104281: Tolsta Farm, Tolsta

Tolsta Farm was created in 1854 when the short-lived crofting township of (Old) North Tolsta was cleared. In 1922 it was broken up for crofting and the land became the township of New Tolsta. On this website we make a distinction between Tolsta Farm (1854-1922) and the earlier Old North Tolsta Tack (pre-1830). 

Tolsta Farm Tenants
The first occupants were Roderick Nicolson, Ann Mackenzie and possibly some of the adult children from Roderick’s first marriage. Roderick died in 1863.

The next tenant was Thomas Newall, his first wife (name unknown) and his sister, Isabella. Both Thomas and Isabella had sons called John while settled at Tolsta Farm. Thomas was widowed and went on to marry Ann Tattersall. At some point Thomas’s cousin Sam Albany Newall also settled at Tolsta Farm and, in due course, took over the tenancy.

Sam Albany Newall was married to Jessie Flora Mackay and the couple had their first child at Tolsta Farm. They moved into Stornoway the following year, but may well have retained the tenancy of Tolsta Farm for some time after they left Tolsta. However by 1903 they were the tenants of Aignish Farm and settled there.

The next tenant was Robert Gerrie; he settled there with Julia Pringle and possibly some of their children.

The tenancy then passed to John Mackenzie and Effie Morrison. The couple had six children, but it is not clear where they were born.

The final tenants were Ewan Macdonald and Sarah Cummings. They had a son, but it is not clear if he ever lived at Tolsta Farm.
 

Tolsta Farm Shepherds

John Hunter was the shepherd at Tolsta Farm from 1859 to 1866. He was married to Margaret Stevenson and the couple had already had their first two children when they settled in Tolsta. They had a further two children whilst living at Tolsta Farm. The family moved to Barvas Farm in 1866; their final child was born there.

There is then a gap of twenty four years where no details of a shepherd are recorded at Tolsta Farm.

In 1890 James Gunn, from Hawick, became the shepherd at Tolsta Farm. James was married to Jean.

Donald Macpherson took over as shepherd in the early 1900s. He was married to Betsy Cameron and the couple had already had their first two children by the time they settled at Tolsta Farm. They went on to have a further four children.