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People Loch Lomondside

The MacIntyres of Stuckendroin -  Emigrant Families – Chrissie Fisher remembers

 It is interesting hearing of the families who occupied houses round the Lochside.  Names, occupations and descendants.  We are now hearing about a family who left Loch Lomondside and emigrated to Australia in the hope of making a better living for themselves.

Peter MacIntyre and his relations occupied various site on Loch Lomondside.  After his marriage to Jane Macfarlane, who was brought up at Garrison Farm Inversnaid and had an Arrochar connection, being a relation of the Misses Macfarlane Dressmakers who lived at Lower Belview, Arrochar.

Peter and Jane lived in Edentaggart Farm for four years after their marriage, they then moved to Stuckendroin Farm near Ardlui.  Most of their children were born.  Peter’s parents were living in Ardvorlich nearby.  Sadly, Jane and her infant daughter died in 1859, both are interred in Ballyhennan Graveyard along with other family members.  In 1862, peter, finding living hard, the final straw was the raising of the rents, he decided to emigrate with his 8 children.  Two grown up daughters and six sons, the youngest, being Colin of 12 years old.

Peter was engaged as an overseer in a sheep station and arranged for twenty Shepard’s from all over Scotland to go with them.  It must have been an upturn for them facing a long and uncomfortable journey to the unknown.  After disembarking they had to walk many miles to Chinchilla sheep station.  Life was hard but they managed to keep going and most of the family eventually got on their feet.

In WW1 two of his grandsons who came over to serve in the War paid a visit to Stuckendroin before going home again.

After that it was in the 1960’s that various descendants appeared at Stuckendroin, to see the place that their Grandfather, Peter, had left.  They were very interested, with each one knowing their forefathers history.  On this visit they left a visitors book at the Farm which now records over 70 visits being paid.  Some have come twice including one Grandson, Sir Alan Fletcher who for a time was a Government Minister in Queensland.  He was a Grandson of Colin who had left Stuckendroin as a 12 year old in 1862.

They are all very proud of their Scottish heritage and feel it a privilege to be able to see where their fore fathers lived, and were buried.  As well as Struckendroin Farm they visit Ballyhennan and Arrochar graveyards where they have the family graves.  They are a fine family and it has been a privilege to meet so many of them.  In 1994 they organised a MacIntyre reunion, to which over 500 members of all ages attended.  They got together from all over Australia, from Darwin the north to Tasmania in the south.  Most of the family have settled in Queensland, two of the brothers went to Sydney and ran a successful Building and Stonemason Business.

James MacFarlane

James MacFarlane – or Hamish Mor, was oldest son of Alexander MacFarlane.  He now resides at Inverhullin and is a wood carver in the employ of Sir James Colquhoun.  He has great skill on removing heavy timber from the face of the hills. In a memorable gale of wind in 1860, he succeeded in bringing down from rocky and dangerous heights upwards of £2,000 worth of wood with his horse and only one assistant. He conveyed timber for repair of Tarbet Pier on Loch Lomond and also aided in the erection of the Arrochar Pier, which was commenced soon after the Queen’s visit to Loch Long in 1849.

Hamish Mor is a very powerful man, a noted character in the district and much liked. He married his cousin Jane MacGowan, daughter of John MacGowan, in Buchanan parish.  He has no children. James’ grandfather, Alexander MacFarlane, was a native of Arrochar Parish; he was born at a cottage in Kenmore Wood, where he resided all his life.  His forefathers belonged to the same parish.

James MacFarlane was presented to Queen Victoria at Balmoral as a representative of Clan MacFarlane.

Notes
Various anecdotes are related of James MacFarlane’s kind treatment of his horses.  He had for many years a grey mare called ‘Nanack’.  She was particularly clever at dragging the wood down the hillside by zigzag paths and keeping it back when the descent was too steep.

Hamish Mor when returning from Luss to Tarbet one night found a number of trees blown across the road, entirely obstructing the passage.  He addressed his steed “noo Nanack, ye ken this is Loch Lomond in ye maun gang whatsoever, and swim to yonder point and free this one we will set out as a near road to Tarbet ye ken Nanack”.  Whereupon Nanack plunged into Loch Lomond and with her Master hanging on to her tail and swam across one of the Bays of the Loch to where the road was again possible.  She had an objection to the smell of whisky and if she suspected her Master of having more than enough, she refused to let him enter his cart except by the back and took him home as soon as she could.

Is there anyone else in our area that have previous tenants of their house ‘come back for a look’?  Let the Heritage Group know.

If you know of any other people then please EMAIL US and we'll add them to this page.

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