CHRISTMAS EVENTS
The Christmas Tree was held in the Village Hall on Christmas Eve and was beautifully organised, as ever. Young and old were made very welcome and were encouraged to join in all the games and fun; and for the wallflowers, the new infra-red heating was quite a treat. Despite rumours to the contrary, the children had evidently been adjudged "very good indeed", because Santa Claus turned up in person to distribute splendid presents to each and every one.
The Watchnight Service was held in the Parish Church and almost fifty persons attended. Margaret Walker had arranged a programme of readings and carols which brought us to the midnight hour, followed by a selection of other favourite carols chosen by members of the congregation. The singing was very lively, much assisted by the very powerful and melodious voice of a visitor. Your correspondent thought he might have been a delegate from the Heavenly Choir on some sort of study leave, but most people said he was just a guest from the hotel.
The Shooting Match was held on Saturday at Machrins, where nine shooters braved the cold east wind. Our picture shows Donald, Les, Don, Iain and Neill. Scorekeepers were Rhona and Kirsty and results were as follows. 1st, Angus MacFadyen, 2nd Nigel Grant and 3rd Don MacLeod.
On their way home, Donald MacAllister jr. and Angus witnessed a large otter cross the road from Port a' Mhinisteir, heading up to the old manse. Very exciting, as this was the first time Donald had ever seen an otter; if the gun had been to hand, it had the makings of a fine sporran.
MISSING
The "Dr. Hall-Gardiner Memorial Trophy" was awarded in the 2001 Annual Golf Open but unfortunately nobody seems to remember who won it. The winner has no doubt put it in a cupboard and forgotten about it. The winner must have been somebody very well-known locally, but almost certainly not resident in Colonsay. Any help in tracing this item will be gratefully received. Please contact the Editor if you can help.
NEW YEAR COMPETITION
Just for fun, we reproduce part of a competitive Grammar School entry examination set in the Highlands. This paper was for 1883, lifted by us from "Go Listen to the Crofters" by A.D.Cameron (Acair 1986). The examination was to select those children from low-income households who should receive financial assistance to attend Grammar School from about 12 years of age, and many of the candidates would be from rural, Gaelic speaking communities.
This section deals with English and should be completed in one hour, without recourse to advice or reference books etc. You probably will glance over the questions now and come back to answer them later - so to be fair, your actual response should be limited to a little less than sixty minutes.
House of Lochar has kindly offered a glittering prize. The winner has the choice of "Summer in the Hebrides" by Mrs. Murray, "Colonsay, its plants, climate, geology etc." by Murdoch McNeill, "Moch is Anmoch", the Colonsay poetry of Donald MacNeill or "Colonsay and Oronsay", the list of all ancient monuments by RCAHMS.
The prize will go to the reader who submits the most satisfactory answers in the sole opinion of the Editor (who will, however, do his best to get all the advice and help that he can). Send your answers in by e-mail (or lreave them at the shop). We will not identify the authors of any howlers (although we might well publish them) and we will try to give our version of the "correct" answers in issue # 69 (early February). Closing date 20 January 2003.
ENGLISH - I. GRAMMAR.
1. Write the plurals of - ship, gas, elf, cliff, brother, salmon, father-in-law, knight-templar; the possessive singular and possessive plural of - man, book, goose; the comparative degree of - good, fore, merry; and the possessive plurals of - I, He, and It.
2. Write down the present indicative, past tense, and past participle of - blow, choose, burst, say; write out fully the future indicative active and the future perfect indicative passive of any one of these verbs.
3. In the following passage parse the words in italics. How many statements are in it, and which, if any, are dependant?
"From yonder ivy-mantled tower
The moping owl does to the moon complain
Of such as, wandering near her secret bower,
Molest her ancient solitary reign."
Derive complain, ancient and solitary.
II. GEOGRAPHY.
1. Where are the following countries: - Spain, Persia, Italy, China, Egypt, Mexico, and Chili? Name the capitals of all, and the chief rivers of any three of them.
2. Where are the following towns, and for what are they noted: - Quebec, Calcutta, Cork, Melbourne, Dunedin, Sheffield, and Bristol?
III. HISTORY.
1. What happened at the following dates: - 1174, 1263, 1297, 1314, 1513, and 1603?
2. What Scottish sovereigns were imprisoned in England for a lengthened period? What led to their imprisonment and by whom was Scotland ruled in their absence?
"PHOEBE" 1987 - 2002
Brave sea-dog, who sailed as far as Rathlin. Great walker - led an overland expedition from Scalasaig to Crieff. Climbed the most northerly munro, Ben Hope, and explored nearly every inch of Colonsay and Oronsay. Kept Scalasaig cats well-exercised. Guard dog, Bride's-dog, an amiable, faithful friend and seemingly very wise: "Oir is fheàrr madadh beò na leòmhann marbh." Eccles. ix. 4.
"Phoebe" to the fore, with "Coco"
NOOKS & CRANNIES: Miogaras
This is the abandoned croft lying about 300 metres behind Kilchattan School. It is possibly associated with some of the cultivation ridges to be seen running up the south-facing but peaty hillside nearby. The meaning of the name is obscure... possibly some form of "mi-chorraiche" as in "gently sloped" lies at the root. It is not marked on WEilson's 1804 survey, nor upon the 1855 Hydrographer's Chart, but it does appear as Meog Airidh ("whey shieling") on the Ordnance Survey 1st Edition map. On May 11 1851 an unbaptised child of 6 months died there ("Migras"), surnamed McLean.
In the census of that year, the inhabitants were William Buie, a farmer of 8 acres arable, 31 years, born Jura and his wife Mary, 27 yrs, born Kilmichel (Kilmichael Glassary). They had two young children also Sarah Buie 72 yrs, William's mother, a retired cook and a niece, Sarah McFarlane, 11 years. The other family was that of John McConnell, a farm labourer of 39 years, born in Colonsay, and his Edinburgh-born wife Rosy, with their 4 young children and a very young "visitor", Margaret McPhee, 9 months old and born in Colonsay.
From the 1841 census, we can speculate that Effie and Peggy Bowie, 20 years, were twin sisters of William Buie and that it was there that his mother had served as a cook. The same census shows the McCannall family, and 75 year old Angus Bowie as head of the family in the croft (died in 1850), together with four sons and a female servant, 15 year old Ann McInnis. By coincidence, a baptism on May 31 1852 is of "Archibald, son to Mary McInis, said to be fathered by Archd. McLean, a seaman out of Campbeltown 5 years old."
Whatever about a McLean connection, there were McInnis folk in Kilchattan for years, and the McConnells are there yet; but the Buies went off to Canada, where they found great prosperity. There is a very interesting account of a visit to the old homestead in the MacKinnon family papers which are preserved in Canada and which Prof. Sheets has referenced.
WHAT'S ON IN COLONSAY
NEW YEAR CELIDH - Village Hall, Jan 1st (see link from HomePage)
Badminton, Thursdays 18.00hrs.
Quiz in the Hotel every Wednesday at 9.30 pm.
Take-Away Meals available Monday to Saturday from the hotel.
Until 3 January, chef John MacDonald will be offering a specially created menu for the Festive Season.
Tel: 01951 200316 for further details.
The Pantry - Winter hours
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 2pm
Saturdays 10am to 3pm
Takeaway meals Friday 5pm to 6pm
Evening meals provided but must be booked in advance Tel 01951 200235
Church Service
Please note that services in both the Baptist Church and the Church of Scotland are at the new time of 11.30hrs. Services are held regularly - see notices in the shop and hotel for details.
Advance notice:
The 14th International Gathering of Clan Macfie is to be held May 14-18, 2003 in Gatlinburg, TN, hosted by the Macfie Clan Society of America. For more information see http://www.macfiesocietyofamerica.com or contact:
Jim McAfee, Macfie Clan Society of America
420 Ash Dr.; Baxter, TN 38544 USA
jgmcafee@tnaccess.com
SNIPPETS
Captain Fyfe and the "Isle of Mull" saved the day by getting everyone safely ashore at Colonsay on 23 December in difficult conditions; Keith Rutherford had his busiest postal delivery ever on that day, 120 packets and more than 1,000 letters; CalMac has a new video describing its services - available on loan from the office; an islander is about to be appointed to an important panel - watch the papers; the weather has been very mild and almost nothing strange or unusual has come to our attention (yet!); our picture shows a selection of estate vehicles en route for servicing after a busy season:
TOPICAL LETTERS
For convenience of readers, letters now appear in two sections. Anything to do with current events appears here, and letters to do with the Magazine section or historical research etc. will appear at the end of the Magazine section.
Dear Editor,
Haven't been to the site for some time...busy, busy, busy...but popped in this morning to see what you'd all been up to. While recognising the need for progress and prosperity on the island, the plans for carparks, buses, road straightening, etc., etc., fill me with horror! For goodness sake, don't let Colonsay's inherent beauty and peace be smothered by daytrippers' wants. Once something is destroyed, it's hard to restore it again in the environment.
Anyway, that wasn't the real reason for writing...the piece on the piping and Andrew "Oransay" was what prompted finger to keyboard. In 1960 or 61, I was charged - along with Morna McAllister (Ken's wife) and her sister Ann, then King - to bring to Colonsay for Netta and Colin Titterton's wedding, a set of very precious pipes belonging to Major Robert Reid, for Andrew to play at the wedding.
We loaded my 1953 Ford Prefect with our own luggage, the pipes, the shoes for bridegroom and best men, the bride's head-dress and a box of wee cakes for the wedding breakfast. It was a fairly choppy trip from West Loch Tarbert on the boat and by the time we reached the then pier-less Colonsay, we'd decided that if luggage had to be left on board - as occasionally happened then - the priorities in order were the pipes, the shoes, the head-dress and the cakes, because we could carry them between us as we leapt into the wee boat!! Fortunately, we didn't have to make the decision as, with their usual skill, the lads in the two vessels got us with all our appurtenances safely ashore together!
And Andrew was able to pipe the bride into, and the couple out of the church, as well as play at the reception in the old hall.
Cheers.
Joan Gilchrist, Auckland, NZ
Further to the sale of a McNeill medal at Bonham's:
Kevin
I managed to look out some of my books this weekend and have got some information about the battle at Sauroren.
Sauroren (or Sorauren - spelled both ways in my sources) is a village in the valley of the Ulzama river just to the north east of Pamplona, at the western end of the Pyrenees. Wellington's Anglo-Allied army had defeated the French at Vitoria on 21st June 1813 and driven them back over the Pyrenees. In July the French under Marshal Soult counterattacked through the mountain passes. The British army was somewhat spread out. There were battles at Maya, Roncesvalles (the famous one) and Sauroren. The 92nd suffered very heavy casualties in a well-documented action at Maya. The 91st was in Stirling's brigade of Pack's 6th Division, along with the 1/42nd (Royal Highland Regiment - the Black Watch) and 1/79th (Cameron Highlanders) and a company of the 5/60th Rifles.
There were two battles at Sauroren, on 28th and 30th July, in which the brigade was engaged in holding off and then counterattacking sizeable French forces. On the 28th the 91st seem to have suffered disproportionately high numbers of killed, wounded and missing - 112 in total, perhaps one sixth of the battalion's strength, which suggests that they were heavily engaged on that day. The 42nd lost 22 and the 79th 35; on the 30th the whole brigade lost only 35. MacNeill of course is recorded as being wounded on the 30th, when the 91st lost only 1 man killed and 1 officer (presumably our man) and 7 men wounded.
Wellington himself stopped to lean on the parapet of the bridge at Sauroren to write a hasty despatch. Other than that, unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out much so far - but if I come across anything else I'll let you know!
Season's greetings, etc., Colin Troup
And the Editor found this on the A&SH Website:
"[The 91st] rejoined Wellington in 1812. They missed Vitoria. But were with the 6th Division at Sorauren on 28 and 30 July 1813, in what Wellington called 'bludgeon work', [and] they played a decisive part in dislodging Marshal Soult from the positions he had hoped to hold in the Pyrenees. On the first day the 91st suffered heavily, losing 115 killed and wounded out of a total strength of 821 . On the second day, when the brigades light companies bore the brunt, they got off lightly. But they clearly played their full part in what even Wellington called 'desperate fighting', adding that he had 'never known the troops behave so well'. 'Pyrenees' was another battle honour on the 91st Colours which was well and truly earned. They were to win four more in France: 'Nivelle', 'Nive', 'Orthes', 'Toulouse', and 'Peninsula'. The first three were not costly, and the only distinction was the promotion in the field of the Adjutant, Lieutenant MacNeil of Colonsay after he had had two horses killed under him at the passage of the Nivelle."
Further to a persistent refusal by a new computer to download the latest "Corncrake":
Hi Kevin, I got the whole Corncrake straightforwardly on my old computer, no problem. So deduced the problem was up to me to solve ...
So after trying all sorts of things all over again (clearing History, deleting Colonsay links from Favourites, re-booting, etc etc, I finally stumbled upon the option for Delete Temporary Files storing past internet pages - and Hooray! the Corncrake could be freshly downloaded at last, all complete!
Don't know if I've done any other damage by deleting them - (I think now I could have just looked at them and deleted Cornframe page only) - and I still don't know why it stuck there (if it was out of disk space it should have told me so, you'd think?) - but it's worked! And everything else still seems OK so far.
Angela.
From: Jerry D. McAfee
Subject: TOO REDNECK FOR ARKANSAS
I WENT TO A TOWN IN ARKANSAS BUT
FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS BEING USED
FOR A FILM FOR JOHN GRISHAM,
THE PAINTED HOUSE.
WHILE I WAS THERE I FOUND OUT THAT
IT WAS LEPANTO DISGUISED AS BLACK
OAK.
WHY NOT? I SAID TO MYSELF, I WILL
JUST LOOK AROUND AND SEE IF THEY
HAVE IT RIGHT. YEAH, POP WATSONS
GROCERY WAS JUST AS I SAW IT AS
A BOY, THE COTTON GIN WAS LIKE THE
50`S, THE TEA SHOP WAS WELL IN ITS
SPENDER, THE DRUG STORE HAD SODA
ON THE FOUNTAIN, AND THEN THE BENCH
IN FRONT OF POP WATSONS WAS JUST
AS I REMEMBERED IN IT IN THE GOOD
OH COTTON PICKING DAYS. I JUST HAD
TO TAKE A RED NECK SEAT ON IT. I WAS
IN MY SAW MILL ATTIRE, MY COWBOY HAT,
BY RED, WHITE, AND GREEN SUSPENDERS,
MY BLUE JEANS WITH THE KNOWS OUT, AND
OF COURSE MY MACFIE CREST PIN IN MY HAT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD THE WORDS,
'LIGHTS, ACTIONS," AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN
WORD," CUT!" AT THIS TIME A WOMAN CAME
OVER TO ME AND SAID, "WOULD YOU LEAVE
PLEASE! HOW DID YOU GET HERE? YOU ARE
TOO RED NECKY FOR THE PART. WHAT PART?
I JUST CAME OVER HERE WITH MY WIFE TO
GET A FORMAL FOR AMBER, MY GRANDDAUGHTER,
FOR HOMECOMING THIS FRIDAY NIGHT. ANYWAY
SIR, YOU WILL HAVE TO LEAVE TOWN. HOW I ASK?
SHE SAID SEE THAT PLACE AT THE END OF TOWN
THAT SAYS, "FIRE STATION?" START WALKING
TOWARD IT AND WHEN I SEE THAT YOU HAVE
PASSED IT WE WILL START BACK FILMING,
THE MOVIE, A PAINTED HOUSE.
WHAT AN
EMBARRASSING EVENT. ALL THE ACTORS SEEING
ME HAVING TO LEAVE TOWN. NOW FOR THE
REAL EMBARRASSING ORDEAL, I DID NOT
KNOW THAT I KNEW A LOT OF THE ACTORS
IN THE MOVIE, WHILE I WAS WALKING BY
THEN ON MY WAY BEING EJECTED OUT OF
TOWN, THEY WOULD SAY, "HELLO, JERRY,'
"HELLO JERRY,' "HELLO JERRY'----- WELL,
THIS APRIL IT WILL BE ON THE HALLMARK
CHANNEL AND SHOULD YOU SEE A PERSON
IN A COWBOY HAT-- HE WILL BE THE ONE THAT
WAS TOO RED NECKY FOR THE MOVIE.
AFTER-
ALL, WHAT AN HONOR, THOSE YANKEE MAKING
THE MOVIE, DID NOT RECOGNIZE A TRUE
ARKANSAS.
A TRUE STORY BY JERRY D. MCAFEE
The Magazine Section
SEARCH ENGINE
Instructions are supplied, but two hints may help:
1. When using phrases, enclose them in quotation marks. For example, [lifting stone] will get you every instance of [lifting] or [stone] but ["lifting stone"] will get you what you want.
2. When you see the results, they may seem unlikely. This is because many documents (e.g. each issue of The Corncrake) are in reality just one single "page", covering many unrelated topics. No problem! Open the page, then go to the "Find (on this page)" option at the top of your screen, on a drop-down menu presented by the second button from the left. Type in the word you seek and hey-presto, it is highlighted for you. Note that you must give the page time to load (an issue of The Corncrake takes up to a minute), also that there may be more than one example on the page, so use the "Find (on this page)" function again to check that you have not missed anything.
COBWEB PROJECT # 3
Oddly enough, we have had no feedback at all on this project. In principle, participants should by now have roughed out a list of their family tree to include (if applicable) their children, their own and (if applicable) their spouses's parents, and also the respective grandparents. Study of their own birth certificates and marriage certificates plus those of the previous generation should have given some useful information - do remember to make a note of witnesses and sponsors, since these can give significant clues to family relationships or social milieux. Death certificates, gravestones, In Memoriam cards and Obituary notices are all very useful - do have a look in the family missal or bible.
If anybody reading this has made a start on the project, please tell us how it is going. Feel free to have your name withheld - but we do need to know of problems and suggestions, good ideas etc.
In the absence of existing correspondence on this subject, one can only make general suggestions, based upon the assumption that readers know who their grandparents were but are a bit foggy about their exact details. The Editor was born in 1947, his father was born in 1908 and his grandfather in 1854 - it seems likely therefore that most readers will know who they would like to investigate in the 1901 census.
HOW TO DO IT:
If your ancestor lived in Colonsay in 1901, just check the Corncrake Archives. Otherwise, go to the http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ website and buy a £6.00 voucher which allows you to roam at will through the indices. It is all self-explanatory, but use the family-tree papers that you have prepared and work to a plan. The 1901 census is a good starting point - and remember that census information is also available free through the Latter Day Saints site, as it is for the whole of UK and the USA.
While you are at it, try to identify your grandparents wedding certificates and order up hard copies... it will cost a few pounds, but it will be worthwhile (and you can pass the information to all your relations).
Whilst all this is going on, consider using a Christmas book-token to buy a copy of "Tracing your Scottish Ancestors", published by the Scottish Record Office. Copies are available in all good bookshops (including the Colonsay Bookshop).
1881 COLONSAY FOLK IN THE HIGHLANDS
In our last issue, we provided an index to the Colonsay 1881 census - courtesy of Andy Keogh. This week, from the same source, we provide a huge list of all people living elsewhere in Scotland in the 1881 census who gave Colonsay as their place of birth. It seems to the editor to be an imaginative use of the available technology and it may inspire other readers to come up with projects that they might be prepared to share.
When you follow our link you will see something like this:
1881 Scottish Census Highland Residents Born Colonsay
ARMOUR, Jessie Wife <1856> Birth: Argy Colonsay
Census: Bute Rothesay
MC ARTHUR, Mary Wife <1843> Birth: Argy Colonsay
Census: Bute Kingarth
MC ARTHUR, Malcolm Head <1847> Birth: RoCr Colonsay
Census: Inve Kiltarlity
BELL, Flora Sis <1826> Birth: Argy Colonsay
Census: Argy Kilchoman
BLACK, Catherine Vist <1869> Birth: Argy Colonsay
Census: Argy Colonsay & Oronsay
BLUE, Malcolm Head <1793> Birth: Argy Colonsay
Census: Argy Colonsay & Oronsay
As you see, Jessie Armour was born in Colonsay in 1856 and is married, living in Rothesay, and her husband is still alive. Malcolm McArthur was also born in Colonsay, but perhaps there really is another one, in Ross and Cromarty (probably not). Catherine Black is a visitor to Colonsay, who was born there but currently was living elsewhere; and Malcolm Blue should inspire readers who have reached a dead-end with the early O.P.R. (Old Parish Records) for Colonsay. From the 1881 census, we see that he was born before the OPR began… he still lives in Colonsay, so would have been found on the Colonsay census, but an organised trawl through the records might help to build an enhanced pre-OPR vital record for the island.
Follow this link for 22 pages of research material:
AIR AN DUIBHIRTICH - Part V
A' dìreadh gu mullach an tighe tha os cionn deich troighe fichead de'n t-slighe air fàradh prais a tha sìnte ri cliathaich an tùir, agus, gun teagamh, is feàirrde duine sùil is làmh is cas chinnteach a bhith aige mun téid e 's an fhàradh. 'Na dhéidh so tha an tùr fosgailte, is tha an dìreadh air an taobh a stigh le seachs staidhrichean - gach té mu dheich no dusan troigh air àirde. Tha a' chuid fhosgailte de'n tigh air a roinn 'na seachd ùrlair, is gach aon air a chur air leth airson a ghnothaich féin. Seòmraichean cadail is suidhe do'n luchd-faire; àitean-tasgaidh air son goireas a bhitheas feumail do na daoine, is gach nì a bhitheas a dhìth airson an tighe a chumail laiste agus glan - gheibhear so anns na h-ùrlair as ìsle. Os an cionn sud tha clag trom a bhithear a' seirm ri am ceò, is a chumar a' bualadh le bhith a nis is a rithis 'ga thoinneamh mar nithear air uaireadair; gloinneachan is innleachdan air son a bhith 'g innseadh teas na sìde, luathas na gaoithe, ruith na tìm, is an leithidean sin. Am mullach an tighe tha seòmar an t-soluis, agus is leòr a ràdh nach 'eil innleachd no seòl air an d'fhuair luchd-eòlais greim gus an latha a chaidh an solus a lasadh, nach 'eil cuideachadh as urrainn cùram a dheànamh le eòlas o'n am sin, nach 'eil air an cleachdadh air son cumhachd agus cinnteachd an t-soluis a mheudachadh. Le mór-choibhneas threòraich am fear-faire sinn troimh 'n tigh, agus le mór-thoinisg chomharraich e mach gach àite is gach innleachd a bha ann.
MORE COLONSAY VITAL RECORDS
More information kindly supplied by Pat Maule … many thanks, this will be helpful to a number of readers.
BMD Colonsay etc. (5) (My capitalization)
Births - Parish of Colonsay, Argyllshire.
Cert. # 1
1856-14 January Alexander MacNEILL, at Riskbuie, Colonsay
Illegitimate.
Mother - Ann McNEILL (sic)
Informant - Ann McNeill, her mark - mother.
Cert. # 2
1856-12 January Margaret MUNN at Kilchattan, Colonsay
Father - James MUNN - Weaver
Mother - Flora MUNN - maiden name BLUE
Informant - James Munn - father.
Cert. # 3
1856-11 February Mary MacMILLAN at Glassart, Colonsay
Father - Angus Macmillan (sic) - Agricultural Labourer
Mother - Isabella Macmillan, maiden name Macmillan
Informant - Angus McMillan(sic) his mark - father.
Cert. #10
1856- 02 August Donald BUIE, at Balnahard.
Father - Hugh BUIE, - Herd
Mother - Dolly BUIE, - maiden name CALDER
Informant - Hugh Buie - his mark, - father.
Cert. #11
1856-06 September Mary GIBSON, at Machrin (sic)
Father - James GIBSON - Ploughman
Mother - Mary GIBSON - maiden name McLUGASH
Informant - James Gibson - his mark, - father
Cert. #12
1856-25 September John MacDOUGALL, at Scallasaig (sic)
Father - Archibald McDOUGALL(sic) - Skipper
Mother - Margaret McDOUGALL - maiden name BELL
Informant - Archibald McDougall - father.
Cert. # 13
1856-22 September Marion REID at Riskbuie
Father - Allan REID - Fisherman
Mother - Euphemia REID, maiden name McNEILL
Informant - Allan Reid, - his mark, - father.
Cert. # 14
1856-23 September Margaret BLUE - no place given
Father - Hugh BLUE - Herd
Mother - Marion BLUE, - maiden name MUNN
Informant - Hugh Blue, - his mark - father.
Cert. # 15
1856-11 October Donald MacINNIS at Urgaig (sic)
Father - John McINNIS (sic) - Agricultural Labourer
Mother - Ann McINNIS - maiden name MORRISON
Informant - John McINNIS - his mark - father.
Marriages - Parish of Colonsay - Argyllshire
Cert. # 3
1855-25 June Archibald McLUGASH, age 30, of Colonsay - Herd - Bachelor
Born but not Registered on 26 March 1825 at Colonsay
Father - Archibald McLUGASH - Crofter
Mother - Margaret McLUGASH -
maiden name DARROCH (Deceased)
and
Mary GALBREATH age 19, of Colonsay, Dairy Maid - Spinster
Born and Registered on 06 June 1836 at Colonsay
Father - Donald GALREATH - Labourer
Mother - Ann GALBREATH, - maiden name McLUGASH
No witnesses entered
Minister - Lachlan McKenzie, Minister of Jura and Colonsay.
Deaths - Parish of Colonsay, Argyllshire.
Cert. # 4
1856-29 February Margaret MacNEILL - Married - age 63 - at Kilchattan, Colonsay
Died of Unknown - 8 weeks
Father - Neil SMITH - Labourer - Deceased.
Mother - Catherine SMITH -
maiden name - MACILRAITH (Deceased)
Informant - Hector McNEILL - his mark - Son.
Burial - Kilchattan.
Cert. # 5.
1856-10 April Malcolm MacPHEE - Single - age 27- Labourer- at Kiloran, Colonsay.
Died of Consumption - 3 months.
Father - Donald McPHEE (sic) - Crofter - Deceased.
Mother - Mary MARTIN - Deceased.
Informant - Neil McPHEE - Uncle.
Burial - Oronsay
Cert. # 6.
1856-26 April Donald BUIE - Widower- age 74- Labourer-at Machrin,Colonsay
Died of Dumb Palsy - 2 years.
Father - Archibald BUIE - Labourer - Deceased.
Mother - Euphemia BUIE - (no maiden name given) - Deceased.
Informant - Hector BUIE - Son.
Burial - Oronsay.
Cert. # 10
1856-01 December John MacFADYEN, - Married - age 75 - Labourer -
at Kilchattan, Colonsay
Died of Unknown, 5 months.
Father - Donald McFADYEN - Ground Officer - Deceased.
Mother - Christian McFADYEN - maiden name - CURRIE - Deceased
Informant - John McFADYEN - his mark - Brother.
Burial - Kilchattan
Cert. # 11
1856-18 December Mirren MacNEILL - Married - age 26, - at Kilchattan, Colonsay.
Died of Unknown - 8 days.
Father - Angus BLUE - Ploughman - Deceased.
Mother - Ann BLUE - maiden name - McMILLAN
Informant - Neil McNEILL - his mark - Husband
Burial - Kilchattan
Cert. # 12
1856-28 December Margaret MacLUGASH - not married - age 68- at Baleraomin, Colonsay
Died of Unknown - 2 months
Father - Donald McLUGASH - Labourer - Deceased.
Mother - Mary McLUGASH - maiden name - McLUGASH
Informant - James MUNN - Son-in-Law.
Burial - Oronsay.
Birth in the Parish of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew
Cert. # 645
1856 -08 September Euphemia BLUE at 8 Charles Street, Greenock.
Father - John BLUE - Ship Carpenter
Mother - Jane BLUE - maiden name - McNEILL
Informant - John BLUE - father.
McAFEE WAR GRAVE
Sophie Byrne has sent me a photograph of a stone in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (I think in Singapore) which commemorates:
J. G. McAfee, Stoker 1st Class R.N.,
D/KX 138902,
H.M.S. "SULTAN"
24th January 1944
Perhaps a reader can provide further information about the individual or his ship?
WEBSITE TO EXPLORE - Island of Unst
Andrew MacGregor submits this one: try it "for a laugh ... just maybe, we are missing a trick!"
If readers have favourites of their own that they would like to share, please send them with a brief description, to the Editor - byrne@colonsay.org.uk
Regulars
Readers Write
NOTICE:
Any correspondence relating to current events will hopefully be found in the first part of the "Corncrake" after the News section. Items in connection with history, genealogy etc. will appear here.
Sir:
As a researcher of the McAfee lineage in the old "Deep South" (North/South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi) of the United States, I do have an acquaintance with some of the McAfee researchers in TN and the American deep south; and, I am familiar with the name of Miles McAfee from records. Perhaps I could direct Wallace and Nelda McAfee who are seeking information and posted on this site .
I should like to take this opportunity to share with you that there are many American McAfees' who are seeking information regarding their kinship in Scotland...they so wish to make contact with their kinship in the homeland; however, a great number of McAfees' find it most difficult to do so. It seems the majority of the McAfee research for the American Deep South can be pushed to the mid 1700's and then, one can go no further. After the 1700 period, the whole McAfee research effort for, literally, hundreds of McAfees' (particularly in the south of the United States) becomes elusive.
NOTE: In the United States, there is a division of the southern states to which the McAfees' migrated. Here is how it is divided for genealogical research: The Upper South, to include the states of VA, KY, TN were inhabited by the family of the elder James McAfee (son of John McAfee of Armagh); the Lower South was settled by the elder James McAfee family associated with this southern geographical area; it is not known from where this southern McAfee family came; that is, the roots of the family. The earliest records known at this time for the deep southern James McAfee family are of the time period of the the mid-1700's in North Carolina. So, with the Upper South and the Lower South having a James McAfee as the earliest family member, one can immediately note the confusion which can arise from such a situation.
I would appreciate your kind gesture of offering my e-mail address to the McAfees' who are inquiring regarding Miles McAfee in North Carolina and Tennessee.
Thank you,
Carolyn McAfee
clm1601@aol.com
Houston, Texas
From: "Vicky MacLean"
Subject: Darrach information
I am seeking any general information about the Darrach (Darroch)
families who left Colonsay in 1806, sailing on the Spencer from Oban
to Prince Edward Island. It is believed that James was the
grandfather of my great grandmother Sarah Darrach. Also any
information about the Spencer - what kind of ship etc.?
Editor's reply: … as far as I
can see there were three Darroch families on board.
Rachael 37, James 32 and Archibald 20 were probably siblings, and possibly
travelling with their widowed mother, Janet nee Currie, 55 yrs.
Angus Darroch 60 was travelling with his wife Effie McAlester 60, and
probably their son Malcolm 20 and his wife Nancy Brown 23.
There was also Duncan Darroch with his wife Margaret McMillan (married in
Colonsay Feb 6 1798) and son John 3, baptised Colonsay July 17 1803 plus
Nancy Darroch, probably Duncan's sister. All sailed from Colonsay but they
could easily have had Jura origins.
The ship was a brigantine, 105 feet, very good condition, specially
chartered for the job, carrying 115 persons of whom one-third were Bell or
McMillan. 43 were under 16, 4 were over 60, 64 male and 51 females in c.
30 family units.
Hopefully, our readers will give additional information.
From: "Elle Blue"
Subject: Donal Blue & Jessy Gilchrist
Dear Kevin:
I tried to send you some info on this couple some months ago but apparently
it never got to you - think it was something to do with internal settings
& I find the hotmail address much less frustrating. So I'll try this again-
in shortened version:
I've been reading & rereading your archived issues for about a year and find
them extremely interesting. Recently one of my cousins the barrister in
Ontario, Ian Blue to you & Sandy to me wrote; prior to that another cousin
of mine Florah MacDonald (also in Ont.) surprised me by believing this
line of Blues were from Mull. !!!
Donald & Jessy were married in Renfew , Donal was the s/o Malcolm BLEW and
Mary mcguill Blew. [Editor's note: presumably Donald gave his place of birth as Colonsay? Since I cannot see his baptism in the Colonsay Register it was possibly before 1795; Mary "mcguill" may well have been a McDougall, since that is how it is pronounced in Gaelic]. They had four children baptized in OPR: Malcolm,Catherine,
Dougald, & Janet. Janet was bapt. 18May 1819; by 18/19th of June they had
arrived in Little Sands, PEI and had another son born to them celebrating his
birthdate as such.
Unable to secure a place of their own in PEI they had
moved to Inverness County by the end of May 1823, where more children were
born to them. This little place in Cape Breton Island on the Bras d' Or Lakes
had already been named by its previous settlers as "Mull Cove", namely
because until Donal Blue arrived there they were mostly from the Isle of
Mull.
I am certain it is because of newer researchers presuming Donal was one of the first if not the first to come to Mull Cove that the name was changed to
Blue's Cove. Not so, it was Mull Cove for many years after Donald lived
there but was changed in respect of the regard in which he was considered,
perhaps the most prominent and conspicuous of them. Again some years later it
was changed to Orangedale, for the respect they held for the Orange Men
& the Orangemen's Lodge. It is still known today as Orangedale, however if
you look closely on maps and marine charts you will find the Cove itself
still holds the name of Blue's Cove or Blues Cove.
Ian (Sandy)'s father's
grandfather was the young fellow born in 1819 in Little Sands and he acquired
his own property in what is still referred to as Blues Mills- but in 1860's it
was Blue's Mills; his name was Malcolm, the first born son Malcolm must have
died prior to 1819 and the first born son in the New World was named to
replace him and maintain the tradition of the first son named after the
father's father.
If this email works I have more info I may or may not pass on -as Sandy knows
I've been at this for along time, and it is still very much an ongoing
project/never finished. I don't have Sandy's e-mail address and Sandy, I apologize
for not sending off some "stuff" years ago; but you keep thinking
tomorrow/next week maybe I'll have those missing links connected....
For now, Eleanor Blue of River Denys and Bible Hill, NS//Elle
[Thank you, Eleanor. We welcome further contributions on these early emigrant families - we hope other readers will feel free to share their knowledge with us all, it is much appreciated and can be of enormous benefit to other researchers - Editor].
We will be happy to receive more letters and, as always, the editor would like to hear from anyone who might wish to contribute. Individual articles on news or local events will always be welcome.
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