crofting histories and there are no more Maclennans mentioned anywhere.
I'll try and scan in the passage in the book and post it on later.
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Sorry, my scanner seems to have packed up, so here is a transcript of the relevant passage that was asked for.
Page 102, North Uist in History and Legend, by Bill Lawson:
"Donald MacKinnon, who was cleared from Loch Portain to Baleshare gave evidence to the Royal Commission in 1894 which is summarised here.
"There were townships formerly on the north side of Loch Eport, at Cainish. There were seven crofters at Cainish; the late Dr MacLeod had the other part of the land, and he had a shepherd at Brenish, who was at that time attached to the farm of Balelone on the west side. The crofters were removed from Cainish fully 55 years ago. I distinctly remember them being there. I would think that about a score of crofters could be settled on the north side of Loch Eport, keeping in view the extent of the land they formerly occupied."
As I said earlier, Brenish does not come up in the index but does appear on this page, so there may be other references I haven't found. It's a fascinating book and I can recommend a purchase.
I think that's about all I can help you with at my end, but good luck in your research.
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Brenish does not come up in the index but does appear on this page, so there may be other references I haven't found.
Hi Christine & thanks.
Brenish, Locheport was on 1871 census which must be the Croft name possibly belonging to Dr MacLeod as it was listed as Brenish House & part of Balelone from what is written.
This will answer the question regarding who took over the croft when Kenneth MacLennan moved to Barra. The croft & house belonged to Dr MacLeod.
Anne Marie
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I've checked my map and Breinish is marked on it on the north side of Loch Eport, between Lochmaddy and Langass but I don't know what's there now.
However Balelone is way up on the north-west side of the island, an area I know better. There's a considerable distance between them.
I've had another look at Balelone in the crofting book, and the tacksmen were Dr Murdo Macleod, whose children were born in the 1770s and 1780s, then it passed to his son Dr Alex. Macleod who was born in 1788. In the late 1840s, the tack passed to a nephew, Donald Arbuckle of Baleloch (born 1812). In the 1850s, it passed to John Macdonald of Kylis Paible then in the 1860s to John Stewart (born 1824). Then there was Murdo Mackenzie and then his brother Hector Mackenzie and then it was bought by the famous Erskine Beveridge in 1901.
Bill Lawson mentions, with no detail, an 1830 report which refers to the farm of "Kilpheder & Ballone with Breanish".
But still the only two mentions of Maclennans are the two I've already quoted which appear to be other members of the family but not those we're looking for.