James Sinclair and Margaret Isbister - Our Direct Ancestors - my generation’s g g g g g grandparents

James Sinclair was born in 1766 and died during 1841. Margaret Isbister was born circa 1766 and she died in 1810 or 1811. James and Margaret were married on the 29th of December 1791.

Margaret’s parents were Magnus Isbister and Margaret Flett. I haven’t found any more details about them yet.

There is significantly more information about James’s family. James’s father was also James, who was born in 1740 and died in 1781. James’s mother was Elspeth Louttit, born in 1740. James senior’s father was William Sinclair, born circa 1710. His wife was Katherine Spence, born in 1710. William’s father was yet another James, born circa 1690, or before 1699 at least. His wife was Katherine Wilson. This James’s father was John Sinclair, born circa 1650. I have located a John Sinclair born after 1645 at Swinister, Sandness, on the Shetland Islands and it is possible that this could be our John Sinclair. John married Anna Roland. This John’s father was yet another John, who married Margaret Linay before 1625. Margaret Linay’s parents were Richard Linay and Elizabeth Brough.

James Sinclair and Margaret Isbister’s daughter was Catherine Sinclair, born on the 26th of March, 1797 at Midhouse, Harray. Curiously, Midhouse is also known as Midhouse of Corrigall and is only about 7 kilometres away from Pow, where James Corrigall and his wife Catherine Sinclair are known to have lived.

Below: Midhouse where Catherine Sinclair was born in 1797. Now known as the Corrigall Farm Museum

Midhouse of Corrigall, now known as Corrigall Farm Museum, was erected between 1730-40 when the owner, James / John Corrigall, redeemed the property and came to live there. Prior to this the Corrigalls had lived in Firth and the property had been let. I am unsure if this particular John and / or James Corrigall is related to our Corrigalls, but it is quite likely considering the Harray location. Midhouse of Corrigall is located on Corrigall Road, with the kame of Corrigall and Corrigall dale nearby.

Midhouse of Corrigall is considered to be representative of 19th century farm houses in Orkney. Three major buildings, a dwelling, a barn and stable and a separate byre form a close-knit group running parallel to each other, with paving between them. It is likely that the west end of the dwelling was originally a byre, but, by the mid 19th century, it had become a parlour with adjacent kitchen, living room and bedroom. The byre is furnished with stone partition-slabs, forming stalls, and a central drain, accommodating the cattle over the winter. The original stable for the small native horses is attached to the south side of the barn, with a manger built into the wall at either end, but the adoption of larger work horses in the 19th century led to the provision of a larger stable at the east end of the barn, which has timber-built stalls. The barn itself was primarily concerned with the preparation of grain for grinding into flour: a clay floor where the grain was threshed, opposing doorways to create the through-draught for winnowing, and a circular kiln for drying the grain. All the roofs consist of flagstones on a timber frame, covered with an insulating layer of turf. The Burn of Corrigall is nearby to provide a source of water not only for domestic use but also, by the later 19th century, for a separate threshing mill powered by a water-wheel, the water for which was carried in an unusual aqueduct over the burn.