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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Ross & Cromarty => Topic started by: louplu28 on Wednesday 15 November 06 18:16 GMT (UK)
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I'm new to this site and wondering if anyone knows anything about my grandmothers family. Her name was Flora MacLeod & was born on 3rd November 1917, her parents were Donald & Annie MacLeod. The address i have from her birth certificate is 28 Builnacraig, Stornoway. Donald's Profession/Occupation on the birth certificate is Cooper (Journeyman). My Grandmother had 5 sisters & 5 brothers they were,
Anne - no information known
Margaret - got married but had no family
Carrie - Possibly lived in Glasgow in late 60's 70's with sister Anne/Margaret?
Katie - Died young of what i have been told was Brain fever, she fell in playground
Dena or Dera - Died aged about 16 of galloping consumption/ TB (not sure if name correct)
George - known as Geordie who was a Seaman
Donald John - known as Dolly John father to annette, George Wm & Morris/Peggy
Callum - Died 1947 he was burnt badly in a ship fire in Melbourne (possible ship name Minneosa)
Kenny - Chief Steward on boat at sea, when he got home one day he got to the front door and died sadly.
1 Unknown name brother died young possibly?
My Gran had a daughter called Joyce who now lives in London.
Sadly for an unknown reason my Grans parents were told that she had been killed in a train crash that happened in Crewe, England.
My Gran found this out when she came back to Stornoway in 1973 as old friends were totally shocked to see her as they thought she had been killed.
Whilst back on the island she stayed in a relatives Hotel or B&B i think but do not know the name of it.
My gran married Frederick Woodroff and lived in Swindon Wiltshire, they had a son David & a daughter Maureen (my Mother). My Gran, Grandad & David have all died now and my mother & auntie Joyce are the only living relatives.
If anyone is part of the family or knows anything about the family please could you contact me i would love to find out more about this part of my family as this is all i really know. I have been in contact with George William MacLeod about 4 yrs ago and he gave me some good information, but not in much detail e.g dates of birth, death, adresses, marriages etc. He lives in Lower Sandwick.
Thank you in anticipation
Louise xx :-*
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Hi there,
Take a look down the list and there is a posting, 'Help to date this photo'.
It is for MacLeods of Stornoway, too.
Jamjar
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It is for MacLeods of Stornoway, too.
Jamjar
I hate to disillusion you, Jamjar, but Lewis (and, of course, Stornoway) has a very high concentration of MacLeods.
Louise's are probably not related at all to the ones that you mention.
Gadget - surrounded by MacLeods!
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Hi Louise
Welcome to Rootschat :)
Do you know the approx dates and birth order of your Grandmother's siblings? There are 17 Donald MacLeod/Mcleods marrying an Ann/ie in Stornoway between 1890 and 1917. It would help to tie things down if I knew the date of the eldest child's birth.
Gadget
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Hi Gadget thanks for replying. The only deffinate dates i know are the marriage of my grans parents which was on 4th October 1894 and my Grans d.o.b was 3rd November 1917. My grans Mother was Annie MacLeod before she married Donald Macleod as it states mothers maiden surname details before marriage on my grans birth certificate. The only other information i have is the address my gran was born in which was 28 Builnacraig, Stornoway, (i think it's now known as Builnacraig street). i am not sure exactly of the order they were born but this is how they were listed when their names were given to me;
Dera or Dena(F)
Annie(F)
Margaret(F)
Carrie(F)
Kenneth(M)
George(M)
Callum(M)
Donald John(M)
Kate or Katie(F)
Flora (my gran)
Unknown name of brother who died young but not sure where he came in order of birth or if any of these are in the correct order?
As you can see my information is very limited and i really appreciate your help thank you. Louise x
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Hi Jamjar, thank you for that i will take a look at that.
Louise x
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Don't worry Louise, I think you've given me enough to be going on with ;)
We've got a gale blowing all the way from Stornoway at the moment, but I'll see what i can do before my line goes.
Gadget :)
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Hi Louise
Details from their marriage give their parents and their ages, etc:
GROS Ref - Vol 88 Page 31
4th October 1894, Branahuie, Stornoway. After Banns according to forms of the Free Church of Scotland.
Donald McLeod, Cooper (apprentice), Bach, aged 22. Parents - Kenneth McLeod, crofter, and Margaret, maiden surname Macleay
and
Annie McLeod, Domestic Servant, spin, aged 23. Parents - Kenneth McLeod, crofter and Ann, maiden surname, Smith
If you go to the Scotland's People site at www.scotlanspeople.gov.uk you will be able to register and trace these families back through to probably 1841 via censues and BMD information. It is pay to view but very reasonable. The IGI may also have details of the earlier marriages and births.
I'll see what else I can find.
Gadget
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Donald's parent's marriage, which gives their parents:
GROS Ref - Vol 86A Page 22
23 February 1871 at Barvas, Lewis. According to the Forms of the Free Church of Scotland
Kenneth McLeod, Fisherman, Bach, aged 30. Parents -John McLeod, crofter, and Catherine, maiden surname Matheson
and
Margaret McLeay,living in family, spin, aged 25. Parents - George McLeay, crofter and Catherine, maiden surname,McDonald (dec)
Gadget
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Annie's parents marriage and their parents -
GROS Ref - Vol 88 Page 13
28 February 1867 at Stornoway, Lewis. According to the Forms of the Free Church of Scotland
Kenneth McLeod, Fisherman, Bach, Garrabost, aged 27. Parents -Angus MacLeod, crofter, and Catherine, maiden surname MacDonald
and
Ann Smith, spin, aged 26. Parents - Donald Smith, crofter and Ann, maiden surname, MacLeod
Gadget
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:o WOW Gadget this is brilliant thank you so much i am amazed at what you have found out already. Hope that gale doesn't get to bad! I live near the sea down here in Somerset and it's blowing a good un down here. Brrrrrr cold too. :) :)
Louise x
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Hi Louise
I've just asked my co-partner in crime searching, Monica, to come help ;D We'll see what we can do to get siblingsof these couples and may be their parents.
Gadget :)
PS the Ullapool- Stornoway Ferry is not running, yet again, and my line is going down every 5 mins!
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Hi Louise
A point to remember when searching on IGI is that extracts of births/marriages stop for Scotland around 1874/5. After this point your only source will be Scotlands People. Censuses can also help out to fill out the births along to the way (although naturally won't show any early deaths):
Father: Kenneth Macleod, Mother: Margaret Macleay
1. CATHERINE MCLEOD Birth: 01 FEB 1874 Barvas, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
2. DONALD MACLEOD Birth: 22 NOV 1871 Barvas, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
Father: Angus MacLeod Mother: Catherine MacDonald
Best fit for a marriage, a submitted entry:
ANGUS MAC LEOD Marriages: Spouse: CATHERINE MC DONALD
Marriage: 13 NOV 1822 Stornoway, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
and children showing:
1. MURDO MAC LEOD Birth: APR 1843/ Christening: 27 MAY 1844 Stornoway, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
2. JOHN MAC LEOD Birth: JAN 1839/ Christening: 27 MAY 1844 Stornoway, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
3. MARGARET MAC LEOD Birth: APR 1840/ Christening: 03 APR 1843 Stornoway, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
4. DONALD MAC LEOD Birth: 01 APR 1831/ Christening: 13 JUN 1831 Stornoway, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
5. KENNETH MAC LEOD Birth: AUG 1837/ Christening: 27 MAY 1844 Stornoway, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
6. MARY MAC LEOD Birth: 22 SEP 1835/ Christening: 20 MAR 1836 Stornoway, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland
A big health warning on the pre-1855 entries for Kenneth and siblings. Given how common the names are in the area, the entries I have listed below may belong to more than one couple. Also there are a number of submitted entries as well as actual extracts (with varying dates). With this is mind, the best route would be to verify the family (children) through the censuses (1841-61).
Regards.
Monica
PS: I'm out this PM, I'll have a go on the other lines for you tomorrow if somebody else doesn't in the meantime!
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Hi Louise
The baptisms of the children of /Kenneth McLeod and Ann Smith who married Stornoway, 1867, parents of Annie Macleod:
All Stornoway-
10 Jan 1868, Donald
8 April 1870, Anne
17 Nov 1871, Angus
20 Aug 1874, Kenneth
Gadget
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Hi again Louise
I'm having trouble finding the marriages of:
John McLeod and Catherine Matheson
George McLeay and Catherine McDonald
Donald Smith and Ann McLeod
This could be that they were irregular marriages or that the ups and downs of my line is causing me to miss something. It might be worth you having a go with the IGI Batch numbers that I sent you.
Gadget
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HI Louise and Gadget
I think this research is going to have to be for the long haul, breaking down each line and verifying as you go (as normal really!). The issues (as I know too well with my MacDonalds in the Highlands) is the combination of same names/dates/submitted v. actual extracts on IGI.
Gadget, the marriages you listed in your earlier post are there on IGI but only as submitted entries (multiple and varying dates in some cases) so hard to be difinitive.
Louise, I think with the information that Gadget has provided to you from the marriage certs. including parents' names, should act as the framework. You need to go back starting from the censuses and work back slowly, recording as you go and using each piece of info to verify and act as your stepping stones backwards.
Monica
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I have attempted to produce two direct line trees for Flora's parents to make things clearer and provide a framework:
Grandparents Grt Grandparents Grtx2 Grandparents
| | John McLeod |
| Kenneth McLeod | |
| | Catherine Matheson |
| Donald McLeod | |
| | George McLeay |
| Margaret McLeay | |
| | Catherine MacDonald |
| | Angus McLeod |
| Kenneth McLeod | |
| | Catherine MacDonald |
| Annie McLeod | |
| | Donald Smith |
| Ann Smith | |
| | Ann McLeod |
Hope this helps
Gadget
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Hi Gadget & Monica,
I really can't thank you enough for what information you have given me in the last 24 hrs. I really appreciate everything you have both done for me. It will help me so much to find out the rest of the info i need. I have told my mum the new info today and she is really amazed, she is even thinking about maybe taking a trip up to Stornoway next year, as she would love to visit the places my nan always lovingly talked about.
You have both mentioned the IGI as i'm new to this can you tell me what this stands for.
Louise x :) :-* :)
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Hi Louise
Before you start your research, you should have a look at these links here on RootsChat which explain what is available and also how to maximise your use of Scotlands People, the official pay to view site for BMDs post 1855 and Censuses:
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,24468.0.html
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,43916.0.html
In respect of IGI, it stands for International Genealogical Index available free on Family Search at www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true
Good luck with your research!
Monica
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Hi Louise
It's a pleasure to help especially in an area I know quite well :)
28 Bulnacraig is most likely a croft number. These really confuse people no end, especially those telephone sales people who say 'you have been chosen from everyone in your street' ;D ;D ;D. I have a 3 digit number as part of my address and we live in the middle of nowhere.
Crofts were allocated and numbered by crofting 'township'. The numbers started at 1 and went up to however many crofts there were and spread over a large area - e.g the next number after us is 3 miles away!
If your mother does take a trip to Stornoway, try to come up in May/June then the machair (sandy strands) on the West side of Lewis/Harris is at it's best with wonderful wild flowers the weather is usual very good and the days are long.
Gadget :)
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My Nan Flora Macleod with husband Fred Woodroff enjoying a wee dram while back visiting Stornoway.
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My Nan (center) with either friends or family?
My Nan with possibly her mother Annie Macleod?
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Oh these are wonderful pictures, Louise. It's really lovely to see people to go with the records.
Interestingly, the 'wee' Frees, although really dour and strict in most aspects of life, did enjoy their drams - males and females alike ;D
Gadget
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I thought it might be good to put a few pics on. I just wish like many others that i could be able to sit with my nan now and find out who the others are.
I love looking at old pictures and have recently found a book my nan either got on her last trip to Stornoway or someone kindly sent down to her.
It's called EILEAN AN FHRAOICH annual and is dated December 1977 price 60p & its front cover picture is of Cromwell street, Stornoway on market day in the 1920's.
8) :)
Louise x
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I`think Fhraoich is a sprig of heather in Gaelic, Louise. I'll have to check. So the book would translate as Island of heather :)
Gadget
Just checked ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Oh and my favorite saying from my Nan was always, "It's a broad bright moon light night tonight", but when she said it she could say it correctly and i used to get her to say it over & over again.
Ah treasured Memories :)
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Hello all, I am still trying to trace my mother Diane Leslie Macleod prior to 1929, she was also from Stornoway. So many Macleods.
I wish you great success in your quest
Dianes Daughter
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Diane's Daughter's thread is here:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,405993.0.html
Gadget
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Hello,
I know this thread was active years ago but I'll post anyways.
My grandfather (Malcolm McLeod) came to Canada from Stornoway with his family when he was five years old.
His father's name was George McLeod. Date of Birth: January 9th, 1881. George married Christina Lambert (also from Stornoway). George's father was Malcolm McLeod and his mother Margaret Mackenzie.
Looking to find more info on this side of the family.
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I`think Fhraoich is a sprig of heather in Gaelic, Louise. I'll have to check. So the book would translate as Island of heather :)
Gadget
Just checked ;D ;D ;D ;D
If I recall correctly (always a big if), "The Heathery Isle" was a slogan (war cry), of one of the MacDonald branches.
Donald.