The SUTHERLAND family are perhaps my favourite of all my ancestors:  this must be in part because of the area and its history, but is mainly because I knew more of them, and more about them, than the others before I began serious research.  I visited the Tongue area as a boy in the 1940s, and again after about 1985.

My Grandfather, Alexander (born in Scullomie in1863) was one of a typical large family: a croft of 3 acres of poor ground, could not support many of them, and Alexander went south:  I do not know where he stopped, or how he supported himself on the way, but he finished in London and joined the Met Police in 1887, retiring in 1912 as Station Sergeant at Bushey (Herts).  So far, he is the only one of his siblings I have found who married and had a family:  three brothers are still untraced, but I remember being told about fifty years ago that one brother had died at sea, and one in Australia.

One researcher has suggested that some MacKENZIEs changed their names to SUTHERLAND, and there are some dual names shown in IGI for Durness:  the name MacKENZIE also appears in one branch below for no obvious reason.   If you know or suspect the answer, please Email me.

This is what I have found so far:

Angus SUTHERLAND (bc1781 Tongue) =.Helen (Nelly) MacKAY

       Donald (bc1816) m (1) Christina MacKay lived at Blandy
            Alexander bc1844
            Hughina bc1846
            Angus bc1847 d 1855 (drowned)------------|
            George bc1849
                     m (2). Janet MacKAY (bc1837) lived at Blandy
             Chirsty b1870

        Barbara (Bapt1821 Tongue = Hugh McLEOD (lived Kinlochbervie)
            McLeod Family details in Kinlochbervie on file

       John (bc1821) = Ann MacKAY (lived Coldbackie, then Scullomie)
           Angus (bc1849 Coldbackie) No trace after 1861 Census)
           Andrew (bc1851 Coldbackie) No trace after 1861 Census
           Ellen (bc1853, Scullomie d1884 unmarried)
           William (b1855 Scullomie) (no trace after 1891 Census)
           Andrewina/Lexy(b1858 Scullomie d1949 unmarried)
           Alexander (b1863 Scullomie) =  Ellen TUBB
               Dorothy P.E. b London 1905 = Edward N. MASSEY
                     Donald J MASSEY b1932 (me).
           George (b1865 Scullomie d1937 unmarried)

       George bc1826

       William (bap1829 =m Jane ROSS
            Donald Ross (bc1853) = Jessie SUTHERLAND
                 William b1892 Blandy m Thomasina SUTHERLAND
                       descendents to present day known
                  Robert b 13 1.1897 Blandy m Janet Mackechnie (Islay)
                       descendents known to present day
                  Grace b1899 = Robert McINTOSH
                  Billy J b1901 dc1950unmarried?
            Angusina b1855
            Isabell (b1857 = Hugh MacKAY
              details of family held
            Helen (b1860, presumably died soon after, see next line)
            Helen (b1863) m Hugh MUNRO
                 family details on file
            Williamina MacKenzie Ross b1866 =. John SHEARER
                  family details on file
            Hughina MacKenzie Ross (b1868) ?emigrated to Australia?
            Johanna MacKenzie Ross (b1875)
            Hughina bc1876 does this mean Hughina above died ? or is it an error in Census
       Angus (bc1831,m 1849 Dolina MacKAY or MUNRO, Strathy.
             Family details at Strathy on file)

       James (bap1833 = Nancy MacKAY
            Angus m ?????: was a schoolmaster in Orkney, retired to Kirtomy SUT.
            Hector MacKay SUTHERLAND

Notes.
My direct ancestors underlined.
All events in Parish of Tongue, Sutherland, so far as known, unless stated.  Blandy, Coldbackie and Scullomy are on the eastern side of the Kyle of Tongue.
NB: SUTHERLANDS marrying are not necessarily related.

SUTHERLAND One Name Study, Tongue Parish.

In trying to separate all the SUTHERLAND (name) families in Tongue parish, I have built up a substantiial list of many lines through several generations:  it includes many SUTHERLAND ladies who married into other names, some with at least the first generation of their children.
It is far too large and ever changing to keep on a web page, but if you would like to see if your family are on and linked, Email me

For more about TONGUE Parish, click here.(page in preparation)

Click to return to Index page.

Email me (DonaldMassey@compuserve.com) if you can add or correct anything, think you may have a connection, or would just like to compare notes.

Last Updated 14.2.2000
Contact me at : DonaldMassey@compuserve.com