Heisker

Tasglann nan Eilean contacted me earlier this week regarding a wargrave of a German U-boat engineer on the Monach Isles. This appears to be a recurring query with them. The bronze plaque commemorates Otto W Schatt, who was 31 when his U-boat 110 was sunk by Royal Navy vessels off Malin Head in 1918. Three crewmen drifted north on the currents of the North Atlantic and washed up on Heisker. Only Otto Schatt still had his ID badge on his person; the others could no longer be identified.

In 1901, the census shows enumeration district 8 as being Heisker (sic), with a population of 106. Eight of these were lighthouse keepers and their families and attendants. Nearly a hundred others, spread over 14 households, were the resident population. These are the population numbers in the second half of the 19th century.

1861: 127
1871: 125
1881: 100
1891: 140
1901: 106

The islands were abandoned in 1942.

I copy the census breakdown of enumeration district 8, registration district 113 (North Uist) for the 1901 census. In the list below, the abbreviation "b." means "born in". The designation "daur" means daughter.

Household 1
Margaret Macdonald, 75, sewing mistress, b. North Uist
Marion Macdonald, 36, daughter of Margaret, Housekeeper, b. North Uist
Mary F Mackay, 19, boarder, teacher, b. North Uist

Household 2
Alexander Macdonald, 51, crofter, b. North Uist
Mary Macdonald, 42, wife, b. North Uist
Archie Macdonald, 20, son, fisherman, b. North Uist
Alick Macdonald, 18, son, b. North Uist
Ronald Alick Macdonald, 12, son, scholar, b. North Uist
Angus Macdonald, 4, son, b. North Uist
Alexander Macdonald, 2, son, b. North Uist
Maggie Macdonald, 16, daur, b. North Uist
Christy Macdonald, 14, daur, b. North Uist
Mary Macdonald, 10, daur, scholar, b. North Uist

Household 3
William Macdonald, 72, husband of Ann, crofter, b. North Uist
Ann Macdonald, 70, wife of William, b. North Uist
James Macdonald, 47, son, pauper, b. North Uist
Margaret Macdonald, 44, daughter-in-law, general serv (domestic), b. North Uist
William Macdonald, 11, grandson, son of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist
Donald Macdonald, 10, grandson, son of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist
John Alick Macdonald, 8, grandson, son of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist
Alexander Macdonald, 6, grandson, son of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist
Ann Macdonald, 12, granddaughter, daughter of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist
Catherine Laing, 42, daughter of William and Ann, crofter's wife, b. North Uist
Andrew Laing, 1, grandson, son of Catherine, b. North Uist

Household 4
Murdoch Macdonald, 40, crofter, b. North Uist
Ann Macdonald, 38, wife of Murdoch, b. North Uist
John Macdonald, 14, son of Murdoch and Ann, scholar, b. North Uist
Donald A Macdonald, 12, son of Murdoch and Ann, scholar, b. North Uist
Alick Macdonald, 10, son of Murdoch and Ann, scholar, b. North Uist
Donald John Macdonald, 6, son of Murdoch and Ann, scholar, b. North Uist
Catherine Macdonald, 4, daughter of Murdoch and Ann, b. North Uist
Alexander Macdonald, 2, daughter of Murdoch and Ann, b. North Uist
Ann Macdonald, 4 months, daughter of Murdoch and Ann, b. North Uist
Maggie Macdonald, 25, dairymaid, b. North Uist

Household 5
Roderick Macdonald, 78, husband of Flora, crofter, b. North Uist
Flora Macdonald, 90, wife of Roderick, b. North Uist
Margaret Macdonald, 44, daur of Flora and Roderick, b. North Uist
Marion Macaulay, 49, daur of Flora and Roderick, wife of Allan, b. North Uist
Allan Macaulay, 48, son-in-law, husband of Marion, b. North Uist
Margaret Maclellan, 65, visitor, pauper, b. North Uist

Household 6
John Macdonald, 60, husband of Catherine, crofter, b. North Uist
Catherine Macdonald, 58, wife of John, b. North Uist
Donald John Macdonald, 28, son, b. North Uist
Lizzie Macdonald, 20, daur, b. North Uist
Lexy Macdonald, 8, granddaughter, scholar, b. North Uist
Anna Dingwall, 14, visitor, scholar, b. North Uist
Roderick Mackay, 28, visitor, seaman, b. North Uist

Household 7
Donald Alick Macdonald, 23, husband of Christina, fisherman, b. North Uist
Christina Macdonald, 25, wife of Donald Alick

Household 8
Archibald Macaulay, 49, husband of Mary, son of Effie, crofter, b. North Uist
Mary Macaulay, 42, wife of Archibald,
Roderick Macaulay, 14, son, b. North Uist
Archie Macaulay, 12, son, scholar, b. North Uist
Alick Macaulay, 10, son, scholar, b. North Uist
Angus J Macaulay, 9, son, scholar, b. North Uist
Ronald Macaulay, 8, son, scholar, b. North Uist
Malcolm Macaulay, 5, son, scholar, b. North Uist
Christy Macaulay, 19, daur, b. North Uist
Mary Macaulay, 2, daur, b. North Uist
Annie Macaulay, 5 months, daur, b. North Uist

Household 9
Archibald Macaulay, 76, husband of Marion, crofter, b. North Uist
Marion Macaulay, 70, wife of Archibald, b. North Uist
John Macaulay, 6, grandson, scholar, b. North Uist
Marion Macaulay, 11, granddaughter, scholar, b. North Uist
Mary Ann Macaulay, 8 granddaughter, scholar, b. North Uist
Roderick Matheson, 18, servant, b. North Uist
Ranald Macdonald, 19, visitor, crofter's son, b. North Uist

Household 10
Norman Murray, 62, husband of Effie, boat builder, b. Lewis
Effie Murray, 60, wife of Norman, b. North Uist
Norman Macdonald, 6, grandson, b. Glasgow

Household 11
Donald Macintosh, 43, husband of Ann, fisherman, b. North Uist
Ann Macintosh, 31, wife of Donald, b. North Uist
Angus Macintosh, 11, son, scholar, b. North Uist
Ann Macintosh, 7, daur, scholar, b. North Uist
Flora Macintosh, 5, daur, b. North Uist
John Alick Macintosh, 2, son, b. North Uist

Household 12
Janet Mackay, 75, housekeeper, b. North Uist
Archibald Mackay, 28, son, fisherman, b. North Uist
Reachel Mackay, 39, daur, weaveress, b. North Uist
Mary Maclean, 12, granddaughter, scholar, b. North Uist
Reachel Ferguson, 31, visitor, dairymaid, b. North Uist
Neil Maclean, 21, visitor, fisherman, b. North Uist

Household 13
Alexander Maccuish, 65, crofter, b. North Uist
Alick Maccuish, 32, son, b. North Uist
Alexander Maccuish, 26, son, fisherman, b. North Uist
Jessie Maccuish, 24, daur, b. North Uist
Ann Maccuish, 18, daur, tailoress, b. North Uist
Marion Maccuish, 16, daur, general serv (domestic), b. North Uist
James Matheson, 28, boarder, fisherman, b. North Uist

Household 14
Norman Macdonald, 66, husband of Jessie, boatman, b. North Uist
Jessie Macdonald, 49, wife of Norman, b. North Uist
Donald Alan Macdonald, 20, son, fisherman, b. North Uist
Malcolm Macdonald, 18, son, b. North Uist
Norman Macdonald, 12, son, scholar, b. North Uist
Maggie Macdonald, 10, daur, scholar, b. North Uist
Christy Macdonald, 8, daur, scholar, b. North Uist

Household 15
James S Budge, 24, husband of Mary C, born Bay, South Bonalds, lightkeeper
Mary C Budge, 20, wife of James S, born Tyree,
Thomas S Budge, 6 mo, son of James S and Mary C, born Greenock,
Jessie F Crow, 35, visitor, b. Shetland, housekeeper

Household 16
James Black, 57, husband of Helen principal lighthouse keeper, b. Aberdeen
Helen Ross Black, 52, wife of James, b. Helmsdale
Maggie Ross Black, 22, daur, b. Arbroath
John A Roberts, grandson, son of Maggie, 5, b. Port St Mary, Isle of Man