91891: John Martin

John (1852-1896) was the son of Duncan Martin and Catherine Nicolson; the family were cottars at 21 North Tolsta.

In 1864 John’s paternal grandmother died and 21 North Tolsta was split between his father and his aunt. John’s father obtained 21a North Tolsta and the family settled there.

John married Isabella Macleod, of 53 North Tolsta; it is not known where the couple spent their early marriage and had their first child, but it is likely it was either 21a North Tolsta or 26 North Tolsta.

In 1877 the family obtained 76 North Tolsta and settled there. The couple had a further seven children at 76 North Tolsta. In total they had eight children: six girls and two boys.

John joined the Royal Navy and worked as a Chief Stoker.

John died after being injured by a boat rudder, while rescuing the crew of a Back boat off Tolsta Head. The injury was to his lungs and the internal bleeding it caused was so similar to Tuberculosis that his widow burnt all the furniture in the house in an effort to control the spread of the ‘disease’; the family were recorded as paupers in a subsequent census.

In due course 76 North Tolsta passed to their son-in-law Murdo Macleod.