Place: Bualtorran/Bualdorran; Name: Oman

**Scots Bluebell** · 03-Dec-09, 18:12

Hello everyone,

I am a new member, quite new to genealogy too, and I have hit a brick wall. Any help/suggestions gratefully received!

I have a George OMAN b 9 Nov 1805, son of William OMAN, Bualtorran, Latheron. I also find that William OMAN, Bualdorran, Latheron, had three other children between 1802 and 1811 - presumably George's siblings.

Can anyone tell me, please, where Bual(t)(d)orran is or was? On maps I have seen Buoltach and Buolfruich north-west-ish of Latheronwheel area but I can't see any sign of a more similar name.

Also, if anyone knows anything about this family, I'd love some help with it. George's death cert just gives his parents as William OMAN and ? OMAN m.s. MCKENZIE, I haven't found anything to pursue there. Nor can I find anything on his Bualdorran siblings (John, James and Janet) - quite common Caithness Oman forenames and none of the ones I have tracked to death certs have a MCKENZIE mother; of course they may have died young, emigrated etc. Or maybe they are just hiding from me!

Thanks in advance for any help.

Scots Bluebell

**Mamie_2** · 20-Dec-09, 20:55

Have you tried all the spelling variatons? The above are the ones I have come across so far.

There is a George Owman age 35 in Dunnet in 1841. Also in this household is a Jane Owman 50.

The other George's on the FREECEN version are both only 7.

in 1851 there is one in Dunnet and one in Olrig both born in Dunnet.
one at Kirkstyle, Dunnet with a much older wife Jane the above 35 yr old in Dunnet in 1841 I would guess
one at Barrock Mains, Olrig a chelsea pensioner and groom with wife Eleanor born Ireland. It would seem likely that his regiment was in Ireland in 1841 and Australia in c 1843.

The only one in Latheron was 7 s/o William Oman.

In 1871 the 35 year old is in Dunnet Village age 68 with wife Jane age 80

No luck finding the placename in Latheron or anywhere for that matter lol.

Where did George actually die?

Mamie

**Scots Bluebell** · 22-Dec-09, 01:00

Hi Mamie,

Thanks so much for your reply and for your work on George Oman.

Thanks for your tip about surname spelling - I wish I had written to this forum a few months ago as my earliest searches were for Oman with soundex off until I stumbled over Owman/Owoman etc. Seems so obvious now...

Re Bualt/dorran: since I posted, I have had a look at the old O.S. 6-inch-to-a-mile maps on the NLS website; I found it a bit tricky to have a good look but from its gazetteer, I don't think it shows Bualt/dorran. I also tried searching on FreeCEN under the "Street" field and, for 1841 only, it shows 2 households at Bulnatorran, Latheron. It sounds to me as though that might be the right place, I don't speak Gaelic but I think na just means 'of the' so either version means basically the same thing, I believe something like 'cattle enclosure'?? Presumably next and previous households listed are those that are closest by? These are Ditches, Ashbegg, Golsary and Bulnabin. Do any of these sound familiar?

I wondered if perhaps Bualt/dorran was a settlement in the early 1800s but was cleared by the 1851 Census? I don't know enough (any!) Caithness history to know if that is plausible. Do you know any books or sites that list where was cleared when in Caithness?

Now for George Oman. My George died 28 Mar 1885 in Lothmore, Loth, SUTH. 1851-1881 censuses have him as having been born in Latheron, plus his wife was Harriet MacKay, so I had ruled out those other Georges that you list, tho they may be related in some way. I am not 100% certain my George is the one born 1805 at Bualtorran, but it is the only registered birth I could find that looks possible, I had hoped I could verify this by following up the Bualtorran siblings -John, James and Janet - but as I said in my last post, I can't find them. I found siblings James and Janet, children of William Oman of Latheron, but their mother is Isabella Munro (I am looking for -unknown first name- McKenzie) and I could only see a brother William, not any brother George...

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.

Regards,

Scots Bluebell

**jimag** · 27-Dec-09, 19:12

Dont know if this will be of any help to you but Bual is a croft near Ramscraigs between Dunbeath and Berridale.

**Scots Bluebell** · 28-Dec-09, 01:15

Hi jimag,

Thanks for your reply, I have been busy looking at maps! I haven't found Bual (is it still a croft or does it no longer exist?) but I can see Ramscraigs - I wonder if Bual was part of the Langwell Estate, it looks fairly close by to me but I don't know the extent of the estate?

Your suggestion has definitely given me food for thought. I was sort of assuming Bualt/dorran was nearer to the town (village?) of Latheron, close to the Bual- places I mentioned in my first post, so I hadn't really looked that bit further south. But a bit further south means a bit closer to the parish of Clyne, Sutherland, which is where George Oman was in the 1841 Census. Then again, perhaps there were lots and lots of Bual- places throughout Caithness because of the high numbers of cattle...

Before I started this genealogy hobby/incurable disease

, I hadn't realised how difficult it would be to pinpoint places, and I had no idea how much people moved around. I had the impression people lived in the same spot for generations but that is certainly not the case with my lot. I find I want to know a lot more than I do know about the Clearances, cattle droving, hiring fairs, traffic between the north and Edinburgh etc - but only if I can find the info in simple, bite-size chunks - I'm afraid I am "dumbed down"! If anyone knows of any suitable books or websites, please let me know.

Thanks again, jimag.

Best wishes,

Scots Bluebell

PS Is it just me? My first post worked ok but I have had problems with both of my reply posts: although my login is accepted, when I click to post I am told I am not logged in and I lose what I have typed. Most frustrating, especially as, this time, I should have thought to save my post just in case, but I didn't...

**Mamie_2** · 28-Dec-09, 15:37

Yes our ancestors did move around more than we might have guessed lol. Especially the ones on the coast who might have had boats/ships for fishing or trade.

Though there are the ones who did stay in the same place for generations as well.

Certainly by the 1850's there was quite a bit of relocation to either Edinburgh or Glasgow for work but it did take place earlier in both directions.

There is a lot of information on the clearances on line and in books. Google that and see what comes up.

Hiring fairs typically took place on specific days in the spring(May) and fall(November) and sometimes were part of a bigger "fair". A fair could include a sale of livestock as well as other goods. It was a time to meet friends as well as stock up on things you couldn't produce yourself or sell your excess items.

It would be more likely that you could get a job at the May fairs as landholders would need more labour in the spring and summer for planting, cultivation and harvest. You would have had to be the best workers to get a position for the winter. Not as much onlline about these.

I have been addicted to the genealogy puzzle for about 12 years now and I still keep finding new people to add to my tree. I don't think I will ever be completely done lol.

Mamie

**Mamie_2** · 28-Dec-09, 16:06

According to the New Statistical Account 1845 traditionally it was held on the Tuesday after Jul 20 to hire harvest workers.

Different parishes had fairs as well.

A fair on Apr 23 Georgemas(St. George's Day) fair ( MAY HAVE TAKEN PLACE LATER IN THE BEGINNING OF MAY-depends upon if you are using a Julian Calender or our current Gregorian calender-Apr 23 in Julian is May 6 in Gregorian) was also a hiring fair in Caithness. The site of this fair is between Wick and Thurso near what is now Georgemas Junction.

St. George (and the Dragon(of England ))is ther reason for Georgemas as Apr 23 is supposedly the day he died in 303 AD(Julian Calender) - may not have been English at all although he was at one thought to have been born in Coventry.

See where Genealogy can lead lol

Mamie

**jimag** · 28-Dec-09, 20:43

Hi Scots Bluebell

You were hoping for some place nearer the village of Latheron but the Parish of Latheron stretches from The Ord of Caithness in the south to Clyth in the north and extends well into the Caithness hinterland.
Mamie 2 is right about the feeing markets. There was a market at Dunbeath. Market Hill still there but I am not aware of any sign/cross to mark the location.
Oman is not a Highland name nor a Caithness one I suspect. Your mention of Langwell could be a key in your search. When Sir John Sinclair introduced sheep to the north, the first flock he set up was at Langwell and he brought shepherds from the Scottish borders to attend them. They were originally Cheviot sheep and bred into the hardier and smaller North Country Cheviot. Could your Oman descendants have come from the borders. Long shot Scots Bluebell but worth keeping in mind.
Do you have any Hendersons connected to The Bual in your tree ? There have been Hendersons in The Bual for the past eighty years at least.

**wendyomanmackay** · 17-Aug-20, 07:32

Hi I have just started trying to do my family tree and my Grandfather was George Oman who was born in 1866 son of a William Oman. Both my grandfather and and great grandfather were married twice. I think William Oman was born in 1800 and from Latheron/Wick direction. I also tryng to find out if my grandfather maybe had siblings from his fathers first marriage. Any info would be greatly received.