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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Ross & Cromarty => Topic started by: chris63 on Thursday 22 December 11 10:12 GMT (UK)
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I am trying to find information on my great great grandma. She was born in the Lochbroome area around 1850.
She married John Murray in 1873 in Argyll before going to live in Wales. On her marriage certificate her parents are John McLeod and Anne (?nee Micheal) At the time of her marriage she gives her address as Polglass, Lochbroome.
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Hi Chris
Welcome to RootsChat :)
There is this 1861 census entry as a possible for Ann with family. Everyone is showing as born in Coigach, Ross Shire, except for mother:
John Mcleod 55 tenant (?farming likely)
Ann Mcleod 50 b. Apt, Sutherland Shire
Janet Mcleod 38
John Mcleod 24
Mary Mcleod 18
Ann Mcleod 14
Kenneth Mcleod 12
Address: Polglass, Lochbroom
Monica
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Hi and welcome from me too :)
I've just returned from the Polglass/Achiltibuie area. I know the Polglass township very well as some of my oldest friends live there and I've researched their families. On first glance, you might be related to them but I'd have to do some detailed checks on what I have. I've also got a fair amount of information on the Polglass familes in general.
McLeod is the most common surname in the area so you have to be very careful tracing them.
One of our members has done quite a lot of work on the Coigach area and put it online here:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~coigach/
Polglass section here:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~coigach/polgl.htm
You could go through the various pages of the general section and the specific section to see any links and get a background to the area.
I'll go through the files and get back to you.
Regards
gnu
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Hi again
I've just been looking at the Polglass/Coigach site and see that the family are at Ref 51-61. The notes give links to other censuses and say that John was born Achnahaird which is on the north side of the peninsular. If so, they might only be distantly related to my Polglass friends but might well be related to some other friends who are still in Achnahaird. I think they were originally from Assynt way back.
Anne, her mother, down as born Assynt.
gnu
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I notice that the marriage cert of 1873 in Ballachulish has Anne's address as Polglass and lists her father as John Mcleod, tailor, deceased and mother as Anne maiden surname Michael. The family identified looks very likely; being a tailor did not preclude being a tenant/crofter as well*
Anne is down as aged 24 in 1873.
gnu
* see 71-40 on the Coigach site http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~coigach/polgl.htm#71-40
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Anne's mother, Anne died 12 Feb 1884 at Muir of Ord, parish of Urray, Rossshire. Widow of John Mcleod, master tailor. Aged 75
Her parents are given as John Michael, shepherd and Janet, maiden surname Ross. Both deceased.
Son, John McLeod, was the informant.
gnu
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John McLeod, died at Polglass on 25 June 1873, aged 74.
His parents were Kenneth Mcleod, weaver and Kett*, maiden surname McKenzie.
Son John was the informant.
gnu
* probably for Ketty, - Kitty - Kate - Catherine
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Thanks.
I will follow this up.
chris :)
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Hiya Chris,
I have photocopies of most of the Lochbroom P.R., I see a marriage 3 January, 1828 of "John McLeod Badintarbit and Ann McMichael Shinisgag".
Sionascaig one of the small settlements, mostly shepherds and a few servants, on the northern edge of Coigach, not surprising Ann was born in neighbouring Assynt. In the same file as Achnahaird, near the end (nother.htm), are a number of interrelated Michael familys. The surname still occurs in the area; Joan Michael at Ullapool writes the Column "Lochbroom Blethers" in the RossShire Journal.
John born Achnahaird may be tied to the family there at 41-3, and Achiltibuie 41-44, or not, livng at Badentarbat 1828 indicates either the family moved, or he did...
Badentarbat failed in 1842, most families removed to neighbouring farms, and the place becoming a sheep farm.
All the best,
Donald.
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Hi Don :)
The surname still occurs in the area
There aren't any in Coigach any more though (local phone book)and I think I know all the locals there. Also, Badentarbet was cleared (according to the Cromartie Papers*) because the 'lady' didn't like the fact that the tenants could see them from their houses so they were all moved to Tanera.
gnu
*A good source is Cromartie: Highland life 1650-1914 by Eric Richards and Monica Clough. Aberdeen University Press, 1989
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Hi Don :)
The surname still occurs in the area
There aren't any in Coigach any more though (local phone book)and I think I know all the locals there.
Acckkk, I get used to thinking in the 19th century, yes today Coigach refers to the area "beyond the Big Rock", but anciently it included all down to the border of Lechmelm, including Ullapool, where Joan Michael is.
I know Wikipedia should not be used as a primary source, but I contributed the edit there, and so mostly quoting myself it reads;
Coigach (Scottish Gaelic: A' Chòigeach) today refers to the peninsula "beyond the big rock" north of Ullapool, in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Anciently till changes in civil registration districts in 1857[1] the Barony also included Isle Martin, the lands down to Corrie beyond Ullapool, the various farms of Strathkanaird, and eastward including the Forest of Achall and Rhiddorach.
you also wrote;
Also, Badentarbet was cleared (according to the Cromartie Papers*) because the 'lady' didn't like
the fact that the tenants could see them from their houses so they were all moved to Tanera.
They may have temporarly been moved as a group to Tanera, but by 1851 here is disposition of the familys;
41-1 MacKenzies to Dornie
41-2 Morrisons to Achnahaird
41-3 80 year old Mary MacKenzie probably died, 40 year old Katherine MacLeod to unknown
41-4 Salmon fishers, transient
41-5 MacLeans, only family that remained
41-6 Mackenzie/Campbell to Tanera
41-7 MacLeans to Achnahaird
41-8 McRaes to Faochaig and Altandhu
41-9 McKenzie to Polbain
41-10 Campbell to Dornie
41-11 McLeod stayed at Badentarbat, unkown after 1851
41-12 McKenzie cannot trace, perhaps returned to Coast of Gruinard
41-13 McKenzie cannot trace
41-14 Macdonald to Polbain
All the best,
Donald.
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Hi again
Coigach was very dreich yesterday!
The ref that I gave (Richards and Clough) has a very good account of the area, the Cromartie estates, the growth of Ullapool and the somewhat spendthriftness of the later McKenzies!
There are also other published and unpublished accounts but I don't want to get into a prolonged discussion about Coigach as this doesn't answer Chris's original query. However, an understanding of the area and the various townships is necessary for understanding the Coigach families and their interrelationships, and I would recommend this approach to Chris.
Getting back to the OP's query. A summary of my findings about Anne Murray, nee Mcleod's lines so far :
Father - John Mcleod, a tenant/tailor, born circa 1799, Achnahaird
His Parents - Kenneth Mcleod, weaver and Kett/Kate McKenzie
Mother - Ann (Mc)Michael born circa 1809, Assynt
Her Parents - John Michael, shepherd and Janet Ross
(Added - and the marriage/banns OPR record of John and Anne's marriage in 1828, found by Don_Niagara)
Getting back any further will be difficult because the Lochbroom PRs are only extant from the 1790s or so and other documents would have to be consulted (a Fraser descendant has done a fair amount at NAS but I don't think that this family is covered).
From the evidence that I looked at yesterday, much of the family seem to have moved away after John's death. I'll have to look at my mapping of the Polglass crofts to work out where exactly they lived but I'm not sure that I have the files here. (I did a detailed study of this township a few years ago)
Re the Badentarbet clearance - as I said, the original families who lived along the old peat road, were cleared because they overlooked Badentarbet House. Something which is still referred to by many locals.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
gnu
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:)
There is a submitted record on the IGI which has the following baptism details:
3 March 1808 Assynt, Sutherland
Ann lawful daughter of John Mitchel and Jannet Ross
This is also listed on the Scotlands People site so is correct.
John listed as a shepherd in Tubeg(?) - not found around Sionascaig, Wester Ross - which would come under Lochbroom :-\ - so far so will have to get the old maps out ;)
gnu
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There is a submitted record on the IGI which has the following baptism details:
3 March 1808 Assynt, Sutherland
John Mitchel and Jannet Ross
This is also listed on the Scotlands People site so is correct.
John listed as a shepherd in Tubeg(?) - not found around Sionascaig, Wester Ross - which would come under Lochbroom :-\ - so far so will have to get the old maps out ;)
Great stuff!
I had been also trolling the I.G.I., they are good at indexing including variants such as "Michael", and "McMichael", but had missed "Mitchel"
Same register includes;
Jannet Michael, c.29 Feb 1816
John Michael, c.04 Aug 1819
Chirsty Mac Michael, b.16 Mar 1826, c.30 Mar 1826
1811 Assynt census survives, Malcolm Bangor-Jones transcribed it, has three familys at Tubeg, third has Head of Household at Tubeg as John Michael, one male and four females in the Household.
Tubeg is on the south shore of Loch Assynt.
All the best,
Donald.
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:)
Just found Easter Tubeg on a modern-ish map in the rough area indicated here:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0ir6/
Now that is remote - I've walked those hills in my younger days.
You talked of the land beyond the Big Rock - Ben More Coigach - here it is from beyond it. I've been up that many times too!
gnu
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Lovely countryside, thanks Gnu for sending that! Chris certainly has chosen lovely countryside for ancestor hunting!
Looking at the 1775 farm maps of Coigach I see the farm of Sionascaig was around the eastern end of the Loch of the same name, about 14 kilometers south west of Tubeg as the corbie flies. Cannot see any buildings marked on the 3870 acres so not sure where exactly the Michael family home was, likely where a stream entered the loch though.
All the best,
Donald.
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It would be a longish hike from Tobeg to Sionascaig and they'd probably have to climb the beallach over Suilven to get there ;D
I've been on Sionascaig a few times - friend a fisherman - there are quite a few ruins and bothys still around there. I'm think of one that is really close to the western side of Cul More that our friend from Achnahaird reckons was where his ancestors were - so maybe they are related way back.
The old ruin is indicated on this map:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0ir8/
(also one to the SE)
I've got photos of it somewhere but they were taken pre-digital so where they are I do not know!
gnu
Added - another worthwhiile link which I overlooked earlier:
http://coigachlines.wordpress.com/about/
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It would be a longish hike from Tobeg to Sionascaig and they'd probably have to climb the beallach over Suilven to get there ;D
Fit people those Michael shepherds! If ever I am in a bar fight in Ullapool I must remember to check first there are none present!
By 1828 Ann was at Sionascaig, presumably with her parents and siblings, her sister Chirsty has birth and christening 1826 in Assynt Parish, I have not seen the page, but if it shows the family then at Tubeg then it nails down their move to a 22 month period.
Donald.
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One last post before turning in for the night...
John Michael is at Sionascaig in the 1827 Lochbroom Militia List, Shepherd, above 30 years of age (but less than 60), claiming exemption as having three or more children.
Not present in the 1825 or 1826 lists, but that is not definative proof he was not yet at Sionascaig, as those lists are shorter, and no one else is listed as there.
Donald.
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Just found this tree on the site that I linked to earlier (Coigach lines), which I think is relevant:
http://coigachlines.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/sdd-53.jpg
Click on the diagram to enlarge
gnu
(I recognise the handwriting :) )
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Hi Chris
I am researching the Michael family.
One of my first husband's ancestors was Christina Michael married Donald McLeod.
She was the daughter of John MacMichael and Jannet Ross,
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regards
deb
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Hello Deb
I hope you don't mind me replying to this thread. I'm new to this platform. I'm holidaying on Lewis & Harris at the moment, as often happens when I'm visiting Scotland I was doing some basic ancestry searching on the internet and came across this thread.
Are you still interested in finding out about John MacMichael and Jannet Ross? I'm a direct descendant, one of my late Uncles, Dougal carried out some genealogical research via the Scottish Ancestry Association back in the 1980's which I'd been happy to share with you, when I'm back home (in England) later this week. I'm interested in finding out what I can, I've often seen the surname referred to as McMichael but never just Michael, I'd always assumed some of these errors were due to Gaelic usage converted into English (ofcourse Gaelic was outlawed in the aftermath of Culloden in 1747).
I'm also keen to find out more about my late Mum's family, based in Inverness but with very common surnames, Fraser & MacKenzie, any tips about where to start (I've tried Ancestry.co.uk but there's not much there in the way if Scottish records).
I hope to hear from you.
Kind regards
Andy
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I'm also keen to find out more about my late Mum's family, based in Inverness but with very common surnames, Fraser & MacKenzie, any tips about where to start (I've tried Ancestry.co.uk but there's not much there in the way if Scottish records).
See https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=714261.0
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Thank you that's much appreciated :)
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My information on here is incorrect.
Christina Micheal who married Donald McLeod was the daughter of George Mitchell and Rochel Mathieson.
Deb
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Okay, thanks for the clarification.