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Author Topic: What is was a 'Ground Officer'?  (Read 263 times)
McVitie
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What is was a 'Ground Officer'?
« on: Tuesday 24 April 07 13:34 BST (UK) »

Good afternoon to you all,

I managed to obtain a death certificate for my Gt Grandfather Angus MacDonald who died in Griminish South Uist in 1901. The certificate also shows his father, Ranald MacDonald, as a 'Ground Officer' (he would be born around 1800 in North Uist) - does anyone know what such a job would entail?

Have attached relevant part of the death cert for info.
Kind regards

McVitie

* angus_macdonald_cropped.JPG (487.5 KB, 1000x319 - viewed 99 times.)
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Kennedys (Skye), MacIntyres (Skye), Macleans (South/North Uist), Macdonalds (Skye/South/North Uist), MacKinnons (Skye), MacInnes (Small Isles), Macraes (Kintail/Harris), Morrisons (Kintail), Buchanans (Skye), Maclures (Skye)
hume24
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Dunbar Instrumental Band, c. 1910
Re: What is was a 'Ground Officer'?
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 24 April 07 13:41 BST (UK) »
This handy side (http://www.scotsfamily.com/occupations.htm) says that a Ground Officer was employed on a large estate and was responsible for supervising "the activities of tenants".  Smiley
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McVitie
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Re: What is was a 'Ground Officer'?
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 24 April 07 15:17 BST (UK) »
Hume24

Many thanks for your reply - that's a very handy site I'll add to my favourites!

Regards

McVitie
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Kennedys (Skye), MacIntyres (Skye), Macleans (South/North Uist), Macdonalds (Skye/South/North Uist), MacKinnons (Skye), MacInnes (Small Isles), Macraes (Kintail/Harris), Morrisons (Kintail), Buchanans (Skye), Maclures (Skye)
angusm
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Re: What is was a 'Ground Officer'?
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 24 April 07 23:13 BST (UK) »
Just to add a bit to the function of the maor or ground officer, a big estate such as that of Clanranald's [later Colonel Gordon of Cluny's] South Uist had an Agent in Edinburgh in the shape of a Witer to the Signet or other lawyer; there was then a Factor, in the Gordon case at the time in question another Griminish boy, Ranald MacDonald but based in Cluny, Aberdeenshire; his 'man on the ground, sometimes township by township and sometimes for a number of adjoining townships, was the ground officer. As well as advising on the resolution of disputes and replacement of tenants etc. he will have kept the crofters up to date with duties such as fencing and drainage.

In your case, Angus Macdonald died at Viewfield, 27 Griminish but was born not in North Uist but in Kilmuir, Isle of Skye. His wife, Mary MacRae was from Kintail. Angus himself was the second miller at the Lionacleit Mill once that replaced the Mill of Benbecula on the muir between Griminish and Nunton in the 1840s. He was then a house carpenter with a holding in one of the low numbered Griminish crofts but, having apparently fallen into rent arrears, was moved to 27 Griminish at the time of the 1879/80 general reorganisation of the crofts after Lady Gordon cathcart inherited the estate.

Do feel free to drop me an email if you would like any more detail about the family. Good hunting. Angus
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