59560: Neil Nicolson

Niall Dhòmhnaill

Neil  (1790-1870) was a son of Donald Nicolson and Christina Macdonald, 1 Brollum.

In Lochs, in 1822,  he married Ann Macinnes, 13 Old Orinsay. Neil and Ann were cottars at 7 Brollum.

Neil and his brother Louis Nicolson were joint tacksmen for Steimreway in 1826.

The couple moved to 6 Old Steimreway where they had eleven children.

In 1857 Steimreway was cleared and the family were removed to 21 Lemreway.

Neil's daughter Christina Macinnes died in 1860, and when Christina's husband Angus Macmillan died in 1863 three of their children, including Ann Macmillan and Angus Macmillan, came to live with their maternal grandparents.

According to local tradition, Neil was the Lemreway man who is mentioned by Reverend N C Macfarlane in the book The men of Lewis, who after he was converted, carried a New Testament in his pocket and begged anybody he came across to read to him, as he himself was unable to read.