44740: Morrisons of South Lochs

Six Morrison brothers settled in South Lochs at the beginning of the 19th century. It is not known definitely where the family originally came from but tradition associates them with Uig, Lewis, although the seat of the Morrisons of Lewis was at Habost, Ness where they held the hereditary Judgeship of Lewis, "Clann-a-Breitheamh". Their Gaelic name "Mhic-alla-Mhuire" suggest that they may not be of Norse origin.

The six brothers settled as follows:

Alastair Morrison 1780, 19 Cromore

Malcolm1781, 8 Garyvard

Coinneach-Beag-Mac Iain 1790, 2 Gravir

Domhnuill Buachaill 1793, 20 Marvig

Murchadh Breabadair 1797, 9 Calbost

Alastair Sidhear Morrison at Leurbost was thought to be a brother.

The only son of Alastair Morrison, 19 Cromore, Murdo Morrison (1821) emigrated to Quebec with his wife and family of two girls and two boys, Ann 1855, Murdo 1857, Christy 1859 and Duncan 1868. Croft 19 Cromore went over to Murdo’s sister Mary Morrison 1813, who was married to John Mackenzie (Ian Buidhe) son of Tormod "Buidhe" Mackenzie, 3 Calbost.

There were three other daughters of the above Alastair Morrison married in Cromore as follows:

Catherine 1803, wife of Roderick Macleod, 15 Cromore
Bess 1808, wife of Murdo Macleod, 21 Cromore
"Mor Bhan" 1812, wife of Hector Mackenzie, 6 Cromore

After "Iain Buidhe",19 Cromore was divided into a joint tenancy, one part going over to "Domhnuill an Buidhe" and the other to John Macinnes, "Iain Grabhar" who subsequently moved to 1 Kershader.

The Morrisons of 35 Cromore who were of a different family that came from 11 Marvig might have lived here for a while in the area of 19 Cromore before croft 25 Cromore was created in the 1860s as an additional croft.