Tuesday 19 April 2011

Corners of Uig - Tealasbhagh

When browsing the 1851 census for registration district 89, enumeration district 1 (the remote areas of Uig), I came across a strange name, which had me scratching my head all through my mid-morning coffee. Fortunately, I know my map, and after viewing the photocopy of the actual census record on Scotland's People, I concluded that the township of "Tallasrag", as the Ancestry transcriber calls it, is in fact "Tealasbhagh", on the loch of the same name. Tallasvay, which is the closest rendition of the name on the census form lies between the headlands of Ardbeag and Ardmor, a mile and a half south of Hamnaway [Tamanavay on the below map].



The 1851 census records the following people in this remote corner of the island:

John Mcdonald (44, tenant), married to Catharine (24), both born in Harris - which is only a mile or two away across Loch Resort. They have two young children, John (2) and Margret (3 months). Ann Mclean (19) is a house servant. The Mcdonald's nephew Donald Mclennan (20) is visiting 'fisher'; Donald Mcleod (40) is also visiting, but is not marked as a relative. Neither is Margret Mclennan.

A second household at Tealasbhagh shows a "labourer on the way", Alexander Loggie (20) from Maybole in Ayrshire. John Gaffey, from Roscommon in Ireland, is an assistantie 'Cirie' on the way. Alexander Macrae (30) is a labourer from Renton (Contin?) in Ross-shire, and Donald Stewart (19) from Uig, Ross-shire is also a labourer-on-the-way.

I have been unable to locate this township in the census of 1861 or later.

The Archeology Service for the Western Isles shows these findings for the locale nowadays.

1 comment:

  1. The 6-inch map may be seen here...

    http://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch/view/?sid=74428291&zoom=6&lat=4394&lon=11906&layers=B

    ...and Commander FWL Thomas's Admiralty Chart of 1860, apparently indicating the presence of two roofed buildings, is here:

    http://maps.nls.uk/coasts/view-admiralty/?id=1326&zoom=6&lat=12165&lon=6116.5&layers=B

    Peter

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