Take the baby from its mother!
In the autumn of 1738 the weather was cold, the seasons were dismal and the harvests were poor. The people of Latheron harvested what they could and also harvested for the local land owner. See blog 22 March 2023 on the elders calling on the people to fast and pray. The elders were blaming sins and transgressions against the laws of God for the bad weather and extreme cold.
Resting on the road to harvest by Walter Geiki
The end of harvest was traditionally a time for having some celebratory happenings. However it likely that Margaret Sutherland and Hondry McGregor may come to regret going too far in their ‘end of harvest’ partying.
Harvesting in Scotland by Joseph Farquharson
On January21 1739 Margaret was called before the kirk session and asked if she was with child. She answered in the affirmative. When asked who was the father to her child she named Hondry McGregor in Breakachie and stated that the child was begat at the end of harvest last. This was a bad enough situation but two months after her affair with Hondry, Margaret married John Mcralish and he was now her husband. What was she thinking – that marriage would maybe hide her ‘sins’?
Hondry McGregor was then called in and interrogated. He admitted being the father to Margaret Sutherland’s child. So now there are three in this marriage plus the unfortunate baby waiting to be born. It is not going to end well.
Margaret and Hondry were both rebuked and told they had to stand in the place of public repentance for three Sundays. Hondry was then fined eight merks for both himself and Margaret, payable at next Whit Sunday. And to make sure Hondry paid the fine he had to bring a ‘cautioner’ for security. A John McGregor stood as security for Hondry – he was probably a family member.
So Margaret and Hondry were publicly shamed, rebuked and fined and that should have been the end of their troubles. The baby was born. Margaret was nursing her baby and living with her husband John Mcralish.
On June 3 1739 in the kirk session minutes we find the following appalling record:
Some of the elders viz Donald Bain and Thomas McKenzie informed the session that John Mcralish in Dunbeath will not allow Margaret Sutherland his wife formerly fornicatrix to Hondry McGregor in Breakachie to keep the said Hondries child with his wife or in his house and that he earnestly begs that the session would appoint the said Hondry to provide a house for his own child otherwise he will not live in peace or comfort with his wife. And therefore the session having considered the same they appoint the said Hondry McGregor betwixt this and the 20th of this instant to take his child and find a nurse for it himself and if he fail in this that Mcralish go, with the child and the two above names as elders, and leave the child in the said Hondry his house.
The baby was clearly at risk by being removed from its mother and reared by a wet nurse but the elders took a hard line and agreed that the support of the baby should be Hondry’s responsibility. But if Hondry could not find a wet nurse, Donald Bain, Thomas McKenzie and John Mcralish were to take the baby from its mother and leave it in Hondry’s house. There is no record of what happened to the baby or its mother Margaret but its likely that John Mcralish’s claim that he was wanting to live in ‘peace and comfort with his wife’ would have been a long time coming after the baby was removed from its mother.
Margaret was labelled a “fornicatrix” and recorded as such in the kirk session records. This would have resulted in huge shame for Margaret and probably marginalisation for the rest of her life.
The old batchelor alarmed by an unexpected present by Isaac Cruikshank
The baby’s health and welfare was not of concern to the elders. Their focus was on ensuring that someone was accountable for the support of the baby to keep it off the session Poor List.
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