John Murray, Gamekeeper, at Balloan of Culduthel.

[wendyaross]

Hello all,

Don't know if anyone can help and I don't know why I did not look at RootsChat long ago!

Searching for confirmation of the existence of my 3 x great grandfather, John Murray, Gamekeeper,  in Scotland. The only reference I had to this man was on the marriage certificate of his son, also named John Murray. I have just located at National Records of Scotland, the "Paternity Suit - Jean Stirling (my 3x great grandmother) VS John Murray at Inverness, 18 October, 1843". The information therein places John Murray, Gamekeeper, at Balloan of Culduthel, as residing there. There is some information that he married Ann MacKenzie, in 1837, the year following the birth of his first child, John Murray.  Searching for days for more information about this place; trawling Google Maps in the hope of finding a building or property named Balloan. Re Rena's Post on: Monday 16 February, 09, I also nearly fell off my chair when I found these posts!! Does anyone know exactly where Balloan is or was?? Was it a large property where a gamekeeper would have been employed? Sad to see that Culduthel, Sutherlandshire is now largely residential with new estates being built everywhere. I am in Melbourne, Australia, where his son, (now confirmed as illegitimate), born 1836 in Milngavie, New Kilpatrick,  settled with his family in 1882. Any information gladly welcomed.

[Skoosh]

Wendy, there is Balone, an old castle in the parish of Tarbat, Easter Ross but I think you should concentrate on Culduthel, Inverness.

Skoosh.

[wendyaross]

Skoosh, Searching again all afternoon while avoiding the smoke from our bushfires. That was quick! I have located an old farmhouse for sale, near Lairg. A disused B&B called Balloan House and Farmhouse. They are situated in a rural area which to my mind, would be conducive to the engagement of a gamekeeper in earlier times. Problem here is that the  real estate advertisement states: "Both properties date from 1872"  so unless there was an older building on the site in the 1840's. I am probably still in the wrong area. Advert. also states:  "Although not a scheduled building for protection it is included as a Farmstead of historical interest by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland". Of course, further searching has failed to locate any reference to the buildings ...yet!
Thank you for your prompt reply. Happy New Year!

[Skoosh]

Wendy, there's a load of stuff on Rootschat under Oldtown/Culduthel including a link to the present occupant. A built-up area now but former small? estate of Culduthel with the House some 3 miles south of Inverness, a Fraser property. There is a Balyonie of Inshes 2 miles to the east which might suit or not. The present Culduthel occupant sounds the best bet.
All the best in 2020. 

Skoosh.

[Forfarian]

Background https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=758930.0

You seem to be beset with (at least) three different places
- Balloan near Tarbat, Ross and Cromarty
- Balloan House near Lairg, Sutherland
- Balloan of Culduthel, location unspecified
- Culduthel near Lairg, Sutherland

There is a Culduthel in the parish of Inverness. I have not found any references to a Culduthel in Sutherland. Other spellings may be available.

There are one Balloan in the parish of Inverness, two in the parish of Cawdor, Nairnshire, one each in the parishes of Urray and Urquhart-Logie Wester in Ross and Cromarty, and one in the parish of Lairg, Sutherland. Also Ballones in the parishes of Halkirk, Caithness; St Andrews, Fife; Daviot-Dunlichity, Inverness-shire; and one each in the parishes of Alness, Avoch and Tarbat in Ross and Cromarty. Other spellings may be available. The ones in Cawdor can be eliminated because they are called Balloan of Geddes and Balloan of Cawdor respectively.

Given that the Balloan in the parish of Inverness is not much more than a stone's throw from Culduthel House, it seems likely that all the others are red herrings.
See https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=57.4535&lon=-4.2272&layers=5&b=1

[ev]

Hi ,

I did see this -
From FreeCEN -
1841 Balone , Inverness , Inverness -shire
John Murray 31 male servant born Outside Census County
Hugh Murray 2 b. Inverness-shire
James Murray 6m b. Inverness-shire
Hector McKenzie 17 agricultural labourer b. OCC
Ann McKenzie 25 female servant b. OCC
Margrat McKenzie 12 b. OCC


ev

Added -
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=14&lat=57.4541&lon=-4.2282&layers=1&b=1

[MonicaL]

Hi Wendy

1851 census shows this family that ev has listed from 1841:

John Murray 40 gamekeeper b. Creich, Sutherland
Ann Murray 32 b. Fearn, Rosshire
Hugh Murray 12 b Inverness
James Murray 10 b. Inverness
John Murray 8 b. Inverness
Alexr Murray 6 b. Bolesken, Inverness
George Murray 4 b. Gairloch, Rosshire
Donald Murray 2 b. Urray, Rosshire

Address: Pootrail, Urray, Ross & Cromarty

Monica

[MonicaL]

The map link that ev posted is the correct one going by the neighbourhood properties to Balloan from the 1841 census. If you find the family that ev posted in 1841 on FreeCen, you can use their facility to view previous and next households to get a feel for the area and surrounding name places. These match well with the map link by ev - https://freecen1.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Monica

[Skoosh]

Certainly got about, Boleskine another Fraser estate, Loch Ness. Urray in Ross but Pootrail is a mystery? 

Skoosh.