I am looking for any information on both, Catherine Robertson who married and Alexander Macpherson a fisherman.
A death entry or burial place would be very exciting, or any information, no matter how small.
Two of thier issues have been found to date, and have been searching every entry possible for thier daughter, Elizabeth/Betty Macpherson to establish her birth place, to try reveal where Catherine/Alexander might have lived and worked, even for a while.
Incidentally I have not yet found a likely death entry for Catherine Robertson or Alexander Macpherson, and they are not stated as deceased on thier daughters marriage certificate 1856, which may indicate they were still alive in 1856.
Elizabeth/Betty Macpherson 16.08.1819 Tormore, Sleat
John Macpherson 30.12.1815 Tormore, Sleat
Below are the Census entry's I have found to date, for Elizabeth the daughter of Catherine/Alexander to establish her birthplace and movements, its worth mentioning that an 1851 entry, has not been located to date, which might tell a little more.
We think? Elizabeth had two sons, Robert born 1836 and Alexander born 1849 also listed as Kilmuir, not sure who the father is of these two sons, but they took the name Philip after Elizabeths marriage in 1856.
Elizabeth left Skye sometime after the birth of her second son Alexander 1849 and before 1856 where the family is found in Fort William, this is where Elizabeth married Robert Philip/Phillips in 1856 at Fort William.
1861 census Fort William area listed her birthplace as...Kilmuir (probably Kilmore)
1871 census Kilmalie area listed her birthplace as.........Kilmalie (dautr. Elizabeth born Kilmalie)
1891 census Greenock listed her birthplace as.............Isle of Skye, Sleet, Scotland.
1901 census Greenock listed her birthplace as.. ..........Skye, Scotland.
Back to Catherine Robertson and Alexander Macpherson! I employed the services of
www.Sky-Roots.co.uk who searched the 1841 and found a possible family in Ostaig, as listed below, with Norma’s comments.
1841 Ostaig, Sleat: (book 3, page 23).Alexander MacPherson....71.pauper
Catherine.....................62.wife
John............................25
Colin Chisholm...............10.grandson
1841 Carradale, Sleat: (book 5 pages 14/15).John MacPherson....20.ag.lab
Betty...................15
Chirsty MacInnes....60.pauper
“This was the only Alexander & Catherine MacPherson found together in 1841 of approximately the correct age to be the parents of your Elizabeth. This was the only Elizabeth / Betty MacPherson found in Sleat in 1841. Neither of these entries is found in the township of Tormore – as shown in the OPR. The 1851 census of Sleat was searched and no Elizabeth / Betty MacPherson was found. No couple named Alexander & Catherine, of the correct (appropriate) ages was found. Although some individuals named Alexander and Catherine were found, they could not be identified as Elizabeth’s parents”.I also emailed Clan McDonald Archives, to see if there might be any estate or rental records for Ostaig, which would give any information.
They did inform me the Ostaig farm absorbed the neighbouring farm Kilbeg in the 1820’s, and that the above family might have been, Alexander Macpherson and a Catherine Lamont, which was the family living at Kilbeg, but equally could be, and is more likely, my family ancestors from Tormore, This seems to have clouded the Ostaig family find, rather than verifying it, as this family cannot be positivly identified.
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