My Beaton family were from Kilmuir. I'm descended from Angus Bethune b. ca. 1781 and Catherine Ross born in Kilmuir.
Their family wished to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope to escape the devastating poverty of the crofters where the landlords forced them into subdivided crofts toiling fruitless soil. They didn't leave in the end and stayed in Kilmuir.
This is their family:
Angus BEATON Farmer 40 Cathrine ROSS 35 John/Donald/ Malcolm/Peter 11/7/4/2 Cathrine Inf
John Bethune his son is through whom I'm descended.
It was Angus Bethune who married Catherine McLeod (referring to the posts above/before this one).
Here are all my notes - hope they help:
Angus Beaton is found appearing on a list of people from the north of Skye who hoped to emigrate, with government assistance, to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa in 1819-1820. This proposed emigration must not have taken place, and the Angus Beaton family is one of a number who are on record living on Skye after this date. The Beaton family is shown (document attached) as –
Angus Beaton [40 farmer] Catherine Ross 35, John 11, Donald 7, Malcolm 4, Peter 2 and Catherine [infant]
It is assumed that this is the correct family because –
a) The parents’ names are correct.
b) The age given here for John (bc1808-1809) fits with the age found for him in census (b1807-1811).
c) Catherine MacDonald’s death record of 1897 has her age 78 years. This fits with her being an infant in 1819-1820.
A family with similar names is found in the township of Idrigill, Snizort in census and other records.
1841 Idrigill, Snizort
Angus Beaton 60 farmer
Catherine 55
Peter 20
Peggy 15
John 15
Angus 12
Note: The names Peggy and Margaret are interchangeable
1851 Uig, Snizort
Catherine Beaton Head Wid 67 occupying 5acres: born Kilmuir
Angus son unm 23 gen.lab
Donald grson 14 born Dundee, Forfar-sh
Notes:
1. The grson born in Dundee is interesting
2. The townships in the Uig area are not given separately in this census
1861 North Cuil, Snizort
Myles MacInnes Head Mar 40 farmer & merchant
Margaret Wife Mar 38
Catherine Beaton mother-in-law Wid 80
Betsy MacDonald serv unm 17 born Kilmuir
OPR Records
Some records relating to this family appear in the OPR.
OPR Snizort: Birth /Baptisms
John – 15 December 1823: s/o Angus Bethune & Catherine MacLeod, Idrigill of Uig
Angus – born 28 August 1828, baptised 9 February 1829: s/o Angus Bethune & Catherine MacLeod, Idrigill
OPR Kilmuir: Marriages
8 December 1844: Peter Beaton, Snizort married Ann Ross, Kilmuir
OPR Snizort: Marriages:
Proclaimed 1 December 1844: married 24 December 1844:
Peter Bethune, Idrigill & Ann Ross, Borniskitaig
Proclaimed 2 July 1848: married 21 July 1848:
Myles MacInnes, Idrigill & Margaret Bethune, Idrigill
By Rev Angus Martin
Notes:
1. The 1823 record for John: it is unclear from the register whether this is a birth or a baptism date
2. It is not unusual to find a marriage recorded twice when bride and groom came from different parishes. Neither is it unusual to find that the dates differ slightly. The township of Borniskitaig is in Kilmuir parish.
3. Rev Angus Martin was the Church of Scotland minister of Snizort.
Catherine Beaton died in 1862. Her son-in-law Myles MacInnes registered her death and, unfortunately, appears to have made some errors with the details. It is not good practise to assume errors have been made just to make details fit our assumptions, but human error did occur.
Death: North Snizort 1862 No.4:
Catherine Bethune, domestic servant: widow of John Bethune: died 13 January 1862 at North Cuil: age 76 years: d/o John Bethune tenant deceased & Margaret m/s MacPhee deceased: informant – Myles MacInnes merchant, North Cuil
Death: North Snizort 1872 No.10:
Marion MacInnes, married to Myles MacInnes: died 21 October 1872 at Idrigill: age 48 years: d/o Angus Beaton tenant & Catherine m/s MacLeod: informant – Myles MacInnes husband
Register of Corrected Entries (RCE):
Margaret MacInnes – name is changed to Margaret, and cause of death is given
Notes:
1. The 1862 record shows Catherine husband as John – but he appears as Angus in the 1841 census and in the 1872 death record of his daughter
2. The 1862 record shows Catherine’s father as Bethune, but the 1872 record shows Catherine as MacLeod.
Angus Beaton, father of John
It therefore appears that Angus Beaton, father of John Beaton who married Flora Nicolson, was married twice – first to Catherine Ross, and secondly to Catherine MacLeod. The family lived at Idrigill in the Uig area of North Snizort.
Angus Beaton married Catherine Ross c1807. They had family – John (bc1808), Donald (bc1812), Malcolm (bc1815), Peter (bc1817) & Catherine (bc1819).
Catherine Ross died.
Angus then married Catherine MacLeod c1821. They had family – Margaret (bc1822), John (bc1823), Angus (b1828).
Catherine m/s MacLeod died in 1862.