22714: John Macleod

Iain Aonghais

John Macleod (1808-1866) Seoc Aonghais Bhain was a son of Angus Macleod and Ann Macleod, Carloway  and was the first crofting tenant of 8 Calbost.

 According to strong Lochs tradition he was one of the three brothers that came from Garenin, Carloway to Lochs early in the 19th century who had changed their name from Macphail to Macleod. The belief was perpetuated by the Marvig satirist Robert Finlayson, 2 Marvig in Gaelic verse aimed at his neighbour Kenneth Macleod, John’s son at 3 Marvig. Part of that satirical composition reads as follows;

ged a their iad Macleoid ruit se bu choir a bhi ort ach Macphail. 

(although they call you Macleod your proper name is Macphail).

Surnames were not in common use until the first lotting about 1814 when the crofters’ names were noted in English. Before that it was patronyms that were in common use.

In Lochs, in 1833, John married Anne Maclean, 14 Calbost. John and Ann settled at 8 Calbost and they had one child, Kenneth. Ann died after she  gave birth in the open at Clach-mor-a-Gobh just above the Calbost pebble beach.

In Lochs, in 1839, John married Isabella Macarthur, 8 Cromore. Isabella died in 1851 giving birth to their fourth child, Isabella, who also died. Oral tradition relate that the three young boys had a difficult time.

John married for the third time in Lochs, on January 29,1852, to Christy Macritchie, 9 Gravir. They had no children.