Torry Point Battery, Nigg

[Olde Crone Holden]

I am very puzzled. My 4 x GGM Isabella Forbes, aged 91, is staying here in 1891, with her son, her daughter and her grandson, George Pirie.

George Pirie is head of household and he is a gunner in the Royal Artillery.

I have googled Torry Point Battery and although there is extensive information about it, it does not explain what Isabella was doing there. Would a gunner have had sufficient accommodation to have three guests/permanent residents and would it have been allowed?

Isabella and her husband farmed the same farm for at least 60 years and don't look to be short of a bob or two.

There are about a hundred steps up to this place and 91 year old Isabella must have been very keen to get there!

Any ideas please?

OC

[Little Nell]

I am very puzzled

Join the club!

[Little Nell]

Are there any other women there, OC? As they were all there, there must have been enough space to sleep at least. (this was the days when people didn't all have their own bedroom with ensuite facilities, and people would routinely share beds).

[Little Nell]

Well, I suppose its helpful that it has listed George as Head, Isabella as grandma, and Andrew as uncle and Susan as aunt, though if it said "visitor" it would make it clear they were just temporarily there.

It has Susan's occupation as housekeeper, so maybe she was a permanent fixture, I imagine George would have needed his domestic arrangements sorted for him! There's a big age gap between Andrew and Susan, considering they are siblings? I see Andrew is a "retried" [sic] crofter. Maybe George's accommodation allowed him to offer a home to George, who I doubt would have made much provision for his old age as a crofter.

It's a shame you can't see the original image or who else was on the page. There might have been a thriving community!

[Little Nell]

ourpasthistory.com: Fortifications

says that in 1860 there were 9 guns, which I guess means at least 9 gunners (though I would have thought you'd have one to load and one to fire at least, making 18). So there would be a fair number of people there.

And maybe when they weren't manning the guns, they had accommodation a little bit away that was able to accommodate womenfolk.

[Just Gillian]

OC - have you looked at the image on SP?
The 1891 will show how many rooms there were with one or more windows and so may give a better idea of the size of the accommodation.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Doh, never thought about SP Gillian!

Nell

Andrew and Susan are definitely sibs - I have them right back to 1841. Susan married in, um, 1854, but her husband never appears and Susan always lives with her mother on the farm as a housekeeper.

(I notice Andrew has married and knocked a few years off, by 1901, presumably because his mum dropped off in 1892!).

Whilst googling, I came across a really informative piece about the history of the village with details about the farms and so on, so that was a nice bonus.

They must have voluntarily given up the farm because the tenancies are for "19 years and a lifetime". Isobella must have taken over the tenancy after her husband died, which would have given her 19 years and a lifetime. Very odd. Perhaps Andrew was insulted at being called a crofter, pmsl.

I am continually cheered by the great old age of my scottish female ancestors - Isabella 92, her mother 85, her daughter 93....

Thanks everyone, off to look at SP.

OC

[Muggins in Sussex]

Re the 100 steps - I think I read somewhere that fortifications such as this usual had alternative access - slopes rather than steps - so that supplies could be taken up by horse.

What is SP - I thought it was search party! LOL - are we sending a search party to Aberdeen??

[Little Nell]

Scotland's People?

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

fortifications such as this usual had alternative access

I expect they had a Stannah Stair Lift!

[Little Nell]

It was Scotland, Merry, it would have been a McStannah!

[Olde Crone Holden]

What a grim place, anyway. It was used for emergency housing after WW2.

An aerial photo shows it to be miles from anywhere, and up a hill whichever way you go at it. Poor Isabella, perhaps they put her on the cart.

I am now more exercised by trying to find out how this George Pirie is her grandson, exactly. She doesn't have a spare daughter to marry a Pirie!

OC

[Raven]

OC if you want any up to date piccies of the Torry Battery give me a shout...

[Olde Crone Holden]

Aw, thankyou for your very kind offer, Raven!

Not necessary though - there are plenty of photos on the internet, and my interest in the place is confined to "what were they doing there" and why did they give up the farm (I presume they gave it up - none of them are there in 1901).

I have 27 expired credits on SP and as I am on an economy drive this month, I have so far resisted adding another 30, but I think I am going to have to, just to see where Isabella died (she died in 1892).

I do need a few more certs and a look at some census images, so, oh dear, here goes with the plastic again.....

OC