Heisker

Tasglann nan Eilean contacted me earlier this week regarding a wargrave of a German U-boat engineer on the Monach Isles. This appears to be a recurring query with them. The bronze plaque commemorates Otto W Schatt, who was 31 when his U-boat 110 was sunk by Royal Navy vessels off Malin Head in 1918. Three crewmen drifted north on the currents of the North Atlantic and washed up on Heisker. Only Otto Schatt still had his ID badge on his person; the others could no longer be identified.



In 1901, the census shows enumeration district 8 as being Heisker (sic), with a population of 106. Eight of these were lighthouse keepers and their families and attendants. Nearly a hundred others, spread over 14 households, were the resident population. These are the population numbers in the second half of the 19th century.



1861: 127

1871: 125

1881: 100

1891: 140

1901: 106



The islands were abandoned in 1942.



I copy the census breakdown of enumeration district 8, registration district 113 (North Uist) for the 1901 census. In the list below, the abbreviation "b." means "born in". The designation "daur" means daughter.



Household 1

Margaret Macdonald, 75, sewing mistress, b. North Uist

Marion Macdonald, 36, daughter of Margaret, Housekeeper, b. North Uist

Mary F Mackay, 19, boarder, teacher, b. North Uist



Household 2

Alexander Macdonald, 51, crofter, b. North Uist

Mary Macdonald, 42, wife, b. North Uist

Archie Macdonald, 20, son, fisherman, b. North Uist

Alick Macdonald, 18, son, b. North Uist

Ronald Alick Macdonald, 12, son, scholar, b. North Uist

Angus Macdonald, 4, son, b. North Uist

Alexander Macdonald, 2, son, b. North Uist

Maggie Macdonald, 16, daur, b. North Uist

Christy Macdonald, 14, daur, b. North Uist

Mary Macdonald, 10, daur, scholar, b. North Uist



Household 3

William Macdonald, 72, husband of Ann, crofter, b. North Uist

Ann Macdonald, 70, wife of William, b. North Uist

James Macdonald, 47, son, pauper, b. North Uist

Margaret Macdonald, 44, daughter-in-law, general serv (domestic), b. North Uist

William Macdonald, 11, grandson, son of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist

Donald Macdonald, 10, grandson, son of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist

John Alick Macdonald, 8, grandson, son of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist

Alexander Macdonald, 6, grandson, son of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist

Ann Macdonald, 12, granddaughter, daughter of James and Margaret, scholar, b. North Uist

Catherine Laing, 42, daughter of William and Ann, crofter's wife, b. North Uist

Andrew Laing, 1, grandson, son of Catherine, b. North Uist



Household 4

Murdoch Macdonald, 40, crofter, b. North Uist

Ann Macdonald, 38, wife of Murdoch, b. North Uist

John Macdonald, 14, son of Murdoch and Ann, scholar, b. North Uist

Donald A Macdonald, 12, son of Murdoch and Ann, scholar, b. North Uist

Alick Macdonald, 10, son of Murdoch and Ann, scholar, b. North Uist

Donald John Macdonald, 6, son of Murdoch and Ann, scholar, b. North Uist

Catherine Macdonald, 4, daughter of Murdoch and Ann, b. North Uist

Alexander Macdonald, 2, daughter of Murdoch and Ann, b. North Uist

Ann Macdonald, 4 months, daughter of Murdoch and Ann, b. North Uist

Maggie Macdonald, 25, dairymaid, b. North Uist



Household 5

Roderick Macdonald, 78, husband of Flora, crofter, b. North Uist

Flora Macdonald, 90, wife of Roderick, b. North Uist

Margaret Macdonald, 44, daur of Flora and Roderick, b. North Uist

Marion Macaulay, 49, daur of Flora and Roderick, wife of Allan, b. North Uist

Allan Macaulay, 48, son-in-law, husband of Marion, b. North Uist

Margaret Maclellan, 65, visitor, pauper, b. North Uist



Household 6

John Macdonald, 60, husband of Catherine, crofter, b. North Uist

Catherine Macdonald, 58, wife of John, b. North Uist

Donald John Macdonald, 28, son, b. North Uist

Lizzie Macdonald, 20, daur, b. North Uist

Lexy Macdonald, 8, granddaughter, scholar, b. North Uist

Anna Dingwall, 14, visitor, scholar, b. North Uist

Roderick Mackay, 28, visitor, seaman, b. North Uist



Household 7

Donald Alick Macdonald, 23, husband of Christina, fisherman, b. North Uist

Christina Macdonald, 25, wife of Donald Alick



Household 8

Archibald Macaulay, 49, husband of Mary, son of Effie, crofter, b. North Uist

Mary Macaulay, 42, wife of Archibald,

Roderick Macaulay, 14, son, b. North Uist

Archie Macaulay, 12, son, scholar, b. North Uist

Alick Macaulay, 10, son, scholar, b. North Uist

Angus J Macaulay, 9, son, scholar, b. North Uist

Ronald Macaulay, 8, son, scholar, b. North Uist

Malcolm Macaulay, 5, son, scholar, b. North Uist

Christy Macaulay, 19, daur, b. North Uist

Mary Macaulay, 2, daur, b. North Uist

Annie Macaulay, 5 months, daur, b. North Uist



Household 9

Archibald Macaulay, 76, husband of Marion, crofter, b. North Uist

Marion Macaulay, 70, wife of Archibald, b. North Uist

John Macaulay, 6, grandson, scholar, b. North Uist

Marion Macaulay, 11, granddaughter, scholar, b. North Uist

Mary Ann Macaulay, 8 granddaughter, scholar, b. North Uist

Roderick Matheson, 18, servant, b. North Uist

Ranald Macdonald, 19, visitor, crofter's son, b. North Uist



Household 10

Norman Murray, 62, husband of Effie, boat builder, b. Lewis

Effie Murray, 60, wife of Norman, b. North Uist

Norman Macdonald, 6, grandson, b. Glasgow



Household 11

Donald Macintosh, 43, husband of Ann, fisherman, b. North Uist

Ann Macintosh, 31, wife of Donald, b. North Uist

Angus Macintosh, 11, son, scholar, b. North Uist

Ann Macintosh, 7, daur, scholar, b. North Uist

Flora Macintosh, 5, daur, b. North Uist

John Alick Macintosh, 2, son, b. North Uist



Household 12

Janet Mackay, 75, housekeeper, b. North Uist

Archibald Mackay, 28, son, fisherman, b. North Uist

Reachel Mackay, 39, daur, weaveress, b. North Uist

Mary Maclean, 12, granddaughter, scholar, b. North Uist

Reachel Ferguson, 31, visitor, dairymaid, b. North Uist

Neil Maclean, 21, visitor, fisherman, b. North Uist



Household 13

Alexander Maccuish, 65, crofter, b. North Uist

Alick Maccuish, 32, son, b. North Uist

Alexander Maccuish, 26, son, fisherman, b. North Uist

Jessie Maccuish, 24, daur, b. North Uist

Ann Maccuish, 18, daur, tailoress, b. North Uist

Marion Maccuish, 16, daur, general serv (domestic), b. North Uist

James Matheson, 28, boarder, fisherman, b. North Uist



Household 14

Norman Macdonald, 66, husband of Jessie, boatman, b. North Uist

Jessie Macdonald, 49, wife of Norman, b. North Uist

Donald Alan Macdonald, 20, son, fisherman, b. North Uist

Malcolm Macdonald, 18, son, b. North Uist

Norman Macdonald, 12, son, scholar, b. North Uist

Maggie Macdonald, 10, daur, scholar, b. North Uist

Christy Macdonald, 8, daur, scholar, b. North Uist



Household 15

James S Budge, 24, husband of Mary C, born Bay, South Bonalds, lightkeeper

Mary C Budge, 20, wife of James S, born Tyree,

Thomas S Budge, 6 mo, son of James S and Mary C, born Greenock,

Jessie F Crow, 35, visitor, b. Shetland, housekeeper



Household 16

James Black, 57, husband of Helen principal lighthouse keeper, b. Aberdeen

Helen Ross Black, 52, wife of James, b. Helmsdale

Maggie Ross Black, 22, daur, b. Arbroath

John A Roberts, grandson, son of Maggie, 5, b. Port St Mary, Isle of Man