McCullochs in Ross, Sutherland and Linlithgow.....

jennyblain · Post by **jennyblain** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 2:01 am

William McCulloch, b. 1755 in Linlithgow (twin of Robert), married Ann Simson in Golspie, Sutherland, and their first child was born in Urray, Ross. The family then moved back Linlithgow - or rather, to Linlithgow Bridge, where they became innkeepers.

This seems such an odd combination that I am really intrigued. William and Robert are sons of Robert McCulloch and Eupham Gillies, middle children in their family born in Linlithgow, where their mother is from a Linlithgow family but there is no sign of the father's family before this generation. Are they a Ross family? And what is the Sutherland connection?

I know that there are a considerable number of McCullochs in Ross, and would be really interested to explore this connection. Other forenames in this McCulloch family (though some coming in from the Gillies connection!) seem to be James, John, Susannah, Agnes, and in the next generation, Hugh ...

Regards,
Jenny

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:29 am

Hi Jenny
Picked up your McCulloch interest from another post too- I have a LOT on McCullochs ....but a very specific group of McCullochs based in the Parishes of Fearn, Tain, Nigg & Logie Easter in Easter Ross, so a connection with your Sutherland McCullochs, if it exists, may be very distant.

Although William is a family name with the McCullochs I know of, as is James, Robert doesn't feature a all.

William McCulloch, b. 1755 in Linlithgow (twin of Robert), married Ann Simson in Golspie, Sutherland, and their first child was born in Urray, Ross. The family then moved back Linlithgow - or rather, to Linlithgow Bridge, where they became innkeepers.

That is a long "round trip" for those days. I wonder what William was doing up that way?

Best wishes
Lesley

jennyblain · Post by **jennyblain** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 6:16 pm

LesleyB wrote:I have a LOT on McCullochs ....but a very specific group of McCullochs based in the Parishes of Fearn, Tain, Nigg & Logie Easter in Easter Ross, so a connection with your Sutherland McCullochs, if it exists, may be very distant. ...

Although William is a family name with the McCullochs I know of, as is James, Robert doesn't feature a all. ...

That is a long "round trip" for those days. I wonder what William was doing up that way?

Isn't it? I am speculating that there is a family connection somehow, that maybe took him there... Robert the elder's father is, I think, a James. The birth of eldest daughter Mary (my g-g-g-grandmother) in Urray (north of Muir of Ord, so south of your area) is interesting. I can't make it out at all! But there it is - Mary is in the 1861 census, aged 70. and they were good enough to note the birthplace as 'Rossshire, Urray', thus confirming a birth I'd found in IGI (and disbelieved initially). I've wondered if Ann Simson was from Sutherland, the McCulloch connection a bit south from there - but have no way of knowing unless I can find other clues. It is a fascinating one, anyway.

Jenny

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:16 pm

Hi Jenny
There certianly are McCullochs in Sutherland - one was killed in the Meikle Ferry disaster. I think he was a Provost or somesuch. I'll go and look it up, and paste anything I find in here.

http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/sub_sectio ... rentId=196

Until the second decade of the 19th century, the only means of crossing the Dornoch Firth was by ferry. On the night of 16 August 1809 over 100 Sutherland people were returning to Dornoch from the market in Tain. The overladen ferryboat left Meikle Ferry and was about halfway across the firth when it began to ship water then sank with the loss of some 99 lives, including the Sheriff of Dornoch, Hugh MacCulloch. This disaster prompted the completion of the bridge at Bonar Bridge in 1812

.
and
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/SC ... 1017038104
Best wishes
Lesley
JJ