Margaret Sutherland of Berrydale
Margaret Sutherland of Berrydale, appeared before the kirk elders on 3rd December 1775. She said that the father to her pregnancy is Alexander Henderson, servant to Mr Peter Brodie. The Brodies were an important Latheron family. I think Peter Brodie (aka Patrick Peter) was a son of the late Latheron Minister James Brodie. So working for the Brodie family would be a very respectable job that Alexander Henderson would not want to lose because of any scandal. He did confess guilt with Margaret Sutherland but his excuse was ‘not at the time she gave’. They were ordered to be cited next Lord’s Day. Timing was often used as an excuse by a guilty man but this time he might be right.
On 24th December Margaret had a change of mind. On being asked again who the father to her child is she gave up James Gun, Miller in Berrydale. He was a married man. Oh dear.
James Gun, Miller in Berrydale, denied the charges. He probably thought he could get away with denying guilt but Margaret Sutherland had a witness. Margaret McBeath in Berrydale took the stand and said that at the time she saw Margaret Sutherland and James Gun behaving in an ‘unseemly and indecent manner’!
Some old Mill Ruins at
Dura Den
Mills were great places to have a tryst. They were warm and cosy and supposedly private. Being the miller James Gun probably thought he could hide and get up to no-good with Margaret Sutherland in his mill without being caught. Snapped! Margaret McBeath saw them. But had Margaret been with both Alexander Henderson and James Gun? The elders would think that was very naughty.
On 18th Feb
1776 James Gun and Margaret Sutherland were hauled before the kirk session
again and both still stuck to their own story. The elders couldn’t decide who was
telling the truth so thought appearing before the (very scary!) Presbytery in
Thurso was called for. This was booked for Tuesday 2nd April 1776.
The records for this date in Thurso are missing so what happened next we do not
know. What of the future of the baby?
Berriedale Mill History
Ruighchargi mill on the left of map and Berrriedale mill far right
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Location of the old mill from Google Earth |
The mill of Berrydale (aka Berriedale) in use in 1775 and to which all the estate relied on for grinding their corn, was sited at a place known as Ruecarigie (aka Ruighchargi)on the Langwell burn. Following the clearing of the straths for sheep, the old mill fell into disrepair. The Ausdale mill was closed and the grains from Auchencraig and Badbea warranted repairs to the Reucarigie mill, but the proprietor, James Horne, considered it better to build a new mill. Accordingly a new mill was erected just below the confluence of the Langwell and Berriedale Streams. John Mackay, the 'girnal man' of the old mill,after James Gun was transferred to the new mill, but he was aged, and within a year was replaced by John Gunn, late miller of Ausdale. This coincided with the death of James Horne (1830/31) who was succeeded by his nephew, Donald Horne. Auchnacraig was immediately 'turned out' and the new laird decided upon a tradesman-joiner, millwright, miller and sawyer combined. George Fraser from Morayshire served in his capacity as Berriedale miller from 1832 until 1889.
Following the arrival of George Fraser, John Gunn worked with him on occasion, but by 1835 his services were no longer required. He remained at Badbea, where, in 1837 his wife, Mary Ann Sinclair (aka Marion) died, and John Gunn shortly after was evicted from Badbea.
The second mill at
Berriedale. It is listed as a former grain or meal mill and also a saw mill.
Northern Ensign Sept 10 1889 extract
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/virtual-volumes/ Latheron kirk session, Minutes (1734-1776, with gaps) Pages 326 - 328
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