Cathellus or Cathal MacMillan was born 1875 in Lionacleit, Benbecula son of James MacMillan a shoemaker at 4 Lionacleit but born at 25 Lionacleit mac Dhomhnaill Bhain 'ic Aonghais 'ic dhomhnaill 'ic Chaluim from a Torlum MacMillan family. The name Cathellus came down in the family of James' wife, who was from the same MacPherson family as Iain MacPherson, the Coddy, famous for his 'Tales from Barra', MacPherson being an Anglicisation of MacMhuirich; Cathal MacMhuirich was the great poet at Borve from about 1630 to the 1660s. Cathellus MacMillan was married to Catherine MacLellan, as the notes say, from Morar, lived at 155 Howmore, on the site of the fairly substantial house to the left of the road behind the bike hire shop after turning off the island spine road into the Howmore spur, and he has most of a chapter to himself in Lenemann's book 'A land fit for Heroes'
Cathellus was my 2nd cousin with a couple of removes so do feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions.
Angus Macmillan |