GRAY & MACKENZIE in Creich & INNES in Dornoch

Parents and grandparents of Rev. Thomas GRAY 1818-1867, all from Creich:
Thomas's Father: Alexander GRAY (no dates, but his brother, Peter GRAY, d. 1857 aged 86*). Alexander & Peter's father was named Robert GRAY (no dates), wife unknown.
Thomas's Mother: Elizabeth/Lizy/Lucy MACKENZIE (d. 1859 aged 77*) Elizabeth's parents were named Robert MACKENZIE and Margaret ROSS (no dates).

* The informant for both these deaths was Thomas's brother, Peter jnr., who, according to family tradition, was 'a bit simple'. Certainly the ages at death of Peter snr. and Elizabeth do not match the 1841/51 census information.

William INNES, Pitgrudie, Dornoch
Any information about the family of the above gratefully received. He was born in 1689 and died in Pitgrudie in 1761. His son, Alexander INNES, was the Parish Schoolmaster in Logie Easter, Ross-shire.
Any further information most welcome.
Sara Thomas,
Cardiff, Wales

CORBETT, ROSS

My gr. gr. gr. grandparents were George Corbett (b. abt. 1764) and Barbara McKenzie.

My gr. gr. grandparents were Murdoch Corbett (b. abt. 1786) and Georgina McKenzie.

My gr. grandparents were John Corbett (1824-1896) and Lexy Ross (1830-1906).

I am trying to trace their date of marriage and date of emigration to Canada. (I know that they immigrated to Canada around 1847 with parents, George and Johana Ross, and five siblings of Lexy Ross.)

I have been thrilled to have made contact with several Corbett and Ross descendants - would enjoy hearing from other very-distant cousins!

Mary (Corbett) Kress

Ontario, Canada

ROSS, MACKAY, CLARKE & others

I am researching the ROSS family from Lairg, mainly, however, once a family starts being researched it enlarges and many other names come along too.

Jenelle's POLSON family is one that has come along into my family albeit on my Dad's side rather than my Mum's that has the ROSS family.

Some of the families on my Mum's side:
ROSS, Donald - Lairg, Sutherland
MacKAY, Janet - Lairg, Sutherland
CLARKE, John and Nicholas maiden surname Carruthers - Rosehall, Sutherland
ARMSTRONG, Joseph Gordon - Creich, Sutherland
DINGWALL, Kennethina, parents Niel and Merran maiden surname MacLeod - Durness, Sutherland
MacKAY, Alexander -
FRASER, Margaret, parents Charles and Jessie maiden surname ROSS - Scotland
MacDONALD, Annie, parents Murdoch and Henrietta maiden surname MATHERSON - Lairg, Sutherland

then on my Dad's side:
POLSON, Angus Sutherland - Marrel, Sutherland
MURRAY, Elspeth - Rogart, Sutherland

Jeni Simpson Christchurch, Aotearoa/New Zealand

CAMPBELL in Lairg & MACNAB in Creich

My interests are starting with my 4th great grandparents, Alexander Campbell born 1768 Lairg, son of Alexander Campbell married Christian Gray, born c1774 Lairg, daughter of Angus Gray & Ann Sutherland. Their children married into the following families.Bethune, MacKay, Ross, McDonald (from Rogart).

Also researching my 2nd x great grandmothers family, McNab. Ellen McNab born 1819 Creich, daughter of Kenneth McNab & Catherine Calder.
Regards
Lorraine Weaver
Cairns, Queensland, Australia

MACKAY in Dornoch & Rogart

John MACKAY b1700s Dornoch married Margaret CAMPBELL b1700s.

Their son Alexander MACKAY - tenant farmer born Dornoch 1.12.1781 married in Dornoch 1.12.1802, to Sibla (Isobel) ROSS who was born Dornoch 21.7.1783 daughter of Donald ROSS and Jean MURRAY.

Alexander and Sibla's son Donald MACKAY - Schoolteacher in Achnahanat, was born in Rogart abt. 1802/3, married Johanna MUNRO who was born in Tain, Ross-shire abt 1815/16. Her mother named Christina Ross in 1861 census.

Donald and Johanna's son HUGH MACKAY - house carpenter, born Kincardine, Ross-shire (Achnahanat?), in 1851 married at Achnahanat schoolhouse, 1877 Jane (Janet) KENNEDY daughter of Thomas KENNEDY and Margaret ADAM from Ayrshire.

Their daughter, my lovely Granny, Margaret Adam MACKAY b. Glasgow 1885 d. Southampton 1961. Other children Donald b. 1880, Andrew b. 1885/6 John b. 1888, Hugh (my nemesis) b.1893.
Regards to all,
Linda Hawkins
England

HARPER & ROSS in Kildonan

My great grandfather, JAMES MACKAY married ANN HARPER in Helmsdale, Kildonan, in 1862. Ann's parents were JAMES HARPER and MARGARET ROSS . MARGARET ROSS was buried in Bunahoun, Strath Halladale, Farr, in 1867 with a stone dedicated by her sons Alexander, James and Archibald. Does anyone know of this ROSS family? I believe that JAMES HARPER was born elsewhere, possibly Lanarkshire, but I think that the ROSS family were from Kildonan, Sutherland.

Who are Margaret's parents?

Joan Currie,
Sydney, Australia

ROSS & MACKAY Kildonan

John ROSS, miller, Kildonan, married 1795 to Elizabeth MACKAY.

Their children:

Ann ROSS (1795-1864) Kildonan married 1820 James SUTHERLAND - 9 children.

Murdoch ROSS (1797-) miller/farmer married Christina MACKAY 1827 in Latheron, Caithness Christina was born in Gibralter circa 1798, daughter of William MACKAY and Peggy SCANLEN - Murdoch and Christina had five sons and a daughter - several grandchildren.

Alexander ROSS (1799-) no information

Roderick ROSS (1800-) no information

Betty ROSS (1802-) no information

Christina ROSS (1804-1874) married John MACPHERSON - my line.

John ROSS (1806-1874) married Janet SUTHERLAND 1832 Halkirk Caithness - they had three children, Margaret 1836-1921, Donald b 1841, Janet b 1847 - Donald married Jane Leslie SHEPHERD, in Inverness 1878 - they had six children born in Caithness - Donald died 1908 in Caithness.

Donald ROSS (1808) no information

David ROSS (1811) no information

What happened to Alexander, Roderick, Betty, Donald and David? Any information welcome.

Pat Moreau
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

ROSS - from Sutherland to Pictou, Nova Scotia

John and Mary (Scobie?) Ross, both of Sutherlandshire, left for Pictou Co., Nova Scotia before 1838 with children Isabelle, Robert, John and Isaac. Their last child, George, was born in Pictou Co., Nova Scotia.

Mary's tombstone reads, "of Creech." John's tombstone reads," of Sutherlandshire.

George Ross married Jessie/Jennie MacKay, daughter of Robert MacKay, also of Sutherlandshire. Robert and family came to Pictou about the same time as the Rosses and probably knew each other in Sutherland.

Any information welcome.
Kate Ross
Northern Ontario, Canada

ROSS, THOMSON, DUNBAR & MACKAY, Golspie

Hi, my interests in Sutherlandshire are limited to 19th century Golspie town. My mob were masons (2 brothers, sister and father) arrived in Golspie around 1800, built the town and then the next generation left (Australia, England, Bonar Bridge, ???). Family legend has it that my g-etc-father carved the head for the statue on Ben Braghie - maybe?

Although the clearances had no direct impact on my family I do find the general history fascinating and occasionaly there is an article relevant to Golspie. I rarely contribute as my mob only spent 1 generation in Sutherland. I will be visiting Golspie in September (inshallah).

I have long ago got as far as I am likely to get on the "whom begat whom" and are now more interested in the socio-economic history.

The photograph above is of my great great grandfather, John Ross, taken about 1870. John was born in Golspie in 1840, did an apprenticeship at Dunrobin Castle as a gardener, worked for a couple of years in Dumfrieshire before moving to Australia in 1863. He was head gardener at Ballarat Hospital, Australia, from 1865 until he retired at age 85 in 1926.

Neil North,
Perth, Oz

CAMPBELL in Dornoch/Rogart

I am researching Donald Campbell (son of John Cambpell and Lilly Munro, Rogart) and Christina Ross (daughter of Aeneas Ross and Barbara Macleod) who married in Dornoch, March 1827. Their children were:
John, born April 1827, Dornoch;
James, born February 1829, Dornoch
Barbara, born May 1831, Dornoch (married John Matheson 1862, Dornoch)
Mary, born 1833, Dornoch
Angus Fraser, born June 1835, Dornoch, emigrated to New Zealand - photograph on left.
Aeneas, born September 1837, Dornoch, died September 1863, a.24, Benin.
Donald, born 1840, Dornoch
Janet, born 1842, Dornoch
Lilias, born September 1844, Dornoch (married Murdoch Ross, 1871)
Christina, born 1848, Dornoch, (m.1 George Stein, 1872; m.2 Robert Moffat, 1896).
If anyone is connected to any of these families I would be most interested in them. I have been searching for information on Aeneas who died in Benin to no avail. Also, we believe that at least one of the family emigrated to Australia but I don't know who. Angus Fraser Campbell was my husband's grandfather, and his son Aeneas (my husband's father) was named for Angus' brother who died.
Anyone connected?
Many thanks.
Ellen Campbell

New Zealand