65472: Donald Beaton

Donald was married to Isabella Mackay and lived in Reef. They had a family.

In ‘An account of cattle in the different farms in this part of the district of Uig’ dated 6th Sept 1824, from the Seaforth muniments, Donald owned six cattle and four sheep.

He is recorded on the rent roll of 1807 and on James Chapman’s list of 1819 as Donald Bethune.  In the same village (Reef) resided a Neil Bethune who may have been a brother. Neil is not recorded in the 1824 document and seems to have left the district.

At the same time in Tobson in separate households lived an Angus Bethune and a Catherine Bethune; as this is an unusual name in Lewis it is fair to assume that they may be connected.

Oral tradition in Bernera says that the Beatons probably came from Skye.