Author Topic: McGREGOR Baptism in BUCHANAN: Where exactly was “RUSKENACH” Farm?  (Read 1218 times)

Offline McGroger

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McGREGOR Baptism in BUCHANAN: Where exactly was “RUSKENACH” Farm?
« on: Saturday 17 September 16 05:24 BST (UK) »


Here is my transcription of (I believe) my ancestor’s baptism record:

‘March. 7. 1712.
‘Gregor Mcgregor alias Jo: [John] Grame in Ruskanach & Janet McFarl
-an spouse had a lawful son baptized called John  Witnesses
Dugal Grame and John Mcfarlan in Corgrinan’

I also have an image of the baptism of John’s older brother, Dugal (1708), in which the name is written twice and clearly spelt, “Ruskanach”.

I’ve identified the maternal grandfather’s home, “Corgrinan”, as “Corriegrennan”, a farm visible on modern maps about a mile south-west of Loch Ard.  I’m thinking that the other witness, Dugal Grame, the paternal grandfather, either lived at or came from Comer farm at the opposite end of Glen Dhub. (In written histories, Dougal McGregor alias Graeme/Graham was the son of “Gregor of Comer”.) About halfway between was the township of Ballimore, the main meeting place for people living in and around the glen.

Apart from in the baptism record, the only other place I’ve seen the name “Rusk[e][a]nach” is in an online excerpt from Burke’s, A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain, which says it is part of Craigrostan estate: “... extending to a ten pound land of old extent, comprehending the lands of Ruskenach, Knockeild, Rouchoishe, Collneish, Auchinroy, Ashland, Cluckbug [truly!], Inversnaid, Polchrae, &c,...”

In W H Murray’s biography of Rob Roy he describes the extent of Craigrostan as: “... about 6720 acres... It extended from the Allt Rostan near the head of Loch Lomond eight miles down the eastern shore to near Rowardennan, including the entire west flank of Ben Lomond, its northern spurs, and the west end of Loch Arklet”.

I’m wondering if “Ruskenach” could be an old version of the name “Rinzoorach”. According to Canmore maps there are ruins of buildings near the modern day Rinzoorach Burn. And, according to Issue 36 of ‘Strathard News’, March 2007  (www.strathardnews.com, part of a series of articles titled ‘Local Names in the Parish of Aberfoyle’, by Louis Stott): ‘In Glen Dubh occupants of the glen would be tenants of Montrose, probably through the tacksmen. There was probably still some community organisation and the Tom-a-mhoid (Moot Hill) at Ballimore, the big township, may well have remained the central meeting point for the glen, even if it was only to decide when the cattle and other livestock would be moved from the low ground to the summer grazings behind the Bein Bhan. There the airidh (summer houses) can still be found. Rinzoorach and Glashlet still have traces of them.’
Rinzoorach farm would have been roughly equidistant from Corriegrennan and Comer.

Craigrostan certainly extended down far enough, but whether it went east enough I’m not sure. And “Ruskenach” equalling “Rinzoorach” might be a bit of a stretch. Having said that, “Scotlands Places” says, “The name [Rinzoorach] is a corrruption of Gaelic which cant be interpreted satisfactorily”, so perhaps the two names could mean the same place. 

Any help in positively locating this place would be very much appreciated.

Cheers, Peter
Convicts: COSIER (1791); LEADBEATER (1791); SINGLETON (& PARKINSON) (1792); STROUD (1793); BARNES (aka SYDNEY) (1800); DAVIS (1804); CLARK (1806); TYLER (1810); COWEN (1818); ADAMS[ON] (1821); SMITH (1827); WHYBURN (1827); HARBORNE (1828).
Commoners: DOUGAN (1844); FORD (1849); JOHNSTON (1850); BEATTIE (& LONG) (1856); BRICKLEY (1883).
Outlaws: MCGREGOR (1883) & ass. clans, Glasgow, Glenquaich, Glenalmond and Glengyle.

Offline McGroger

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Re: McGREGOR Baptism in BUCHANAN: Where exactly was “RUSKENACH” Farm?
« Reply #1 on: Monday 19 September 16 03:23 BST (UK) »
I’ve now received a response to this question through another site. The poster found the name “Ruscannoch” on Roy’s Military Survey Map. On it this place appeared very close to “Ardess” farm, where the south-west corner of Ben Lomond goes close to Loch Lomond. This, on more recent maps, looks a long way from the “Rinzoorach” I had been looking at. For the benefit of any other people perhaps struggling with Scottish places, here is a copy of my reply:
 
John, You’ve made my day! Thank you.

“Ruscannoch” is indeed the right place. But, seemingly paradoxically, “Rinzoorach” is also the right place.

To explain my madness:
While Roy’s map was a magnificent achievement in terms of an overall survey and a precurser to topographic mapping, it is seriously distorted in some dimensions and frustratingly inaccurate in some fine detail: “According to William Roy, the map was rather a 'magnificent military sketch, than a very accurate map of the country' in which 'no geometrical exactness is to be expected, the sole object in view being, to shew remarkable things, or such as constitute the great outlines of the Country' (Roy, 1785, p. 387). It was the work of rapid reconnaissance rather than a carefully measured topographic survey.”[NLS]

After I read your post I started swapping between Roy’s map and a more recent historical map on the Gazetteer for Scotland site. I soon discovered how true Roy’s own disclaimer was. For example, Corriegrennan (Corghrenen on Roy’s map) is shown as being about a third of the way from Loch Ard to Loch Lomond whereas it’s really only about a mile from Loch Ard.

Ben Lomond is depicted as one... large... lump - impregnable and mysterious. No split between Ben Lomond and Beinn a Bharn. Loch Lomond and Glen Dow [Dubh] are linked by one large unnamed glen - unnamed because there really isn’t a one. There’s a series of burns between Ben Lomond/Beinn a Bharn and Beinn Uird, culminating in Bruach Caoruin Burn which eventually falls down into Glen Dubh.

And on the southern slope of Ben Lomond there are only two features shown: an unnamed burn just around the corner from Ardess, and Ruscannoch slightly east of that.

I believe those two features were Roy’s - too far west - placement of Glashlet and Rinzoorach Burns. To outsiders, (Roy’s team), to get from Ruscannoch/Ruskanach/Rinzoorach to Comer in the north-east, you had to go right around the outside of Ben Lomond, that massive amorphous rock. To a native Highlander it was about ten minutes up and over the burn on a slow kyloe.

And I’ve had another think about reconciling the names “Ruskanach” and “Rinzoorach”. While the handwritten images I have clearly spell “Ruskanach”, other, more poorly written, examples could have easily been read as “Rinshorach”. And “sh” can sometimes equal “z” (as Shetland equals Zetland), giving us “Rinzorach” - so just about there.

Thanks again, John. You’ve solved my problem and it’s given me some more insight into how geographic relationships were perceived back then. It’s no longer surprising that “Ruskenach/Rinzoorach” was considered to be part of Craigrostan.

Cheers, Peter
Convicts: COSIER (1791); LEADBEATER (1791); SINGLETON (& PARKINSON) (1792); STROUD (1793); BARNES (aka SYDNEY) (1800); DAVIS (1804); CLARK (1806); TYLER (1810); COWEN (1818); ADAMS[ON] (1821); SMITH (1827); WHYBURN (1827); HARBORNE (1828).
Commoners: DOUGAN (1844); FORD (1849); JOHNSTON (1850); BEATTIE (& LONG) (1856); BRICKLEY (1883).
Outlaws: MCGREGOR (1883) & ass. clans, Glasgow, Glenquaich, Glenalmond and Glengyle.

Offline Rosinish

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Re: McGREGOR Baptism in BUCHANAN: Where exactly was “RUSKENACH” Farm?
« Reply #2 on: Monday 19 September 16 03:36 BST (UK) »
Hi Peter,

In days gone by in those districts you would have Gaelic & English not forgetting different pronunciations/spellings which was a common occurrence.

As you may know, there was no set spelling terms & I call this "Genealogy Orienteering" :-)

It all adds to the fun of tracing our ancestors!

Annie
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"

Offline McGroger

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Re: McGREGOR Baptism in BUCHANAN: Where exactly was “RUSKENACH” Farm?
« Reply #3 on: Monday 19 September 16 09:12 BST (UK) »
G’day Annie,

Yes, it sure is - addictive/obsessive - fun. While new on here, I have worn out a few sets of metaphorical tyres, mainly chasing McGregors and their kindred around various Perthshire parishes, so I know what you mean!

Cheers, Peter
Convicts: COSIER (1791); LEADBEATER (1791); SINGLETON (& PARKINSON) (1792); STROUD (1793); BARNES (aka SYDNEY) (1800); DAVIS (1804); CLARK (1806); TYLER (1810); COWEN (1818); ADAMS[ON] (1821); SMITH (1827); WHYBURN (1827); HARBORNE (1828).
Commoners: DOUGAN (1844); FORD (1849); JOHNSTON (1850); BEATTIE (& LONG) (1856); BRICKLEY (1883).
Outlaws: MCGREGOR (1883) & ass. clans, Glasgow, Glenquaich, Glenalmond and Glengyle.


Offline McGroger

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Re: McGREGOR Baptism in BUCHANAN: Where exactly was “RUSKENACH” Farm?
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 20 September 16 11:07 BST (UK) »
Just to conclude this topic: My last post was pretty much a load of rubbish. I didn’t read properly and comprehend what the person helping me was saying.

In fact, the place John first suggested, on modern OS maps called “Rowchnoc”, is highly likely to be the farm I was seeking. It has been variously spelt as “Ruskanach”, “Ruskenach” and, on the old Roy map, “Ruiscannoch”. As John explained, “Ru” = “Row”, meaning “Promontory”; “cannoch” = “chnoc”, meaning “hill”; and “is” means “and”. So, “Promontory hill”, or “Promontory and hill”.

Thanks again John.

Peter
Convicts: COSIER (1791); LEADBEATER (1791); SINGLETON (& PARKINSON) (1792); STROUD (1793); BARNES (aka SYDNEY) (1800); DAVIS (1804); CLARK (1806); TYLER (1810); COWEN (1818); ADAMS[ON] (1821); SMITH (1827); WHYBURN (1827); HARBORNE (1828).
Commoners: DOUGAN (1844); FORD (1849); JOHNSTON (1850); BEATTIE (& LONG) (1856); BRICKLEY (1883).
Outlaws: MCGREGOR (1883) & ass. clans, Glasgow, Glenquaich, Glenalmond and Glengyle.