Township of Brora East Muir

Stone & Clay 1849 

Schedule of the contents and estimated annual value of the lots in the townships together with some of the statements made by the tenants to the Surveyor who asked the following questions: Date of entry, what he paid outgoing tenant and for what plus description of house, by whom built & when built  

TOWNSHIP OF BRORA EAST MUIR

December 1849

DONALD GUNN – succeeded ALEXANDER MACKAY about 18 years ago – houses built by Alexander Mackay about 30 years since.  The dwelling house of stone and clay with red tiled roof – offices of stone and clay and thatched with divots – the house belong to the proprietor – they were purchased by him from Mackay about 20 years ago – does not know what was paid for them – they are not now in good state of repair – roofs are getting rotten.

BARBARA MACLEOD, widow of HUGH FRASER – succeeded her husband about 8 years ago and he succeeded ALEXANDER GUNN who went ot America 18 years ago.  The dwelling house, which is of stone and clay is thatched partly with straw and partly with divots, was build by Gunn but she cannot say how long ago – her husband paid Gunn £25 for the house – the byre and barn were build by her 3 years ago of stone and clay and thatched with divots – the dwelling house in now getting frail and in bad repair – she has a small lot at lower Dalchallam.

WILLIAM MACDONALD succeeded JOSEPH BRUCE about 18 years ago.  Paid Bruce £12 for the dwelling house which was built about 26 years ago by Mr Scott, who had then the Farm of East Brora – it is built of stone and clay and thatched with divots and is still in good condition – barn he built himself 5 years ago of stone and clay and thatched with divots.

WILLIAM MACPHERSON succeeded ALEXANDER MURRAY 15 years ago.  Paid Alexander Murray £10 for the dwelling house with is built of stone and clay and thatched with divots and now about 30 years old – he gave it some repair last year but it is still in bad condition – offices built by him 2 years ago of dry stones thatched with divots.

MARGARET MACDONALD – succeeded her husband GEORGE MURRAY 21 years ago and her husband entered the lot 27 years ago – he built the houses then - the dwelling house of stone and clay, thatched with straw and the offices of dry stones thatched with divots – the dwelling house is now in a frail state.  The offices were repaired lately and are at present in good condition – does not know whether her husband got timber from the proprietor for the houses or not.

WILLIAM MACKENZIE – succeeded JOHN BAILLIE at Whitsunday last – he has to pay for the dwelling house which is valued at £12 – it was built by Baillie about 27 years ago of stone and clay and repaired by the Duke 2 years ago and now in good condition – it is thatched with divots – no offices worth mentioning.

WILLIAM SUTHERLAND – entered his lot 30 years ago – he built the houses then and got timbers for them form the proprietor but he repaired them 10 years ago at his own cost and they are now in good condition – they are all built of stone and clay – the dwelling house thatched with straw and offices with divots.

JAMES MURRAY – entered his lot 28 years ago – he was the first tenant in it – he built the dwelling house and offices when he entered of stone and clay pointed with lime and thatched with straw and divot.  Got timbers for the dwelling house from the proprietor – the houses are at present in good condition.

ALEXANDER MACKAY – succeeded his mother 7 year ago and she succeeded his father 11 years ago – the houses were built by his father at the time he entered the lot about 28 years ago – they are built of stone and clay and thatched with straw and are in good condition except that the timber of the roofs is getting - - - frail and decayed – he thinks his father got no timber from the proprietor for the houses – he as a small lot also at Lower Achrimsdale?

WILLIAM MACKAY – succeeded ? MACKAY about 18 years ago – there was no house on the lot when he entered but he built a dwelling house then at his own cost – got no timber from the proprietor for house – built of stone and clay and thatched with straw and is now in tolerable good condition.  There are no offices of any sort.

ROBERT MURRAY – entered his lot about 28 years of age – built dwelling house and office then – got timber for them from the proprietor – they are all built of stone and clay – his dwelling house thatched with straw and the offices with divots – his land is in two separate pieces on lot.

GEORGE MURRAY – entered 28 years ago – built the house then all of stone and clay – dwelling house thatched with straw and offices with divots – got timbers from the proprietor for the houses and all are at present in good repair – he has a small lot also at Lower Dalchallam.

LUCY SUTHERLAND – succeeded her mother 13 years ago – the house was built by the Duchess Countess of dry stones and pointed with lime and thatched with straw and in now in good repair.

JAMES MURRAY – succeeded his grandfather in law WILLIAM MURRAY, who was the first tenant in the lot 10 years ago – the houses were built my William Murray about 23 years ago of stone and lime – the dwelling house thatched with straw and the offices with divots and are at present in tolerable repair – he has also a small lot of Lower Dalchallam.

JANE MURRAY - got her lot 27 years ago – built the house 16 years ago of stone and clay and thatched with straw and got timber for it from the proprietor – she has also a small lot at Lower Dalchallam – pays no rent.

GEORGE CALDER – entered his lot about 12 years ago – built the houses then of stone and clay and thatched with straw at his own expense – they are now in bad repair.

JOHN MATHESON – entered 29 years ago – built the houses entirely at his own cost of stone and clay and some lime and thatched with straw – but when he repaired them 8 years ago he got timbers for the purpose from the proprietors and they are all at present in good condition – he has a small lot of Lower Dalchallam also.

JOHN CAMPBELL – succeeded about 12 years ago, DAVID CAMPBELL, who removed – the houses were built by David Campbell and he paid him £22 for them – they are built of stone and clay and thatched with straw and all at present in good condition – he has a lot of Lower Dalchallam also.

HELEN MACKAY – succeeded from her husband GEORGE SUTHERLAND 24 years ago – and he entered the lot about 30 years ago – the houses were built by him at this own cost when he entered but the dwelling house became ruinous and it was found necessary to rebuilt it this season – substantially of stone and lime and is thatched in the meantime with divots only but intended to be thatched with straw as soon as possible – all at her own expense.  The old offices are still in good repair – she possesses a small lot in Lower Dalchallam.

MURDOCH MACDONALD – succeeded CATHERINE MACDONALD who was first tenant of the lot at Whitsunday last – paid £12 for the houses at his entry – houses are built of stone and clay and thatched with divots – he has had some repairs done to the dwelling house this season and the offices are still in tolerable repair – he has also a small lot at Lower Dalchallam.

JOHN MURRAY – entered into possession 29 years ago – built the house then of stone and lime and thatched with straw and got the timber from the proprietor for them – but he repaired them at his own expense about 6 years ago – and they are now in tolerable good condition – he has hi land in three lots – here at Brora East Muir and at Lower Dalchallam.

JOHN HAMILTON – entered 29 years ago – he built the houses then which are all of stone and clay – the dwelling house is at present in good repair but the offices are not so good – he possesses also a small lot of Lower Dalchallam.

WILLIAM SUTHERLAND junior – succeeded his mother 2 years ago and she succeeded his father ALEXANDER SUTHERLAND 20 years ago – houses built by his father of stone and lime – the dwelling house thatched with straw and the offices with divots – he had them repaired lately and got timber for the purpose from the proprietors and they are now in good condition.  Has a small lot of Lower Dalchallam.  His mother paid no rent during her time but he does now.

JOHN MATHESON – entered 30 years ago – built all the houses at his own cost – they are of stone and clay, thatched partly with straw and partly with divots and are now in good condition.  He possesses also a small lot at Lower Dalchallam. His rent was reduced about 12 years ago because some ground was taken from them for play ground to the school.

JOHN GRANT – this small lot in which there are no houses is possessed by John Grant residing in Brora East.

Click here or Google map of area