Fàilte! (Welcome!)

Fàilte! (Welcome!)
This blog is the result of my ongoing research into the people, places and events that have shaped the Western Isles of Scotland and, in particular, the 'Siamese-twins' of Harris and Lewis.
My interest stems from the fact that my Grandfather was a Stornowegian and, until about four years ago, that was the sum total of my knowledge, both of him and of the land of his birth.
I cannot guarantee the accuracy of everything that I have written (not least because parts are, perhaps, pioneering) but I have done my best to check for any errors.
My family mainly lived along the shore of the Sound of Harris, from An-t-Ob and Srannda to Roghadal, but one family 'moved' to Direcleit in the Baighs...

©Copyright 2011 Peter Kerr All rights reserved

Saturday 24 July 2010

Harris 1851 Enumeration District 5

This district is separated from No 4 by the line drawn from the South end of Loch Langavat to Port Eisgein as described in No 4. The next boundary line is one drawn from the south end of Loch Langavat in a south East direction forming a junction with the march between Finsbay and Borsam at the road - from thence coinciding with said march on to the sea, which bounds the remainder of this district on the South and Southwest onto Port Eisgein.
This district is about 6 miles long by 2 broad being a tract of rocky hills and small valleys. Here at Rodil is the ancient Cathedral of St Clement's: there is also a seat of the Earl of Dunmore.

This account comes from the Header to the 1851 census record of the Factor, John Robson Macdonald's household at 'Rodil' as can be seen here: Rodel House Occupants

The district can be identified quite easily on the current OS 1:50 000 map and comprises the South-Eastern tip of the island. The southern end of Loch Langabhat, the apex of this district,  is the most northerly point whilst the 'march' between Fionnsabhaigh and Boirseam can be seen as a cul-de-sac leading off from the road. My understanding it that this part of the district down to Rodel House was all within Rodel Farm. There were 140 people in the district in 32 households. 12 of these have the address 'Strond'.

Note: I am in the process of deciphering the description of District 4, but it can be seen reasonably accurately on Bald's 1805 map as the region labelled STROND , with the notable exception that the Eastern boundary in 1851 meets the sea at Port Eisgein, which is further West than was the case at the time of Bald's map.
Occupants of District 4 included the 'Paisley Sisters'. They were two of the 89 people living on the Farm of Strond. The total population of the district 4 was 239. They were living in 44 households, 17 of these on the Farm of Strond.

All this leads me to the inevitable conclusion that a comprehensive set of maps for the districts used in each of the censuses would be of immense genealogical value but it is not a task that I am about to undertake!

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