1861 Census of Tongue Parish - Enumerators' Remarks and Descriptions
(map for reference - increase scale for more place names)
Division 1
Loan to Pool at Letterbeg, [word illegible], Borgie House and the
shepherds and squatters on said farm. District is about 10 miles in
length by almost one in width .... is bounded on the East by the parish of
Farr. Sub-divisions: Achnatot House, Bridgend House, Borgie House.
Division 2
Crask Road from the shepherd's house at Lettermore to Inchkinloch,
thence to Aultnabat near Loch Maidy, thence to Achemore and Durine, the
southern extremity of the Parish. The whole of the inhabitants in the
Division are shepherds and the houses are far from each other.
It is bounded on the West by the Parish of Durness, on the South and East
by the Parish of Farr and the First Division of the Parish, and on the
North by the Third Division.
Division 3
From Kinloch to Ribigill, Kionside, comprehending the Lotters of
Hysbackie and Dionside, the Farmers and Managers Houses etc. of Ribigill
and the shepherds houses at Kionside and Kinloch.
Division 4
This division, consisting of 5 local sub-divisions, viz. Moine House,
Achuvoldrach, Melness, Midtown, and South Skinnid, is about 5 miles by 2
miles extent. The boundaries are: North, Division Fifth of the Parish,
East and South, the Kyle of Tongue, and West, the Parish of Durness.
Notes [sic]: The inhabitants of Midtown and South Skinnid are chiefly
small tenants occupying about 4 or 5 acres of land, hence the meaning of
the designation of "Tenants Houses" in the "Memorandum Book" also vide
[see] the Head of Rank, Profession or Occupation in the Schedules.
Division 5
The Fifth Enumeration Division of this Parish, which comprehends,
North Skinnid, Talmine, Torrannacudigan and Achnahuag, is about 5 miles in
length by 2 in breadth. It is bounded on the South by the Fourth Division,
on the east by the Kyle of Tongue, and on the North and West by the Sixth
Division.
Division 6
[Apologies for errors and omissions, especially with this division -
my shorthand fails me!]
This Division lies at the North West Extremity of the Parish, bounded
with,
North, the Northern Ocean;
East, the Eouth-East district of the Fifth Division and the Rabbit Islands
on west side of the Kyle of Tongue,
South and South-West, the north divisions at the west side of the Kyle of
Tongue including Moine House,
the western extremity being the Parish of Durness.
It may be necessary, when perusing the following pages, that those denoted
heads of families as Tenants are such as pay rents for small lots of land
to which is attached hill grazing for cattle and sheep. At home they are
employed in different capacities and it is impossible to class them to any
one rank, profession or occupation. In Caithness they are employed as
labourers, quarrying flag paving, and prosecuting the herring fishing, and
in the South at roads, and rail works etcetera; the other class, denoted
cotters, are such as have no land nor pay rent and are wholly dependent
upon employment obtained at a distance.
[Although not named in the introduction, this Division comprises
Portvasgo.]
Division 7
This Division extends from the Parish School House to the Cottage
[sic], thence to the Tongue Inn, and comprehends the Established Church
and Manse, Tongue House and Farm, the Flag House and the Gamekeepers
House. It is about 2 miles in length and one in breadth, is bounded on the
North by the Kyle of Tongue, on the West by the Third Division into which
the Parish is divided, on the South by Ribigill Farm and the Crask Road,
and on the East by the Eighth Division.
The inhabitants are almost all Lottars or Tenants of from 3 to 6 acres of
land, with the exception of a few squatters or cotters and a few paupers
who receive parochial relief and are unable from age and bodily infirmity
to perform any kind of manual labour, hence the meaning of the name
Lotters, Squatters, and Paupers [House?] in this book.
Division 8
This Division, which comprehends the following local sub-divisions,
viz. Rhitongue, Coldbacky, Strathtongue, Dalcharn, Blandy and Skullomy, is
about 5 miles in length by 2 in breadth. It is bounded on the North by the
Kyle of Tongue, on the West by the Seventh Division into which the Parish
is divided, on the South by the First Division, and on the East by the
Ninth.
Division 9 [This Division and the following have very short
introductions]]
The 9th enumeration district which consists of the following local
sub-divisions, viz. Slettle, Strathmore, Skerray, Mall, Clashbain, and
thence to Island Roan by boat, comprehending about 6 square miles.
Division 10
The 10th enumeration district which consists of the following local
sub-divisions, viz. Modsary, Lamigoe, Skerray Beg, Clashcleven, Achnabat,
Skerray, Skerray Mains, Tubegskerray and Clashaidy, the computed length
and breadth of said Division being about 4 miles and 2 miles
Division 11
The 11th enumeration district which consists of the following local
sub-divisions, viz. from Achtotty to Lotts, Glaicbeadh, Aird Torrisdale,
and Torrisdale, comprehending about 1 square mile.
1881 Census of Tongue Parish - Enumerators' Remarks and Descriptions
(map for reference - increase scale for more place names)
Division 1
Loan, Borgie, Dalness, Pool, Letterbeg (East).
Division 2
Letttermore, Inchkinloch, Aultnabad, Achemore (South).
Division 3
Dionside, Hysbackie, Cunside, Ribigill (Scrabster), Kinloch.
Division 4
Moin House, Ferry House, Melness, House, Midtown, South Skinnid.
Division 5
North Skinnid, F.C. Manse, Upper Talmine, Lower Talmine, Torrincudigan,
Achnahuagh.
Division 6
Portvasgo to Midfield, Strathan, Achinver, Lubinvullin, Dalnafree, W.
Strathan.
Division 7
Old School, Braetongue to the cottage, Braekirkiboll, Inchverry, Village,
Inn, clerk's, gardener's, Farm, Flag House, grieve's.
Division 8
Rhitongue, Coldbacky, F.C. Manse, Strathtongue, Dalcharn, Blandy,
Scullomey.
Division 9
Slettle, Strathmore Skerray, Strathbeg Skerray, Mall, Clashbain, Island
Roan.
Division 10
Modsary, Lamigo, Skerraybeg, Skerray Mains, Torroy, Tubeg, Clashaidy,
School, Clashcleven, Achnabat, Achtoty Lotts, Achtoty, Free School,
Glackbeath, Aird Torrisdale, Torrisdale.
I hope you found these transcripts helpful!
Mary Young. February 2012.