John MacIntyre of Blairbuie

	In memory of Margaret MacIntyre of South Laggan Invergarry who died on 3rd April 1925 aged 97 years and her sister Isabella MacIntyre who died on 24th October 1894 aged 56 years And their parents John MacIntyre Blairbuie Strathtummel and his wife Grace Stewart

John McIntyre was the son of Donald McIntyre of Dalno, Dull parish, and Janet Stewart of Tressait, who married in Blair Atholl on 7th May 1767. As Donald and Janet's first two children were born in Tressait, it would seem that Donald either had no land to farm or had another trade such as a weaver or wright. However, at some time between 1770 and 1776, Donald became one of the tenant farmers at Blairbuie.

John took over the tenancy of Blairbuie from his father and on 28th April 1822, he married Girsel Stewart of Grennich. Her parents were Alexander Stewart and Elizabeth McDonald, who had farmed Tressait prior to Grennich. Girsel was born 20th January 1796, and was 26 when she married. Her husband John was 52, twice her age, and was possibly a bit sensitive about the age difference. He claimed to be in his early sixties in the 1841 census, by when he was 71, and ten years later was a modest 68 years old!

Between the years 1822 and 1837, the couple had seven children, but apart from the eldest, Donald, none of them seem to have been baptised. The youngest, Marsilla, does not appear in the 1851 census and probably died in childhood. The son Donald was certainly at Blairbuie in 1848, as he was one of the signatories to a letter sent to the Duke of Atholl requesting protection from the excisemen. Although his Grace was the local Justice of the Peace, he was quite open in stating that unless they could continue in the production of illicit whisky, they would be unable to pay his Grace their rent for the year. The Duke's reply is unknown, but it was rather an astute move by not involving John directly, as he held the tenancy from the Duke.

John's eldest daughter Janet married Charles McCrostie of Mains of Bonskeid on 11th February 1849. By 1881 Charles and Janet were farming 92 acres on two farms at Kilmonivaig, Inverness-shire. When they moved to this location is unknown, but the rest of the McIntyre family moved to the same area at some time after 1861. The family including Donald, Margaret, Isabella and Betsy, settled in South Laggan, Glengarry, where they farmed 5000 acres, employing 2 shepherds, 2 labourers and 1 boy.

John McIntyre died at South Laggan on 13th June 1864, still claiming to be 84, instead of 94.

In the 1871 census for South Laggan, Grace McIntyre is living with her daughters Margaret and Isabella in what appears to be the farm house as it also accommodates two servants, a ploughman, a shepherd, a herd and a driver who is visiting. Grace McIntyre died at South Laggan on 7th March 1874.

Isabella McIntyre died at Aberchalder, Fort Augustus on 24th October 1894. Her sister Margaret emulated old John McIntyre by living until she was 97, when she died at Kilfinnan, Invergarry on 3rd April 1825. The informant on the death certificate was John McIntyre, nephew, of Kilfinnan. Was this a son of Donald McIntyre?