WHYTE, ROSS & MACKAY in DURNESS.

[KateW]

I am interested in finding out more about my husband's Whyte, Ross and Mackay ancestors from Durness, Sutherland.

We know quite a few facts/dates from Census and b/m/d records but it would be nice to fill in more details and I wonder if there might be someone else who is researching these families.

John Whyte (Macuilleam Macomash) b.1740 Tailor/Mason. Achunahanat
Donald Whyte b.1773 Crofter/Weaver.

Donald Ross Crofter Durness. m.1778 to Mary Mackay (Nin Uileam) b.abt 1762 Clashneash, Tongue. Their daughter Ann Ross b.1787 Durness and married Donald Whyte the Crofter/Weaver in 1808 in Durness.

I have not been able to find death dates for all of these and some birth dates are only 'abt'.

Hoping the names may link in with someone elses! ;)

KateW

[Davran]

Kate, have you tried the Talking Scot forum:

http://talkingscot.com/forum/profile.php?mode=activate&u=1296&act_key=02fe0be650446e

It is a forum dedicated to Scottish ancestry and I think you are more likely to get a 'hit' there. They are very knowledgeable, like the lot on here, and just as friendly.

[KateW]

Thanks for the tip. I had a look and see it is part of the Scotlands people website. It said my account was already activated! I have used Scotlands people - a very good site.
I will go back and have a better look at the forum.
Cheers,
KateW :)

[JanHW]

Interested to read your post re Whytes in Durness. Donald Whyte and Ann Ross were my Great Great Grandparents. I have quite a lot of information and some of it may be useful to you.

[KateW]

JanHW,

Thanks for contacting me. I would be very interested to see the information you have about your Gt Gt grandparents, Donald and Ann. Can you write details here or attach them?
Look forward to seeing what you have.

KateW.

[JanHW]

Hi KateW - from the info I have Donald Whyte was born 24 Feb 1773 and died 28 Sept 1859. He married Ann Ross (baptised 10 Aug 1787) on 5 Feb 1808. They had children - Ann (b. 27 Dec 1808 - d. 21 Jul 1884), Donald (b. 26 May 1810), Mary (b. 25 Apr 1812 - d. 19 Apr 1892), Johan (b. 18 May 1815 - d. 1 Jun 1905), Angus (b. 24 Jan 1819 - d. 24 Jun 1907) [my great grandfather], Alexander (b. 7 Jan 1823 - d. 29 Dec 1905), John (b. 3 Sept 1826 - d. 11 Oct 1869) and Barbara (b. 1 Dec 1828)

Donald Whyte's parents (John Whyte and Ann Fraser) were married on 20 June 1765

You may of course have a lot of the above information already. I'd be interested to hear your connection with the Whyte's - unfortunately on my immediate side of the family there aren't a lot left! My email address is available on this site if you would like to get in touch further.

Regards, JanHW

[KateW]

Hi JanHW,
Thank you for the information. I have exactly the same names and dates, minus & plus a few.

Ann Ross died 13 Jan 1880.
Donald Whyte,(brother of Angus) son of Donald and Ann Ross died in Aberdeen 8 Jan 1877 aged 67 from Tetanus. He married Ann Pittendrigh. They were my husband Steve Whyte's 3xG grandparents.

Do you have details for any other children of John Whyte and Ann Fraser or for the siblings of Ann Ross?

What about Ann's father, Donald Ross? The only detail I have for him is a copy of the marriage record which says that he married Mary Mackay on 3 June 1778 at Clashneash, Durness.

KateW.

[Trish]

Hi Kate and Jan,

Are either of you familiar with the County Sutherland (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/county-sutherland/) mailing list?

It's an excellent site for those researching family history in Sutherland. The members are very helpful and, altogether, they have a vast wealth of information about most Sutherland surnames such as McKay and Ross.

Regards,
Trish

[Jean Hammond]

Hi Kate
John Whyte (1740) and Ann Fraser (1742) were my 4XGreat Grandparents. I descend from their son William Whyte (1780) and Janet McKay (1792).
I have nine siblings for William (1740) as well as information on the family of William Whyte and Janet McKay. I would like to share information with you.
Jean H., Canada

[KateW]

Hi Jean,
John Whyte and Ann Fraser were my husband's 5X Gt grandparents. I also have information about 9 siblings of 4X Gt grandfather Donald Whyte, Crofter/Weaver (1773). Donald married Ann Ross and had 8 children and our family is down from their son Donald Ross Whyte(1810). John and Ann must have had many grandchildren!

Which of William and Janet's children do you descend from?

Do you have any information prior to John and Ann, their marriage date, parents, siblings etc? I would be interested to know anything you have and you are welcome to anything I know.

I have been in contact with some descendants of the elder brother George (1766) who have given me a lot of the information I have and been very helpful - that was through the Rootschat website. Do you know that?

Kate Whyte.

[Jean Hammond]

Hi Kate
My 4X Great Grandparents were John Whyte or MACUILAM MACOMASH which means son of William son of Thomas was born about 1740 Durness, married 20 June 1765 in Achunahainat, Durness to Ann Fraser, daughter of John Fraser, christened 06 March 1742 Golspie.

I descend from their son William Whyte born 07 July 1780 Achunahainat, Durness married 04 May 1810 Loch Laxford, Eddrachillis to Janet MaKay born 06 May 1792 Eribol, Durness. Their children were Hector born 1811 Eddrachillis, Hughina born 1813 Eddrachillis, Ann born about 1816 Durness, Jane born 1818 Durness, Johanna born 1821 Eddrachillis, Kenneth born 1826 Eddrachillis, Elizabeth born 1829/30 Eddrachillis (my 2X Great Grandmother), Robina born 1840 Eddrachillis. Family stories say there were two more childen, one whom died in a house fire and one other female, names unknown and years of birth unknown.

My 2X Great Grandmother Elizabeth (1829/30) had a son, Edward born 1855 in Oxford County, Canada. His daugher, Janet Whyte born 1884 was my Grandmother. Although her name was Janet, she went by Jean and I am named after her.

William Whyte (1780) and Janet McKay (1792) emigrated to Canada after the birth of their children in Scotland and before the 1851 Census in East Nissouri Township, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada where they are listed living in a log house with two of their children, Hector and Elizabeth.

I do have more information on William (1780) and Janet (1792) family which I can share another time if you wish.

I certainly would be interested in any information on your Donald Whyte (1773) family and also George Whyte (1776) family. Both you and the descendants of George Whyte (1776) are welcome to any information that I have.

Regards
Jean

[KateW]

Hi Jean,

Thank you for the information about your branch of the Whytes. I had the names and dates of all the children apart from Jane 1818 and Robina, was she another daughter with a gap of 10 years? For 1818 I had the un-named male child who died in a house fire. I had Hughina as Hughina Mackay and Kenneth as Kenneth Scobie. I didn't know they emigrated to Canada, but I am not surprised as life must have been very hard in north Scotland and they would have been lured by a promise of a new life in Canada. We have branches in our family who did the same.

I have only discovered names and dates of all these Whytes in the last 9 months or so when a cousin-in-law & I started to look for more Scottish details. We knew they came from North West Scotland but needed to fill in all the details. My husband is pleased to know where his ancestors came from and though I married into the family I have been a Whyte for 29 years and they are also my children's ancestors. (We have 2 sons aged 25 & 24)
It has been rewarding and I am very interested in these Whytes.

I managed to find birth, marriage & death records from Scotland's People which were quite revealing if rather hard to read.

John Whyte (1740) had a brother Donald who married Janet Gordon 09 Jan 1770 in Durness and they had 4 children; Hugh 06 Nov 1773; Janet 22 Sept 1776; John 23 Jan 1781; Donald 09 Oct 1784.

4X Gt Grandparents were Donald Whyte (b.24 Feb 1773 Durness;d.28 Sept 1859 Durness) and Ann ROSS (Chr 10 Aug1787; d.13 Jan 1880, Durness)daughter of Donald Ross, a crofter and Mary Mackay of Clashneash. They married on 05 Feb 1808 in Durness.
They had 8 children all born Durness (Clashneash). Ann 27 Dec 1808; Donald Ross (3XGG) 26 May 1810-08 Jan 1877 Aberdeen; Mary 25 Apr 1812-19 Apr 1892 (married Hector Sutherland); Johana 18 May 1815-1 Jun 1905; Angus Chr 24 Jan 1819-24 Jun 1907 (married Dolina McPherson); Alexander Chr 1823- 29 Dec 1905; John Ross (Cooper) Chr 03 Sept 1826-11 Oct 1869 (married Agnes Walker); Barbara Chr 01 Dec 1828 (married Angus McIntyre).

3X GGrandparents: Donald Ross Whyte (Salmon Boiler/Cooper 1810-08 Jan 1877 Aberdeen) and Ann Pittendrigh (b.1813- 26 July 1877 Aberdeen) married 13 Jan 1840 St Nicholas, Aberdeen. (The Pittendrighs are 'another kettle of fish'. So many of them and about 6 spelling variants!!) Donald and Ann had 5 children. Donald died of Tetanus and 6 months later Ann died when she fell or jumped from an attic window a distance of 40 feet!!

2X Gt Grandfather was John Ross Whyte (14 Mar 1841 Helmsdale - 18 Dec 1900 Croydon, Surrey, England.) He married Julia Mott Turner (1841 Croydon) 06 Sept 1866. He was an Engineer/Ironmonger and they had 6 children.

Gt Grandfather Sydney Ross Whyte (Sept 1872 -1924 Croydon) married Olive Millen (1874-1962 Croydon) He was an Engineer. They had 6 children and John (Jack) Ross Whyte was Grandfather, an Engineer. Father (in law) was Sidney John Ross Whyte, an Engineer, and husband Stephen John Ross Whyte is an Agricultural Engineer. His brother is also an Engineer and has the name Ross, so too do my sons. Not sure why but the name Ross seems to have stuck in the male line. Often sons had the mother's maiden name but not in this family!!

George (1766) married Caroline Campbell and had 8 children; Williamina 1798; George Mackay 1799; George 1802; Dollie Mackay 1804; Christian (f) 1806 Ann and Hector twins 1810; John 1817.

Hector married Mary McIntosh and I have been in contact with Caroline a descendant. John (1817) married Christy McKay and had 9 children and I have been given a lot of help and information by his descendant Carol.

I would be interested to know dates and any details for William (approx 1700) and his father Thomas if you know them.

I hope that was not too long winded!

with best wishes,
Kate.

[JanHW]

Hi Kate, interested to read your post. I am the great grand-daughter of Angus Whyte and Dolina McPherson mentioned in your post. I too have a fair amount of information but it looks as if you are doing very well already! I too have been in touch with Carol who has given me a lot of information.
Regards, JanHW

[KateW]

Trish,
Thanks for the tip about the County Sutherland mailing list.
I had a look and find you have to sign up to a Yahoo Account. I this quite straightforward? Not sure about signing up to Yahoo, is it likely to cause any problems?
KateW.

[KateW]

Jan,
Thanks for your message. There seem to have been quite a few Whytes who moved away from the area. I found a group in Lancashire and quite a few of ours ended up in Aberdeen and then S.E England. I would be interested to know how many were still around Durness.
Kate.

[JanHW]

Kate, if you would like to you can contact me via email which is available through this site. I can perhaps then give you some more information.
Regards, Jan

[Jean Hammond]

Hi Kate
I tried to write back with information on my Whytes and lost the posting. Think I have figured out that you have to log on, which I am not used to on other lists, or you can not send messages.
Anyway, had three pages typed and bingo. . .gone. I will try again tomorrow or Tuesday.
Thanks for now.
Jean

[KateW]

Hi Jean,

Sorry to hear that your effort was lost! Look forward to seeing what you are sending.

I've just followed Trish's recommendation and signed up to and posted my first message on the Southerland county website and see you have as well. Hopefully someone there may have ancestors in common.

Kate.