Durness Parish Register

[KateW]

Hello again Andy,

I've had a good look. I already found the marriage details of Donald Ross and Mary Mackay from the parish register on Scotland's People so was able to print off the entry for that.  I would like to know about their parents if possible. I wonder if their births may have been in the Parish Register and showng the father at least? As you say, from Mary's Gaellic name it looks as if her father was William.  The Family Search records (Pedigree Resource File) shows the marriage and if you click on Mary's father William it shows his father as James. (It goes back 21 generations  to 1060 and has some interesting characters. (If only they all had that much info)

The details about their children are great.  Donald obviously progressed from Tenant to farmer - which is positive!!

Ann Ross (and Donald White/yte's) details are for the right one but I think the Donald White you have found married to Janet Gordon is our Donald's uncle (brother of his father).  I have Carole Nortje (Whyte) to thank for a lot of the Whyte records I have.

Our Donald's father John was married to Ann Fraser in (I think) 1765. His patronymic name was Macuilliam Macomash so we thought his father was William and grandfather must have been Thomas.  I wonder why the person we thought was his brother (Donald who married Janet Gordon) has the patronymic name Macdholicomash which as you say looks like son of Donald son of Thomas 

Yes, I am interested to know more about the brothers of Mary Mackay, Donald and Robert.    You offered details of those & I would like to know more if you have it.
Also anything you can find about the previous generations of:-
 John and Donald Whyte- father William b. abt 1700 Durness.
mother of Ann Fraser (daughter of John Fraser)  chr. 6 Mar 1742 Golspie.
parents of Donald Ross b abt 1750 Balnaceil.
mother of Mary Mackay (nin Uilliam)

Am I right in thinking that it was often only the father recorded?

The names are nearly as frustrating as my Lewis and Davies Welsh side - so many name repetitions!!

Thanks so much for looking - hope you can find me something else.. 

Kate.

[KateW]

Andy,
I see looking back to your first post on this thread that your Durness parish register goes back to 1760 so I suppose the dates I've asked for will be pre these records. 

Kate.

[andy_smed]

Hi Kate

Yes the parish register does only go back to 1760 but I will have a look anyway to see if I can find anything.

I know exactly where you are coming from regarding common names. My surname is Smith and I have Thomas's  also in my family. Its a nightmare!!

Will keep you posted.

Andy

[cheryl Hughenden]

Andy where do I search to find births or christenings (other than the IGI)being issue from a marriage after 1817. Have got some elusive McIntosh's.
Thanks Cheryl

[IanB]

Hi Kate,
I do not wish to be discouraging, but , although the J & J website is a tremendous effort, I have noticed several mistakes, mainly in connecting Mackay families in the Durness P.R. to known families, e.g those published in the Book of Mackay, without stating sources. This might be the case with Mary Mackay. If I recall it correctly, her father's patronymic was Mac Uilleam MacNish. Nish is a name often recorded in the Durness P.R. and apparently stems from the name Naos, a form of Aonghus, i.e. Angus. After "Mac" it takes the genitive "MacNaois" (in imitated Gaelic "MacNish"). This means that William's father would be Angus, not James. When I find some time, I will browse through the Book of Mackay for a William who is the son of Angus.
Ian

[KateW]

Hi Ian,
Very good of you to take interest and thanks for the offer to look.  Do you have a copy of the Book of Mackay or is it in a record office?

KateW.

[IanB]

Hi Kate,

I do have a copy of The Book of Mackay, acquired some time ago. Some large libraries, often reference libraries, have one.

It used to be on line at this address:

http://books.google.com/books?id=GiMNAAAAYAAJ

Good luck,
Ian

[GeraldM]

What a great thread!

My gggrandfather was John R. Morrison who was born ca1806 according to his headstone and death record. His parents were Neil and Janet Morrison but I have found nothing else about them.

His wife was Catherine MacKay who I believe was a daughter of Donald MacKay and Catherine MacLeod and was born in 1805. I also believe, but no proof, that they were married in 1826. (This from the IGI). They emigrated to Shelburne, Nova Scotia ca 1827 where he acquired land and eventually became the ferryman at Jordan River.

I was wondering if there was anything in the record concerning John R. and his parents. I don't know what the R stands for - could be Ross as he had a son John Andrew Ross Morrison.

There were a number of Scottish families that came to Shelburne from Sutherlandshire in the early 1800s. Two of them were brothers William and Robert MacKay, William in 1803 and Robert in 1816. William married Catherine Morrison of Thurso, his cousin, whose parents were William Morrison and Margaret Ross. William and Catherine were my ggggrandparents

Robert MacKay married Janet Murray, the granddaughter of Rob Donn, in 1816 shortly before they came to Shelburne. Her father was Hugh, a son of John and Ann (Morrison) Murray and her mother was Christina, a daughter of Robert and Janet (MacKay) Donn. This info is from some typewritten notes that I got from my aunt many years ago and was originally written by Robert and Janet MacKay's grandson, Henry Squarebriggs MacKay.

Thanks for any help.

Gerald

There are many descendants of both brothers in the Shelburne area.

[IanB]

Hi Gerald,

I can confirm some things but not others. The Baptism of Catherine Mackay was recorded in the Durness Parish Register June 22, 1805, parents; Donald Mackay farmer in Achunahanait, and Catherine MacLeod.

I could not find a baptism for John R Morrison, or a marriage.

I could not find a marriage of Robert Mackay and Janet Murray but I can tell you that there was a Janet Murray born to Hugh Murray and Christina Calder/Donn/Mackay Sept 15, 1788. When Hugh Murray died, Christina married a John Morrison (mac Uileam, mac Uisdean, mac Eachainn ruaidh) They were my 4 x great grandparents. You might find it interesting to read "The world of Rob Donn" by Ian Grimble.

It would help to find some of your ancestors if you knew the places of birth and marriage.

In the meantime, I will check a few other sources.

Ian Morrison