Rodel Households

These are the 60 'Head of Households' as recorded in the 1841-1901 censuses.

Please bear in mind that these are listed merely to show the number of individual households and the range of occupations of those heading them. They do not provide detailed information on the overall economic activity that was being undertaken in Rodel during this time.

1841 (81 people in 13 households)

John Lindsay, 40, Estate Officer

John R Macdonald, 30, Farmer

Kenneth McDyer, 40, Shepherd

Angus McKay, 20, Shepherd

Angus Macleod, 60, Ag Lab

John Mckenzie, 50, Ag Lab

Donald Macmillan, 35, Ag Lab

Angus Ferguson, 30, Ag Lab

Donald Murray, 40, Parish Schoolmaster

Donald Macdonald, 40, Tailor

Allan McKinnon, 82, ?

Catherina McKay, 60, ?

Ann McKay, 40, ?

The 1841 census is not specific about addresses but I assume that the Estate Officer resided at Rodel House because the Farmer Macdonald who became Factor Macdonald is recorded as residing at Rodel House during his time as Factor.

1851 (38 people in 8 households)

John R Macdonald, 44, Land Factor & JP

Murdoch Macleod, 23, Shepherd

Donald Macmillan, 40, Farm Labourer

Angus McDermid, 35, Fish Curer

Richard H Watson, 32, Fish Merchant

Catherine Macleod, 50, Weaveress

Ann MacKinnon, 60, Formerly House Servant

Mary Macaulay, 60, Formerly Weaveress

I wonder if the Fish Curer occupied the listed building that is called the 'Factors House' but which most certainly was not occupied by John R Macdonald's extensive household? The presence of the retired House Servant now having her own home to live in, is a feature of later households too.

1861 (32 people in 5 households)

John Robertson Macdonald, 54, Factor of Harris Estate, Rodel House

Alex Macdonald 64, Farmer's Shepherd, Rodel Hill House

Donald Mclennan, 35, Farmer's Shepherd, Rodel Hill House

Roderick Macleod, 32, Farmer's Shepherd, Rodel

Donald Macmillan, 55, Ag Lab, Rodel

I do not know precisely where the two 'Rodel Hill Houses' were located but this census explicitly locates the Factor within the walls of Rodel House.

1871 (44 people in 6 households)

John R Macdonald, 64, Factor

John Cunningham, 32, Estate Factor's Clerk

Angus Kerr, 40, Farm Grieve

Roderick Macleod, 40, Shepherd

Norman Macdonald, 32, Shepherd

Donald Macmillan, 70, Cottar

Where the homes occupied by the Clerk & the Grieve were is unknown but I assume that they were close to the Factor in Rodel House (which was where Angus had been living in the previous two censuses).

1881 (38 people in 8 households)

Angus Kerr, 48, Farm Manager, Rodel Farm

Neil Macleod, 72, Shepherd, Rodel Farm

Norman Macdonald, 42, Shepherd, Rodel Farm

Norman Macmillan, 40, Farm Servant, Rodel Farm

Neil Macdonald, 46, Fisherman, Rodel Farm

Mary Maclean, 68, Laundry Maid, Rodel Farm

Catherine MacKinnon, 50, Cottar, Rodel Farm

Flora Macmillan, 60, Pauper, Rodel Farm

I doubt that any of these households were in Rodel House itself which, according to Kenneth Macdonald Kenneth Macdonald's evidence to the Napier Commission was being made ready for the Earl in 1883.

1891 (48 people in 10 households)

Norman Macdonald, 52, Shepherd, Rodel

Norman Macmillan, 52, Cowherd, Rodel

John Finlayson, 41, Gamekeeper, Rodel

Ewan Macleod, 50, Gardener, Rodel

Euphemia Mackinnon, 62, House Keeper, Rodel

Niel Macdonald, 54, Fisherman, Rodel

Roderick Macaulay, 60, House Carpenter, Rodel

Angus Kerr, 64, Retired Groom, Rodel

Mary Maclean, 80, Retired Washerwoman, Rodel

Anne Macmillan, 80, Retired Tailoress, Rodel

It is interesting to see a Gardener appearing again, his predecessor having become the Post Master at An-t-Ob sometime between 1871 and 1881. At least two retired employees are now present but I have no idea at what time between 1881 and 1891 my cousin was the Groom/Coachman.

1901 (48 people in 10 households)

Roderick Campbell, 70, Farmer, Rodel

Alexander Morrison, 48, Shepherd, Rodel

John Finlayson, 51, Gamekeeper, Rodel

Norman Macmillan, 50, Carter, Rodel

Ewan Macleod, 59, Gardener, Hamlet Rodel

Norman Macdonald, 60, Mason, Rodel

Niel Macdonald, 69, Fisherman, Rodel

Roderick Macaulay, 68, Joiner, Rodel

Angus Kerr, 75, Retired Coachman, Rodel

Effie McKinnon, 60, Retired House Maid, Rodel

The House appears unoccupied and the only interesting feature is the location of the Gardener in another specified, but unknown, location, 'Hamlet Rodel'.

Overall, I think we can see that during the second-half of the 19thC Rodel was tied to meeting the demands of Rodel House and the 'Home Farm' and it did so with an average of a mere 8 separate households.