After much heartache I have managed to find most of my father's family, needless to say there is a mystery and it had to be my grandfather! Luckily my father found some family records which have helped to piece people together, but as always much has been lost over the years. Without boring everyone to bits, the story is as follows:
Great grandparents James Angus & Mary Moffat, James was a shepherd died in Achilty in 1863, Mary in Dingwall 1896, they produced, so far found 10 children, one of which was Ann, my great grandmother, born 1842 in Lochbroom, she produced James Angus, my grandfather. Here come a couple of the problems!
Ann is last know to be living age 17 with her family in Contin, 1861 census and working as a I think a housekeeper and unmarried. I don't know if the place listed is perhaps in Gaelic but it looks as if spelt "Luibrach", after this she vanishes. Anybody know if there was an Estate in that area around that time that might have employed the family?
My gandfather surfaces in Edinburgh at the age of 3 (1871 census)living as a boarder with a family from Shetland called Peterson, where he stayed until joining the Royal Scots. From letters to him from another boarder and members of this family, he classed them as his own. As far as the family know grandfather was born in Edinburgh, unfortunately, no birth records there or Ross & Cromarty. I have a letter to him from the Royal Infimary supposed excerpt to confirm his birth, prior to his marrriage, but on checking no records exsist and the named father William Reid from Muscelborough, probably, a name better than no name?
