Harkness – MacGillivray Stories

This account mainly only traces records back to the first ‘official’ records. The censuses of Roderick Campbell’s family provide a good starting point as they can be traced from 1841 to 1911. In other words, 70 years! Some earlier documents are, of course, available but locating them will require more detailed research.

Camille Dressler’s book, Eigg – The Story of an Island (2007), provides various lists prior to 1841. One example is the “Census of the Small Isles 1764-1765″. It may prove difficult to bridge the gap between 1764 and 1841; however, the names on the 1764-1765 list suggest that the people living on Eigg in 1841 (first census) were to a great extent, related to the people living there in 1764-1765.

All the documents from ScotlandsPeople, such as censuses, births, marriages and death certificates, will be included in the Appendix, if they are not included in the main body of the text. The paper edition will perhaps not include all the documents due to the 500 page limit of the print shop.

In the past, crofters, tenant farmers, and agricultural labourers in the Western Isles and the Highlands had few rights. Despite that, it seems the Campbells of Eigg lived a more or less stable existence during this period, living in various crofts on the island. In other words, their lives were perhaps more stable than those of working people in urban areas during the same period who had to live in rented accommodation. However, this ‘stable’ life was perhaps more due to ‘luck’ than anything else, as the lairds would often evict long-standing tenants if they could profit by it. 

The Censuses: 1841 (Donald Campbell)

The 1841 census shows the family living at Sandaveg (7 members). Roderick has just been born and is only 6 months old.  The other three children are: Flora (11), Effy (9) and Anna (4). The mother’s mother, Flora McLean (63) is also living there. Donald is listed as an ‘agricultural labourer’. The various ‘Campbell’ censuses (Roderick and his father Donald) (1841-1901) also report other relatives living in the household, such as, sisters, a sister-in-law and Margaret Campbell’s widowed mother, Flora MacLean (see 1851 census). By 1901, only Roderick’s sister Flora was left.

A sister-in-law, Catherine Campbell, is registered living with the family at Galmisdale in 1881, but I can’t find a marriage document from the Small Isles. She ‘disappears’ in 1891. The ages of the family members vary from census to census. Incorrect ages reported on official documents do not seem to be uncommon. The census documents show that the Campbells lived at Galmisdale in 1871, 1881, and 1891. By 1901 they had been moved to Cuagach by the ‘laird’, Lawrence Thompson. This moving of the families will be discussed in more detail later in the book.

In 1851 and 1861 the family lived at Cleadale. Roderick was working at Kildonnan in 1861, and the father, Donald, was “working in another croft in the south”. In 1841 they lived at Sandaveg. The death certificate of John Campbell reports that they were still living at Galmisdale in 1897.

The Censuses: 1851 (Margaret Campbell)

The 1851 census seems to corroborate the 1861 census and shows the family living in a croft at Cleadale. Donald, the head of the family, is not present, but away in South ****** (illegible). Margaret (also called Peggie), his wife, is 40 years old. It is easy to identify the correctness of the census, as the census notes that she was born in Port Glasgow.   

Flora McClean (74), the mother of Margaret MacLean is also staying with them; she is a widow. She was born in Kilmore, Oban (1777) to Hector McLean and Flora McKinnon.  

The Censuses: 1861 (Donald Campbell)

I’m not sure if the following census is correct due to confusion about names, ages and place of birth, but it seems to place the family in Cleadale. Roderick is not listed; he was probably living and working at Kildonnan Farm. But the 1851 and 1871 censuses seem to be correct. But the 1861 census is most probably correct as it lists the children Angus and Peggy.