Donald of Clashneach & Mary Mackay

[wilros]

I'm looking for modern names for islands in the 1764-1815 Durness Registry.
Islandhoan is easy - Eilean Hoan
Islandchoary? perhaps Eilean Choraidh near the southern end of Loch Eriboll?
Islandhall?
Islandereir?

[djct59]

There are only two habitable islands in the parish - Eilean Hoan and Eilean Choraidh. The latter was the more hospitable, but early records clearly draw a distinction in records at the same time, so it appears that Islandhall and Islandhoan may have been the same place.

Islandreir was in Strathmore. Just to the south west of Dun Dornaigil broch the River Strathmore divides in two, with a few acres of flat cultivable land in between the branches, about 800m long and 100m wide. I presume that was Islandreir.

[wilros]

djct59 - thanks very much!

[wilros]

I transcribed these records from the ScotlandsPeople digital images. This string of events begins with the baptism of Ann Brown from Keodale in 1775, includes her parents marriage, baptisms of her siblings, and her marriage in 1794 to Donald Ross. This Donald was born in Borley in 1771, and is the older brother of my 3xGGF John Ross, who was born in Borley in 1775.

(1775) Patrick Brown a single man in Keodale had a child baptized called Ann 24th November but not in lawful marriage

(1777) Patrick Brown from Peterhead in Keodale married Janet Mackay alias nin Neil in Keodale 4th March

(1777) Patrick Brown from Peterhead a little Tenant in Buailavig Keodale had a child baptized called James 8th October

(1779) Patrick Dunn alias Brown Tenant in Buailbhig of Keodale had a child baptized called Jean 10th Jan'ry 1779

(1780) Peter Dunn formerly Patrick Brown Tenant in Keoldale and his wife Janet Mackay alias nin Neil had Neil baptized 16th March

(1782) Patrick Dunn alias Brown Tenant in Grudie and his wife Janet Mackay alias nin Neil had Jean baptized 6th May

(1784) Patrick Dunn alias Brown Tenant in Grudie and Janet Mackay alias nin Nielicemish his wife had a Child baptized called Fairly 25th Nov'r

(1787) Peter Brown alias Dunn from Peterhead Tenant in Grudie and Ann Mackay alias nin Neil his wife had Peter baptized 20th February

(1789) Peter Dunn alias Brown Tenant in Achucharin and Ann Mackay alias nin Neilmacemish his wife had Margaret baptized 6th April

(1794) Donald Ross a Single young man in Achuchoran and Ann Dunn in Auchuchairn were married 31st Decem'r

I have two questions.
Is Dunn a translation of Brown into Gaelic?
Janet/Ann Mackay has patronymics of nin Neil, nin Nielicemish, and nin Neilmacemish. I assume Nielicemish is an error and Neilmacemish is a more useful transliteration by Rev. Thompson, but how does it translate into English? 

[djct59]

Brown haired in Scots Gaelic is indeed donn, pronounced similar to "Down".

Janet Mackay is nin Neil mhic Sheumais - Daughter of Neil the son of John. The "'ic" is probably preferable, although as the Ministers were not native Gaelic speakers, albeit in possession of a Gaelic Bible, they wrote what they heard.

As I understand it, Achuchoran and Grudie are effectively the same place - west of the river Dionard two and a bit miles south of Keodale. My uncle was shepherd there for many years.

[meanno]

Jeanette13 - With regard to the diary of Donald Robert Clarke that you have transcribed, may I please ask if you have noticed anywhere in it a reference to a Marion Manson of 17 Dalrymple Place, Edinburgh who passed away in 1839?
This is very much a long shot, but I do know, from her intestate settlement document, that she was the sister of Barbara Manson, buried in Arnaboll, and she was possibly born in Thurso to an Alexander. Knowing that Donald Robert Clarke was in Edinburgh in the 1830's, if she was in any way related to him it seems possible that he might have visited her.
As I said, very much a long shot, but I am struggling to unravel the Manson's from Thurso and anything is worth trying!

[Jeanette13]

In May of 1828 Donald Robert Clarke wrote
"I saw my brother Alex on his return from the Inverness June (sic) Market. From Tain he went to Caithness & was married to Marion Manson, our former Governess."
However she was Marion Macbeth Manson 1800-1876 - the daughter of Alexander Manson MD and Jane/Jennie Sinclair 1781-1851 who married in Thurso on 23 Ap 1799.   I htink they had at least two other daughters - Helen Sinclair Manson 1805-1886 who never married and possibly Jane Manson whose tombstone at Arnaboll says she died on 2 July 1862 aged 63. This is all I know of them but would be very happy to share any discoveries uou may make.

[meanno]

Thankyou very much for that. I do find it interesting that Marion Macbeth Manson was a governess to your ancestors, the Clarkes, in Keoldale, as Barbara Manson was living in Keoldale when she married Angus Mackay. Maybe she also worked for your family which could account for her being in Keoldale.
Anyway I will certainly share with you anything I find that may be relevant.

[AlanWatson]

I think that Jane Manson died on 2 July 1872. Confirmation of her will was given to her sister Miss Helen Sinclair Manson. Both were of 47 Queen Street Edinburgh.

The two sisters can be seen at that address in the 1871 census, both annuitants. In 1861, Jane was in Durness, visiting the household of her other sister Marion and Marion's husband Alexander Clarke.

Jane was born on 20 April 1803 in Thurso.

Helen Sinclair Manson was born in Thurso on 27 December 1805 and died in Nairn on 13 September 1886. Confirmation of her will went to George Granville Clarke and David Ross Clarke [1840-1908, my great grandfather]. She too was a governess at the time of the 1851 census.

They also had a brother Alexander (1801-1874) who married a Mary King in Thurso in 1823.

Like Jeanette, I would be very interested to learn whether there is any connection between these Mansons and yours.


Alan