# General > Genealogy >  Family Surnames in Caithness - My List of Names I'm Researching

## sgmcgregor

Hello all,

I'm posting the list of surnames in which I am interested in. It has been a long while since I have done so, and hope there will be some new interest. Alphabetically, here we go...

Banks; Bartlett; Bremner; Cameron; Dallas; Fairweather; Forbes; Grant; Green; Macaulay/McInlay; McGregor; McKay; Miller; Nicolson; Oman; Wares; Young

These are my main-line families, and a summary of where they originate/lived follows...

Banks - Canisbay
Bartlett - Aberdeenshire and Wick
Bremner - Wick
Cameron - Portskerra, Halkirk, Watten
Dallas - Inverness and Wick - latterlt links to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and USA
Fairweather - Wick
Forbes - Wick
Grant -Wick
Green - Stroma and Wick
Macaulay/McInlay - Thrumster
McGregor - Latheron, Watten
McKay - Portskerra and Wick
Miller - Thrumster and Wick
Nicolson - Bower and Dunnet
Oman - Latheron, Halkirk, Bower
Wares - Wick
Young - Wick

These are generalised areas of the county, and there are specific areas such as Sarclet, Thrumster, Ulbster, etc.

I am in the process of building a website, and it can be found at http://stevenmcgregor.cwahi.net/

I haven't updated this since last September, but I have been concentrating on writing up a book on what I know so far. There is a good deal of information on Dallas, McGregor, Bartlett, and a few selected others, but more is to follow.

If anyone is researching these family names I would love to hear from you to exchange information. I look forward to any queries, and hope to get some response as I have been specific enough to generate some interest, but not too vague.

Regards,
Steven

(Hope there aren't too many spelling mistakes)

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## marymackay6

Hello steven, Think we may just have some ancestors in common. Briefly my gt gt grandmother Helen Bremner b 1797 in Mireland married to my gt gt grandfather Donald Mckay (b 1799 Resolis) In Thrumster in 1831. Their elder children including my Great grandfather Alexander Mckay (b 1835) were born in Sarclet. Get in touch if this is of interest  mary mackay6

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## sgmcgregor

Mary,

Thanks for your reply, and interest.

First, the Bremner family from Wick - furthest back I have been is as follows...

Ann Miller (born 1847, Olrig; died 1887) married to Donald Bremner
>Child - Catherine Miller (born 1874, Royal Maternity Hospital, Edinburgh)

Catherine Miller later took the name Bremner

Catherine married William Green 6th March 1903, 52 Louisburgh Street, Wick

Catherine had three children before marriage - Annie Doull; William Alexander Bremner; Christina Cormack Bremner

Catherine died 4th February 1934, Hillhead, Wick


Second, MacKay family of Wick

William MacKay was born on 23rd October 1875 in Nicolson Street, Wick. He was the son of William MacKay, a fisherman, and Elizabeth MacKay.

William married Margaret Sutherland Miller on 8th January 1909 at 43 Wellington Street, Pulteneytown, Wick.

William was killed in the Adriatic Sea in 1916 whilst serving on HM Drifter Clachnacudin.

There are a lot of links to Sarclet and Thrumster with the Miller and Macaulay families in my tree.

Regards,
Steven

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## marymackay6

Hello again Steven thank you for replying. Now I cant see a connection yet between our families. This branch of my family seemed to have had strong connections with Resolis and cromarty on the Black Isle.  Over the generations the Caithness born would often marry with spouses from the Black Isle. It looks as if they had business in common between the two places. As far as I have been able to work outwith  certainty is that  my Mckays left Caithness about 1836 for Aberdeen. But I assume, though I have not been able to prove it, that Helen Bremners family would have remained in Caithness although she moved with Donald McKay and their children to Aberdeen My Miller family connections started about 1730 with the marriage of my 4 x gt grandfather Hugh Ferguson to an Ann Miller. This last piece of research is very tentative and very much a work in progress.. I know that this will not be very helpfull but who knows where our research will take us cheers, Mary

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## Susanbremner

Hello Mary
There are a number of different Bremner families around Caithness.  My branch is the James Bremner (b1744) lineage.

A very useful website for you to find out all about Bremners is:  www.brebner.com

Good luck
Sue Bremner

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## Bonnie Parker-Duke

Steven, when was Annie Doull born?  I have a letter from an Annie Doull to my g, g Uncle Donald Weir after he emigrated to Canada.  It goes:

Janetstown  6th  Febury

Dear friend Donal was wanting me to send you a few lins as you was [indecipherable] so kind about me and long bin but that is all don now and all that[.] I am sorry I am to lose David Canbple [Campbell?] all the Janetstown girls, can put on morning for David now his mother died very sudden 8 days after the New Year and bella Bain his own Cousin is keeping the house to them[.] [B]ut David most have a wife this girl is not 17 yers yet she is Bain to name she belongs to the Coast but I am thinking that David will repent yet the piper pays a visit sometimes to your Old Girl but he is as foolish as ever I missed you very much on new year day morning you used to be my first feet it was just dull this year they held it in Milton with poor Bus Donal and William was there the most of the day and night Dear friend I was asking your card before you left wick I hop you will send me one out of America I hop you have got a nice girl by this tim but don’t take a heat like David only two or three weeks courting her Dear friend I must be don hoping to hear from you in Donal letter again and I will give you more news the next time

Annie Doull

We have never been able to pinpoint who Annie Doull was or who her parents were.  We have Doulls in the family but she doesn't seem to fit into their family anywhere.

She mentions William in this note, familiarly, which makes me think it may be her brother and you give information that she has a brother William.  Please tell me more if you can!

I wish this letter included the year it was written but unfortunately, it doesn't.

Bonnie Parker-Duke

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## sgmcgregor

Bonnie,

Annie Bremner Doull was born 25th May 1894 - her mother was Catherine Bremner, and her father was James Alexander Doull. She married a James Angus Sinclair late in life, she was almost 63 at the time. She passed away in 1971.

I can't say that i recognise any of the surnames - Weir, Campbell, Bain - none of those are family names in my tree.

Steven

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## pretty green eyes

Im connected to the Dallas family. :-) looking forward to reading the website :-) im also a Grant which Grants are you looking at?

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## sgmcgregor

Pretty Green Eyes,

The Grant family I have traced back to George Grant (c1796-1856) and Elspet "Elizabeth" Forbes (1790-1873). They were married on 17th July 1819 in Ulbster.

As far as I can tell George Grant was the son of George Grant and Margaret Smith, although his death certificate gives his parents as Alexander Grant and Margaret Smith. If George is the son of the former then he was baptised on 26th February 1794.

I am the direct descendant of George and Elspet's son David Grant (c1830-1898) who married Elizabeth Young (c1839-1919) on 3rd April 1857 at Bruan Free Manse, Ulbster.

The Dallas connection is through William Dallas (1874-1952), although he was born Oman, before his parents married.

Get in touch if you would like to swap information.

Regards,
Steven

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## pretty green eyes

Im not connected via the Grants im going to check the dallas connection but i think we have a link  :Smile:

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## pretty green eyes

Ive got details for the Dallas family going back to c1754 but i dont have William Dallas who was his parents?

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## sgmcgregor

William Dallas' parents were Daniel "Donald" Dallas and Williamina Oman, but he was born before Donald Dallas and Williamina Oman married. They married on 28th December 1877 in Hastigrew, Bower. William was born 25th January 1874 in Lyth, Bower.

I connect to William, and he had 5 other siblings born between 1878 and 1890. William may, or may not, be the son of Donald Dallas (no way of knowing this for certain), but his siblings definitely are all Dallas hence the research into this line.

Steven

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## Durran

Hello Steven,

The two surnames I have connections with are Banks in Canisbay and more particularly Nicolson in both Bower and Dunnet. My Nicolsons go back to David Nicolson & Mary Coghill in Wick.

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## sgmcgregor

Durran,

Thanks for replying.

The Nicolsons sound like a match from what you have said. I had been stuck at my G.G.G.G. Grandparents Donald Nicolson and Christian Calder for quite some time. From Donald's death in 1878 I had his parents as John Nicolson and Betsy Gunn, but hadn't really managed to go any further until recently. It was only by chance that I stumbled across entries in the book of Monumental Inscriptions for the Bower area. This suggested that John Nicolson was the son of David Nicolson (a farmer at Alterwall, Bower) and Mary Coghill. Does this information ring true? Maybe we can compare details. I haven't started checking the records to confirm this yet, but am hoping to go to Edinburgh in a couple of weeks, and hopefully will have some time to go check the details out.

The Banks side of my family is more problematic. The direct line leads back to Donald Banks and Margaret Henderson who were married in June 1828 in Bower. The 1841 census indicates that Donald was born in England circa 1801, but I don't know how to go back further with this. There is no indication where in England he comes from, so that looks like the end of that line for me. Margaret Henderson was local so I have gone back one more level to her parents.

So the Banks line of interest really begins with their children..........

Margaret (1829, Bower); John "Lawyer Banks" (1830, Bower); William (1833, Olrig); Donald (1835, Canisbay); Elizabeth "Betsy" (1838, West Mey, Canisbay); Alexander (1841, Canisbay); Janet "Jessie" (1844, Canisbay); Andrew (1847, Canisbay)

Margaret (1829) never married and was living in Lanergill, Watten in 1901;
John (1830) married Christina Doull in 1858 in Pulteneytown, Wick;
Elizabeth (1838) married Robert McGregor in 1856 in Watten (my G.G. Grandparents)

If you think there is any link we can compare notes. You can always PM me.

Regards,
Steven

P.S. I should make a clarification about John Banks' nickname of "Lawyer Banks". He was a shoemaker, not a lawyer. I don't know the origin of the nickname, but I have found reference to John in Poor Relief records for Wick, and they note that he is also known as "Lawyer Banks". I wonder what the story might be there?

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## Durran

Hi Steven,

Yes, we have a hit - Donald was a son of John Nicolson & Elizabeth Gunn. Donald's sister Elizabeth (born 1785) is my 3xGreat Grandmother, so we are definitely related. Donald died 16 June 1878 in Lyth, Bower so you could confirm his parents from the deatch certificate. Elizabeth married James Tait of Inkstack and they are to be found on a gravestone in Dunnet Old Churchyard. The flat (and very difficult to read) gravestone in Bower Churchyard to David Nicolson & Mary Coghill has the following inscription: -

Over the dust of David NICOLSON, farmer in Alterwall; Mary COGHILL, his wife, this stone was erected by John NICOLSON, their son : 1820
In memory of John NICOLSON, late farmer, Hollandmake, who departed this life Oct 20 1846, aged 92 years; and his spouse Elizabeth GUNN, who departed this life Sep -- 1825, aged 65 years.

I am new to this forum and am not sure how to send a private message. I also have lots of data on the Banks families, including the one you mentioned.

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## sgmcgregor

Durran,

Well, the Nicolson seems to be a connection. But if you also link to the Banks family too, then it may turn out we are related in another way too!

The inscription is very helpful in helping with filling in details too. It is a strange phrasing - "Over the dust of David Nicolson...." I've never come across any wording like that before.

Never mind the PM, you can email me on steven_mcgregor"at"yahoo.com.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Steven

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## hiyaitsfiona

Hi 3rd cousin Steven, good to see that you're still working on the tree. I've not done much for quite a while. Must get back to it. I did find out a bit more about the links between the Camerons and the Macadams. If you want to be in touch again, it's fiona1960@talktalk.net. Keep up the good work!

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## sgmcgregor

Fiona,

An email is winging it's way to you as you read this (unless you've already got it :-).

Steven

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## Sheena

I have just discovered this site while searching for something entirely different (as ever). I am decended from Dallas of Inverness so would be interested to hear more to see if we have a link anywhere. Also have McAulay ancestry, pirmarily form Latheron but, as they appear to have had mixed employment which often involved being jouneymen, they have proved quite difficult to keep tabs on! I have two MacKay branches, which don't appear to be the same. One lot appear in Ross & Cromarty around 1800 but can't find them before. The other married into the Dallas family but didn't have the decency to last beyond 1841 so I only know he was not from Inverness...

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## sgmcgregor

Sheena,

Thanks for your reply.

I will pm you with further details, and an email address so we can exchange information.

Here is hoping there is a link.

Regards,
Steven

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## davelna

Hello Bonnie,
I think your letter refers to my great grandparents David Campbell who married Williamina Bain when she was 16yrs old in Janetstown. Bella Bain was witness at their wedding.
 David`s mother Isabella Ross died on the 8th January 1885
Regards David

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## Bonnie Parker-Duke

Thanks so much, David! I appreciate the information. I'm not related but we're trying to identify as many people mentioned in the letters as possible!

Bonnie

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## davelna

Could anyone help identify Bella Bain?   Letter states she is cousin of David Campbell.

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## Bonnie Parker-Duke

If Williamina Bain was David Campbell's cousin, there is always the possibility that Bella and Williamina are one and the same. Could be that it was her nickname before she married or did Williamina have a middle name that you know of? It could have been her middle name...Isabella?

Bonnie

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## Bonnie Parker-Duke

If on the other hand, Annie Doull mistook Williamina for Bella, we're not even sure how old Bella is. If she was about the same age as Williamina, there are a couple of candidates that I could find in the census records.  One is:
1881 Scotland Census 
about Isabella Bain Isabella Bain

11

abt 1870

Daughter

Emely S Miller

Female

Canisbay, Caithness Shire

35

Canisbay

Canisbay

Caithness

Scholar

7

22

23

cssct1881a_103234


Emely S Miller
3

David Bain
5

Betsy Dunnet
64

Isabella Bain
11

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## Bonnie Parker-Duke

Although this record did not give further family members, another is:

*1881 Scotland Census 
about Isabella Bain*Isabella Bain

11

abt 1870

Daughter

Female

Latheron, Caithness Shire

41

Thurso

Thurso

Caithness

Geise

Scholar

9

14

15

cssct1881a_103236


Isabella Bain
11

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## Bonnie Parker-Duke

On the LDS website (which may or may not have correct records...but I consider them leads), I found the following five listings for Isabella Bain:


*5.* ISABELLA BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI
Gender: Female Birth: 05 JAN 1867 Latheron, Caithness, Scotland


*16.* ISABELLA ANGUS BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI
Gender: Female Birth: 27 APR 1869 Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland


*23.* ISABELLA BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI
Gender: Female Birth: 30 SEP 1870 Wick, Caithness, Scotland

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## Bonnie Parker-Duke

From the LDS records which may or may not be correct but are leads at the least:


*5.* ISABELLA BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI
Gender: Female Birth: 05 JAN 1867 Latheron, Caithness, Scotland


*16.* ISABELLA ANGUS BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI
Gender: Female Birth: 27 APR 1869 Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland


*23.* ISABELLA BAIN - International Genealogical Index / BI
Gender: Female Birth: 30 SEP 1870 Wick, Caithness, Scotland

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## davelna

Williamin and Bella Bain are different people. Marriage certificate for David Campbell and Williamina Bain has a Bella Bain as witness. I guess this the same Bella Bain, cousin, as mentioned in your letter.

Regards

David

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## Bonnie Parker-Duke

Then the records I sent apply. It's possible, I guess, that Annie Doull confused the names.  If the Bella Bain who was a witness at the wedding was an older person, there are at least a couple of dozen candidates from what I can tell.  I don't think there is enough to go on unless you do an extended genealogy for David and include collateral lines and figure out who the cousin was. If you don't have access to the records on Ancestry.com or some other organization, I can try looking for you. Who were David's parents and grandparents? I need birth dates and places as well if you have them.

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## peediedj67

THERE Wares from Thurso (my dad and his mum etc) and from Castletown also

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