Lochbroom Parish Kirk Sessions

[rosgr]

Rev Alexander Stronach was at Lochbroom Parish 1776 to about 1800.  His son Alexander (born 1771) married Ann (Nancy) Morison of Lewis sometime before 1800 because the Lochbroom parish incumbent Rev Kennedy baptised Alexander & Nancy's child Betsy at the Lochbroom manse in 1800.  I can't find any record of the marriage.  Are the Kirk Session records for Lochbroom online?  I saw somewhere that Lochbroom Minutes are available 1798-1816 but don't know where to look for them.

[eilthireach]

You can find the entries for Rev. Alexander Stronach in Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae Vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1928). He appears on page 145 (brief entry) and page 158 (fuller). You will find that his son Alexander had a twin sister Catherine. Unfortunately, it does not, say, as such entries in the <i>Fasti</i> normally do, who each of his children married (except for his last child, Barbara).

Look that volume up online at archive.org where you can read it online or download a copy from that site in any of the formats offered.

The Old Parochial Registers (OPRs) covering Lochbroom recorded marriages from 1799 to 1854 ((075/1 - 1799-1820) 075/2 (1820-1854), http://www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk/pdf/list-of-oprs-57to119.pdf 
Bear in mind, however, that you will not necessarily find a record of the marriage you are looking for. If you have not found the marriage of his son Alexander online at ScotlandsPeople, then it will not have been recorded in the Lochbroom registers.

[Skoosh]

There was a Stronach, an incomer to Lewis who I heard lived out on the moors (a murderer?). Kids were threatened that Mac an Stronaich would get them. Any seannachies know the script?

Skoosh.

[rosgr]

Thanks for that, I have the detail on Rev Alexander Stronach from Fasti Ecclesia, just greedy for a few missing details!  His son Alexander married Ann (Nancy) Morison of Lewis, just don't know when, he became inn-keeper at Garve about 1815.  Ann died in 1834, her daughter Betsy (McKenzie) baptised 1800 Lochbroom placed her stone and in 1841 had 2 younger siblings (Alexander & Mary) in her household.  Another sibling Helen married Allan Cameron in Contin 1835 and is my connection, they moved to Glasgow by 1841 and then to Australia.  There was also sibling Justina McIntyre.  Ann's husband Alexander (inn-keeper) seemed off the radar in 1841, by 1851 was in Urquhart & Logie Wester as retired inn-keeper, and died 1856 in Ullapool.

I wanted Alexander & Ann (Nancy's) marriage because there's a suggestion of a son Roderick born before Betsy (1797) who came to Tasmania Aust.  Just trying to figure out if he belongs there or not.

Have heard the Mac an Stronaich story, it's been suggested it was the Alexander listed in Betsy's household in 1841 (son of Alexander the inn-keeper, grandson of Rev Alexander), he would have been in his late 20's.  I have also wondered if it was perhaps Alexander the inn-keeper himself, because Mac an Sronaich was supposed to be roaming Lewis in the 1830's, Alexander's wife Ann (Nancy) died 1834 and he doesn't seem to be around till after 1841, at least.  I have wondered if maybe his wife's death unhinged him and he suffered some sort of mental illness.  There's actually no record of Mac an Stronaich killing anyone - if he had, I'm sure he would not have been allowed to roam free - but perhaps he was very odd.  If anyone knows more I'd like to know.