RootsChat.Com

I read it clearly as 'Dr Manson'. What was the population in the area in those days? How many doctors are there likely to have been?

I imagine they all knew each other and knew how they were related. James Clarke (1705-74) had married Margaret Mackay  (1726-1895) of Clasneach some time around 1750 and they had ten children by 1772.
The families seem to have educated each other's children. A diary reference in July 1828 says "Miss Isabella McKay, my cousin, who was going as governess to Mr Anderson’s Family at Rispond." and later he says [17.6.1831]
"My sister Margaret had just come home on a visit from T Houstons Esq of Creich where she has been as Governess to the young Misses Houston for some time."  and on 3.6.1833  "A Miss Mackay from Thurso came here on her way to Scourie as governess to my cousins"
The diary is full of such tantalising hints - and comments like this "For the first time, I today saw a Steam Carriage, in Princes Street" dated 28 March 1834 when he was at university in Edinburgh.  I had no idea they had spread that far so early!

Yes. David Ross Clarke was born on23 Feb 1800 and chr 5 Mar 1800 at Durness. He became a trader to the West Indies and married Eliza Ann Hall at St Andrews, Pleasant Prospect pen, Jamaica on 8 March 1827.  She was the eldest child of Col Charles William Hall (1768-1832) and Isabella Anne Ford (1790-1824) who was born in Niagara Canada. DRC had two sons and three daughters but my gtgrandfather Col Alexander Ross Clarke RE, FRS, CB was the only one to leave descendants. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Society in 1887 for his "determination of the figure of the Earth" - in other words he was the first to accurately measure the size and shape of the world and the book 'Geodesy' which he wrote is still in print and the authoritative text in Englsh on the subject.
Jeanette

I have checked the photo of the original diary and it looks as though the date has been changed to 1778 and was originally 1777. I will try to attach the relevant pages. if it doesn't work, give me an email address to send them to.
Jeanette

James Clarke & Margaret Mackay were my  4x great grandparents and John Clarke 1770-1837 who married Johanna Falconer 1773-1858 was their 7th son and 9th child. Their youngest son Donald Robert Clarke 1815-1883 kept a diary from the age of 12 until his marriage, I am currently transcribing it and think this entry may be of relevance. It is dated the 28th of October 1835.
"This being Saturday, I took a run out to Musselborough by one of the Railway Coaches to visit a Mr John Ross, a very old gentleman a native of Durness. He entertained me very much with his stories of olden times. He left Durness in 1778 to join the 71st Regt. He says that Rob Donn was the last person he shook hands with in Durness at the top of the Balloch Mor. He remembers very well my great grandmother “Bean mhor Chlasneach” widow of Donald Mackay alias MacConil of Clashneach, lived to 105 years. Her son George was a Councillor in Madras & one of the most influential men in that Presidency. My grandfather James Clarke, he recollected perfectly. Mr Ross thinks he was at the battle of Prestonpans (21 Sept 1745 JG) in Lord Loudon’s ……..He says that he had the salmon fishing of Durness & that every person that crossed the Cruive at Gruisie got a salmon. Mr R remembers when the only gravestones in the churchyard of Durness were those over the graves of Kenneth Sutherland of Keoldale & his descendants among whom was the famous Isbal N’ic Aoidh. Mr Ross is remarkably kind. I promised to repeat my visit. Remained till Evg of next day."
On the 27th February 1838 he recorded
"I went out to Musselburgh to visit my friend Mr Ross. He says that most of my grandfather’s family were at school with him at Durness. The young men he says were the stoutest, handsomest he ever saw. He was intimate with my uncle George, Lieut in the H.E.I.C.Service, who fell in action 10 Sept 1780 at Genl Baillie’s defeat. The 71st (at that time the 73rd) were near the ground about 12 months, afterwards when some of the Durness men went to see the spot there my uncle fell. Mr Ross was 41 years in the 71st & 20 of these in India. He says that most of the great people were in his early days buried in the Churches in the Reay Country. My Greatgrandfather & great grandmother are buried in the Church of Durness, he thinks at the side of the wall near the Balnakiel Seat. He recollects when the only seats in the Church were the Clergyman’s, my grandfather’s & the Balnakiel. The rest of the people brought stools or stones or piled up old bones & sat on them. Not a hat entered the Church on Sunday but the Minister’s & that was a coarse one! Young men indeed never thought of wearing even a bonnet till they were married & then the bonnet used to come with the whisky for the wedding. Knotty-playing & Dancing were the great accomplishments for young men.
Mr R remembers seeing my grandfather, one of the most opulent men in the parish, set off to visit the Hon Capt Mackay of Skibo, Lord Reay’s father. “He was well mounted, booted & spurred” says he, “with a pair of hose under his boots reaching a little above the calf of the leg. His breeches, which had recently come into fashion, did not nearly meet the boots or hose, so that the whole knee was bare & exposed to the weather. On his head he wore a broad blue bonnet.”  This was previous to 1778 in which year Mr Ross left the country & did not revisit it till 1822."

On another visit on 18 October 1836 he wrote
"Dined with Mr Ross & walked afterwards into town. Mr R thinks my grandfather James Clarke was at this battle of Prestonpans in the 21st Regt under Lord Loudon. If he was there at all, he must have been on the side of the Royal forces, & his grandson cannot help thinking, on the wrong side."