67442: Norman Paterson

Norman Paterson, born about 1832, was the son of John Paterson and Janet Ross of old Ruisgarry. His mother died when he was around four years old, and his father remarried. The family moved to the croft at 1 Ruisgarry (Sandhill) which his father obtained in the 1850 relotting.

Norman became a fisherman and married Margaret MacLeod from Borve in 1853. The couple made their home at ‘house 5’ Rubha Mor in Ruisgarry, where their seven children were born. However, we know the young family visited his widowed mother-in-law Rebecca in Urgha, Harris where they were registered with her household for the 1861 census.

During the 1880s the family moved to become cottars on his brother Archibald’s croft – 8 Ruisgarry (Baile), the house at Rubha Mor passing to Donald John MacLennan.

Following son Allan’s death in 1902, Norman took over his croft, 14 Borve, which subsequently passed to Allan’s son Donald.

His seamanship is recalled in the account of how Bodha Alaig Bhig came to be named after his son-in-law.