Missionaries in Harris
In my researches into the casualties from the First World War who originate in Harris, I came across Angus Fraser, who died in 1916, aged 24, after serving in the Royal Field Artillery. Angus was the son of Alexander and Marion Fraser. Alexander was a local missionary in Collam, near Stockinish, and Marion was a merchant. They were married on 5 August 1890 at Collam. Marion (nee Mackay), aged 34 at the time, was a widow but Alex (42) was yet a bachelor, living (up to then) at Geocrab. They were married according to the forms of the Free Church of Scotland. Alex was the son of Angus (slater, deceased) and Sarah (nee Livingston) and was born at Ballachulish; Marion was the daughter of John Maclean and Margaret (nee Macaskill) from Duirinish in Skye. Eight months after the wedding, the couple live at 6 Collam with Marion's children from her previous marriage, two boys named Edward (10) and John (9). Harris was home to four missionaries, according to the 1901 census. George Beaton, a...