ABERDEEN-L Archives

From: Alan Mitchell <>
Subject: Rural countryside??
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 08:12:00 -0400

Hi, as nobody seems to have replied, I will try to help, although you do
not say which family is of particular interest.
Firstly, Gartly is very much a rural Parish with no great conurbation.
With the coming of the railway, a small Village has grown around Gartly
Station (on the Aberdeen Inverness line).
The places you mention are either farms, or simply cottages where farm
workers lived and still exist today, although the spelling is slightly
different. They would most likely be "tied" cottages and leased farms back
in 1851. All three places are accessed one after the other as you travel
towards the foot of some reasonable sized hills along a small burn
(stream).
In 1881, Coynachie Farmhouse was occupied by a William Wilson and his
sister from Rhynie (nearby village). He is 26, unmarried and a farmer
employing 13 men and 3 women.
Coynachie Cottage has Margaret Stuart, Shepherds widow aged 72, and
her son (and present Shepherd) John, unmarried aged 28.

Drumfergue Cottage(1) has a farm servant and his wife.

Drumfergue Cottage(2) has a Gamekeeper 22yrs and unmarried.
(Suggesting a tie with an Estate).
Drumfergue Farmhouse has three farm servants and a domestic
servant. (Suggesting the Farmer was absent for the Census?).

Corrylair Farmhouse(1) has William Cran Farmer of 45 acres with
wife Annie and 10 children.

Corrylair Farmhouse(2) has James Adam Farmer 147 acres Widower aged
74 with his son, wife and children.
Corrylair Cottage has Isabella Cran Farmers Widow aged 73.

So, of the people you mentioned in your original request (on 1851 Census)
only Margaret Stuart and the Crans at Corrylair would seem to have a
connection.

Alan Mitchell
Ballater, Aberdeenshire.

This thread:

• Rural countryside?? by Ann and David Carr <>

  • Rural countryside?? by Alan Mitchell <>