Yes indeed this is a profoundly sad story. It needed to be told at this time a century on. It is a vital part of my maternal grandfather's family history, it was told to me when I was a child, by my Dear Mother. I have since researched and gathered more information on that history.
Today, 1st May, would have been Peggy Ann's birthday.
Sadly the nature of history is retrospective and the individuals it relates to are often no longer around to tell or respond to what we might wish to know. It is also important, while studying, interpreting and transcribing to use factual information and not conjecture. But by all accounts the loss of these two sisters Mary and Margaret ("Peggy") Ann, in their twenties, at 1 Dalbeg, in 1923, had an understandably devastating effect on their siblings. Four brothers John Angus, Murdo, Kenneth and John, and two sisters Dolina and Catriona. Their sisters who died so young were fondly remembered and the memories were passed on throughout the years. I learnt of this sad story as a young child, from my own Dear Mother Barbara, who had been told of it by her father Kenneth, who died when she was ten years old.
Now the naming of children has always been important, especially as a way of commemorating relatives. It is my understanding that in island communities there is an established custom of naming children after or in honour of recently lost close relatives, (I do know that my grandfather, who I am proud to be named in honour of, was indeed named after his uncle Kenneth who died aged twenty-eight years in1892). I have been told that my grandfather Kenneth MacLeod and my granny Barbara MacNair, made it known that he wished his eldest daughters my twin aunties to be named Mary and Peggy, directly in honour of his young sisters. Eldest brother John Angus and his wife Jessie Nicolson's family were a little older. Murdo had no family. But it does become evident that the others also wished to name daughters in honour of their two sisters. John and his wife Mary Murray's , eldest daughter was born in 1923, and named Peggy Ann and his youngest daughter was named Mary. The youngest sister Catriona "Codaidh" and her husband Malcolm MacArthur named their eldest daughter Peggy Ann, and younger daughter Mary.
I knew Auntie Codaidh, she was exactly the same age as my granny Barbara, they had been close friends since early childhood and gone to the Shawbost Primary School. She would visit us and we would often visit her in her home in Upper Carloway and latterly when she moved to Stornoway, before she passed away in 1989. She loved to reminisce and had clear memories of her lost sisters, whom she did speak of quite often. She also had a good knowledge of the history of the family, going back many generations. One day when we were visiting she actually wrote out the precise dates of birth of all her siblings. My mother gave this list to me before she passed away, and it is now a much valued item.
Dolina, and her husband Murdo MacIver, did name their eldest daughter Mary , though not necessarily after the lost sister Mary as there were paternal grannies and great-grannies named Mary. Their, second daughter, was Catherine Margaret Ann, who sadly passed away only very recently. I do not believe that I am in a position to say, others may certainly know better than me, if her last two Christian names were in honour of the other lost sister Margaret Ann.
Catherine Margaret Ann and my mum Barbara, were first cousins, and the family connection was very strong and lovingly kept. In all there were twenty first cousins, fourteen girls and six boys, none of whom knew the two aunties who passed away so tragically in 1923. I was brought up to know the connections and keep them going. Then as I got older I became increasingly more interested in the history of the family and have over the years made quite an extensive and on going research. I wanted to tell the story of those two girls who died in Dalbeg, a century ago, before every vestige of them goes without trace. This is a good time to tell it.
KB.
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