4630: Catherine Mackenzie

It is not known where Catherine Mackenzie (1776-1853) came from; tradition maintains that she was married first to a man in Gravir who was away fighting in a foreign campaign, who was reported killed. His fellow-Lewisman Malcolm Maciver returned to Lewis and married the young widow. After a long lapse of years, Catherine’s first husband made his way back to Gravir and as he was approaching the village he came upon his wife and her second husband Calum Mac-a-Leodhasaich cutting peats.

Her first husband asked her which of the two men she chose to have and as she had children by Malcolm she replied that she would follow the father of her children. Thereupon the first husband turned away and was never again heard from.

The couple had four daughters and Catherine was widowed in 1830. She was allocated 22 Gravir in the 1852 lotting.