Durness Parish Register - Part 2

[Munro84]

Update on previous: I have contacted Graham Bruce (who I have had previous contact with) and he has confirmed that Uaibeg is on the north-west shore of Loch Croispol. I have also found that on the 1888 first edition 6 inch to one mile OS map that it is shown there as "Uibig".

[Munro84]

Hi, I am looking for the following two settlements that appear in the Durness parish register, like where exactly they are located.

The first is a place called Batnahachlash.

The second, may be obvious is "Dalnaheru of Strathmore". Obviously in the Strath of Strathmore, but I can't find it on a map. An alternative name for it is Dalnaharve but I can't find it on an OS map.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike Munro.

[djct59]

According to the entry in the parish register on 20th September 1778, Dalnaheru includes "Dornadilla Tower", now known as Dun Dornaigil Broch, by Altnacaillich in the foothills of Ben Hope.

Batnahachlash is much harder to locate given its relative rarity in the parish records. There is, though, a tiny inshore loch called Loch Bacach close to the southern end of Loch Hope and in the centre of some cultivable land five miles north of Dun Dornaigil, but definitely in Strathmore. That's my best guess, but there might be someone on here more familiar with the cleared townships on the unclassified road that runs by the side of Loch Hope

[Munro84]

According to the entry in the parish register on 20th September 1778, Dalnaheru includes "Dornadilla Tower", now known as Dun Dornaigil Broch, by Altnacaillich in the foothills of Ben Hope.

Batnahachlash is much harder to locate given its relative rarity in the parish records. There is, though, a tiny inshore loch called Loch Bacach close to the southern end of Loch Hope and in the centre of some cultivable land five miles north of Dun Dornaigil, but definitely in Strathmore. That's my best guess, but there might be someone on here more familiar with the cleared townships on the unclassified road that runs by the side of Loch Hope

Thanks for your help.

[IanB]

Ian Grimble, in his book "The World of Rob Donn", spells it Bad na h-achlais, and says it was a short distance north of Muisel near the shore of Loch Hope.  (This is where Rob Donn and wife, Janet Mackay set up home when they married.)
Ian

Mike, are you descended from Rob Donn?

[Munro84]

Ian Grimble, in his book "The World of Rob Donn", spells it Bad na h-achlais, and says it was a short distance north of Muisel near the shore of Loch Hope.  (This is where Rob Donn and wife, Janet Mackay set up home when they married.)
Ian

Mike, are you descended from Rob Donn?

Hi Ian. Thanks very much for pointing me in the right direction and no, I am not descended from Rob Donn.

The reason for my enquiries are as follows:

In the Durness parish register there are the following two baptisms in 1768 and 1770 which are obviously the same father, Donald Mackay in Uaibeg, who himself is given the same Gaelic alias on both occasions:

15 June 1768: Donald Mackay, alias Macuillam Macnishvicdhonil in Uaibeg, George.

7 October 1770: Donald Mackay, alias Macuilleam macnish macdhonil in Uaibeg, Barbara.

So the Gaelic alias for the father Donald Mackay in both above entries, although spelt slightly differently, both translate as son of William, son of Angus, son of Donald

Moving on there are two baptism entries in 1769 that I would like to call into question:

1 May 1769: Donald Mackay, alias Macuillam Macnish in Batnahachlash, John.

Here noting that the above Gaelic alias translates as son of William, son of Angus

15 May 1769: Donald Mackay, alias Macuillam, in Dalnaheru of Strathmore, Christian.

Here noting that the above Gaelic alias translates as son of William

So what I am calling into question is that obviously the above entries from 1768 and 1770 are a brother and sister, but could either of the above 1769 entries also be a sibling, perhaps even a half brother or sister from a different mother but with the same Donald Mackay father - this based on the Gaelic aliases.

The reason I am looking into this is because potentially the above mentioned Barbara born in 1770 could be my ancestor who was from Durness, and I know that my ancestor Barbara Mackay had a brother called John Mackay.

[Munro84]

Ian Grimble, in his book "The World of Rob Donn", spells it Bad na h-achlais, and says it was a short distance north of Muisel near the shore of Loch Hope.  (This is where Rob Donn and wife, Janet Mackay set up home when they married.)
Ian

Mike, are you descended from Rob Donn?

Hi Ian. Thanks very much for pointing me in the right direction and no, I am not descended from Rob Donn.

The reason for my enquiries are as follows:

In the Durness parish register there are the following two baptisms in 1768 and 1770 which are obviously the same father, Donald Mackay in Uaibeg, who himself is given the same Gaelic alias on both occasions:

15 June 1768: Donald Mackay, alias Macuillam Macnishvicdhonil in Uaibeg, George.

7 October 1770: Donald Mackay, alias Macuilleam macnish macdhonil in Uaibeg, Barbara.

So the Gaelic alias for the father Donald Mackay in both above entries, although spelt slightly differently, both translate as son of William, son of Angus, son of Donald They are both also in Uaibeg.

Moving on there are two baptism entries in 1769 that I would like to call into question:

1 May 1769: Donald Mackay, alias Macuillam Macnish in Batnahachlash, John.

Here noting that the above Gaelic alias translates as son of William, son of Angus

15 May 1769: Donald Mackay, alias Macuillam, in Dalnaheru of Strathmore, Christian.

Here noting that the above Gaelic alias translates as son of William

So what I am calling into question is that obviously the above entries from 1768 and 1770 are a brother and sister, but could either of the above 1769 entries also be a sibling, perhaps even a half brother or sister from a different mother but with the same Donald Mackay father - this based on the Gaelic aliases.

The reason I am looking into this is because potentially the above mentioned Barbara born in 1770 could be my ancestor who was from Durness, and I know that my ancestor Barbara Mackay had a brother called John Mackay.

Update: I have found on a modern OS map a place called "Bad nah-Achlaise" which is on the opposite side of the Strathmore River to "Muiseal".

[djct59]

Well, it's established that Uaibeg was close to Balnakeil and Ballinloch. To travel from the southern end of Loch Hope to there by car will take the best part of an hour; they're about 25 miles distant and on fairly rudimentary roads. In the eighteenth century it would be a journey of two full days on foot.

While it's clearly possible for a shepherd or farmer to move from place to place, none of the entries in the parish records describe the birth as "n.b.l.w.", so we must presume that each Donald was regarded by the Minister as lawfully married. For a tenant in Uaibeg to move all the way to Strathmore (or vice versa) with his whole family, when he would be tenant of a very small plot of farmland, would be wholly unlikely. Once you became a tenant you stayed there for several years.

Your other option of two relationships is also unlikely as the same Minister would be registering the births. Of the 119 references to Donald MacKay in the parish records, three appear to have had a father called William.

[IanB]

I agree that it is improbable that the Donald Mackay in the 1768 and 1770 entries is the same person as either of the 1769 entries. The Donald Mackay in the 18 Jan 1765 (Muisel) entry is likely the same person as the May 1 1769 entry.

As you know, Mackay was a very common surname in the parish. (I have seen estimates of over  30% of the population) And Donald, William, Angus, and John were as well. In my own case, I am still uncertain about the relationship of some men with only 2-generation patronymics, those 2 being identical to the first 2 of ancestors having 3-generation patronymics.

Frustrating as it undoubtedly is, I suggest you try another approach. Do you know when your Barbara died? Who she married?

Ian