Records Held in the Museum Library
The following records and maps are the raw material on which any research into family and croft history is based. Our collection includes:
❏ Census records
Gairloch Parish, 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 in the form of copies on microfilm. The 1881 British Census and National Index on CD ROM.
❏ The Old Parochial Register (OPR)
The OPRs for Gairloch, Lochbroom and Applecross Parishes; again, in the form of copies on microfilm. These are a list of the Births or Baptisms and Marriages (but not Deaths) in each parish, and for our area they begin about 1790. They continue until 1855, when the Statutory Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths superseded them. These Statutory Registers for the whole of Scotland may be seen at the Scottish Record Office in Edinburgh. For Ross-shire there is a copy of them at the Registry Office in Dingwall, which one can make an appointment to consult. The OPRs are only partially complete, and probably only about half of the births/baptisms and marriages were entered in them, but nevertheless they are an extremely valuable record.
❏ Rental Lists and Rent Books
The Lists and Books for Gairloch Estate, in the form of photocopies obtained from the Gairloch Estate archives at Conan House, have kindly been made available to us by John Mackenzie of Gairloch. These give the names of all people on Gairloch Estate who paid rent to the Laird at Conan House. They run from 1704 till the present day, with some gaps in the earlier period. So far we have copies in the museum until 1860, but we hope to extend this in the future.
❏ Lists of Tacks and Minutes of Sett
The Lists and Minutes for Gairloch Estate are also from Conan House. The documents give the conditions under which the tenants of the time (called tacksmen) held their tenancy, and they run from the 1770s till the 1820s. They are valuable because they give details of how the rent is to be paid, boundaries of land, and sometimes (if one is lucky) family relationships.
❏ Other records
● A range of other Estate papers, many of which give names of people in various connections, and which can be helpful.
● Valuation Rolls for Gairloch, for the 1870s to 1890s.
● A list of 1798, made for the Napoleonic Wars, of men in Gairloch who were aged 15 to 60.
❏ Maps
The library also has copies of maps that are relevant to the Gairloch area (with the exception of the current OS maps and plans. These are, unfortunately, too expensive for us to purchase). These include: -
☛ Ordnance Survey
1st and 2nd edition 6-inch maps, and 1:2,500 plans where these were made, 1881 and 1905. These show every house (and in the case of the 1:2,500 plan every henhouse and bush) in the parish as they were at the time of the survey.
☛ Admiralty Chart of 1857
This is not very detailed but is sometimes of great help.
☛ Gairloch Estate Plan of 1845
This plan was drawn up in order to plan the layout of the Gairloch crofts, when the crofting system was introduced in 1846. It shows all buildings and field boundaries in the Estate, as they were in 1845.
☛ Other Maps and Plans
Various other earlier maps and plans are held, one of which, the Military Survey of 1750, is the earliest map we have found of Gairloch to show any sort of detail.
The following records and maps are the raw material on which any research into family and croft history is based. Our collection includes:
❏ Census records
Gairloch Parish, 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 in the form of copies on microfilm. The 1881 British Census and National Index on CD ROM.
❏ The Old Parochial Register (OPR)
The OPRs for Gairloch, Lochbroom and Applecross Parishes; again, in the form of copies on microfilm. These are a list of the Births or Baptisms and Marriages (but not Deaths) in each parish, and for our area they begin about 1790. They continue until 1855, when the Statutory Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths superseded them. These Statutory Registers for the whole of Scotland may be seen at the Scottish Record Office in Edinburgh. For Ross-shire there is a copy of them at the Registry Office in Dingwall, which one can make an appointment to consult. The OPRs are only partially complete, and probably only about half of the births/baptisms and marriages were entered in them, but nevertheless they are an extremely valuable record.
❏ Rental Lists and Rent Books
The Lists and Books for Gairloch Estate, in the form of photocopies obtained from the Gairloch Estate archives at Conan House, have kindly been made available to us by John Mackenzie of Gairloch. These give the names of all people on Gairloch Estate who paid rent to the Laird at Conan House. They run from 1704 till the present day, with some gaps in the earlier period. So far we have copies in the museum until 1860, but we hope to extend this in the future.
❏ Lists of Tacks and Minutes of Sett
The Lists and Minutes for Gairloch Estate are also from Conan House. The documents give the conditions under which the tenants of the time (called tacksmen) held their tenancy, and they run from the 1770s till the 1820s. They are valuable because they give details of how the rent is to be paid, boundaries of land, and sometimes (if one is lucky) family relationships.
❏ Other records
● A range of other Estate papers, many of which give names of people in various connections, and which can be helpful.
● Valuation Rolls for Gairloch, for the 1870s to 1890s.
● A list of 1798, made for the Napoleonic Wars, of men in Gairloch who were aged 15 to 60.
❏ Maps
The library also has copies of maps that are relevant to the Gairloch area (with the exception of the current OS maps and plans. These are, unfortunately, too expensive for us to purchase). These include: -
☛ Ordnance Survey
1st and 2nd edition 6-inch maps, and 1:2,500 plans where these were made, 1881 and 1905. These show every house (and in the case of the 1:2,500 plan every henhouse and bush) in the parish as they were at the time of the survey.
☛ Admiralty Chart of 1857
This is not very detailed but is sometimes of great help.
☛ Gairloch Estate Plan of 1845
This plan was drawn up in order to plan the layout of the Gairloch crofts, when the crofting system was introduced in 1846. It shows all buildings and field boundaries in the Estate, as they were in 1845.
☛ Other Maps and Plans
Various other earlier maps and plans are held, one of which, the Military Survey of 1750, is the earliest map we have found of Gairloch to show any sort of detail.
Using the Archive & Library
● Self-directed Research
The archive & library are open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm all year, by appointment only. Please telephone or email the curator to arrange your visit. The archive & library are closed on public? and local? holidays.No charge is made for using the archives. However donations to extend our resources will be most welcome. On arrival the Curator will familiarise you with the resources we have.
● Photocopies
• Black & white A4 20p per sheet
• Black & white A3 30p per sheet
• Colour/scanned £2.00 per copy
■ Other Enquiries
Contact the museum with your questions on local history - we are always happy to try and find the answers.
● Self-directed Research
The archive & library are open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm all year, by appointment only. Please telephone or email the curator to arrange your visit. The archive & library are closed on public? and local? holidays.No charge is made for using the archives. However donations to extend our resources will be most welcome. On arrival the Curator will familiarise you with the resources we have.
● Photocopies
• Black & white A4 20p per sheet
• Black & white A3 30p per sheet
• Colour/scanned £2.00 per copy
■ Other Enquiries
Contact the museum with your questions on local history - we are always happy to try and find the answers.
Gairloch Heritage Museum • Achtercairn • Gairloch • Ross-shire • IV21 2BP • UK
Curator : Robert Scott
tel : 01445 712287 (local rate 08458 648001)
email : info(at)gairlochheritagemuseum(dot)org
Curator : Robert Scott
tel : 01445 712287 (local rate 08458 648001)
email : info(at)gairlochheritagemuseum(dot)org
