Specifics of Marriage: Farr, Sutherland - Wm DOUGLAS & Helen DOUGLAS (m.1846)

[rbell35]

My great great grandparents, William DOUGLAS (Clibrig) and Isabella DOUGLAS (Coirnafearn) were married at Farr, Sutherland on 22nd May, 1846. The marriage was solemnised by the Reverand Alexander MacLeod.

The back of the original handwritten wedding certificate also states that these 2 people signed the document at 'Tea Tree Manse'.

I am wishing to know exactly where Clibrig and Coirnafearn in relation to the township of Farr?

Furthermore, can anyone please clarify which church and which Manse was called 'Tea Tree Manse'?

[rbell35]

Thanking you for any information, please.

Regards, Rob

[manukarik]

Modern anglicised spellings = Klibreck and Corrynafearn

If you have Facebook, this post from Strathnaver Museum has a map which shows settlements affected by the Clearances and shows Farr and Klibreck.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01u4c/

I can't see Corrynafearn on the map but someone has posted "They lived at the farms of Clibrig(Kli Breck) on the map and Corrynafearn (to the east of it).

[Forfarian]

What about Clebrig? https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NC5834 - it's just west of the mouth of the Klibreck Burn on Loch Naver.

There's some correspondence on the Strathnaver Museum Facebook account about Clibrig, Corrynafearn and the Douglas family.

Among other details it says that Corrynafearn is east of Loch Naver. I wonder if it is Coire nam Feuran https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NC6634 or https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15.0&lat=58.28449&lon=-4.28282&layers=257&b=ESRIWorld&o=100

If so, then both places are about as far from the village of Farr as it is possible to be and still be in the parish of Farr.

'Tea Tree' Manse is obviously a misreading. Could it be 'The Free'? 1846 is just three years after the Free Kirk split from the Church of Scotland.

Rev Alexander MacLeod is a bit of a mystery. The minister of the Free Kirk in Farr from 1843 was the Rev David Mackenzie. Comparing the 1851 census and the historic map, I reckon that the Free Kirk manse was in Bettyhill, on the coast, so they had a long journey to get married - about 25 miles each way.

[manukarik]

Forfarian - your suggestion of The Free rather than Tea Tree makes much more sense and the Free Church is certainly strong in the area.

I wonder, if this was the Alexander MacLeod referred to:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01u4d/ (page 6 onwards)

and just back in the area to officiate?

Adding full address for webpage as shrink link not working on my PC:

https://www.alastairmcintosh.com/islandspirituality/1886-Alexander-Macleod-Uig-Disruption-Worthies.pdf (page 6 onwards)

[hanes teulu]

This old map includes place names that "fit" Clebrig and Coirnafaern - but the map appears somewhat askew?
https://maps.nls.uk/view/00000467#zoom=5.0&lat=4416&lon=4069&layers=BT

I take Clebrig to be "Cleithbric" on this map - which includes a "Free Church Manse" at nearby Altnaharrow. However, I don't think this was there in 1846. Appears to have been erected 1854?.
https://maps.nls.uk/view/228781183#zoom=4.8&lat=6595&lon=12651&layers=BT

 

[Forfarian]

Hmmm, yes, I see that the Rev Alexander Macleod was translated to Rogart in May 1846, so maybe he was breaking his journey at Farr.

[rbell35]

Thanks to all for these wonderful replies. My Douglas family did indeed come from both Yetholm, Roxburghshire and from parts of Northumberland. It Is also interesting just how much spelling varied in the Sutherland localities. Cheers, Rob