Notes of the family history & connections of Mr. John MacDonald of Little Bernera, Island of Lewis, Scotland

NOTES

of the
FAMILY HISTOirf & COITNECTIONS
of
MR. JOHN MACDONAXD
of
LITTLE BERNEHA,
ISLAND OF LEWIS, SCOTLAND

Dr, R, Ross
Jime 1896

luauritius

Imprimerie Cooperative, Rue de 1' Egll

se

Port Louis,
Mauritius, April, 1902.

I wrote to my brother^in-Law, Dr. Ross, Barvas,
Lewis, in the year 1896, asking him to kindly send
me notes of the Family History of both my late
dear Father and Mother as far as could be traced,
and the following notes were sent to me which I
am sure will be most interesting to dear Friends and
relatives of our Family.

MuRDO Stewart MacDonald,

Surveyor to Lloyd's Register,

Mauritius.

John McDonald, Tacksman, Bernera, Island of
Lewis, Scotland. Born at little Bernera House May
1804, died at Bernera Sound House Sept. 1880.

John was the eldest son of Donald McDonald,
Tacksman, who was born at Drovernish, in the year
1765, and died at little Bernera, where John was
born, in his 66th year, in 1831.

John's grandfather was Neil McDonald, who
came from Lochs, settled at Drovernish, and married
Catherine (Catriona), daughter of Donald McAulay,
and sister of George McAulay, Tacksman, Linshader,
whose grandfather was Angus McAulay, one of the
sons of Domhul Cam MacDhoughail of Uig. In this
connection John was the seventh in descent from the
famous Donald Cam.

Note that this Donald Cam is the first McAulay
who figures in the ancient history of Lewis ; and
that primarily in connection with his capture along
with Domhul Dubh in 1597, and his daring and
marvellous escape from his captors. Domhul Cam
was also one of the invincible band who held out so
bravely along with Neil McLeod in the island of
Berrisay, and surrendered only when their wives and
children were exposed on a sunk rock at ebb tide in
their presence by their enemies. For many other

interesting traditions concerning Donald Cam and
his grandfather John Roy, see Vol. XIV. pp. 363-431,
Scottish Society of Antiquaries.

Note further that the illustrious Lord McAulay
was another of the descendants of this Donald Cam.
Thus one of Donald's sons was the Rev. Aulay Mc
Aulay, minister, first of Tiree and Coll, and after-
wards of Harris, about the beginning of the 18th
century. This Aulay's eldest son, John, born in 1720,
was the Rev. John McAulay, the oft translated
minister first of Barra, next of S. Uist, then of
Lismore, afterwards of Inveraray, and lastly of Car-
dross. One of John's sons was Zachary McAulay
(Gaelic, Sgaire), Governor of Sierra Leone, and one
of Wilberforce's doughtiest co-workers in securing the
emanicaption of slaves and the suppression of slavery.
Zachary's eldest son was the great Thomas Babing-
ton (Gaelic : Baaby) McAulay, born at Rothley
Temple, England, 25th Oct. 18C0 ; and so we see
that this son, who became Lord McAulay, and whose
writings immortalire him, was the fifth in descent
from Donald Cam of Uig in poor old Lewis.

Note also that Mr. McDonald's grandmother
was sister of George McAulay, Farmer, Linshader,
whose son Donald was father of Dr. McAulay — an
Doctor Ruadh — seventh in descent from Donald
Cam, of Lillias, wife of the Rev. Robert Fa^layson,
once of Lochs, and afterwards of Helmsdale ; and of
Captain McAulay, of Stornoway, father of William
and Kenneth, once of India; and of Mr William
Ross and Kenneth Smith^of Stornoway — thus showing
the relationship between Mr. McDonald and these
old Stornoway families.

Note further, in connection with the blood

relationship between ourselves, that Mr. McDonald's
great grandmother was the wife of Allan Ross
(Ruadh) of Crobeg^ Lochs — my great grandfather ;
so that your father (Mr. McD.) and I were third
cousins, and you and my children are fourth cousins,
besides being in the relationship of uncle and nephew
and niece.

The relationship between our families and that
of the Maclvers of Gress, represented now by
Evander Mclver of Scourie and a few others, is as
follows : — The forementioned Mrs. Allan Ross of
Crobcg was sister of Evander Mclver, father of
Lewis Mclver of Gress, fatlier of Evander Mclver of
Scourie, and grandfather of Lewis Mclver, Esquire,
M.P. for West Edinburgh, who is my third and your
fourth cousin, and who was recently knighted and is
now known as Sir Lewis Mclver, M.P., Torquay,
England, married to a wealthy heiress of Jewish
extraction, one of the Montefiore family.

Mr. McDonald's father was married twice. His
first wife was his own first cousin, Isabella Mc-
Aulay, sister of Donald McAulay of Linshader ; by
whom he had only two daughters, Ann and Barbara.
Ann married a man of the name of Omond, a
Norwegian, with whom she lived first at Gravesend,
and latterly at St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney. Bar-
bara married her first cousin, Alister McKenzie Mac
Iain Mhic Ailein Ruaidh (the Allan Ross of Crobeg
above mentioned), by whom she had nine or ten of a
family. The family emigrated to Picton, Canada ;
and their descendants are still there, and in comfort-
able circumstances.

His second wife was Ann, daughter of Donald
McLennan, Tacksman, Reef, son of Duncan Mc

^:^'

^^U-e-^-tM-^'T .

LeiUidii, Tacksmdii, Reei, son oi' Murdo ivlcLciuiau
of little Bernera. By this wife he had five sons and
five daughters. The sons were John, Neil, Donald,
George and Duncan ; and the daughters Margaret,
Kate, Isabella, Annabella and Mary. The two
youngest sons, George and Duncan, left home when
they were young men, and there have been no accounts
of them for a long time. You will be able yourself
to fdl up a short biographical sketch of the rest of
your uncles and aunts by the father's side.

Reverting to the history of the McLennans, who
came to be united with the family by marriage as
above, we find that Murdo McLennan of Little
Bernera was one of three brothers among whom
little Bernera and Croy were divided. They were the
sons of John McLennan, Mac Rhuaividh Mhic a
Chleivich, who lived at Kintail, and who, on account
of his great sagacity and wisdom, was held in high
esteem by the then Proprietrix of Kintail who lived
in Brahan Csstle. This led to a feeling of jealousy
on the Proprietor's part ; and the result was that
finally he got McLennan banished to Kirkabost in
Bernera, Lewis, allowing him Tolsta for summer
grazing ; and giving Little Bernera and Croir to his
three sons. The two at Bernera did not get on well
together ; and the one at Croir was prevailed upon
by his wife to migrate to Ness, her native place. On
his way there with a boat load of Barley he was
driven off the coast in a storm, and supposed to be
lost. But long afterwards he was met at Gottenberg
by a Stornoway ship's captain, by whom he sent a
stockingful of gold coins to his brother Murdo at
Little Bernera. Of this Murdo, Mr McDonald's
great grandfather, all that need be said further is
that his sister was great grandmother of Roderick
Nicolson, ship owner, Stornoway, whose son founded

and partially endowed the Nicolson institution at
Stornoway — an Institution which promises to confer
excellent educational benefits on the young of the
Lewis.

The following anecdotes are related of the
Kintail Proprietrix and her sagacious councellor
John McLennan. — One of her ladyship's fancies
was to have a fresh cow's tongue for her dinner each
day. McLennan thought this extravagent ; and,
by way of precenting her with an object lesson
demonstrating the enormity of her extravagance, he
led a drove of three hundred and sixty-five cows
from Kintail on one of his visits and posted them on
the lawn to the front of the castle. On her ladyship
expressing her surprise at seeing such a large herd
of cattle in one place, McLennan pointed out to her
that that was the exact number which was slaughter^
ed yearly to supply her table with its daily fresh
tongue ! It is not related what effect this reproof
had on her ladyship's taste. On another occasion
John was led into one of her apartments in which
there was a fire keptgoing with cinnamon bark. In
response to her ladyship's praises of the sweet
perfume from the fire, John replied that so pene-
trating was it that it reached them all the way to
cro-nan loagh in Kintail — meaning of course that
her extravagance was paid for by her poor distant
tenants !

Mrs John McDonald (Catherine Stewart) was
daughter of Kenneth Stewart, Tacksman, Hacklete,
Bernera, who emigrated from Skye, along with his
relative, the Rev. Hugh McLeod, minister of Uig.
Mrs McDonald's brothers, were John, Murdo,
Roderick and Donald ; and her sisters Janet, Ann,
Barabella and Peggy. All the brothers emigrated to

8

America, except John who went to Auckland, New
Zealand. Ann and Barabella also went to America -
to Poosilir in Canada West. All were well and in
comfortable circumstances when heard from last,
some years ago.

Mrs McDonald's mother was Mary, daughter of
Farquhar Smith, Tacksman, Earshader, son of
Duncan Smith, son of Farquhar Smith who came
from Lochs, and wno was married to Barabelle
daughter of the John McLennan from Kintail
referred to above. Thus Mr and Mrs McDonald
were distinctly related to one another through the
McLennan grafting. Besides, Farquhar Smith, who
came from Lochs, was nearly related to my mother's
family, the Valtos McLeods ; and accordingly I was
this way distantly related to Mrs McDonald.'

Barabelle McLennan had been married before
she married Farquhar, and had one daughter by
that marriage. This daughter was the grandmother
of Murdo McAulay, game-keeper, Fin-Castle, Harris.

Murdo McLeod, Mac Iain Mhic Mhurchaidh,
Merchant, Stornoway, who built and occupied Num-
ber 33, Kenneth Street, Stornoway — the house I once
owned and occupied and in which Annabella was
born — and who owned much other property in the
place, was Mrs McDonald's maternal great grand
uncle. He had two sons, Norman and Donald, and
one daughter — all of whom married and subsequently
left the place.

R. Ross.