Catherine (Matheson) MacKay (bef. 1785 - 1883)

Born before 26 Nov 1785 in Achnara, Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland

Wife of Murdoch MacKay — married 4 Apr 1805 in Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland

Descendants

Died 12 Mar 1883 after age 97 in Glengarry, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada

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Biography

Catherine Matheson was baptized November 26, 1785 at Lairg, Sutherland, the daughter of Neil Matheson at Achnara.^[1]

On April 4, 1805, Catherine Matheson of Achnara married Murdoch McKay of Kennakyle.^[2] They had:

1. Duncan, bp. December 2, 1806 at Lairg,^[3] d. Jan 24, 1810^[4]
2. Neil, bp. November 11, 1808 at Lairg,^[5]
3. Duncan, bp. November 30, 1810 at Lairg^[5]
4. Alexander, bp. December 15, 1812 at Lairg^[5]
5. Elspet, bp. April 12, 1815 at Lairg^[5]
6. Merran, bp. June 1, 1817 at Lairg^[5]
7. son, b. Nova Scotia abt. 1824^[6]

In 1819 they emigrated to Pictou Co., Nova Scotia. They wintered at Cariboo, and the following Spring travelled to New Lairg.^[6]

On April 19, 1844 Christian Matheson of New Lairg made her will, mentioning among other relatives, her sister Kate. She was left "my bedstead, together with its chaff and Feather Beds, Blankets and other furniture also two gowns, one of which is [] and the other second morning, one half of my chinaware teapot included".^[7]

She was provided for in the 1856 will of her husband. ^[8]

Catherine was living with her son Neil's family in the 1871 and 1881 censuses (aged 85, and 96 respectively).^[9][10]

Catherine died March 12, 1883. Her obituary appeared in the Eastern Chronicle later that month:^[11]

Died at the residence of her son, Neil McKay, Glengarrry, Pictou County, on the 12th of March, 1883, Catherine Matheson, widow of the late Murdoch McKay. The deceased was a native of Sutherland Shire, Scotland, and emigrant to this country sixty-years ago, and had at the time of her death reached the advanced age of 100 years, 2 months and 12 days. Although for the last few years of her life she was totally blind, she retained her other faculties until the last, and died in the firm hope of the realisation of the promises of the Master whom she had so long consistently served. This aged christian at the time of her decease six (6) living children, sixty-four (64) living grand children, one hundred and ten (110) living great grand children, and five (5) living great great grand children. - Com. to Standard.

Research Notes

Murdoch McKay and Catherine Matheson were mentioned by their grandson, William P. Grant, in his 1907 manuscript. He stated that she lived to be eighty. He also said that they had four boys and two girls, and that the "youngest [boy] left here sixty two years ago". He stated that of the 6 siblings, his mother was alive, four died in their 80s or 90s, and the status of the last (the youngest son) was unknown.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Lairg Parish Registers, OPR 53/1, p. 14, November 26, 1785 "Neil Matheson, Achnara -- Kat:".
2. ↑ Lairg Parish Registers, OPR 53/1, p. 143/45, April 4, 1805 "Murdoch McKay in Kennakyle & Cath Matheson in Achnara".
3. ↑ Lairg Parish Registers, OPR 53/1, p. 32, December 2, 1806 "Murd: MacKay & Cath: Matheson, Colloble -- Duncan".
4. ↑ Lairg Parish Registers, OPR 53/1, p. 335/53 January 24, 1810 "Duncan, son to Murd: McKay, Kennacoill".
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} Church registers - Old Parish Registers Births and baptisms. Lairg Baptism Index. scotlandspeople.gov.uk
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Grant, William P. History of Concord, Middle River (1907). Manuscript. HAGGIS, the McCulloch Heritage Centre. http://haggis.mccullochcentre.ca/document/1367 (accessed May 8, 2021)
7. ↑ Pictou County, Estate Papers, no. 368 "Christian Matheson", will of Christian Matheson.
8. ↑ Pictou County, Estate Papers, no. 707 "Murdoch McKay", will of Murdoch McKay.
9. ↑ 1871 Census of Canada, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Schedule No. 1 Return of the Living, Middle River, pp. 5,6, ED 200, Sub L, Div. 1, household 14, family "McKay, Neil", lines 13-20;1-5. Digital images of microfilm. Library and Archives Canada, (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/ page 5, page 6)
10. ↑ 1881 Census of Canada, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Schedule No. 1 Return of the Living, Middle River, pp. 237,38 ED 20, Sub M, household 169, family "McKay, Neil", lines 23-25;1-2. Digital images of microfilm. Library and Archives Canada, (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/)
11. ↑ "Died", Eastern Chronicle, March 22, 1883, p. 2, obituary for Catherine Matheson McKay. https://archives.novascotia.ca/newspapers/archives/?ID=7938&Page=201818905 (accessed May 10, 2021)

• Lairg Parish (Sutherland, Scotland), "Parochial Registers 1, B. 1768-1819, M. 1784-1828, D. 1804-1844", OPR 53/1. Digital images of microfilm. FamilySearch, DGS film 007907471.
• Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Registry of Probate, Original Estate Papers. Digital images of microfilm. FamilySearch, DGS films 007503765, 007503784.