by Shona » Wed Nov 06, 2013 6:05 pm
It's a wonderful read, Tom.
I've been through the Duke of Argyll census for 1792 and can't find Aucharua anywhere. Grrr.
However, on the Farm Horse Tax Rolls for the end of the 18th century, there are two people listed - Archibald Taylor who had three horses and Duncan McNicole who also had three horses.
in 1851, there was one family (and their farm servants) living there headed by John McMillan, a farmer of 190 acres who employed five labourers. There were 13 people in total.
I haven't found the farm on the 1861 or 1871 census yet, but in 1881, there were 17 people living at Aucharua. Two families - the farmer, John Barbour (must be Tom's rellie), and John McConechy's family. He was a farm servant.
By 1891, there were three families and 26 people. John Barbour was still the farmer (and inspector of the poor and registrar). There was also the families of John McSporran and Robert McDonald - both of them were farm servants.
The farmer and his family would live in the farmhouse and the farm servants in smaller cottages.
There are some references to the farm of Achowrowe being part of a land transaction in the mid 17th century - this will probably be connected with the Duke of Argyll's land grab after the defeat of the McDonalds at Dunaverty.