scourie
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My husbands grandfather ,George Mackay,was drowned at a caithness fishing port about 1900.His death was never registered.We have been told that there was a suggestion that he could have been involved in a "fight".I wonder if such an incident would have been reported in the local newspaper. Can anyone help? Ray
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Gadget
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Hello Ray
There is the Caithness Courier and John O'Groats journal:
http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/
but I can't find out when they started publication.
I do know that the North Star was published at that time as I have some articles from it. It's now part of the Highland News:
http://www.highland-news.co.uk/
Would this event not have been reported to the Fiscal?
Regards
Gadget - a bit further South than you 
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Gadget
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I've checked - There's were two in the marine deaths register - one that wasn't him and one with no image in 1895. In the ordinary register there are 3 possibles - Thurso ( 61) , Dunnet(51) and Halkirk (18)
Gadget
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scourie
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The 61 year old seems the most likely one. I was told that the was no death entry by a registrar in the area(that was a number of years ago) The George Mackay I am interested in was Married to a Anne Macpherson.I do not know if his body was recovered or whether it was brought back to Scourie for burial.Ray
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scourie
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Hi again,What do you mean by "no image" Ray
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Gadget
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Hi Ray
On Scotland's People, it says 'no image' which means that it was probably not good enough to scan. You can contact them to order it though. I've just noticed that it is a Massie  I'd put in a Soundex so I don't think he's yours.
How old would he have been roughly?
Gadget
PS - it wasn't the 61 year old 
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Gadget
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There's a 62 year old in 1898, Registered Lairg, Sutherland - not sure but i think deaths have to be registered in the District that the person died in.
Gadget
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scourie
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Hi again, I think George would have been about 55-60 in 1900 .Yes births deaths etc had to be registered in the district they occured in .It was a long way from Scourie to Thurso and there were no benefits such as widows pension then.It might be surprising just how many deaths were never registered.Ray.
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Gadget
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I've found an interesting one in Dunnet, 1898. What were his parents' names? It's not a brawl but a fishing boat going down out of Thurso.
Gadget
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Gadget
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Ray
I think he's alive and well and living in Scourie in the 1901
49/1 ED 2/1 page 6
Crofter House, Scourie:
George McKay, 57, Fisherman
Annie, 44,
Alexander, 12
Mary Ann, 10,
Johan H, 7,
William R, 5
Robina, 47, sister, general servant
All born Scourie except Annie - born Ardmore
William, 44, brother, Fisherman
Gadget
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Gadget
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Ray
As you've not come back on this, I find that Annie died in 1831, widow of George a crofter. I have checked the registers for the 1901 - 1931 period and there are no Georges that jump out of the page in Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty or Inverness. There are others in other Counties but not enough to go on.
Some feedback would help!
Gadget
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scourie
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Sorry I did not get back sooner,I had visitors last night.I checked Scotlands People but no luck either.George's oldest son emigrated to South Africa but he would have inherited the croft when his father died.I have a copy of a letter from the factor dated 1909 agreeing to the transfer of the croft to his mother,Annie Mackay,which means that George was dead in 1909 or before.Ray in wet and miserable Scourie
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Gadget
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Hi Ray - It's started to clear in Coigach
So, we have to concentrate on 1901 to 1909. However, the way that things work in all legal matter relating to crofting (even now), he might have died somewhat earlier than the 1909 cut off.
There surely must be a death certificate of some kind. Was there anything at all in the letter that gives any kind of clue?
Does the local Grazings Committee have records going back that far. Ours does. I have a 1901 listing when I think a return had to be made.
I'm away now until Tuesday but will see what i can come up with then.
Regards
Gadget
PS - Sun's now out You, marhat and I could have a mini-meeting in Lochinver!
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scourie
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Thanks for sending better weather,the sun is trying hard to make an appearance,
Dont know when exactly his son went to S.A. I will ask about grazings committee minutes etc.
Hope you have a nice trip.
Ray
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