McKiggan in South Uist?

[lisagarnham]

Hi Anne Marie

I see now, you think the 1871 entry you posted is John's brother, John?

Indeed, could be - but now there are two MacLean connections, I think!!
 

[Rosinish]

Hi Lisa,
This is the brother John who who's wife was Ann MacLean.

1871 (South Boisdale, S/U)
John     Mackiggan   Head   M  29 Farmer 10 acres   S/U   Inverness
Ann     Mackiggan   Wife   M  26      S/U   Inverness
Christina     Mackiggan   Dau      2      S/U   Inverness
Ann     Mackiggan   Dau      1m      S/U   Inverness
Euphemia Maclean   M in L      60      N/U   Inverness

Your John's wife Ann Died pre 1871 therefore your John's census which I sent you has him as a widower & Shepherd at Glendale, not South Boisdale although both are in close proximity in terms as both are in the registration district of Boisdale.

Confusion over - sorry!!

Now, I had another look at Ann Robertson b c 1842. If you look at her "supposed" parent's marriage date it poses a wee thought - almost 20yrs prior to her birth. My thoughts (given you can't find her birth) is that the couple Ewen Robertson & Mary Anderson who married 05 Jun 1823 may well have been the grandparents??? Maybe an orphaned or illigitimate child and I suspect she may have been born with a different surname? I think I'm putting obstacles in front of your brick wall now - adding to the confusion.

Anne Marie

[lisagarnham]

Hi Anne Marie,

Nothing like a brick wall with obstacles in front of it to cheer me on!

However, I think I eventually found the baptism record on FS, under John Robertson and Mary Anderson.  As John and Ewen are inter-changeable I should really have thought of this earlier...

Based on several baptismal records, I believe this to be Ann Robertson's family, her father was a mason:

1841, point of Sleat, Skye:
Ewn Robertson   50
Mary Robertson   41
Anne Robertson   20
Cath Robertson   17
Alexr Robertson   15
Duncan Robertson   12
Ewn Robertson   10
John Robertson   7
Janet Robertson   5
Anne Robertson   2

1851, Rhy of Aird, Sleat:
Mary Robertson   48
Ewen Robertson   19
John Robertson   16
Janet Robertson   13
Anne Robertson   11
Flora Robertson   8

(don't know where Ewen is)

1861, Point of Sleat:

Ewen Robertson   68
Mary Robertson   58
John Robertson   28
Flora Robertson   18
Angus Mcdonald   28
Janet Mcdonald   24
Ewen Mcdonald   2
Alexander Mcdonald   2 Mo
Alexandrina Mcdonald   4

Janet MacDonald is nee Robertson.

1871, Point of Sleat, Ewen has died:

Mary Robertson   63
Duncan Robertson   38
Ewen Mcdonald   12
Alexr Mcdonald   10


The remainder of the family in 1881, Point of Sleat:

Duncan Robertson   50
Mary Robertson   80
Flora McPherson   40
Donald McPherson   6
John McPherson   5

Again, Flora is nee Robertson.


So I think they probably were her parents - the ages match up - just!!

[Rosinish]

Lisa,

Well done and I didn't know that John & Ewen were interchangeable! However, nothing worse than an EASY Jigsaw as it takes the fun, imagination & most of all the determination out of it as I'm sure you will agree.

Anne Marie

[Rosinish]

1881 – Barra

   ISLAND OF HELISA                  
                        
   John   Mackeggan   Head   M   46   Shepherd   South Uist
   Catherine   Mackeggan   Wife   M   30      Dunvegan, Skye
   Mary   Mackeggan   Dau         13   Scholar   South Uist
   Ann   Mackeggan   Dau         7   Scholar   Barra
   Jessie   Mackeggan   Dau         5   Scholar   Barra
   Finlay   Mackeggan   Son      2         Barra
   Christina   Campbell   M in L   U      60      Dunvegan, Skye
   John   Macintyre   Nephew      14      Scholar   South Uist

Now another hitch as the Mum-in-law is Campbell but Catherine was Beaton – a 2nd marriage for either but who?

Hi Lisa,

It now is more obvious that Christina Campbell, M in L, U (above) was more likely to be a Widow and reverted back to her maiden name which was Campbell.

Anne Marie.

[Rosinish]

Hi Lisa,

If you are on FB there is someone researching your family on....
Barra's People - A Genealogical Interest Page

The line is Mary MacKiggan b1867 (dau of John & Ann Robertson) who married Archibald MacCuish 1891 Barra.

I haven't looked too closely but there's a connection..

Anne Marie

[motherof3]

Hi guys, from 'Mingulay, an island and its people' by Ben Buxton, p.124:

"Vatersay was run as a single farm, occupied by the tenant farmer and his workers; it had been crofted before 1850, when the people were evicted, and had been designated as suitable for crofting by a government commission in 1894. ... Some of the cottars from Barra were descended from the former inhabitants, and had continued to bury their dead in the graveyard at the south end of Vatersay. ... In 1883, forty-five Barra cottars, living in wretched conditions and eking out a meagre existence by fishing, applied for holdings on Vatersay, but were turned down by the landowner, Lady Gordon Cathcart.  ... Further appeals failed, including one from Barra Parish Council, and the men grew desperate.  Then, in September 1900, emboldened by the success of cottars raiding the farms on Northbay and Eoligarry in Barra, the men raided Vatersay, though they subsequently withdrew.'

I'm guessing that Archibald and Mary did indeed work for Lady Cathcart's farm.  Having been born of families from South Uist, they would indeed have been thought of as 'strangers'.

Anne Marie - I'm stunned!  Where to begin...

First of all, thanks for the tip on registration districts.  A lot of my searching up to now has been based on educated guesswork about which district to search in, so this certainly helps.  SP do indeed differentiate between the two faiths, which makes for more legwork, especially as I live in Glasgow and can't access the Catholic records at the library here.

Thanks for the name of John MacKiggan's parents - interesting that his mother is a MacCuish, given that Mary goes on to marry a MacCuish - another adventure trying to find out how distantly they are related!  It does indeed raise questions about who the 'aunt' is, but its a very loose term.  Perhaps in digging around in the MacCuish tree I might stumble across her!

Mary living on Vatersay in 1891 is highly plausible - her husband Archibald MacCuish is stated as permanently resident on Vatersay when they marry later that year.  She does indeed seem to have had no English, and I've already come across my fair share of people using (seemingly) whatever name they like on their certificates.  I think shortened versions of middle names are my favourite conundrum!

Your 1891 transcription makes the one I have laughable - no wonder I couldn't find them!:

Robison McGiggan   57 S/U no gender
Ann McGiggan   19 Barra, F
Mary Jesse McGiggan   15 Barra, F
Keneth McGiggan   13 Barra, F
Findlay McGiggan   9 Barra, M
John M McGiggan   7 Barra, M
David McGiggan   5 Barra, M

Dear, oh dear.

I think Ann Robertson may not have been from So Uist myself, though it just a suspicion.  Robertson seems more of a mainland name.  There are large branches of the tree (further down) that are from Argyll, so I think I might start looking there.  I think I'll get some SP credits and get a peek at her death certificate, which will hopefully have her parents names (correctly) recorded and start searching from there.

Thank you so much, again!!!

[Rosinish]

Hi motherof3,

Did you forget to type your message/enquiry?

A M