Cattle drovers coming to Carlisle, wherefrom?

[freddie999]

My Great Grand Father, and his father (John McAllister & Samuel McAllister)in the late 1800's were cattle drovers. I found them in a census, at this address in Carlisle: 7, Whippery Lane, Rickergate. It appears to be a lodging house, in 1891 had 15 men/women as lodgers, including cattle drovers. For the drovers this must be their first chance of having a soft bed and a roof overhead, and a BATH!!! I know the cattle were collected along the drove, but I don't know where it started. Samuel's mother isn't with them in Carlisle, but I am not sure where to start to look for her. Does any one know where the drovers who brought cattle down into Carlisle started, or came from?

[Colin Moretti]

A good starting point (no pun intended) for this enquiry is The Drovers by Shirley Toulson (Shire Books). It has a map showing routes from Donaghadee (Ireland), Islay, Stirling and Mull, and lots of towns en route to Carlisle. No doubt many then headed south towards London

Colin

[Colin Moretti]

Another book to check would be The Drovers' Roads of Scotland by A R B Haldane (1952)

Colin