How Our Ancestors Lived

The dwellings that our ancestors lived in were quite different from what we are used to. The island was pretty much devoid of trees and thus lumber, so the Lewis folk used materials that were plentiful, namely rock. Their homes were called blackhouses. A blackhouse is constructed by first laying out two concentric walls of stones about four to five feet high. the separation between the two walls would have been about four feet. Next the space between the walls was filled with earth or peat. A thatched roof was added and supported by the inner stone wall. Due to the high winds that occur on Lewis the thatched roof was then covered by netting and secured in place by attaching heavy stones to the netting using ropes. The earth filled space between the walls now became a path whereby the roof, netting and stones could be maintained as well as offering insulation for the building. The entrance was a very low doorway and sometimes there might be a very small window in the thatched roof.

The interior of the blackhouse consisted of a large central living and kitchen area with an open peat fire in the center of the floor that burned constantly. There was no chimney, but a hole in the top of the roof allowed much of the smoke to escape. The underside of the roof became impregnated with smoke and soot. The roof would be replaced in the spring, the old thatch being used for fertilizer. The pungent smell of the smokey fire was in their clothing but since they all smelled the same, nobody took notice.
There was also a room for sleeping at one end of the blackhouse. The mattress was nothing for than straw or heather stuffed into a large cloth sack. Everyone slept in the same room, the beds being made somewhat private by a curtain that one could draw.
The other end of the blackhouse was the quarters for the farm animals. The livestock was kept inside during bad weather, sharing the building with the family. The manure from the animals would be saved for use as fertilizer. It was not the most hygienic practice.

Around the turn of the twentieth century, new laws were passed to stop the practice of animals sharing the living quarters with humans. Newer houses began to be built, of more modern construction, and had a white plaster finish on the outside. They were called "whitehouses" and the older structures were then called "blackhouses".
The last family to vacate their blackhouse was in the 1960's.
The blackhouses were deemed an eyesore and existing ones were torn down.There are still a few on Lewis, including restorations for museum purposes. These photos were taken at such a museum on Lewis.

Murray Connection

My great grandfather John MacDonald had a brother Colin "Rory" MacDonald and Colin's first wife was Jane Ann Murray b. 1860 in Ontario, Canada.
The parents of Jane Ann were Norman Murray and Mary MacDonald. Norman had come from Lewis in 1851 and settled in Huron Twp, Bruce County. Here he married Mary MacDonald and they had the following children,
Margaret b. 1858 (married John MacDonald), Jane Ann b. 1860 (married Colin MacDonald), Mary b. 1863 (married Dan Morrison), Donald b. 1865 (married Ann Morrison), Angus b. 1865 (married Ann Martin), William b. 1870 (married Mary ???), Kate b. 1872 (married Duncan Campbell), Allan b. 1875 (married Ann MacDonald), Effie b. 1876 (married Charles Moles), and Tina b. 1878 (married Angus McKay).
Jane Ann Murray died in 1893 and Colin remarried to Catherine MacDonald.
I thought it worth listing the above as it may prove helpful to Murray researchers.I do have a little more information on the names listed above if anyone is interested.

Grahams in Duluth, Minnesota

John Graham b. 1842 and his wife Catherine Smith left Ontario, Canada and relocated in Duluth, Minnesota. Their children were John b.1889 (married Carrie Oemstead), Annie b. 1875 (married William MacRitchie), Alexander b. 1878 (married Julia Olson??), Donald b. 1880, Christina b. 1882, William b. 1885 (married Sarah Rickard) and Angus b. 1890.
John Graham and Carrie Oemstead had a family consisting of June Ida b. 1913, Fern b. 1915, John G. b. 1918 and Donald A. b. 1922.
Alexander Graham and Julia Olson had children Katherine Jewel b. 1909, Margaret Evangeline b. 1907, Alexander Floyd b. 1911 and Allen Gordon b. 1916.
William MacRitchie and Annie Graham moved to Washington state and had no children.
The search for others of this family continues.

Angus MacIver to Quebec.

Angus MacIver was the brother of the aforementioned Kenneth and Murdo. Angus was married to Mary Matheson and they had 10 children. They emigrated to the Eastern Townships of Quebec in 1851 and settled in Winslow. Their children were Annabella (b. 1825) married a MacLeod, Donald (b. 1827), he may have married Margaret MacLeod, Catherine (b. 1829) married Donald MacAulay, Colin (b. 1832) married firstly Mary Murray and secondly Mary MacIver, Marion (b. 1838) married Murdo Morrison, Angus (b. 1840) married Catherine Gillanders, Ann (b. 1842), Murdo (b. 1845), Kirsty (b. 1849) and Mary (b.1849).

Another MacIver branch

Murdo MacIver (b. 1781) was the son of Colin MacIver and lived at 19 Lower Barvas, Isle of Lewis. Murdo was married to Kirsty Murray and they had six children. Isabella (b. 1803) married Donald MacLeod of Lower Barvas, John (b. 1811), Flora (b. 1812) married Angus Morrison, Allan (b. 1814) married Mary MacIver, Donald (b. 1821) married Ann Murray, and Colin (b. 1821).

Donald MacIver and Ann Murray emigrated to Bruce Township in 1863 and later moved to Southampton Town, Bruce County. They had a large family of 12 children, Margaret (b.1852), Mary (b. 1854), Kirsty (b. 1856), Ann (b. 1860), Murdo (b. 1864), Margaret (b. 1865), Mary ( b. 1867), Isabella (b. 1869), Catherine (b. 1873), William (b. 1875), Malcolm (b. 1878) and Margaret (b. 1880).

Some MacDonalds from Lewis

John MacDonald (1780-1830) married Ann Graham ( 1780-1853) and lived in Upper Shader, Isle of Lewis. They had five children, Catherine (b. 1811), Roderick (b, 1814), Angus (b. 1817), Mary (b. 1818) and Margaret (b. 1821).
Catherine married John Graham and they emigrated to the Eastern Townships of Quebec but then moved to Bruce County about 1855. They lived on Con. 8 Lot 28 Huron Township.
Roderick married Henrietta 'Effie' MacLeay in 1844. They came to Huron Township in 1851 and settled on Con. 8 Lot 27.
Angus never married.
Mary married Donald MacDonald and remained in Upper Shader.
Margaret married Murdo MacLeod of 20 Arnol, Isle of Lewis.

Taking a closer look at Roderick, he had a family of seven children. John (b. 1847) married Mary Morrison, Bella (b. 1849) married John W. MacIver, Annie (b.1852), Margaret (b. 1854) married John D. MacDonald, Mary (b. 1857) never married, Richard (b. 1859) remains a mystery, and Colin (b. 1859) first married Jane 'Ann' Murray and after her death married Catherine MacDonald.
John MacDonald and Mary Morrison lived on Con 8 Lot 27 and had a family of seven children.
John's brother Colin had five children with his first wife and lived on Con 8 Lot 27. Colin had a child, Annie Jane, with his second wife, but she died in infancy.
The descendants of these MacDonalds are still in Bruce County as well as other place in Canada.

MacLeay, McLeay and McLay Families of Lewis

There are two MacLeay families that I have researched and it seems that they are not related, but I am related to both.
The first one is the family of Donald MacLeay and Effie Graham. They are my 4th great grandparents. They had three children that I know of; Ann, b.1788, Kenneth, b. 1794 and John, b. 1801. All of the children emigrated from Upper Shader to Bruce County, Ontario with their families. John MacLeay was first married to Ann MacDonald and they had eight children. After her death John married Margaret MacDonald and they had three children. John first settled in Huron Township then moved to Lindsay Township.
 John's eldest son Allan, b. 1822,  married Ann MacDonald and together they had 10 children. Allan and family lived on Con. 7, Lot 26 in Huron Township.
John's son George, b. 1825, married Ann MacIver, the sister of my great grandmother.
Kenneth MacLeay married Mary MacDonald of North Dell, Lewis and they had eight children. Kenneth settled first in the Eastern Townships of Quebec and in 1860 moved to Huron Township in Bruce County.
Ann MacLeay, daughter of Donald and Effie, married Colin MacLeay. I have been told that these two MacLeay families were not related but on Lewis every one is related to everyone as they say.
Colin and Ann Macleay are my 3rd great grandparents.
I have more extensive information on these families and their descendants. If anyone needs help with thes MacLeays, I am willing to share what I have.