Norman, born in 1846, was the youngest child of farmer Angus MacCuish and Catherine Paterson of Borve and later, having been removed from their croft whilst Norman was still a young boy, cottars at 'house 4' Backhill.

Norman became a fisherman and cottar, marrying Rebecca MacCusbic of Baile in 1886. Together they were to have five children, living in a house close to his parents in Backhill, in 'house 5'.

In 1900 Norman obtained 19 Borve, one of the newly assigned crofts that replaced Borve Farm, to which the family moved. He worked as a farmer until his death in 1932, when the croft passed to his youngest son James.