Mary McLeod 1828 – 1906 Part B

Mary McLeod and Donald Ross moved to live and work on the Cromarty Mains farm.

Sources: Google Earth,
Field edge, Cromarty Mains Farm for Geograph NH8066 Alpin Stewart

At Mains Farm crossroads for Geograph  NH7966 Nick R

On 10 March 1852 daughter Helen was born at Cromarty Mains

On 16 August 1853 daughter Christina was born at Cromarty Mains

On 19 November 1854 daughter Jessie Bell was born at Cromarty Mains

Family  information says twin daughters were born at this time. The name given for the other daughter was Leslie Bell Ross. No records have been located for Leslie.

On 18 March 1856 Alexander Ross was born at Rumsdale. Donald Ross had got a job as a shepherd at Rumsdale with his father-in-law John McLeod

On 27 April 1857 John McLeod Ross was born at Braehour an old settlement near Westerdale in the Halkirk Parish

On 28 October 1858 Elizabeth Ross was born at Dounry in the Thurso Parish

Source: Google Earth

Upper Dounreay Standing Stone for Geograph ND0066 Ewen Rennie

On 14 May 1860 Esther Ross was born at Dounry in the Thurso Parish

On 7 July 1862 Donald Ross was born at Melsetter Farm, Walls Parish, Orkney

On 24 March 1864 William Ross was born at Melsetter farm, Walls Parish, Orkney

Between 1852 and 1864 Mary gave birth to ten children. She moved from Mains, Cromarty to Rumsdale, to Brahour to Dounry, to Melsetter, to Rosemire, to Shetland and then to New Zealand. 

I am not sure how the family travelled. There were coaches but they were very expensive. The Ross family may have owned a horse and cart but if they were able to carry some possessions and some of the family had to walk they would have only gone about ten miles a day. From Cromarty Mains to Rumsdale would have been about 80 miles. What on earth did Mary feed the children while travelling? There were lots of inns on the way but they were not family friendly and were really drinking holes.

According to the birth records there were two more shifts before going to Melsetter. The trip across from Thurso (Scrabster) to Orkney by boat would have been easier in some ways but with six young children it would have had its stresses. Daughter Christina stayed behind with her McLeod grandparents at Rumsdale.

Top photo courtesy of Patricia Ross. Below photo is the
Melsetter farmhouse following extensive renovations
that were made to the Melsetter buildings 
Source: www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/imagelibrary/picture/number16844.asp

The 1871 census shows the Ross family moving to Rossmyre in the Firth Parish near Kirkwall. The trip involved about 30 miles of travelling and a ferry crossing. Six of the children were still at home. Helen and Jessie had left home.

Source: Google Earth

Farm road, Rossmyre for Geograph HY3811 Richard Webb

The trip from Kirkwall to the Shetlands was about 150 miles by boat. Long enough for the children to be cold and miserable. 

Sheep at Shetland Island

Things were not looking good for the Ross family at this time as Donald had Tuberculosis. The move to the cold and misty Shetlands did nothing to improve his health and this Scottish family made plans to emigrate to New Zealand.