In the winter of 1819-20, the word went around that the people of Strath Oykel were to be evicted. Snow lay on the ground during that January of 1820, but it was a fertile valley; in the summer the area "was beautiful... a green valley … Continue reading Witnessing the Strath Oykel Clearance. March 1820.
Category: People
866 Company in Dublin 1916-1919
A brief visit to Dublin I recently spent a few days in Dublin. It was my first trip to Ireland; I was there for the wedding of a friend from Australia, Simon More, who has made his home there. He and his wife Michelle were … Continue reading 866 Company in Dublin 1916-1919
Catherine Urquhart of Golspie (1800-1887)
My grandmother was Winifred Urquhart Ross (Holford). As a child I was fascinated by her middle name, which she told me came from her Scottish ancestry, as did her surname Ross. During the three years we lived in the UK when I was a child … Continue reading Catherine Urquhart of Golspie (1800-1887)
The Ross family of Gledfield, Ross-Shire
Sometime around 1821 or 1822 James Andrew Ross (1794-1866) of Edderton, Ross-Shire, married Catherine Urquhart (1800-1887) of Golspie, Sutherland. They had at least 12 children over the next 25 years, though there may have been more since children so often died in infancy in those … Continue reading The Ross family of Gledfield, Ross-Shire
Scottish sisters
I was recently in Scotland with my friend Hamish. We spent some hours at the Scottish National Gallery. This painting, by the Scottish artist, William McTaggart, entitled Spring (1864), caught my attention. I thought about two sisters in our family, Helen and Katie (Catherine) Ross … Continue reading Scottish sisters
Forgotten tales 