Anyone know of Ardintraw Coppice Wood in Argyll?

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 4:32 pm

Does anyone know of Ardintraw Coppice Wood in the civil parish of Inverchaolain in Argyll? The Parish Number in the 1841 census is 514.

I came across this while rummaging through the census using Ancestry. I was looking at the Donochies and picked Mary Donochie (age 20) at random and found this unusual address.

What is more unusual is that it lists about a hundred household members! As they mostly have different surnames I don't think they are all one family.

Hugo

Post by **Tracey** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:15 pm

Hello Hugo

Cant help much with your post but freecen has it transcribed as

DONOCHIE Mary F 20 Occupation Ardintraive Wood Workers born Ireland

Piece: SCT1841/514 Place: Inverchaolain -Argyllshire Enumeration District: 6
Civil Parish: Inverchaolain Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island:
Folio: 6 Page: 4
Address: Fernoch

They all seem to some kind of Wood Workers and so far Google hasnt come up with anything that might help.

Post by **AnneM** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:16 pm

Hi Hugo

The names are of wood workers in the wood plant. Inverchaolain at that point includes Strachur where most of the timber plants were and are. I'm not sure about the name as it seems to vary from page to page from Ardintraive to Ardintraw to Ardintray.

Anyone remember the Barrs Iron Bru advert which claimed that the drink was for "The strong men of Strachur" ? Well I think you have happened upon some of their 19th Century fore runners.

Anne

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:56 pm

Greetings Tracey and Anne,

My thanks to you both for your prompt and informative replies.

One lesson I have now learnt (at least I hope I have) is to cross check. I did not think of Freecen, don't know why.

Hugo

Post by **Tracey** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:28 pm

Hello Hugo

If you had said that you found that address on SP i probably wouldnt have looked on freecen but knowing Ancestry's reputation for mistranscribing thought i would take a look (only yesterday i saw someone who's name was clearly type written as Bessie on the manifest but transcribed as Bossie on the search

)

Tracey

Post by **AnneM** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:43 pm

Hi Hugo

From the Second Statistical Account of Scotland for Inverchaolain:

....440 acres of thriving plantation of various ages, consisting principally of larch, Scotch spruce and silver fir, oak, ash and birch. There are 1000 acres of oak coppice woods generally cut every 20 or 21 years, yielding a handsome return to the proprietors"

(Quite off the point, this article goes on to mention my 4 x great grandfather who was the school master of the parish, John Morrison, and had recently died. He is not mentioned by name but it was definitely him.)

Anne

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:35 am

Tracey,

It took me a long time to realise the importance of recording the source of my information which is why I mentioned Ancestry.

Anne,

I tried Google for any mention of the coppice wood at Inverchaolain but did not get anything. I didn't think about the Statistical Account of Scotland.

Thanks