Durness Parish Register - Part 2

[wilros]

djct59 -

From Hew Morrison

Angus Munro Macdhonilicorachy in Eribol, Marion, 14 July 1765
Murdoch Munro, alias Macdholvicorachy, in Eribol, James, 19 Mar. 1767

that's "dhonilic" compared with "dholvic"

Is this possibly the same patronymic rendered two different ways phonetically by Rev. Thomson, so that Angus and Murdoch were possibly brothers?  Or clearly not the same patronymic at all and these Munros were possibly cousins?

[djct59]

Couple of points:

Hew Morrison was reading 150 year old documents written in pretty scrawled handwriting on ancient paper and written phonetically, then trying to provide accurate transcriptions. we now know that there were several errors and omissions in his printed text.

There's a quirk in Assynt Gaelic. While the "proper" Gaelic for Donald is Domhnall - "DOE - nall", in the northwest it's long been pronounced "DOE - lann". One entry uses the correct pronunciation, the other the local. If it's not a transcription error it's still understandable.

[wilros]

djct59 -

Thanks for the excellent technical details!

Hew Morrison notes up front that Rev. Thomson was not a native speaker, and by this explains the drift and variation in Thomson's phonetic spellings of place names and patronymics.

To state the obvious, my 3rd great grandfather John Ross (1775-1857), who was born in Durness Parish and then emigrated to Nova Scotia with his wife and two children under the age of 5 years, represents just one of eight of my 3x great-grandparents from Scotland. Six of these other ancestors were from counties outside of Sutherland (i.e., Caithness, Inverness, and Perth). So I'm looking at hand written parish baptism and marriage registers from the late 1700s in many parishes in Scotland, but I spend most of my time on the Durness narrative penned by Rev. Thomson because, although quirky and creatively inconsistent, he was quite gifted at composing densely expressive narrative. It is a brightly qualitative thread that transcends and animates the normative underlying quantitative data elements (father, mother, township, date).

Thanks again!

[wilros]

This post seeks input on a transcription puzzle. I'm confident about most words in this marriage registration except for the alias of William Morrison and the township/location where he is a shepherd. My current transcription is - "1821 - Nov. 20 - At the Manse William Morrison alias Mc??uarie Shep'd Par?? and Merron McCulloch Saingobeg."

Suggestions for the two tough words gratefully appreciated.

[djct59]

McRuarie = son of Roderick

Roderick Morrison was a shepherd at Kervaig (Kerwick), about three miles from Cape Wrath, married to Mary MacKay. William was baptised on 12th March 1797. There was a previous William in the family born in 1787 who presumably died.

Parf = Parph. The formal name of the land to the west of the Kyle of Durness heading to Cape Wrath and the west coast. It means "turning point" and is derived from the Norse hvarth.

[wilros]

Parf = Parph. The formal name of the land to the west of the Kyle of Durness heading to Cape Wrath and the west coast. It means "turning point" and is derived from the Norse hvarth.

djct59 - thanks very much. your pointer helped me find a reference:

"The cape is separated from the rest of the mainland by the Kyle of Durness and consists of 107 square miles (280 km2) of moorland wilderness known as the Parph."

from > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Wrath

[wr]

[wilros]

djct59 - found this quotation in the essay "The Life of Rob Donn" by Hew Morrison.

----

Roderick Morrison of Cearvaig, near Cape Wrath, has given the only personal description we have of the bard. Roderick described him as "brown haired, brown eyed, rather pale complexioned, clear skinned, and, I would say, good-looking. When he entered a room his eye caught the whole at a glance, and the expression of his countenance always indicated much animation and energy. In figure he was rather below middle size, and stout and well formed for his size. In the month of November preceding his death, he attended the interment of an uncle of mine, who was a co-age of his. When the coffin was lowered into the grave, Robert turned to me and said, 'There is my co-age committed to earth, aged 63, and before this time next year I shall be laid down here too.' ... I have always understood him to have been particularly happy in domestic life. His wife, Janet Mackay, was a remarkably sensible woman, and so active in her habits that she kept their concerns at home in order when Robert was absent. She was a fine singer, and it was delightful to hear them in the winter evenings sing together. Two of the daughters had some turn for composing verses, and occasionally amused their father by quick replies to his impromptus, composed to any passing incident."

----

The essay "The Life of Rob Donn" by Hew Morrison is in the preface to the expanded volume of poems edited by Hew Morrison and published in 1899. I looked but did not find a reference to the source of this extended quotation that Hew Morrison attributes to Roderick Morrison.

The full volume edited by Hew Morrison can be accessed here:
https://archive.org/details/songspoemsingael02donn/mode/2up

Here's some relevant transcriptions from the Durness Parish Register.

Marriage
1777 - Roderick Morison alias Macuilam-macrory in Cerrauch and Mary Mackay alias ninMacAlister macuillam roy in Sartigrim were married the twenty seventh day of November.

Baptism
1797 - Roderick Morison, alias Macuilam-macrory Herdman in Cerruac near Cape wrath, and Mary Mackay his wife had a Child Baptized and named William 12th March.

Marriage
1821 - Nov. 20 - At the Manse William Morrison alias McRuarie Shep'd Parf and Merron McCulloch Saingobeg.

[djct59]

Thanks. I cannot find anything published by Roderick Morrison, so I suspect he wrote it privately.

I see that Rob Donn wrote of the "Grange" Campbells - incomers from the south in the late 17th century. I have one or two as direct ancestors.

[wilros]

djct59 - one thing i forgot to ask about.

Hew Morrison Life of Rob Donn
"Roderick Morrison of Cearvaig, near Cape Wrath"

Hew Morrison Parish Register of Durness
"Roderick Morison, alias Macuilammacrory, in Cerruack [married] Mary Mackay, alias nin Enicalistermacuillamroy, in Sartigrim"

"1787 - Roderick Morison, alias macuillammacrory, a herdman in Carruac, and his wife Mary Mackay, William - 18 Dec."

Are Cerruack or Cerruac and Cearvaig different places?

Are these two different Roderick Morrisons?

[wr]