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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Inverness => Topic started by: amh155 on Wednesday 23 July 14 13:17 BST (UK)
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Hello,
Can anyone help with information about South Laggan Church, near Laggan Bridge? There are supposed to be a list of memorials to several deceased persons inside the church, and I wonder if anyone knows the names on the list, as I have ancestors who lived near there from 1850's on.
Also are there any graves as my ancestor died there in 1916.
Hoping to hear from someone.
Regards,
AMH
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I don't have photos of the inside of the church but here are a couple I took a few years ago of the outside showing the graveyard.
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Hello,
Thank you so much for these fantastic photos. I'm amazed at what is there. One day I'll have to see whether any of my McKinnon's have headstones.
Regards,
AMH
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AMH, the Laggan website,
http://laggan.com/church.htm
There are a couple of mural monuments inside the church, but to lairds family members as I recall. The Highland Family History Society might have a booklet on the monumental inscriptions in the kirkyard.
http://www.highlandfamilyhistorysociety.org
You might confusing the church with the old parish kirk St Kenneth's, Aberarder at the head of Loch Laggan, roofless, it has gravestones inside & out, particularly RC's. Sounds more like it?
http://vitacollections.ca/ogscollections/2727585/data
www.scotsgenealogy.com
http://www.cushnieent.force9.co.uk/Moray%20Churches/logykenny.htm
Some parish family history,
http://www.clan-macpherson.org/museum/documents/alang02.pdf
Skoosh.
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Thank you for such great help. I have done some more digging and believe the Church in these photos above is NOT the South Laggan one I seek, as it was too old. I found a photo of a more modest chapel (built 1820) when it was for sale, and there don't appear to be any headstones. No nearby graveyard was mentioned in the specifications for the sale (maybe not a good selling point!).
Using the Highland FHS link I was able to find the next generations of McKinnons buried at Invermoriston. So I can add a few more leaves to the branches.
Many thanks to you both for your replies. This is such a great site.
Regards,
AMH
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A mention of the 2 churches here.
http://www.scottish-places.info/parishes/parhistory383.html
Regards
Malky
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As a matter of interest, what is the name of the church you found and, importantly, in which parish?
I may have a photo in my files.
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Agnes, St Kenneth's is in the parish of Laggan, Badenoch. South Laggan by the way, is in Lochaber, no connection to Laggan Bridge. There are quite a few Laggan's but only one parish of that name.
The chapel you refer to was St Michael's, also Laggan, built by the MacNab laird of Dalchullie for the crofters of Crathie who were RC's. It was taken down when the last of the Crathie folk left when the Spey Dam was constructed by Britiah Aluminium, flooding their fields. No burials at that site, the Crathie folk used St Kenneth's. They were apparently quite easy going in their beliefs, if there was no priest available they just went to the Free Kirk in Laggan. It's a well maintained ruin, (burned down), the former manse is a hotel (The Monarch, closed at the moment), on the opposite side of the Spey from Laggan Kirk.
If your folk attended the Free Church (most folk did) or the Church of Scotland they would probably be buried at the Laggan church but possibly St Kenneth's if they lived that side of the parish, it wasn't exclusively Catholic.
Bests,
Skoosh.
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Hi everyone,
Thank you for all this wonderful information. The chapel I seek doesn't seem to have a name, but Col Alister McDonell had it built in 1820 for the workers on the Caledonian Canal. My ancestors were married elsewhere but probably worshiped there, living at Laggan Locks and later Laggan Bridge for about 70 years. It was listed as Episcopalian at one time. On death records for my McKinnons, the district is Glengarry. Hope this clears up the confusion.
AMH
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Laggan Locks are of course a long way from Laggan. I think the parish you're after would be Kilmonivaig or possibly Kilmallie.
Skoosh.
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Thank you, yes, I now realise the confusion with the names being the same, but here in the land down under, I had a o/s map off the internet showing Loch Lochy with North Laggan and South Laggan marked as locations beside it. The parish would be Kilmonivaig as this was the one given on the McKinnon baptisms, when I know the family were living at Laggan Locks in the 1850's.
Many thanks for all your help once again.
AMH
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AMH, the Duke of Gordon paid the passage of many of his Laggan tenants to Australia. Laggan place-names in the district they settled.
The penal laws against the Episcopalians in Scotland were only relaxed in 1792.
Skoosh.
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The little chapel at South Laggan (known as Baile Alister in some census returns and named after Alexander MacDonell) still stands close to the A82. As far as I am aware there are no gravestones around it. The nearest burial ground would be at Kilfinnan at the end of Loch Lochy - very old but not many old headstones. A lot of the crofters of Balmaglaster, Laggan and Glengarry buried there. Parish of Kilmonivaig / Glengarry.
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Dear Abrach1,
Many thanks for your help. I might have to seek burial records for Kilfinnan Burial Ground. I visited there recently. So many unmarked graves. Such a beautiful spot.
Cheers,
AMH
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Anent unmarked graves, apart from considerations of cost, in many Highland districts the local stone was volcanic or metamorphic in origin and, unlike sandstone, quite unsuitable for cutting. The folk themself knew who was buried where and wooden crosses never lasted.
Skoosh.
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Good luck with that one!!! If you ever come across burial records for Kilfinnan please let me know. There will be a lot of my Kennedy and MacDonell ancestors buried there but I have never found any records for Kilfinnan.
abrach1
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I have just had another thought.
You say you are researching MacKinnons. I seem to remember there was a teacher in Invergarry school (pre 1960's?) who was a Miss MacKinnon - her colleage Miss Margaret Ralph lodged with my grandmother. Could she have been part of your family?
abrach1
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The picturesque Cille Choirille church might be too far out but worth a wee look.
http://www.highland-glens.co.uk/local-information
Skoosh.