CAMPBELL, MACKAY, MORRISON, SUTHERLAND, WEIR

I have been researching my father's maternal side for the last year. My ggg grandfather William Weir was a shepherd from Roxburgh who walked north with a flock of sheep to Durness around 1800. His family married into the Grange Campbells and also the MacKay Chief's of Sutherland. I was fortunate enough to find a cousin in Australia who had researched this line right back to Robert the Bruce. I went to Inverness Library to have this verified by their genealogist and he was thrilled to bits to be able to work on this research, as he had studied the famous MacKays in great depth, saying that I should be honoured to be connected with such "gallant and formidable men".

I am still trying to trace 2 granduncles both born in Assynt. I know that their brother John Spence Weir emigrated to the Falkland Islands in 1875 and then onto Australia in 1879. I got this also from a cousin. I cannot trace Hugh Weir born 1845 and William Weir born 1847. I think they might have emigrated with brother John. I can find them on IGI as born in Assynt and they are mentioned in IGI under South West Pacific in Wellington. Does any one on list know of some of the boats that sailed to New Zealand around 1875-1885.

I am now turning my attention to my father's paternal side. My grandfather John Morrison was born in Badcall Inchard, Eddrachillis, in 1868 and had a brother John Sutherland Morrison born 1870. They were the sons of Murdoch Morrison (who I believe was blind) and Jane Sutherland. Any help gratefully received.

Many thanks to Christine for her wonderful cemetery list. I believe most of Balnakeil Cemetery in Durness is full of my relies.

Muriel Vass

Alness, Ross-shire

MACKAY & MACDONALD

I have two main families in Sutherland County: MacKay and McDonald.

My first known ancestor in the MacKay family was William MacKay born ca 1789/90 and married Barbara Macpherson b ca 1792 d/o Robert Macpherson tenant in Islandrier who married Janet Calder d/o John Calder. William and Barbara lived at Alt na Calliche in Durness.

William and Barbara were evicted ca 1820 and made their way south to Rogart parish. Their children were: Neil, Robert, Alexander, John, William Barbara and Jesse.

Neil married Marion /Merrion Macdonald of Blarich and they lived at 24 Ardachue, Rogart parish. These are my ancestors. Alexander 1824-1902, married May/Mary Robb 1833-1911, their daughter Barbara who also married a MacKay, George, who was a porter at the Rogart railway station and their family emigrated to Edmonton, Alberta. Their daughter Barbara found me on the internet and now I have additional 'Mackay family' to add to the already rather large lot of people of Sutherland County.

For the McDonald Family, Peter Dillon of New Zealand is active in searching for (and finding) and correcting our past findings. He has a great website devoted to this family...... We still do not know who Ann(e) Ross was that married Angus McDonald sometime in or around 1771 nor Elisabeth Anderson who married their eldest son, Finlay/Phillip b 1774 and begat a rather large family.... The most recent mystery revolves around the baptism of some of the children: of Ann and Angus -- their first is listed as Margaret McDonald McCoirl christened 17 Nov 1771 in Auldebreck, Lairg parish. She died 12 Nov 1856 at Rhianbreck, Lairg and another daughter Catherina (Kett) McDonald or McCoirl was christened on 26 Sept 1787 in Brecklead, Lairg. Then Hugh McDonald or McCoril christened 19 April 1791 in Brecklead and died 23 June 1867 in Nova Scotia, Canada. The rest are plain McDonald. The McCoirl is a big mystery to everyone.....

Any ideas?

For now, best wishes

Florence Pelton Patterson

Stratford, Ontario, Canada

MACKAY, MORRISON, MCBEATH, MANSON & others

My main interests are MACKAY/MORRISON/ MCBEATH from Skerray, Tongue - also some from Lairg
MANSON - originally from Tongue (this also includes Mackay from Strathnaver)
MORRISON/FALCONER/ MACKAY/MACASKILL - Scourie/Kinlochbervie/Durness.

Fiona Mackay
Scotland

MACDONALD, MUNRO, MACKAY

This is a photo of my great grandmother, Hughina Munro, ms Macdonald, born 1852 in Durness, died 1951 in Golspie. She had 11 brothers and sisters and 10 children of her own, 3 sons who died in or as a result of WW1.

These are the folk I am researching:

MACDONALDS
MACDONALD, Archibald b. 1804? Ross and Cromarty? d. 1886, Durness m. MACKENZIE, Chirsty b. 1810 Assynt d. 1889 Durness - children:
MACDONALD, Johana born. Durness. 1831-1907
MACDONALD, Alexander born Durness 1834
MACDONALD, Mary born Durness 1834
MACDONALD, Isabella born Durness 1835
MACDONALD, Donald born Durness 1839
MACDONALD, Fairly born Durness 1841
MACDONALD, Kenneth born Durness 1843-1862
MACDONALD, Duncan born Durness 1844
MACDONALD, John born Durness 1848-1905
MACDONALD, Eric born Durness 1850-1862
MACDONALD, Hughina born Durness 1852-1951 (g.grandmother)
MACDONALD, Mary Belle born Durness 1855
Any information on Archibald Macdonald b. 1804 (differing dob and place of birth - so very hard to track down)

MUNRO
MUNRO, Donald b. 1807 Tongue, Sutherland d. 1884 married MACKENZIE, Jannet (Jessie) b. 1815 Durness d. 1909 Casheldhu - children:
MUNRO, Margaret b. 1841 d 1912 Casheldhu
MUNRO, Eslpie b. Durness 1843
MUNRO, William b. 1844 Durness d. 1894 Golspie (g.grandfather)
MUNRO, Jemima b. 1847
MUNRO, Dolina b. 1851
MUNRO, Isabella b. 1853
MUNRO, Kennethina b. 1857
MUNRO, William b.1844 m. 1873 MACDONALD, Hughina b. 1852 Durness d. 1851 Golspie - children:

MUNRO, Christina Isabella b. 1873 Tongue
MUNRO, Angusina b. 1876 Cromarty
MUNRO, Donald b. 1877 Urquhart, Ross and Cromarty (Saskatchewan? )
MUNRO, Jessie Mackenzie b. 1880 Durness
MUNRO, Archibald b. 1881 Durness d. 1923 Chicago, Ill. USA
MUNRO, Eppie b. 1884 Golspie
MUNRO, Mary b. 1886 Golspie d. 1952 Golspie (grandmother)
MUNRO, Duncan b. 1888 Golspie d. 1947 d. 1947 Crosby, ND. USA
MUNRO, William b. 1891 Tain d. 1916 d. France
MUNRO, John Alexander b. 1893 Golspie d. 1917 d. FranceSearching for more info. on
MUNRO, Archibald b. 1881 and
MUNRO, Donald b. 1877

MACKAY
MACKAY, Donald b. 1811 m. 11 Jun 1836 to GORDON, Ann
MACKAY, William (Ploughman at Meikle Creich, Bonar-1880) Birth: 1845 Death: 1911 Golspie Marriage: 25 May, 1880 to MACPHERSON, Jane
MACPHERSON, Duncan b. 1805 in Rogart m. MACKAY, Ann b. 1807 in Golspie
MACPHERSON, Jane b. 1851 (Spinster, Merchant's Daughter, Pittentrail, Rogart - 1880)MACKAY, William b. 1845 and MACPHERSON, Jane b. 1851children:
MACKAY, Ann b.1881 Golspie (no info)
MACKAY, Donald Alexander b. 11 Feb. 1883 Golspie
MACKAY, Duncan b.1885 Golspie d.1961 Golspie (grandfather)
MACKAY, William George b. 1887 Golspie d. 1914-18 France?
MACKAY, John Sturrock b. 13 May, 1889 Golspie d. 1 Apr. 1890
MACKAY, John Sturrock b. 1892 (Sep.1959 lived at 19 Victoria Street, St. Catherine's, Ontario) (need info)
MACKAY, Robert Soutar b. 1894 Golspie d. Mar. 1898

Any connection to any of the above would be great.

Shirley Sutherland

Golspie

KERR in Drumbeg, Assynt & MACPHERSON in Farr and Durness

Searching for any information on the Kerrs of Drumbeg prior to 1800 plus similar on the Macphersons of Durness, prior to 1800.

William Mcpherson, born 1824 at Poul-Tigh-Keriken, Little Assynt, son of Neil Macpherson and Ann Fraser, and his wife Anne Kerr, born 1834 at Drumbeg, Assynt, daughter of Hugh Kerry and Mary Macleod, married 1857 in Assynt. William was a shepherd, and moved around quite a bit after mainly living in Ross and Cromarty. Some of their children, who were not born in Sutherland, due to William and Anne's unfortunate habit of not living in the same place for more than two years at a time are: Dolina, Robert, Murdoch, Neil, Colina and Mary - have information on the other three but would welcome info on these.

Peter Aikman

Chester, England

Photograph of William and Anne supplied by Peter.

MACKENZIE, MACLEOD, MACLEAN, MACKAY, GRANT, ROSS

I have had enormous help from Christine - we are related through MACKENZIE of Torbreck, Rogart.

Also researching:
William MACLEOD, d. 1885, originally from Durness, then Rogart.
Donald MACLEAN, d. 1858, Nedd.
George MACKAY, b. 1821 Tongue, then Kirtomy, Farr. Married to Ann MACDONALD, d. 1891, Kirtomy.
Robert MACINTOSH, living in Achargary, Starthnaver in 1811 and later cleared (?) to Strathy.
Hugh GRANT, b. 1786, soldier 42nd Regt., later living in Kildonan, then cleared(?) to Skail, then to Strathy Point.
Robert ROSS, b. 1799, Skelpick, Strathnaver, cleared (?) to Strathy Point.
I also have another Macdonald line: Robert MACDONALD, Rossal, Strathnaver (cleared in 1814) and Isobella MACKAY are my 4th great grandparents.

David Mackay
England