Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - meanno

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 ... 8
19
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Mark signature comparison
« on: Sunday 06 November 22 12:42 GMT (UK)  »
I'm trying to determine if the mark on a soldier's discharge paper and the mark on a marriage certificate are the same person, a Thomas Davies. They appear to me to be similar apart from the different angle.
Are there any handwriting experts on here that could express a view?

20
Sutherland / Re: Ancestors of Kenneth Macleod born abt 1759 Parish of Durness
« on: Friday 29 July 22 13:59 BST (UK)  »
Quote from: djct59 on Wednesday 27 July 22 21:44 BST (UK)
The whole story of Laid (Leathad) is a deeply depressing one. The land was so poor that it was unihabited until the 19th century Clearances, but the Eriboll estate then placed several tenants on crofts on which tenants could only eke out a very meagre living. The croft houses were of very rudimentary construction, with some limited power obtainable via windmills. Even as recently as 1978 it was not attached to the National Grid, although it is now a lively little community.

To give an idea of how tough life was: In 1945, when it was still not verified that Adolf Hitler was dead there was much talk about what should happen if he were to be captured. At a meeting of Sutherland County Council it was suggested "Give the bugger a croft on Laid".

There is an interesting description of life in Laid from Donald Mackay, a witness at the Napier Commission in 1883:
http://napier-sutherland.blogspot.com/2010/10/kinlochbervie-sutherland-26-july-1883_27.html

21
Sutherland / Re: Ancestors of Kenneth Macleod born abt 1759 Parish of Durness
« on: Thursday 28 July 22 09:56 BST (UK)  »
Here's a conundrum on the identity of Island Hall:

22
Sutherland / Re: Ancestors of Kenneth Macleod born abt 1759 Parish of Durness
« on: Thursday 28 July 22 09:08 BST (UK)  »
The Book of Mackay might interest you although it's not just about Durness. There is a mention of Island Choary on page 474 in the 1678 rent roll:
https://archive.org/details/bookofmackay00mack/page/474/mode/2up?view=theater

Later: On reflection and considering the original subject of this thread, could it be significant that the tenant of Island Choary in 1678 was a Hector Mcleod?

23
Sutherland / Re: Ancestors of Kenneth Macleod born abt 1759 Parish of Durness
« on: Wednesday 27 July 22 16:06 BST (UK)  »
Rw2 you might like to have this distant view of your island. I'm sharing it off Google Drive so you get the full res version. The photo is courtesy of https://uklighthousetour.com/ and was taken in January 2021.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ib7tU3V4sh8uTQs5ZNR7rIn512FRB5pY/view?usp=drivesdk

24
Sutherland / Re: Ancestors of Kenneth Macleod born abt 1759 Parish of Durness
« on: Wednesday 27 July 22 14:45 BST (UK)  »
The book doesn't have much on the earlier history of the island I don't think but it is an interesting read anyway for anyone interested in Durness.
King Haakon of Norway visited Eriboll twice in 1263 and there are a number of accounts of those visits online. They weren't friendly visits :(.

25
Sutherland / Re: Ancestors of Kenneth Macleod born abt 1759 Parish of Durness
« on: Wednesday 27 July 22 10:07 BST (UK)  »
The book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reay-Country-Sutherland-Farming-Birlinn/dp/1912476274
has a few pages on the history of Eilean Choraidh, how the tenants were cleared for sheep and the island became part of the Eriboll estate sheep farm.

The tenants were relocated to the village of Laid and the book recounts the "shameful affair of the Eilean Choraidh" that took place in 1917/18 when an attempt was made by some of the Laid crofters to bring a part of the island back into cultivation but was disgracefully thwarted by the actions of the Eriboll estate owners in not fencing their sheep who ate the crops. The field they had sown was the best field on the island and "had once yielded eighty bolls of oatmeal, milled by the miller at Bodi-havish" (who was my grx4 grandfather, hence my interest in this account).

26
Sutherland / Re: Ancestors of Kenneth Macleod born abt 1759 Parish of Durness
« on: Tuesday 26 July 22 21:42 BST (UK)  »
This entry in the DPR confirms that Eilean Choraidh is Island Hall. Having connections to Eilean Hoan you got me worried by the confusion so I checked!

27
Aberdeenshire / Re: Davidson - Mutch - Fraserburgh, Old Deer etc
« on: Thursday 09 June 22 10:01 BST (UK)  »
Quote from: David Nicoll on Thursday 09 June 22 00:01 BST (UK)
Hi, I only have basic dates.
William Marr Davidson
Parents
Alexander Davidson 1844 and Helen Littlejohn
Gparents
John Davidson and Mary Keith

Does that make sense?

Thank you. My line goes back to John Davidson who married Elspet Rob in 1756 in Old Deer and then their child William born 1761 in Old Deer, one of at least 7 children.
I don't have a full tree so no evidence for or against there being a connection to John Davidson/Mary Keith unfortunately.


Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 ... 8