Beaton / Bethune - Kilmuir, Skye

[Nick Beaton]

Graham
I am descended from Beatons of Kilmuir. This is what I have: If you are able to find any useful links, do please let me know!

Nick Beaton

 Beatons of Greaulin

I have managed to research my Beaton line back to the early 1820s, where my 3 x great grandfather, William Bethune was crofting at Greaulin near Linicro. At the time of the 1841 census, William Bethune’s age was given as 75 and he was with his wife, Mary Macneil and youngest child, Neil aged 15 (my great great grandfather).

At the same time, there were two other Beaton / Bethune families crofting at Greaulin, headed by brothers, Angus born Kilmuir about 1790 and John, born circa 1785. The parents of Angus and John were Donald Beaton and Mary Macloed.

Here are the details found for these two brothers:

•   John Beaton born circa 1785, married Anne Macaskill:
Known children
Emily born @ 1826,
Donald born @1826,
Mary born @1827,
Anne born @1830 (subsequently married Donald Macinnes)
John born @ 1832

The death of John Beaton is recorded as 5th May 1866 at the age of 80.

Angus Beaton born circa 1790, married Mary McSwan:
Known children
Catherine born @ 1828
Donald born @ 1832
John born @ 1837
Angus born @ 1840
Ann born @ 1846

The death of Angus is recorded as 29th March 1863, aged 72.

Although I have not proved it definitively, I believe that my William Bethune was an older brother to John and Angus. William and his wife, Mary had three known children:
Donald born @ 1824, subsequently married Mary Beaton
Isabella born circa 1825
Neil, born 1826, my 2 x great grandfather, who lived and worked on Stormyhill, Portree until his death in 1901

Neil married Mary Mackinnon in 1861 and had four children, who survived
Mary born 1861 (subsequently married James Macdonald of Raasay)
Duncan, born 1865, (my great grandfather who went to Africa in 1890, where he remained until his death in 1943
Donald born 1868 lived and worked as a blacksmith until his death in 1940 and never married.
Katie born 1870 and never married but spent most of her life in Portree. Died 1956.

Neil Beaton’s older brother, Donald and his wife, Mary continued to live at Greaulin and had four known children:
William born @ 1853
Marion born @ 1855
Donald born@ 1858
Mary born @1863

Donald Beaton was tragically killed in March 1891 by a locomotive as he worked on the track near Row in Dunbartonshire. His widow, Mary is recorded in the 1891 census living at Balagowan with her 30+ year old unmarried daughter, Marion, but no indication of the wherabouts of any of the other children.

[Uist1911]

Hi Everyone
I have managed to trace my family tree back to abt 1791 my 4th great grandfather John Beaton was
from Strath Isle of Skye He had a Son Angus Bethune/Beaton Born 1812-1878  my 3rd Great Grandfather on Angus's death Certificate his Mother's name was Catherine Macleod. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about this family Angus moved to North Uist Angus Married a Mary Mackenzie from North Uist.

[Desades]

Hi Graham,
I am a direct descendant of Norman Bethune and Catherine McDonald who migrated to Australia if you want further info then you can contact me by email bethune.family@bigpond.com

Regards

Cliff Bethune

[graviton]

Hi Graham,
I reveiwed your post on the Beatons-Bethunes (including Betons and Patons) in Kilmuir Parish, Skye.  My Beaton relations are in association to my 3rd Great grandmother; Margaret Beaton M^acLeod, wife of Alexander M^acLeod (he passed on August 27, 1855 in Totescore, [Kilmuir Parish, Skye]).  His death record was signed by informant (brother-in-law*, Neil Beaton) Niel Bethune (Estimated Birth Year 1796) of [Cnockhoe/Knockhoe] Kilmuir Parish, Highlands, Scotland or (Knockoff, Cnockow, 2 Knockour) of the 1841 '51, '61 census- it is the town just a few km's to the SW of Bornaskitag.  My 3rd Great Uncle was able to travel down to Linicro / Totescore witness the death and then sign the record that was filed with the Inverness County-Parish of Kulmuir authorities.  I  know of several more Beatons in Kilmore (some 10 or more families); Bornaskitag, Hunglatter, Graulin, Penore, Steinscholl and Uig and Treaslane in Snizort  Of my 3rd great grandmother, she died and is buried in Allegan County, Michigan in the town of Martin.   
* you can see Death Certif on my page at Ancestry.com, PANTARBE
Walter M^cLeod

[Oliver001]

My Beaton family were from Kilmuir.  I'm descended from Angus Bethune b. ca. 1781 and Catherine Ross born in Kilmuir.

Their family wished to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope to escape the devastating poverty of the crofters where the landlords forced them into subdivided crofts toiling fruitless soil.  They didn't leave in the end and stayed in Kilmuir.

This is their family:
Angus BEATON Farmer 40 Cathrine ROSS 35 John/Donald/ Malcolm/Peter 11/7/4/2 Cathrine Inf

John Bethune his son is through whom I'm descended. 

It was Angus Bethune who married Catherine McLeod (referring to the posts above/before this one).

Here are all my notes - hope they help:

Angus Beaton is found appearing on a list of people from the north of Skye who hoped to emigrate, with government assistance, to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa in 1819-1820.  This proposed emigration must not have taken place, and the Angus Beaton family is one of a number who are on record living on Skye after this date.  The Beaton family is shown (document attached) as –

Angus Beaton [40 farmer]  Catherine Ross 35,  John 11,  Donald 7,  Malcolm 4,  Peter 2 and Catherine [infant]

It is assumed that this is the correct family because –
a)   The parents’ names are correct. 
b)   The age given here for John (bc1808-1809) fits with the age found for him in census (b1807-1811). 
c)   Catherine MacDonald’s death record of 1897 has her age 78 years.  This fits with her being an infant in 1819-1820.


A family with similar names is found in the township of Idrigill, Snizort in census and other records.

1841 Idrigill, Snizort
Angus Beaton   60   farmer
Catherine    55   
Peter   20   
Peggy   15   
John   15   
Angus   12   
Note:  The names Peggy and Margaret are interchangeable


1851 Uig, Snizort
Catherine Beaton   Head   Wid   67   occupying 5acres: born Kilmuir
Angus   son   unm   23   gen.lab
Donald   grson      14   born Dundee, Forfar-sh
Notes: 
1.   The grson born in Dundee is interesting
2.   The townships in the Uig area are not given separately in this census

1861 North Cuil, Snizort
Myles MacInnes   Head   Mar   40   farmer & merchant
Margaret   Wife   Mar   38   
Catherine Beaton   mother-in-law   Wid   80   
Betsy MacDonald   serv   unm   17   born Kilmuir


OPR Records
Some records relating to this family appear in the OPR.

OPR Snizort:  Birth /Baptisms
John – 15 December 1823: s/o Angus Bethune & Catherine MacLeod, Idrigill of Uig
Angus – born 28 August 1828, baptised 9 February 1829:  s/o Angus Bethune & Catherine MacLeod, Idrigill

OPR Kilmuir:  Marriages
8 December 1844:  Peter Beaton, Snizort married Ann Ross, Kilmuir

OPR Snizort:  Marriages:
Proclaimed 1 December 1844:  married 24 December 1844:
Peter Bethune, Idrigill & Ann Ross, Borniskitaig

Proclaimed 2 July 1848:  married 21 July 1848:
Myles MacInnes, Idrigill & Margaret Bethune, Idrigill
By Rev Angus Martin

Notes:
1.   The 1823 record for John:  it is unclear from the register whether this is a birth or a baptism date
2.   It is not unusual to find a marriage recorded twice when bride and groom came from different parishes.  Neither is it unusual to find that the dates differ slightly.   The township of Borniskitaig is in Kilmuir parish.
3.   Rev Angus Martin was the Church of Scotland minister of Snizort.


Catherine Beaton died in 1862.  Her son-in-law Myles MacInnes registered her death and, unfortunately, appears to have made some errors with the details.  It is not good practise to assume errors have been made just to make details fit our assumptions, but human error did occur.

Death:  North Snizort 1862 No.4:
Catherine Bethune, domestic servant:  widow of John Bethune:  died 13 January 1862 at North Cuil:  age 76 years:  d/o John Bethune tenant deceased & Margaret m/s MacPhee deceased:  informant – Myles MacInnes merchant, North Cuil

Death:  North Snizort 1872 No.10:
Marion MacInnes, married to Myles MacInnes:  died 21 October 1872 at Idrigill:  age 48 years:  d/o Angus Beaton tenant & Catherine m/s MacLeod:  informant – Myles MacInnes husband
Register of Corrected Entries (RCE):
Margaret MacInnes – name is changed to Margaret, and cause of death is given

Notes:
1.   The 1862 record shows Catherine husband as John – but he appears as Angus in the 1841 census and in the 1872 death record of his daughter
2.   The 1862 record shows Catherine’s father as Bethune, but the 1872 record shows Catherine as MacLeod.


Angus Beaton, father of John
It therefore appears that Angus Beaton, father of John Beaton who married Flora Nicolson, was married twice – first to Catherine Ross, and secondly to Catherine MacLeod.  The family lived at Idrigill in the Uig area of North Snizort.

Angus Beaton married Catherine Ross c1807.  They had family – John (bc1808), Donald (bc1812), Malcolm (bc1815), Peter (bc1817) & Catherine (bc1819).
Catherine Ross died.
Angus then married Catherine MacLeod c1821.  They had family – Margaret (bc1822), John (bc1823), Angus (b1828).
Catherine m/s MacLeod died in 1862.

[argyllshiregirl]

Hello!

I am trying to trace my mother's people back to Skye. Her great grandparents were James KILPATRICK and Isabella NICOLSON who married in Kelvin, Glasgow in December, 1877. James came from Applecross, Ross-shire while Isabella came from Snizort, Inverness-shire.

I believe Isabella's parents to be Malcolm NICHOLSON and Marion BEATON who married in 1850, Snizort, where Isabella was born about 1852.

Today, I found a death registration on SP for a Marion BEATON (widow of Malcolm NICOLSON) who died in 1918 at the age of 91 years, South Snizort. The informant was her son, Alexander NICOLSON, of Cathcart, Glasgow. I am fairly convinced that this is the right Marion BEATON to my 3x great grandmother. This age jibes with her previously assumed birth year, and our Marion BEATON did have a son named Alexander who did live in the area of Cathcart.

This leads me to the next stage - the previous generation. Her death registration gives her parents as Alexander BEATON, a crofter, and Christina MACLEOD. Do these people fit into the trees of anyone in this message thread?

Mary

[Rosinish]

Have you found Marion in 1841 with her parents which may show siblings?

Annie

[argyllshiregirl]

Hi Annie,

No, I haven't, not yet. I have gotten bogged down with the Sarah/Marion BEATON/BETHUNE puzzle it seems. I believe I have her after her marriage to Malcolm NICOLSON in 1850.

1851 Carbost
Malcolm NICOLSON 38
Marion/Sarah 25
Isabella 3 months
Janet 70 (Malcolm's mother)
Christian 40 (his sister)
Janet 30 (his sister)
Peter MCDONALD 9 (born Bracadale, his nephew)
Ann MCDONALD 8 (born S. Uist, his niece)

1861 Carbost
Malcolm NICOLSON 30 (probably should be 40+)
Marion 32
Isabella 10
Janet 8
Samuel 5
Christy 1
Janet 80 (his mother)
Peter MCDONALD 19 (his nephew)
Donald 55 (a visitor)

1871 Carbost
Malcolm NICOLSON 53
Marion 40
Isabella 19
Samuel 15
Christy 12
Margaret 9
Alexander 4

Mary

[Rosinish]

1861 Carbost (Snizort)

Malcolm NICOLSON 30 (probably should be 40+) - SP have him 50
Marion 32
Isabella 10 - (SP have her as Bell)
Janet 8
Samuel 5
Christy 1
Janet 80 (his mother)
Peter MCDONALD 19 (his nephew)
Donald 55 (a visitor)

Annie