# General > Genealogy >  Place: Bualtorran/Bualdorran; Name: Oman

## Scots Bluebell

Hello everyone,

I am a new member, quite new to genealogy too, and I have hit a brick wall. Any help/suggestions gratefully received!

I have a George OMAN b 9 Nov 1805, son of William OMAN, Bualtorran, Latheron. I also find that William OMAN, Bualdorran, Latheron, had three other children between 1802 and 1811 - presumably George's siblings.

Can anyone tell me, please, where Bual(t)(d)orran is or was? On maps I have seen Buoltach and Buolfruich north-west-ish of Latheronwheel area but I can't see any sign of a more similar name.

Also, if anyone knows anything about this family, I'd love some help with it. George's death cert just gives his parents as William OMAN and ? OMAN m.s. MCKENZIE, I haven't found anything to pursue there. Nor can I find anything on his Bualdorran siblings (John, James and Janet) - quite common Caithness Oman forenames and none of the ones I have tracked to death certs have a MCKENZIE mother; of course they may have died young, emigrated etc. Or maybe they are just hiding from me!

Thanks in advance for any help. :Smile: 

Scots Bluebell

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## Mamie_2

Have you tried all the spelling variatons? The above are the ones I have come across so far.

There is a George Owman age 35 in Dunnet in 1841. Also in this household is a Jane Owman 50.

The other George's on the FREECEN version are both only 7.

in 1851 there is one in Dunnet and one in Olrig both born in Dunnet.
one at Kirkstyle, Dunnet with a much older wife Jane the above 35 yr old in Dunnet in 1841 I would guess
one at Barrock Mains, Olrig a chelsea pensioner and groom with wife Eleanor born Ireland. It would seem likely that his regiment was in Ireland in 1841 and Australia in c 1843.

The only one in Latheron was 7 s/o William Oman.

In 1871 the 35 year old is in Dunnet Village age 68 with wife Jane age 80

No luck finding the placename in Latheron or anywhere for that matter lol.

Where did George actually die?

Mamie

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## Scots Bluebell

Hi Mamie,

Thanks so much for your reply and for your work on George Oman.

Thanks for your tip about surname spelling - I wish I had written to this forum a few months ago as my earliest searches were for Oman with soundex _off_ until I stumbled over Owman/Owoman etc. Seems so obvious now...

Re Bualt/dorran: since I posted, I have had a look at the old O.S. 6-inch-to-a-mile maps on the NLS website; I found it a bit tricky to have a good look but from its gazetteer, I don't think it shows Bualt/dorran. I also tried searching on FreeCEN under the "Street" field and, for 1841 only, it shows 2 households at Bulnatorran, Latheron. It sounds to me as though that might be the right place, I don't speak Gaelic but I think na just means 'of the' so either version means basically the same thing, I believe something like 'cattle enclosure'?? Presumably next and previous households listed are those that are closest by? These are Ditches, Ashbegg, Golsary and Bulnabin. Do any of these sound familiar?

I wondered if perhaps Bualt/dorran was a settlement in the early 1800s but was cleared by the 1851 Census? I don't know enough (any!) Caithness history to know if that is plausible. Do you know any books or sites that list where was cleared when in Caithness?

Now for George Oman. My George died 28 Mar 1885 in Lothmore, Loth, SUTH. 1851-1881 censuses have him as having been born in Latheron, plus his wife was Harriet MacKay, so I had ruled out those other Georges that you list, tho they may be related in some way. I am not 100% certain my George is the one born 1805 at Bualtorran, but it is the only registered birth I could find that looks possible, I had hoped I could verify this by following up the Bualtorran siblings -John, James and Janet - but as I said in my last post, I can't find them. I found siblings James and Janet, children of William Oman of Latheron, but their mother is Isabella Munro (I am looking for -unknown first name- McKenzie) and I could only see a brother William, not any brother George...

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.

Regards,

Scots Bluebell

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## jimag

Dont know if this will be of any help to you but Bual is a croft near Ramscraigs between Dunbeath and Berridale.

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## Scots Bluebell

Hi jimag,

Thanks for your reply, I have been busy looking at maps! I haven't found Bual (is it still a croft or does it no longer exist?) but I can see Ramscraigs - I wonder if Bual was part of the Langwell Estate, it looks fairly close by to me but I don't know the extent of the estate?

Your suggestion has definitely given me food for thought. I was sort of assuming Bualt/dorran was nearer to the town (village?) of Latheron, close to the Bual- places I mentioned in my first post, so I hadn't really looked that bit further south. But a bit further south means a bit closer to the parish of Clyne, Sutherland, which is where George Oman was in the 1841 Census. Then again, perhaps there were lots and lots of Bual- places throughout Caithness because of the high numbers of cattle...

Before I started this genealogy hobby/incurable disease  :Wink: , I hadn't realised how difficult it would be to pinpoint places, and I had no idea how much people moved around. I had the impression people lived in the same spot for generations but that is certainly not the case with my lot. I find I want to know a lot more than I do know about the Clearances, cattle droving, hiring fairs, traffic between the north and Edinburgh etc - but only if I can find the info in simple, bite-size chunks - I'm afraid I am "dumbed down"! If anyone knows of any suitable books or websites, please let me know.

Thanks again, jimag.

Best wishes,

Scots Bluebell

PS Is it just me? My first post worked ok but I have had problems with both of my reply posts: although my login is accepted, when I click to post I am told I am *not* logged in and I lose what I have typed. Most frustrating, especially as, this time, I should have thought to save my post just in case, but I didn't...

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## Mamie_2

Yes our ancestors did move around more than we might have guessed lol. Especially the ones on the coast who might have had boats/ships for fishing or trade.

Though there are the ones who did stay in the same place for generations as well.

Certainly by the 1850's there was quite a bit of relocation to either Edinburgh or Glasgow for work but it did take place earlier in both directions.

There is a lot of information on the clearances on line and in books. Google that and see what comes up.

Hiring fairs typically took place on specific days in the spring(May) and fall(November) and sometimes were part of a bigger "fair". A fair could include a sale of livestock as well as other goods. It was a time to meet friends as well as stock up on things you couldn't produce yourself or sell your excess items.

It would be more likely that you could get a job at the May fairs as landholders would need more labour in the spring and summer for planting, cultivation and harvest. You would have had to be the best workers to get a position for the winter. Not as much onlline about these.

I have been addicted to the genealogy puzzle for about 12 years now and I still keep finding new people to add to my tree. I don't think I will ever be completely done lol.

Mamie

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## Mamie_2

According to the New Statistical Account 1845 traditionally it was held on the Tuesday after Jul 20 to hire harvest workers.

Different parishes had fairs as well.

A fair on Apr 23 Georgemas(St. George's Day)  fair ( MAY HAVE TAKEN PLACE LATER IN THE BEGINNING OF MAY-depends upon if you are using a Julian Calender or our current Gregorian calender-Apr 23 in Julian is May 6 in Gregorian) was also a hiring fair in Caithness. The site of this fair is between Wick and Thurso near what is now Georgemas Junction. 

St. George (and the Dragon(of England ))is  ther reason for Georgemas as Apr 23 is supposedly the day he died  in 303 AD(Julian Calender) - may not have been English at all although he was at one thought to have been born in Coventry.

See where Genealogy can lead lol

Mamie

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## jimag

Hi Scots Bluebell

You were hoping for some place nearer the village of Latheron but the Parish of Latheron stretches from The Ord of Caithness in the south to Clyth in the north and extends well into the Caithness hinterland.
Mamie 2  is right about the feeing markets.  There was a market at Dunbeath.  Market Hill still there but I am not aware of any sign/cross to mark the location.
Oman is not a Highland name nor a Caithness one I suspect.  Your mention of Langwell could be a key in your search.  When Sir John Sinclair introduced sheep to the north, the first flock he set up was at Langwell and he brought shepherds from the Scottish borders to attend them.  They were originally Cheviot sheep and bred into the hardier and smaller North Country Cheviot.  Could your Oman descendants have come from the borders.   Long shot Scots Bluebell but worth keeping in mind.
Do you have any Hendersons connected to The Bual in your tree ?  There have been Hendersons in The Bual for the past eighty years at least.

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## gh1936

Scots Bluebell

 A series of articles,  commencing May 6 1977 in the John O' Groat Journal, deals with some of the clearances in Caithess commencing with Sir John Sinclair clearing Berridale in 1792 or thereabouts. This predated the clearances in Sutherland.

I also had a look at the 1841 census for the name Oman. There are 72 entries all born in Caithness with the oldest being born about 1760. This would suggest that the first Oman was in Caithness well before sheep.

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## Scots Bluebell

:Grin:  This forum is so-o-o good! Thanks for your helpful and interesting posts, Mamie, jimag and gh1936. It is great to learn some local info on the Caithness fairs - I have seen the place Georgemas on maps and thought it rather an odd name, so I am pleased to have the background on it.

As for where the name Oman comes from, I have always been told it is probably Scandinavian and came to Caithness via Orkney at some point(s) in time. As a schoolgirl, I remember being delighted to read a reference to a John Oman in George Mackay Brown's "Orkney Tapestry" - I think it was some minor wrongdoing recorded in a Kirk Session or something, but it was good to see the surname in print! According to britishsurnames.co.uk, in 1881 you were 169 times more likely to find an Oman in Caithness than elsewhere in the UK. But it is of course possible that there were Omans in the Borders too, and that is something I will look at.

As for the name Henderson, jimag, it is not one that I have in my tree but then my tree is only a wee sapling so far! But it is interesting what you say about Hendersons at the Bual - if you remember, I found 2 households at Bulnatorran in the 1841 Census and wondered if it was the same place as Bualt/dorran: no Omans there in 1841 but there was Robert and Margaret Henderson and family!

Thanks for your tip on coverage of the Clearances, gh1936: I wonder if you could let me know how I would access these articles? Ambaile is for older records, the John O'Groat Journal site doesn't go further back than 2006, don't think it is something I can access remotely from NLS - would I have to go to Wick Library? Would it also be held at the National Library? Are there any other ways of accessing this? 

Thanks again to all posters (if that is the right term  :: ). And a Happy New Year to all.

Best wishes,

Scots Bluebell

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## w.j.milne

Hello Bell, Some time ago this name came into my research.From a reliable source it was returned as being 'Norse' and came south from the Orkney's.If you ask 'Ancestry' they will say Swedish plus other information.

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## gh1936

Scots Bluebell

The Groat archives I think are in Wick Library so they may be able to help.

The North Highland Archives may also have some information.

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## Scots Bluebell

Thanks, w j milne and gh1936, I am working on your tips! I hadn't spotted ancestry's feature on the meaning and distribution of surnames, it is well worth a look.

Best wishes,

Scots Bluebell

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## Bruce_H

Sorry for coming in late, but feel free to ask any Henderson questions you care to, I have a growing collection of information on the Hendersons from Berriedale / Ramscraigs / Dunbeath.  

I am sorry to say that the name Bualtorran is not familiar to me, but now you have me curious.

Bruce H

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## gh1936

Hello Bruce

Do you have a Mary Henderson b Latheron possibly on 17 Jul1786 married 
1. Alexander Gow 
2. Donald Sutherland

Both husbands were soldiers and a daughter Mary Sutherland was born in the Warley Barracks in Essex.

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## Bruce_H

Sadly my tree does not quite go back that far.  At that point in time all of my ancestors and their kin are likely in Berriedale, much further to the south.

The first real records we have for them in in the late 1700's associated with Knockfin and Rhian, both in / near the Berriedale Estate and Ramscraigs further to the north.

Bruce

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## Russell

Hi Scots Bluebell

I haven't visited Caithness.org for several months (Dead PC R.I.P.)  so I hadn't seen your posts.
My Caithness Omans were in Halkirk in the 1770's, moved to Wick in the early 1800's then the whole family moved (presumably by the regular boat service) to Edinburgh and set up shop there.
 There's another Oman family in Thurso around the same time period but I have not been able to link the two families.
Oman/Omand/Owman is definitely Scandinavian. If you look on some of the American sites there are loads of immigrants from Sweden called Oman/d. 

My George Oman became a professional photographer in Edinburgh (He'd been a tailor before that like his father Nathaniel but was probably a lousy tailor  :Smile: 

Wish you luck with your searches   :Grin: 

Russell

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## Scots Bluebell

Hello Russell,

Thanks for posting. I am really pleased to hear from you, especially as my online search for Omans past has brought up several old public posts to and from you on this and other sites, such as edinphoto, so I feel you are an Oman expert!

My Oman-hunting is still at an early stage, I wouldn't be able to put all the Omans I have seen in cenususes etc into only 2 families - to me there seem to be dozens... until last summer/autumn time, I had no idea how many Omans there were!

It is interesting that your Omans are Halkirk-based: from what I had seen online, I had assumed any Nathaniel Omans were "yours", and I thought they were linked to the Omans in the Shore St area of Thurso (1841 Census, John and Janet OMAN with 5 children including Nathaniel and Isaac). There seem to have been many Omans in just a few Thurso streets - Shore St/Lane, Millers Lane and Carnaby Lane -as well as thinking these Omans were probably all related, another assumption I made is that these streets are/were right next to one another. One day, I'll dig out a map!

As you can see, it is Latheron Omans I have been hunting. However, I am now at the stage of wondering whether to discount the name I have for George OMAN's mother: she is not mentioned on birth or marriage certs so all I have is George's death cert in 1885, where it says only "___ MCKENZIE". Since George moved to Clyne then Loth in Sutherland as a young man, before he married and had a family, it is perhaps possible that his son James got the name wrong on the death cert. If I discount MCKENZIE, it is very tempting to fit George into the "other" Latheron Omans, they also have William OMAN as father (but Isabella MUNRO as mother). This would furnish me with George's Bualtorran siblings (I couldn't find any of them with MCKENZIE as their mother's maiden name) but would also give me two older siblings, Isabel OMAN (1798-1875; married John SUTHERLAND; on birth cert, her mother is Isabel RAVALD, on death it is Isabel MUNRO...)  and William OMAN (1800-1872, married Bell CAMPBELL then Jane DOULL) - one of "brother" William's daughters was born in *Bulnattorran*, which surely just about clinches it that they were related?

Anyway, the interesting thing from your point of view is that William OMAN and Isabella MUNRO were married, and their first 2 children born, in Halkirk (Harpsdale and Spittal). In other words, like yr Omans, these Omans lived in Halkirk until the early 1800s... The only other possible link I can see between "your" and "my" Omans is that I know that your George married a Mary Ann RUTHERFORD, well, "my" George's son William had his marriage in 1891 witnessed by a "Maggie RUTHERFORD" - I have no idea who the lady was, I think I had a little look for her some months ago, thought she might show up in the 1891 Census for Caithness or Sutherland, but no luck.

Interesting little parallels, and I suppose all Omans are related somewhere down the line, but I don't suppose ours are especially closely related - for a start, yours seem to have been a lot wealthier than mine! Mine didn't seem to have any capital and were Ag Labs or Dom Servs...

Thanks again for posting, and if you or anyone else can shine a light on anything or anyone mentioned here, then please let me know!

Regards,

Scots Bluebell

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## Russell

Hi Scots Bluebell

I've only just logged on and seen your reply.

'Bual' suggested that Oman could be a border name. My George Oman b Halkirk disappears after 1841. His brother Nathaniel had a son called George b 1834 in Halkirk and the family were in Leith by 1840. This George married Mary Ann Rutherford who was born in Torwoodlee which, at that time (m 1867), was in Stow parish , Midlothian. 
They lived for a few years in Hawick in the Borders but I didn't find any other Omans anywhere in that part of Scotland.
I was searching furiously for a spreadsheet which I made up a few years ago with information relating to all the Oman families in Caithness but it seems to have gone down with my sinking computer  :Frown: . I'm recovering some of my stuff so it may turn up yet. If so I'll be back in touch.  :Grin: 

Russell

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## wendyomanmackay

Hi I have just started trying to do my family tree and my Grandfather was George Oman who was born in 1866 son of a William Oman.  Both my grandfather and and great grandfather were married twice.  I think William Oman was born in 1800 and from Latheron/Wick direction.  I also tryng to find out if my grandfather maybe had siblings from his fathers first marriage. Any info would be greatly received.

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## wendyomanmackay

Hi I notice you have a name Jane Doull mentioned above, I have a Jane Doull who was was my grandfathers mother.  Wonder could you help me with my family tree.  Wendy

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