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The first recorded child of Alexander Munro and Barbara Mackay was James Munro who was actually born in the parish of Durness and is found recorded in the Durness parish register dated 30th September 1791. The parents are recorded as being in the village of Ceannabeinne and the father Alexander Munro, as a carpenter. There are no later records referring to this James Munro and as his parents had another son named James Munro in 1796 in Armadale, it is assumed that the James Munro of 1791 died young.
However, the Durness parish register reveals that Alexander Munro was not the only carpenter living in Ceanabennie at this time. His daughter, Chirsty Munro, who was born in 1808 in the village of Armadale, parish of Farr later married Donald Morison who was the son of William Morsion, who was the other carpenter/boat carpenter living in Cennabeinne in the 1790's. Alex Munro was also sometimes recorded as a "boat carpenter". There were two William Morrisons in Ceneabeinne in the 1790's, one was a boatman and was married to Elizabeth Mackay and the other was a carpenter/boat carpenter and was married to Anne Mackay.
From the Durness parish register 1791 reading: Alexander Munro carpenter in Ceannabinn and Barbara Mackay his wife had James baptised 30th September
Related entries from the Durness parish register:
1791:
30. Alexander Munro, carpenter in Ceannabin, and . . . Barbara Mackay, James 30 Sept.
38. William Morison, tenent and boatman in Ceannabin, and . . . Elisabeth Mackay, alias nin Eachinmacdholi-cachin, Barbara 9 Nov.
1794:
5. William Morison, alias maceanmacuilammachustian, carpenter in Ceannabin, and . . . Ann Mackay, Barbara 4 Feb.
20. William Morison, alias macuilammachustian, tenent and boatman in Ceannabin, and . . . Elisabeth (alias Betty) Mackay, alias nin Achinmacdholicachinskerray,
Mary-anne 29 May.
1795:
14. William Morison, junr., alias macenmacuilammachustian, carpenter in Ceannabin, and . . . Ann Mackay, Katharine 10 Sept.
21. William Morison, Carpenter in Ceannabin, and . . . Ann Mackay, Hughina 30 July.
1798:
9. William Morison, alias maceanmacuilammachustian, boat carpenter and tenent in Islandhall, and . . . Ann Mackay, Donald 6 April
The Mackay Gaelic Aliases explained:
Elizabeth Mackay:
1791: Elisabeth Mackay, alias nin Eachinmacdholi-cachin translates as daughter of Hector, son of Donald, son of Hector.
1794: Elisabeth (alias Betty) Mackay, alias nin Achinmacdholicachinskerray translates as daughter of Hector, son of Donald, son of Hector in Skerray.
On pages 311 to 316 of the Book of Mackay (1906) the direct line of the Mackays of Skerray branch is listed Hector Mackay, 4th of Skerray, son of Donald Mackay, 3rd of Skerray, son of Hector Mackay, 2nd of Skerray which matches Elizabeth's Gaelic alias and is at exactly the right period of time.
Elizabeth's (as Betty) parish birth record exists dated 1772 in which her father is recorded as Hector, Macdholicachinskerray, which again translates as son of Donald, son of Hector in Skerray.
Hector Mackay, 2nd of Skerray was the eldest son of John Mackay, 1st of Skerray who was in turn a younger son of John Mackay, 1st of Strathy (incorrectly called Hugh on p.314 but correctly as John on other pages) who was in turn a younger son of Huistean (Hugh) Mackay, 13th of Stravnather, the chief of Clan Mackay. As per the Book of Mackay pages 311 to 316.
Ann Mackay:
Ann Mackay's and William Morrison's marriage is recorded in 1793 in the Durness parish register in which Ann is given the Gaelic alias: nin Hustianmacuilam which translates as daughter of Hugh, son of William. However I have not found a connection in the Book of Mackay for this line.
The Morison Gaelic Aliases explained:
William Morison (carpenter/boat carpenter):
1794: William Morison, alias maceanmacuilammachustian, carpenter translates as son of John, son of William, son of Hugh.
Note: Alexander Munro and Barbara Mackay's daughter, Chirsty Munro (b.1808), in Armadale later married Donald Morrison, son of William Morrison (carpenter) and Ann Mackay.
William Morison (boatman)
1794: William Morison, alias macuilammachustian, tenent and boatman translates as son of William, son of Hugh.
Note: on page 119 of David Dobson's book "Highlanders on the Eve of the Great Migration 1725 - 1775: The Northern Highlands" it shows that there was both a William Morrison "the elder" and a William Morrison "the younger" in George Mackay's Independent Company of soldiers that supported the British Government during the Jacobite rising of 1745, and having checked the original source the spelling for both is given as Morison, and the first geographic location given previously in the list of soldiers is Durness.
Ceannabeinne
Ceannabeinne (Gaelic for the end of the mountains) was a village or township in the parish of Durness. Amongst the ruins of Ceannabeinne there are the remains of what is thought to be a Monastic settlement, possibly dating from early medieval times. Ceannabeinne is said to have been a thriving "township" until the Highland Clearances of 1841, which resulted in rioting. There were once fourteen houses in the village of Ceanabeinne, all of which are now ruined apart from the old school house. (pictured right).
Ceannabeinne was part of the Rispond Estate. Almost all of the buildings built around the nearby Rispond Harbour (pictured right), including the jetty, were built in 1788.
The Old Statistical Account of Scotland (1791 - 1799) says for the parish of Durness that about 20 people of the parish were employed in building two ships in 1788 and 1789 which would sail from Ruspin (Rispond) for herring and cod fishing (volume 3, page 581), and that at the time no roads had been made through that tract of the country, (volume 3, page 580).
Although owned by Lord Reay, from 1788, the leasehold of Rispond and Ceannabeinne was held by James Anderson, 1st of Rispond (1746 - 1828) who was the tacksman and who was succeeded by his son James Anderson, 2nd of Rispond (1776 - 1854).
Map above showing Ceannabeinne with Rispond a short distance to the east and the main village of Durness to the west.
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