ACHADIOCH
The Group have had correspondence from George MacDonald who is Factor of the North Uist Estate. He is anxious for information about ACHADIACH or possibly a name very similar, which is referred to in various early documents but fades out of sight in the later years of the eighteenth century. The farm was situated on Lord Lovat's lands within Stratherrick. He feels it might then have been incorporated into another farm or given a new name altogether. The earliest reference to this farm that he can find is contained in a charter of 'the half davoch of Achidiach with the glen thereof called Glenmoin', that was granted by 9th Lord Lovat to Alexander MacDonald in 1638. The MacDonalds , who were of the Clanranald family, continued to hold this tack until as late as 1765 when John MacDonald, Travelling Chapman, petitioned the Commissioners of the Forfeited Estate of Lovat for a further lease of the farm. It appears that he was unsuccessful in retaining the farm for George MacDonald has come across a petition from 'Thomas Fraser, in Auchdioch, in the Barony of Stratherrick who applied for a 41 year lease of the farm in 1773. Thomas Fraser states in his petition that, "This Barony is divided into half davoch lands bounded by natural marches, of rocks, rivers and lakes. Some of the half davoch lands are far better than others. The petitioner considers his farm much inferior to any in the barony, but it is saddled with an equal share of public burdens". It is mentioned again in an extract taken from the judicial rental of Lord Lovat's Estate taken in the year 1698
Achadioch payes – and one stone of butter, a stone of cheese and a wedder £60.
Mr MacDonald has obviously done much research and it would be great if any one reading the Website could add further information for him.
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KNOCKMITE
Hello
I have an ancestor Hugh Francis Fraser born 2 October 1846. The family Bible says he was born in Knockmite but the IGI records show Dores. I can't find any reference to Knockmite on the Internet. Could it be a small village that has vanished? Hugh's parents were Alexander Fraser and Janet McDonald. The family emigrated to Australia as assisted migrants in 1855 on a ship called the Covenanter.
I find tracing the Frasers very difficult because they had such a small number of Christian names. Any information you have would be very welcome.
Regards from Sandra Torpey
Your enquiry has been forwarded around the area! I'm not sure if anyone has responded to you directly, but we have all been puzzling about "Knockmite"!
I am almost sure that this is not a genuine name - they do get corrupted so easily with poor handwriting, or sometimes no writing at all, and just poor hearing! There is a place called Knockie in the area, between Whitebridge and Fort Augustus, and this is the closest to Knockmite, not just in this area, but in the whole of the Highlands. As you say, the place might have vanished, but it just doesn't sound right to me.
Do you know what Alex and Janet's parents were called? Obviously if they emigrated there are no gravestones for them, but we might be able to trace their parents.
I presume you conatcted us through www.soutlochnessheritage.co.uk? There is a document on the site called "Tales of the Old Days on Aldourie Estate", which gives a flavour of life in the Dores area.
Good luck, and let me know if you have any additional information.
Iain Cameron
Dear Iain
Thank you for your reply. I had another look at the family bible but the writing is hard to read. I have now got a death certificate for Janet Fraser which is a little clearer. Her birthplace and place of marriage seems to be "Knockchoilne" or "Knockchoilue" in Inverness. We don't know anything more about Alexander Fraser, I think he died on the voyage out leaving a widow and 7 children. Janet Fraser's parents were Hugh and Jane McDonald, farmer of Dores. She was said to be 48 in 1855 when they arrived in Australia and 62 when she died in 1867 so she must have been born some time around 1805-1807.
I found your internet site very interesting thank you.
Regards from Sandra
Dear Sandra,
This looks to me very much like Knockchoilum, about a mile south of the settlement of Whitebridge, which is in turn about 15 miles south of Dores. just a couple of houses now, but its an old name so there would have been a settlement therein the 19th century.
I have to go now but I'll see what else I can turn up, a map or a photo perhaps.
Iain Cameron
Thank you. How do you pronounce Knockchoilum (with an Australian accent)?
Regards from Sandra
This would be knockcoylum, with the c in coylum being slighly rough "ch" sound as in "loch" as opposed to "lock".
According to some who know a lot more than me, the name would come from cnoc - a small hill, and cuingleum - a gorge-leap. (I don't know the area well enough to know whether there is a spot where someone might have attempted to jump the river!). Myself, I wonder whether the second part could be from "Collum" the gaelic name of St Columba, who operated in these parts. There is, close by a Killiechoilum, and the Kil bit is known to come from cil, a small church. Often you can take your pick when it comes to the meaning of place names - the early map-makers spoke no Gaelic, so just recorded what they heard, or thought they heard
Iain Cameron
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