Rangag
Some time between 1861 and 1865 William and Betsy moved to Rangag, a small settlement
near Loch Rangag.
 |
| OS six inch to mile maps 1840s to 1880s |
Loch Rangag
Loch Rangag
is a minor loch in the north of Latheron Parish in the Highlands area of
Scotland 5 miles (8km) northwest of Lybster and between Lochs Stemster and
Ruard.
 |
Loch Rangag
|
Broch Site
The remains of a broch known as the Greysteil Castle are on the edge of Loch Rangag. Greysteil was a notorious robber and freebooter. His dates are doubtful but he may have lived in the late sixteenth century. He was an expert swordsman and no person who had a conflict with him or set foot on his land lived to tell the tale. He was eventually overcome by a magic sword loaned to a young aggrieved hunter by a widow who lived nearby at Halsary.
 |
Remains of Greysteil Castle in centre
|
Doubly Good
The move to
Rangag was doubly good. The Williamsons secured the rent or lease of one of the
farms in Rangag owned by George Sutherland of Forse. About the same time
Betsy’s parents John and Christina McLeod needed a place to retire to as the
Rumsdale farm they had worked on for 40 years was sold in 1863. The McLeods got
the rent or lease of a small house and land next door to the Williamsons. This
house may have been built by subscription in 1842, at the same time the Halsary
Mission church, a little way up the road, was built.
 |
| The McLeod House in 2009 |
 |
| Rangag OS 25 inch to mile maps 1850s to 1880s |
Valuation Rolls and Census Records
The Valuation
Roll for 1865 shows William Williamson renting a farm in Rangag. The proprietor
was George Sutherland Esq of Forse. The yearly rent was £23. The size of the
farm is not given on the Valuation Roll.
 |
| Valuation Roll 1865 |
The 1871 census
states that the size of the farm was 100 acres with 29 arable.
The Valuation
Roll for 1875 shows that William was still on the Rangag farm and the rent had
gone up to £25 per year. Again the size is not given.
 |
| Valuation Roll 1875 |
The census
for 1881 says William was farming 40 acres with 29 arable.
Family Births
In 1862 Betsy
had a baby girl she named Christina after her mother. This baby did not survive.
A second baby
girl was born in April 1864 also named Christina (1864 – 1919)
Daughter
Elizabeth was born in June 1869 (1869 – 1909)
The Farm
With 29 acres
of arable land William would have been busy enough. The Google Earth view of
the Williamson land shows some flat paddocks that would be easy to grow crops
on but some of the country behind the house is hilly and a bit rough. He may
have grazed stock – sheep or cattle – on this area.
 |
The
Williamson house from the A9
|
They had a
good water supply and a small water wheel beside the house.
 |
| The site of the old water wheel |
School
There was a
school for both boys and girls within easy walking distance of the house.
Halsary
A substantial
‘meeting house’ had been built at Halsary in 1842 by members of the Church of
Scotland. Following the Disruption in the church in 1843 the local church goers
were (unlike many other Scottish congregations) allowed to continue using the
Halsary building for worship. The McLeods and Williamsons were devout members
of the new Free Church of Scotland. I am sure meetings at Halsary would have
been an important focus of the week for both the Williamsons and the McLeods.
Halsary was within comfortable walking distance of Rangag. There were up to 350
attending church at Halsary in the 1800s so people came from miles around. Betsy’s
youngest sister Catherine was married at Halsary in 1877 – more on that event
in another blog.
 |
| The old Halsary meeting house |
Census 1871
The census
for 1871 shows the Williamson family living in Rangag. The household includes
the three young children, Christina, William and Elizabeth, plus nephew William
Sutherland who has lived with the family since birth.
 |
| Census 1871 |
Family next Door
The 1871
census confirms Betsy’s mother Christina McLeod and her youngest daughter
Catherine McLeod living next door to the Williamsons. They are running a
grocery business from the house. John McLeod had died in 1869.
Census 1881
The census
for 1881 shows a few changes in the family arrangements. The nephew William
Sutherland is gone, probably working somewhere else. Missing also was daughter
Elizabeth who was living in Thurso with an aunt. William and Christina are
living at home with their parents. Next door in Rangag are Betsy’s sister
Catherine, her husband James Taylor and their daughters.
 |
| Census 1881 |
Betsy's Death
On 9 Jan 1883
Betsy died of Typhoid. She was 57. Typhoid spreads by a person eating or
drinking contaminated food or water. At the time Betsy died the causes and
treatments for Typhoid were only just beginning to be understood. Her husband
William was with her when she died.
 |
| Betsy’s Death |
Census 1891
The census for
1891shows the widower William at home on the croft. With him are his unmarried
son William, his unmarried daughter Christina and her baby son David Campbell
Williamson. A school mistress is also boarding with them.
 |
| Census 1891 |
Census 1901
The census for
1901 shows William at home aged 76. Son William has married Catherine McIver.
They are both living at this house. Grandson David Williamson Campbell is here living
with his grandfather. David stayed in Rangag for most of his life. His mother
married Alexander Campbell and they went to Glasgow. He died in 1909 leaving
her a widow with seven dependent children. Christina took all her children
except David to New Zealand
 |
| Census 1901 |
William's Death
In 1902 William Died age 77 of cancer. His son William was with him.
The Williamson House
In 2011 a
local farmer took me through the now deserted Williamson house. Here are some
of my pictures.
 |
Was this
Betsy’s iron?
|
 |
 |
The barn
|
No comments:
Post a Comment