Altagalvash Farm, near Skipness, Argyllshire, Scotland Sources: -OPR records, years 1783-1854, FHC film # 1041076 {Records extracted from the Skipness Old Parochial Register. There are two volumes of these records on the film. The first volume pages run from p. 78-164. The second volume pages run from p. 1 - 38A. Every other page of the second volume is unnumbered, so I have labeled them the number from the previous page followed by the letter A. I have attempted to group together by family.} -Skipness, Memories of a Highland Estate, Angus Graham -Family notes From Skipness: Memories of a Highland Estate: "ALTAGALVASH. Charters of I495 and later. In 1502 Altagalvash and Ariour together amounted to two merklands. On Robert Gordon's map. In my time {approx. 1866 to 1936} a shepherd's house, inhabited by Donald McLellan, who made splendid crook- handled walking-sticks. For shipment to market, the wool from this part of the hill had to be moved by boat from the bay below the shepherd's house to the pier, about a mile distant. Mrs Higginson has a story about a flying serpent, which settled near Altagalvash at some time in the seventeenth century, and killed cattle and sheep. It was killed by a very brave man called Thomson, who, however, died of its poison twenty years later, when he cut himself fingering the old rust on his sword." In a Skipness tenants' list of 1784, the Altagalvish tenants were William Losg (Lusk) and Peter Hyndman, both paying a rent of £8-6-61/2. Although they were the tenants there would probably have been other families living on the land, as on all the Skipness farms. Donald McMillan & Marget McAlister Kathrine, bap. 14 Oct 1784, source OPR p. 82 Marget, bap. 2 Feb 1792, source OPR p. 90 Donald, bap. 25 Jan 1795, source OPR p. 92 William Losk & Anna Taylor Duncan, bap. 19 Feb 1785, source OPR p. 82 Peter Heynmand & Marget Hill Peter, bap. 9 Mar 1785, source OPR p. 83 James Hyndman & Christian Thomson Kathren, bap. 6 Oct 1798, source OPR p. 99 Alexander, bap. 28 Feb 1801, source OPR p. 106 John Curry/McCurry m. Margaret Hyndman 31 Jan 1801, source OPR p. 152 Margaret, bap. 4 Dec 1801, source OPR p. 107 Finual, bap. 13 Feb 1803, source OPR p. 111 Malcolm, bap. 14 Aug 1808, source OPR p. 124 Archibald, bap. 25 Jun 1810, source OPR p. 128 Kathrin, bap. 3 Feb 1818, source OPR p. 145 Archibald Thomson/McTavish m. Mary Livingston 22 Feb 1803, source OPR p. 153 John, bap. 25 Mar 1804, source OPR p. 113 Kathrine, bap. 17 Mar 1807, source OPR p. 122 unnamed daughter, bap. 19 Dec 1808, source OPR p. 125 Mary, bap. 3 Feb 1811, source OPR p. 129 Archibald, bap. 20 Dec 1812, source OPR p. 133 Alexander, bap. 1 May 1815, source OPR p. 138 Dugal, bap. 23 Nov 1817, source OPR p. 145 Margaret, bap. 12 Nov 1820, source OPR p. 3 Angus Thomson m. Isabel Livingston 24 Apr 1804, source OPR p. 154 Alexander, bap 4 Apr 1806, source OPR p. 119 Catherine, bap. 14 Dec 1807, source OPR p. 123 Flora, bap. 14 Jul 1810, source OPR p. 128 Margret, bap. 25 Feb 1816, source OPR p. 140 Angus, bap. 22 Feb 1818, source OPR p. 145 John, bap. 28 Mar 1821, source OPR p. 3 Isabel, bap 29 Nov 1823, source OPR p. 6 Peter Hyman m. Merran Stachers 20 Mar 1813, source OPR p. 158 James, bap. 7 Dec 1816, source OPR p. 142 Rachel, bap. 30 May 1819, source OPR p. 149 Peter Thomson m. Mary Thomson 19 Jan 1816, source OPR Peter b. 1784 d. 6 Oct 1864, Erin Twp, Wellington Co., Ontario Mary b. 1795 d. 19 Feb 1865, Erin Twp, Wellington Co., Ontario Archibald, bap. 7 Dec 1816, source OPR Dougald, bap. 9 Sep 1818, source OPR John, bap. 12 Nov 1820, source OPR Catherine, bap. 12 Dec 1822, source OPR Peter, bap. 21 Nov 1824, source OPR Mary, bap 4 Dec 1826, source OPR Donald, bap 20 Sep 1829, source OPR Angus, born 6 Jun 1834, Hillsburg, Wellington Co., Ontario Elizabeth, born 1836, Erin Twp, Wellington Co, Ontario John Hyman m. Mary Thomson 8 Mar 1817, source OPR p. 162 Mary, bap. 16 Jul 1820, source OPR p. 2 Peter Hyman m. Marion Cook 21 Apr 1823, source OPR p. 32 Marion, bap. 30 Jun 1825, source OPR p. 8 Peter Hyman & Sara Cook John, bap. 6 Apr 1828, source OPR p. 11 {note Sara & Marion are interchangeable names} Hugh Muloy m. Mary McIntosh 11 Dec 1830, source OPR p. 34 Ann, bap. 29 Mar 1831, source OPR p. 15 John, bap 18 Feb 1833, source OPR p. 16 Iver, bap 15 Aug 1835, source OPR p. 18 Dugal Muloy & Katherine McGregor Lewis, bap. 16 Mar 1833, source OPR p. 16 Robert Ker & Helen Steel Mary Elizabeth, bap. 22 Feb 1845, source OPR p. 25 Arch Buchanan & Catherine Fletcher Archibald, bap 20 Oct 1846, source OPR p. 26 Helen, bap 1 Mar 1847, source OPR p. 27 From family notes: On a tombstone in an old cemetery in Skipness, Invarary, Scotland, is the following inscription "Here lies the remains of Archibald McTavish, late farmer at Altghalbhais" Altghalv'-ais (A nearby castle, now fallen into decay, marks the estate) who departed this life on the tenth day of June, 1790, aged 55 years, and of his wife Catherine Taylor, who died 8 June, 1832, aged 88 years. also Mary Livingston, wife of Archbald Thomson, Jr. tenant at Cullendrach (Cul-len-drach). A chapel of red sandstone, where our ancestors worshiped is near. Peter Thomson b. 1784 in Skipness, Argyleshire, Scotland was a farmer, fisherman, and dealer in contraband. Taxes and duties, which the Scottish as well as the Englishhad to pay made existence in Scotland, already difficult, almost impossible. All imports, such as wine, silk, tea, tobacco, etc. came under import duties. Domestic taxes were high and wide spread, one must pay a schilling for the privlege of keeping a cat. There were no chances taken on collectin duties and taxes. Revenue Officers, or gaugers as the Scots preferred to call them collected money before goods could be landed or taken ahore, so, many boats went to lonely places on the shore where were caves known only to the captian and the crew. There goods were silently unloaded and stowed away in caves ready to be carried inland as soon as it was safe. The ship was moored, the oars were piled The boats moved on athwart the tide, And steered their course direct to land Well fraught with goods though contraband. The landsmen gathered there in swarms Recieved the same in open arms, And, favored bythe starless night, Plied well their time, concealed from sight, The ship unladed all was done Before the rising of the sun. Nearly everyone (Public opinion was "agin the goverment") rich and poor, Laird and farmer, layman and ministers helped the smugglers by helping unload and hide the goods, by warning of the porximity of Revenue officers and by buying the goods. Peter Thomson was a most enthusiastic helper, of the smuggling trade, on one occasion the gaugers came upon men at work unloading, there followed a furious fight in which the men were compelled to leave the goods to the officers. One of the said officers is reported to have said, "We would have been beaten if all those wild Scotchmen had fought like Peter Thomson." Peter Thomson bore the marks of the fray to his grave.