Duncan Campbell in Durness

[filplant]

Looking for help with any details for Duncan Campbell & Margaret McIntrye (plus family) in Durness. Especially parish registers and census details.

Also, does anyone know if Durness was part of the highland clearances?

Many thanks in advance,

Phil Plant

[ellenbrora]

Hi Phil

2 things - first, Durness is/was in Sutherland rather than Caithness, second can you give us some ballpark figure of dates to get us started.

Regards

Ellen.

[filplant]

Hello Ellen,

Sorry, yes you're right - I should have said Sutherland for Durness.

From the IGI we have Donald Campbell born 26th Jan 1837 to Duncan Campbell & Margt McIntyre (Batch C110482). We also pick up four siblings - Jas Anderson, Duncan, Ann & Dugald.

To understand if this is "our" Donald Campbell, I need to review the censuses and parish registers.

Cheers, Phil

P.S. Do you understand why the 1881 census had miss transcribed "Sutherland" to "Sunderland" for Durness entries?

[ellenbrora]

Hello Phil

Re mistrancribed 1881 - don't know why this should be. But my 1881 cds are all ok as far as I can see, ie spelt Sutherland.

Re the Campbell family.  I can find no trace of this family on the 1851 census index for Durness. There is one Donald of about the right age, but it looks as though his parents are William and Ann.  There are no Duncan or Dugald Campbells of any age in Durness on the 1851.

They may already have moved on.  Where do you first pick up confirmation of Donald Campbell?  eg, do you have his marraige?

I'll have a look and see if they are on my OPRs disc now.

Regards

Ellen.

[filplant]

Hello Ellen,

We know that Donald Campbell in Reading from the 1881c is correct, we have the family forward from that in detail. My copy of the LDS data set shows his birth location as "Sunderland". However, if you look at the image page (mine comes from Ancestry.com) it shows "Sutherland". I thought this might have been an individual error, but when I look at people in Durness, some show Sunderland as well. Such as  "George Brydon U 9 M Durness, Sunderland, Durham, England"! So, I've concluded that this was some sort of general machine translation error. Maybe it's just my data set?

Donald Campbell marries in 1875 and gives his father as Duncan Campbell, a shoemaker from Scotland deceased. Donald Campbell is in the 1871 census for Reading, lodging as a drapers assistant. So he must have come down pre 1871.

Looking at the IGI for Donald Campbells with a father Duncan from Sutherland, gives me only the one hit that I reported before. Do you see this IGI entry as well? All the IGI christenings give Durness as the location. Ann Campbell is christened on 12th Nov 1838, so she would be about thirteen in the 1851 census and probably still at home (or maybe in service?). Do you have access to the 1841 census? Would it be any good to us?

What is an OPR disk?

Cheers,

Phil

[ellenbrora]

Hi Phil

Unfortunately the 1841 for Durness is not yet online, or available in index form on cd or book.  It would help immensely to get access to it.  If you have an LDS centre anywhere near you, I believe they would be able to order in the film for you. I've never done that myself yet, so not sure quite how it works.

I would suspect that the family moved shortly after young Dugald's birth in 1840 as they're not on the 1851. Or possibly either mum or dad died soon after. Its very unusual for such a fertile couple (5 children in 7 years) to suddenly stop having children - unless the parents were older when they married.

On the LDS there is a marraige of Duncan Campbell to Peggy (short for Margaret) McIntyre, 16 Feb 1833, at Durness, Sutherland.

Had a quick look on Ancestry 1861 England census, but didn't see anything likely at first glance - have you found any of them there?

OPR disc is just the Ancestry copy of Old Parish Records on a disc (mine is the North of Scotland) - I find it easier to search that than the website - and will still have the info if I decide not to renew my Ancestry sub.  Didn't find anything useful on it for Donald/Duncan.

I'll keep on looking for you.  I've got a book of the Sutherland Memorial Inscriptions, so will have a trawl through and see if I can find any likely suspects buried there.

In the meantime, go to this website for great photos and info on the Durness area. Browse through the different parts and you will find info on how the clearances affected different parts of Durness parish.

www.durness.org/Index.htm

Regards

Ellen.

[filplant]

Hello Ellen,

Many thanks for your efforts. Looks like I'm going to have to go there. I believe there is a research library in Wick. It will make a good holiday!

I can't find any Campbell from Durness in England in the 1861 census. Yes please for the monumental inscriptions - that would help a lot.

The Durness web site is very good!

Kind Regards,

Phil

P.S. How you don't mind but I'm going to post to the Sutherland board as well.