Hello! I'm new to the list and this is my first posting - hope I'm doing this right (I didn't... this is a resend)! Through my family research, I have found that my ancestors had crofts in the Strath of Kildonan on "Major Cluness' lot" . I have found one reference to this man in the biography of Patrick Sellar (regarding a letter about the barking of trees). I would be interested in learning more about him and exactly what his role was in relation to the Duke of Sutherland and the Kildonan Clearances. I found his name in correspondence between Angus Matheson and Lord Selkirk in March of 1815. The crofts concerned were at Auldbreach (I've found a brook named Allt Breac on maps) and tenanted by Angus' mother (referred to as Widow Matheson - who was she?) and another of her sons, Alexander Matheson and his family. I don't have the letters in front of me at this time, but I believe her daughter Helen and a man surnamed Polson are mentioned as living with her (her brother perhaps?). I think there is also mention of another daughter and her husband, also Polsons, living on the Major's lot (same one?) at nearby Torrish. I am pretty new to this genealogy thing, and I'd be grateful for any information. Elizabeth Campbell ecbooks@voyageur.ca

From Memorabilia Domestica "Colonel Cluness was the lineal descendant------- had 3 sons and 5 daughters ----Major William Cluness was giant of a man -------he was among the first who took extensive sheep farms in th parish of Kildonan ----- from the lower part of the Strath toCnoc-an -Eirreannaich on the boundaries of Caithness,constituted the store farm ---- he never married and died in 1829." about 1&1/2 pages about this family Hope this helps Iain ----- Original Message ----- From: Elizabeth Campbell Books <ecbooks@voyageur.ca> To: <SCT-SUTHERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 3:42 PM Subject: [SUT] Major Clunes (or Cluness) > Hello! > I'm new to the list and this is my first posting - hope I'm doing this > right (I didn't... this is a resend)! > > Through my family research, I have found that my ancestors had crofts in > the Strath of Kildonan on "Major Cluness' lot" . I have found one > reference to this man in the biography of Patrick Sellar (regarding a > letter about the barking of trees). I would be interested in learning > more about him and exactly what his role was in relation to the Duke of > Sutherland and the Kildonan Clearances. I found his name in > correspondence between Angus Matheson and Lord Selkirk in March of 1815. > The crofts concerned were at Auldbreach (I've found a brook named Allt > Breac on maps) and tenanted by Angus' mother (referred to as Widow > Matheson - who was she?) and another of her sons, Alexander Matheson and > his family. I don't have the letters in front of me at this time, but I > believe her daughter Helen and a man surnamed Polson are mentioned as > living with her (her brother perhaps?). I think there is also mention > of another daughter and her husband, also Polsons, living on the Major's > lot (same one?) at nearby Torrish. > > I am pretty new to this genealogy thing, and I'd be grateful for any > information. > > Elizabeth Campbell > ecbooks@voyageur.ca > > > > ==== SCT-SUTHERLAND Mailing List ==== > Please visit our NEW POSH web site at > www.sutherlandheritage.com > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >