Flora, born about 1833, was the daughter of Angus MacCuish and Catherine Paterson of old Borve, Berneray. By 1851 Flora was living with her uncle Murdo’s household, working as a farm servant, and was still with them in 1861, by now at 'house 30' Backhill, the Borve tenants having been cleared from their land in order to make way for Borve Farm.

Flora’s parents also became cottars in Backhill. By 1881 Flora was living with her widowed mother in a recently built property, ‘house 4’ Backhill, which passed to Flora following her mother’s death.

Flora worked variously as a dairymaid and wool spinner. In 1911 her nephew James was living with her.