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.