Between the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries many crofters in the Scottish Highlands were forced to continue crofting on inferior lands and many of them chose to emigrate, often to countries such as the US and Canada. For some reason, not known to me, many people that migrated from Jura ended up in North Carolina. This forced movement of people is known as “The Clearances” because the land they lived and farmed on was needed by the estate owners for sheep, a real money maker in those days, and deer, for sports. This was a time of huge depopulation in the Scottish higlands and islands, also on the Isle of Jura. The situation on Jura regarding these clearances were very different from the mainland and the following paragraph from the book ‘Island of Deer’ written by Peter Youngsten shows what happened on Jura:
We studied the population if Jura during the second half of the nineteenth century through the records provided by the national censuses and watched it drop from 1158 to 614 during the fifty years from 1841 to 1891. We know tha tmany families left the island, both to emigrate and to settle on the mainland. Much of the period during which this exodus took place is give the term ‘The Clearances’, in the Highlands and Islands at large. We must now see whether this description applies to Jura. Was Jura ‘cleared’ of people to make way for sheep and deer, and to allow the landowners to gain bigger incomes than those supplied by the rents of the settled tenants? Miss Campbell insisted to the Commission that nothing of the kind ever took place on the island. ‘Not one single family was ever evicted from their dwelling’ she said, ‘and those who left did so voluntarily, because they preferred to go.’
There are other stories from these times that say that there was some sort of clearance which is about the Cnocbreac eviction in the 1840s. Initially there were five families living there and later only one family was left. The others were relocated elsewhere on the island, in better housing than before, and under the same laird. This doesn’t sound like a clearance in the true sense of the word.
Many people who’s ancestors came from Jura, and who are now living far away from their ancestors homeland, have an interest in finding out where their ancestors lived, worked and who they were. Because of the mass migration many records have gone lost but there are still several sources where information can be obtained. If you are searching for your ancestors from Jura the following information, links and resources could be of any help. Providing you have done some basic research and have knowledge of your family tree, it is possible to access a complete range of Parish, Census and Statutory Registers in several places in Scotland to continue your investigation.
ScotlandsPeople is a partnership between the General Register Office for Scotland, the National Archives of Scotland, The Court of the Lord Lyon and brightsolid (formerly Scotland Online). ScotlandsPeople is the official online source of parish register, civil registration, census and wills & testaments records for Scotland. They are holding over 50 million records, making the ScotlandsPeople database one of the worlds largest resources of genealogical information and one of the largest single information resources on the Web. The website address is www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Jackie Davenport from the Argyll and Bute Council is the Council Archives and Administration Manager. She has a special Archives email address for Genealogy related questions. Your enquiries can be sent to archives@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Another interesting Jura Genealogy resource is provided by the members from the Jura e-mail list. By “subscribing” to this mailing list, you will become part of a loop of people who are researching their ancestors from the Isle of Jura, Scotland, and the related lines of their study. To SUBSCRIBE, send an e-mail to: SCT-JURA-L-request@rootsweb.com with the word subscribe as your message. you will receive a welcome message with instructions for sending messages to the list.
Below is an interesting collection of links to various resources that might be of help. The links are provided by Gavin, a regular visitor of this blog.
General information:
Some links to family trees/information:
Descendants of Alexander McDougald
Elizabeth Buie says
November 25, 2009 at 12:19 amThanks for your link to my article! I also have a set of Islay/Jura photos on Flickr, which you’ll find at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebuie/sets/72157619116074803/ (Only three of these are of Jura at present, but I have more than I will scan and upload in the coming months.)
Carol says
May 29, 2018 at 1:18 amWe have traced our line to Jura through Malcolm BLack born 1690. Very interested in his parent and how far back his family lived on Jura. I’m not having any luck on the suggested sites. Curious what clan they would have been also.
Mick says
January 15, 2019 at 12:39 pmANCESTRY DNA says I have relatives from Jura; and none of my family came over(US) after the 1775-1800 period. I’m enjoying learning more about the Isles and hope to find info about my kin. Thanks for this site, it’s helpful!
Frank Clark says
February 15, 2019 at 5:32 pmHello Mick,
My name is Frank Clark. My family came to North Carolina from Jura in 1736 on a ship called the Thistle. Col. Victor Clark formerly of Tarboro North Carolina now passed is my 5th cousin. He was a wealth of information on all of us from Jura. He gave me a book about the island that has been quite good. He would stay with Ian and Nora Clark when on Jura in his many visits. I do not know if the are still living and still on Jura. The Clark’s, MacLeans and Buies all founded Barbeque Presbeterian Church in North Carolina.
Roger Roberts says
July 25, 2019 at 7:40 pmAccording to Ancestry.com I had Clark relatives living on Jura that emmigrated to America. I also had Clark ancestors living in Cambletown and Ayr and Argyll. I am interested in finding out more about my Clark ancestors. Are you able to help?
Pat Clark says
June 21, 2020 at 11:43 pmTo Frank Clark:
Archibald Clark, my ancestor, came from Jura and settled in Bladen County, N.C. in 1741. He came with his two brothers, Alexander (wife: Flora McLean) and John, both of whom also settled in N.C. My guess is that you are descended from one of these three Clark brothers.
Their father was Gilbert Clark (of Jura).
I am familiar with the history of my line in the U.S., and some of the Clark line in Scotland.
Wilma Reath says
February 20, 2019 at 3:17 pmWe visit Jura a few years ago and met with the Patterson sister, and Archie Black. Archie died in 2000 and is buried on Jura. I was wondering if there is a gravestone with his name on it. Does anyone know where he is buried? We visit the house in Keils.
Looking for any information of the gravesite or on the Patterson sister, If believe one of them as passed away. Where is she buried?
My husband mother family came from Jura and her maiden name was Black
Thanks for any information I could receive.
Mary Ann McInnis says
May 1, 2019 at 11:06 pmI am Mary Ann McInnis of Aberdeen, North Carolina. I have been able to trace my ancestors back to Jura with clear lineage back to Malcolm McInnis ( born 1760 ) and even 5 generations beyond Malcolm. I would like to communicate with others with a McInnis ancestor and try to learn if there are any of the clan still on Jura. Please contact me with any information you may have.
Many thanks and may God bless you richly,
John McInnis says
July 29, 2020 at 5:33 pmWould enjoy sharing information.John Malcolm McInnis jr
john2mcinnis.net
Kate says
May 29, 2019 at 5:16 pmMy husband and I both researched our DNA through Ancestry.com and interestingly, we both have family from Jura. It shows that they emigrated to the US prior to 1800. I was wondering if anyone has information about the Campbell surname in Jura and also the surnames Adams/McReynolds or Sexton. I would appreciate any help. I’ve been told that the Adams would be related to the McDonald or McInnis families.
Cassie says
July 20, 2020 at 12:10 amMy ancestor Charles Campbell was born on Jura in 1709. His parents were John Campbell and Jonet McIntyre Campbell, both of Inveraray. Charles came to North Carolina and the rest of my Campbell family continued there, up until my mother. I was hoping to get some more information. Why, I wonder, did John and Jonet leave Inveraray for Jura? Were they Campbells of Cawdor? Which Campbell line did they originate from? Another interesting fact is that after Charles Campbell came to North Carolina, he married, but his wife’s parents (living in North Carolina also at the time) were originally from Islay! Small world?