Pentland Road - 2

John Mcleod can be found at Tarbert in the 1881 census, as a 68-year old merchant, wilks, residing at 19 East Tarbert. He lives with his wife Ann, two years his junior, and their 16-year old niece Ann Macleod. I am not able to single out with any certainty a John Macleod in Pabbay in the 1841 census. Several are listed, some under the misspelt surname Maclead. In 1871, John Macleod is in a house at Tarbert, with his wife Ann and a 'stranger' tennant Murdo Macleod and fisherman Donald Macleod. Ann Morrison is there as a housekeeper. I am not confident about this piece of research; I am not able to trace him by death record either.

I have today received confirmation that Angus Mciver, 25 North Tolsta, does not qualify for status of Commonwealth War Graves Commission war dead. This would have required him to have met his end as the direct result of war action. Although Angus was discharged as medically unfit (having suffered a gunshot wound to the arm), he died of disease of heart or brain, which bore no direct relationship to his war injuries. However, Angus is remembered on the North Tolsta war memorial. He lies buried in a cemetery at Dunedin, New Zealand. A special thanks to Archives New Zealand , who did not charge me for digitising a second set of service records for an Angus Mciver, after the first lot turned out not to be for the man I was after.

Two interesting findings in the course of my local history research (see map above, click on markers to see locations). First was an interesting census record of the village of Crola. This is no longer inhabited. It stands at Kinlochresort, the head of Loch Resort, in the remote west of Lewis. In 1891, a shepherd's family resided there. Catherine Macdonald, aged 63, is quoted as a shepherd's widow, living there with her two fishermen sons John (41), Malcolm (26) and daughter Annie (22). There is also a granddaughter Ann, aged 13, presumably (but not certain) the child of John. Catherine's home is marked as having two rooms with windows. The noteworthy thing is that her offspring is marked as living in Lewis, whereas she and her granddaughter Ann, aged 13, are marked as being born in Harris. This is significant, because Lewis used to be part of Ross and Cromarty, and Harris was part of Inverness-shire.The confusion arises on account of the fact that the count...