Camusnagaul Free Church, Kilmallie?

[Rosinish]

Just from reading "Charles Stewart, FC minister of Fort William"

Is it possible the Minister travelled specifically to marry the couples although not in any church.

Can you tell us what it says in the 1st column of each please?

Annie

[hanes teulu]

Croeso.
I was a bit thrown by the early post mention of Loch Linnhe meeting Loch Shiel - I can see a later post which has Loch Linnhe meeting Loch Eil. But I'd spotted Camas nan Gall (modern Camusnagail) and wondered if the Minister had travelled from the Free Church at Fort William (as the previous post suggests).

"Killmallie" is this "Cilmalieu" on old maps - south of Ardgour?

The only Church I've spotted on that western shore is a "Chapel of Ease" at Camasnacroise

[Carolbea]

Not sure if this assists but my husband's grandmother (Jessie McDonald married Alan Boyd) grew up in Duisky and her mother was a member of the Free Church. During my mother in law's years in Ardgour the Boyd family attended a church in that area and  I recall the abandoned church being pointed out by her as we drove round the Loch to Blaich. For a time there was a fund to restore and then the roof collapsed and on last visit the church was a ruin. From memory this is located near the school house at Duisky.

[Br1gau]

Sorry, hanes teulu, I should have typed Loch EIL, not Loch SHIEL in post #2 above.  Interesting about Camasnacroise, I’ve not heard of it before although the Chapel of Ease looks to be a modern facility.

Rosinish, yes, it looks like the Ft William minister travelled across the loch to Camusnagaul, but I’m trying to establish whether there was a purpose built church there, did they get married at the Inn, or was it another tent  From the two certs:

Ann Boyd & Duncan Cameron:
On the seventh day of February 1856 at Camusnagaul, marriage was solemnised between us according to the Forms of the Free Church of Scotland …………. signed Chas Stewart, Free Church Minister of Fort William

John Boyd and Isabella McGregor
On the twenty first of February 1868 at Camusnagaul, after Banns according to the Forms of the Free Church of Scotland ………… signed Chas Stewart, FC Minister of Fort William

Interesting about the church at Blaich, Carolbea.  I hadn’t heard of this, so well worth investigating.  But too far from Camusnagaul to be the right one for these two marriages.

[Carolbea]

Will look into background of the small simple stone church at Duisky with family there who are in Free Church  and see what they may recall
Boyd McGregor links
I have an Ann Boyd who married Ewen McGregor sometime before 1800 at Kilmallie at "Blarachern" - have not been able to locate this place or make any definite links to this marriage to date

[hanes teulu]

My understanding of Scottish marriages at this period is that the majority of couples married at home, not in church. Also, there was no civil ceremony.

Re. the "Chapel of Ease, Camasnacroise" that's from the 1874 map

[jaybelnz]

From my 4 Scottish Protestant Grandparents right back, they were all married either at the home of the bride or the groom, or at the Manse.

[Skoosh]

Only two sacraments in the Church of Scotland, baptism & communion. Not marriage!

Skoosh.

[Br1gau]

Thank you for pointing that out, hanes teulu, I couldn’t see Camasnacroise on the maps (too late last night!) but found a very smart current website for the Chapel, so it is still in operation!  Daytime eyes have enabled me to locate it on the maps, interesting because I knew nothing of it previously.  This is what Scotland’s Places have to say:

CAMAS NA CROISE: A large bay on the west shore of Loch Linnhe north of Loch a Choire, English meaning, Bay of the Cross

CAMASNACROISE: A very small village on the bay of the same name- It contains an established Church, Manse, and School, an Inn, Smithy, and blacksmith's dwelling house - Property of C. H. Forbes, Esq. Kingairloch. - English meaning, Bay of the Cross

From the same source: CILMALIEU current spelling KILMALIEU: A farm steading and dwelling house, slated and in good repair property of A. Forbes Esq. Kingairloch. English Meaning. Burying place of some Iona Saint

Kilmallie is a civil parish, part in Inverness shire and part in Argyll, the largest parish in Scotland according to Groom’s 1895 Gazeteer of Scotland
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/ARL/Kilmallie

All marriages in this extended family were solemnised according to the Forms of the Free Church of Scotland and later the United Free Church.  Apart from a couple on the floating church at Strontian, they took place either in private houses or hotels