THE McKENZIE FAMILY IN THE STORY OF GLENISLA

The earliest history I can find on the McKenzie family in Glenisla , beyond dates in the parish register,are notations in the book The Story of Glenisla, Traditional, Historical, Social, second edition, by David Grewar, published by Milne and Hutchinson in Aberdeen in 1926.  The book moves from topic to topic, painting a picture of life in Glenisla.  From time to time, the McKenzie family is named and we learn a bit about their lives and the times they lived in.

REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY...
In the chapter on Kirk Session Records we read about a John McKenzie as quoted from the Kirk Session records:

Aug 25th, 1745.  It being reported that upon Sabbath, the 11th current, Margaret Lawson, Thomas McInnes, and John McKenzie had profaned the Lord's Day by unnecessarily going to the hill and gathering berries, the officer was appointed to summon them to compear before the session against the 1st of Sep. next.

The author, David Grewar, goes on to say:

"McKenzie duly appeared, and on confessing fault and promising never to do the like in time coming, was rebuked and dismissed.  The other two appearing later were similarly dealt with."  (p. 156.)

Interestingly enough, a Thomas McInnes was a witness at the baptism of James McKenzie, son of John McKenzie on 8 June 1793.   The dates don't seem to match for the father John McKenzie and witness Thomas McInnes to be the same who profaned the Sabbath, perhaps they were children or grandsons of their name sakes. 

THE CATERANS
Another mentioned of McKenzies comes in a chapter entitled "The Caterans." 

A Perthshire webpage explains:

"From the Middle Ages until the 17th century Scotland was a wild, rowdy place and cattle rustling was commonplace. The Caterans (cattle rustlers) would descend from their rough bothies high in the mountains to wreak havoc on the prosperous and peaceful farmland below, driving stolen cattle and booty through remote glens using ancient drove routes. (http://www.perthshire.co.uk/index.asp?lm=291)"

Glenisla apparently was also plagues with this lawless challenge.  The story is told of one Donald Mor, who surname was Cameron, and the last cateran raid in the area.  Donald and his two cohorts came and stole cattle from families at the head of Glen Clova.  When the cattle were discovered missing a band of men gathered to recover them.  Among them were John and Andrew Ogilvy of Holl.  It was during the harvest season.  The people in Glen Beg were harvesting oats when about 24 men came in pursuit of Donald Mor, who assuming he was out danger, had stopped to eat without leaving a look out.  John Ogilvy crept as near as possible and took aim, killing Donald Mor.  A second cateran also died and the third escaped.  The avengers took their cattle and left the bodies to be buried by the innkeeper from Glenshee, a John Murray, but ever after the Ogilvy brothers  lived in fear of vengeance from the caterans.

The Story of  Glenisla says:

"To allocate the date (of this event), it may be stated that the above John Murray erected a tombstone in the Glenshee Churchyard in 1771.  Duncan McKenzie of Borland, who died in 1800, saw the pursuers across Glen Beg.  To his son, Patrick McKenzie, who died in 1848, John Ogilvy narrated the whole occurrence."

While this event does not really give us much direct information on the McKenzie family, it does give a couple of details and paints a picture of life at the time...a life of farmers scratching out a living on the land during in a time of lawlessness.  (p.79-80)

(NOTE:  In the Glenisla parish records there are several McKenzies listed as alias Beg or Begg.  I've always wondered what this was...does this refer to their location?   Were they from Glen Beg?)

THE EXPOSED CHILD
"During the first few years of the latter half of the eighteenth century, when the Jacobite machinations, which culminated on Cullendon, filled the minds of most people, the object of greatest interest to the inhabitants of Glenisla was an innocent little child. At one time the subject of universal discussion in the parish, interest would wane, but only to revive again with increased intensity.  Unfortunately, particulars are neither so minute, or complete, as could be desired, but they are certainly authentic.  The whole story is both remarkable and interesting, throwing as it does a good deal of light upon the life and habits of the time.  (p90)"

As noted in the 12 March 1741 minutes of the Kirk session, a child was found on the 2nd inst., at night and exposed to the elements.  The session was concerned about the great burden that caring and providing for this child would put upon the people of the parish.  A search was undertaken and contact was made with the neighboring parishes of Lintrathen, Alyth, and Kirkmichael.   William McKenzie, along with 2 other men, were appointed to arrange with Margaret Lawson, who was acting as nurse, to maintain the child.

There was not the faintest idea of who the mother was.  Later session minutes record that William McKenzie was appointed to take an officer and two skillful women and search for the mother.  Margaret Lawson and his husband Thomas White were appointed to care for the child and were given ₤5 and a firlot of meal for the first quarter year, and ₤5 per quarter all the rest of the time, as well as one shilling sterling for buy a coat for the child.

The record never names the child, but goes on to tell of the search for the mother and the concern for providing for the extra mouth---a glimpse into how difficult life must have been at that time.  Eventually, a parish entry on 9th March 1746 says:

"It being reported that the exposed child died on the 13th of February last there was given for his coffin ₤1 Scots, and for refreshment for those who carried the corpse fourteen shillings." (p. 108)

The importance of having a father and a mother to support and care for a child is reinforced by the session's efforts to find both.  The challenge of raising a child alone is also suggested--a challenge that many of our ancestors must have faced due to the death of a spouse.
 
DALNAMER
The  family of John McKenzie (b. abt 1740) and his wife, Christian Culbert, is listed as living at Dalnamer (also spelled Delnamar and Dallingmar among other spellings) in the Glenisla parish baptismal records of their children, Isabel (1761-Dallunammer), John (1766-Dallinammer), and Duncan (1769-Dallinammer), Martha (1772-Dallinammer).  A William McKenzie was living there when his child, Martha, was baptized in 1777.   Dalnamer had some connection with McKenzie families for nearly two decades so this entry in the chapter on smuggling  in The Story of Glenisla is of particular interest to our family, although it appears to have occurred after our family left the farm.

After the Napoleonic Wars (1803 to 1815), the country was in great debt and taxation was solution.  The duty on spirits was greatly increased and the result was illicit distilleries and smuggling.  After the harvest, when the weather drove people inside, distilling began.  Officers were appointed to discover these illegal stills.  One was named McLeod.   Hoping to conduct a surprise raid, McLeod timed his arrival at Dalnamer about midnight and found everything quiet.  Thinking his plan had worked, he made his way directly to the sheep-cot, where he could see traces of distillation, but could not find any hard evidence.

Filled with anger and frustration, he set fire to the cot and fueled the fire by ordering his men to throw on a stack of peat that was nearby,  thatched with a heather roof.  By luck alone, the dwelling houses were not ignited by the sparks.  But during this time the troopers allowed their horses to forage in and trampled the stackyard, destroying a good deal of grain and fodder, which was always in short supply. 

The smoke and the glare of the burning sheep-cot was the first notice to the sleeping Dalnamer residents of the destruction going on outside.  Into the night they came directing their anger toward Supervisor McLeod.  As hostilities threatened, McLeod and his men left.  But the people of Dalnamer had been greatly mistreated.  An undated letter from the people of Dalnamer to "his Majesty's Justice of the piece, Colector of Exise and gentelmen of the County" remains.  It outlines their suffering at the loss of the sheep-cot and the stackyard.  It implores relief, saying:

"What the monster' desire was we know not, only they could have no ground for so baise an action, nor doth the Law of our Countray alow such practises, and if the county gentlemen dos not pay, or cause to be pay'd, the Loss of our corn, of course we must aplay to the fiscal of the county to look after such thifts and volinces.

"true, there were smugglars in our countray, yet such as was not cannot be robed by the Exise--nor do we deserve such usage from them, for had they call'd on us, and asked it of us, we would have given them as at other times, meat for themselves and corn or hay for there horses.  But in place of that the Serjeant of the Dragouns threatened us with a drawn sword in his hand, that if we said aney more about our corn he would setesfy himself with our blood.

"So if the fiscal of the county doth not put a stope to such Barbarus practises, Blood for Blood must be alowed." 

No record remains to know if the letter was forwarded on to the authorities or if any remedy was given to the grieved parties at Dalnamer. (p. 116-119)

CARING FOR THE POOR
One final mention of a McKenzie in The  Story of Glenisla gives us a glimpse into the fragile circumstance in which our ancestors lived.  Kirk session records frequently referred to married women by their maiden names so when the record lists Isobel Winters, it probably is referring to Isobel, the daughter of James Winters, one of the heroes of the "Raid of Fearn" who died in 1732.

In any event, at Martinmas in 1747, Isobel Winters hired Janet McKenzie as a domestic servant.  The Story of Glenisla say, "This woman does not appear to have been too well used, and, in the succeeding summer, she was confined to bed with a serious illness which caused her great pain."

"A servant who was not able to work, but required attendance, did not find much favour with the worldly minded Isobel, who determined to try to get rid of her."  (p.161)

At the 14 August 1748 Kirk Session, Isobel Winters presented the request that Janet McKenzie be cared for by others, stating that Janet had long been sickly and was now confined to bed and required attention.

The session took sympathy on Isobel and Janet, agreeing to find some accommodation for the sick woman, but directing Isobel to nurse her servant until such arrangements could be made.  With this agreement made, the session took their time in finding another place for Janet.  After a fortnight, Isobel determined to be rid of Janet. 

"After dark, on the night of Tuesday, 30 August, she got her son, Alexander Ballantyne, along with David Rattray, Junior of Cammock, to lift the sick woman from her bed and carry her by some means the long distance from (her home at ) Peathaugh to Kirkton, and deposit her at the end of the house of Thomas Ballantyne, a ruling elder of the church.  Here the woman was found the next morning." (p. 161)

Not only was such callous concern for another appalling, but the elders of the session did not want their homes to be the dumping grounds for the ill and destitute. 

The 4 September 1748 session minutes record that Isobel was criticized for actions that were not only "unchristian, but inhumane and barbarous, and a precedent of such consequence that if there  is no notice taken of it this would be an encouragement to cruel and callous masters to expose their servants when fallen into distress, at the minister's house." (p. 162)

A complaint was made against Isobel before the Civil Magistrate, but it did not help poor Janet McKenzie, who died about a  month after the sad affair.

We don't know much about Janet.  We don't know her age or her marital status.  Was she young?  Was she old?  Was she a widow or single?  What was her illness?  We don't know.  But this story gives us empathy for those of our family who lived in a time when most people lived by the sweat of their brow...and those who could not work had a thin safety net to catch their fall.

This picture below of the rocky ground in Glenisla, taken in 2001, shows how difficult it must have been to farm the ground.