The Moon Family in Tulloch of Blair

General Roy's Map (1747-52) showing the site of Tulloch after it has been landscaped
and the site of East Mains farm which had been transformed into the Hercules Park

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John Moon in Tulloch of Blair

The Roll of the Duke of Atholl's Fencible Men (1705-06) does not mention any men by the name of Moon living in Tulloch, and it is thought that he was the same person as the John Moon, younger, in Miltown of Blair, who was described as being 'well armed', i.e. possessing a gun, sword and targe. The use of the term 'younger' distinguished him from John Moon in the East Mains who was older, but does not imply a father and son relationship.

There is no further mention of John Moon in Miltown of Blair after 1705, and he must be the same John Moon, tenant in the ½ merk land of Tulloch who paid a stipend to support the minister and the parish schoolmaster, 1707-11, as he obtained a 5 year tack (lease) for his part of Easter Tulloch in 1708. If this was a different John Moon then he would have been less that 16 years old in 1705, to have evaded the Fencible Roll, and would have been less than 19 years old in 1708 making it highly unlikely for him to have held a tenant's lease.

The records for Tulloch are scant in the early 1700s as the land was owned by Alexander Stewart, 6th of Tulloch, although in 1723 he sold the property to John Murray, Duke of Atholl, whilst retaining a life-rent for himself. A search of the records shows that there were two men by the name of Moon associated with Tulloch in the 1720s and 1730s: Donald Moon and Duncan Moon, and as their paths intertwined it is assumed that they were the sons of John Moon.

In addition there was a John Moon, who was about the same age as Donald and Duncan, and was a tenant at Urrard-more which was where Duncan's daughter Christian was born. It is presumed that all three men were brothers.

John Moon, the older, in the East Mains was born around 1648 and John Moon, the younger, probably was born around 1660. If he married, aged 30 years, his sons would have been born before 1718, the date of the first baptisms in the Blair Atholl OPR. He would have been about 48 years when he took the 5 year lease for Tulloch in 1708. He probably died around 1726, aged 66 years, when his son Duncan was given a 7 year lease for Tulloch in 1726.

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(Generation 2) The Children of John Moon in Miltown of Blair and Tulloch

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Donald Moon and Janet Frazer

Two pieces of information link John's son Donald to Baluaine. Firstly, Donald was living at Tulloch when he married Janet Fraser. Secondly, their first son was born at Baluaine. However, initially, Donald was living at Cuilt-more.

In 1709 the 1 merk land of Cuilt-more was being shared by Duncan Ritchie and Donald Moon. A 1 merk land, or 10 shilling land, was about 25 acres, which was just about enough to sustain a family. This suggests that Donald was splitting his labour between Cuilt-more and his father's land at Tulloch. Duncan Ritchie was nearly 60 at this time and his son George was only 17 years old, so they needed the assistance of Donald Moon.

Donald Moon was still tenant of the 10s land of Cuilt-more in 1712, but the farms beside Blair Castle were gradually being emptied to create a parkland around the castle. By 1714 he had moved to the 10s land of Baluaine, probably along with some of the Ritchie family. Certainly, George Ritchie was living at Baluaine in 1721 when he was considered for the position of Kirk Elder. George Ritchie and his family moved to Urrard by 1728 and this may have been an exchange of farms with Finlay Stewart snr.

In 1736 Duncan Robertson of Auchleeks sold the 40 shilling land of Baluaine, or Lambton, to Patrick McGlashan of Grennich, together with the summer shielings of Ruidh Dorcha-beg and Riechlachrie, both in Glen Bruar. At the same time the Duke of Atholl signed a Charter of Resignation to Patrick McGlashan, for the same lands which he had sold to Auckleeks.

The 1739 rentals show that Finlay Stewart (probably the son of Finlay Stewart snr.) possessed three-quarters of Baluaine and Donald Moon was farming the remaining quarter. This sounds as if his share was not much more than a pendicle and it would appear that he was still farming at Tulloch with his brother Duncan, as this was his residence when he married Janet Fraser in 1733.

Donald Moon would have been roughly 44 years old when he married Janet Fraser, which is older than the average for men at this time. Of course, Donald might have been previously married but the Blair Atholl OPRs do not commence recording marriages until November 1743, and there is no record of him having any children baptised before 1743. In fact, the record of his marriage to Janet Fraser is most fortuitous as it is one of the few proclamation of marriage, prior to 1743. It states that Donald Moon in Tulloch and Janet Frazer in Pitagowan were proclaimed for marriage in November 1733. Janet Frazer may have been the sister of Alexander Frazer in Pitagowan who had married Margaret Stewart before 1746.

Their first child, baptised John, after his paternal grandfather, was born at Baluaine in 1735, but the next child, Donald, was born at Badro on the Kirkmichael road, in Moulin parish, and the reason for this is unclear. Perhaps Donald was searching for a larger farm now that he was a married man. In 1742 Finlay Stewart and Donald Moon were given a lease of 11 years to encourage farm improvements and the two families still were the tenants in 1750, although they had sub-tenants. Donald would have now been in his early sixties. The annual rent for Easter Baluaine was £10 5s plus 30 loads of peat, where 1 load was a full wicker basket carried on the back.

Although he had retained the tenancy, he seemed to be living at Urrard-beg which was nearly an adjacent property, as this is where their children, Duncan and Janet, were born in 1745 and 1746, respectively. Although the farmland of Urrard-beg and Urrard-more became part of the castle parkland and named as Urrard Park, General Roy's map of 1747-52 shows a dwelling towards the western end of the Park which still existed when Robert McIntosh was born there in 1775.

One of Donald's sub-tenants in Baluaine appears to have been the family of his brother Duncan as Duncan's daughters, Isobel and Janet, were living at Baluaine in the 1740s.

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(Generation 3) The Children of Donald Moon and Janet Frazer in Urrard-beg

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John Moon sargeant in the 77th Regiment of Foot

An unfortunate mishap befell Lieutenant Menzies (younger of Bolfracks) at Kinsale in Ireland, and John Moon, sergeant of the 77th Regiment of Foot, or Atholl Highlanders, quartered in Kinsale, was questioned about the incident in which the Lieutenant was accidentally shot by the jailer who thought that the jail was being attacked in an attempt to rescue his prisoners (6th June 1780).

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Donald Moon the weaver

The Blair Atholl OPR for 10th December 1763 states that "Donald Moon at Bridgend of Tilt and Margaret Robertson in Kincraigie had a child in fornication, born December 10th, baptised 11th, named Janet (Moon).

Although it is hard to prove that this is the correct Donald Moon, illegitimate children normally were produced by men in their twenties, and this is the only John Moon in the age range. It is worth noting that he was described as 'at' Bridgend of Tilt, rather than 'in' Bridgend of Tilt, which means that he had recently lived elsewhere, probably in Kincraigie.

Although Donald Moon didn't marry Margaret Robertson, he seems to have returned to Kincraigie as he was there when he married Janet Stewart the following year.

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Donald Moon and Janet Stewart in Kincraigie

Blair Atholl OPR, 31st August 1764
Donald Moon in Kincraigie and Janet Stewart in Bridgend of Tilt, married.

The couple seem to have had just one child, Margaret, before Janet Stewart died and Donald Moon the weaver moved to Calvine.

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(Generation 4) The Children of Donald Moon and Janet Stewart in Kincraigie

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Donald Moon and Janet McFarlane in Calvine

Blair Atholl OPR, 16th February 1770
Donald Moon in Calvine and Janet McFarlane in Pitagowan, married.

Donald Moon and his second wife had five children, the first three being born at Calvine and the other two at Inverslanie and Croftcrombie. His daughter Grizel's marriage certificate states that her father had been a weaver living at Aldclune in Blair Atholl parish, but probably it was at Tomgoulach, just a little to the north, where Grizel's brother John was living when he married. John Moon and his wife had moved to Perth by 1801, where he was joined by his father Donald who would have been in his early sixties and his sister Grizel.

The 1806 census of Moulin parish recorded by the minister lists Donald Moon, cottar in Aldclune, and his daughter Grizel, but marked them as "now gone".

Donald Moon, weaver, died in Perth on 26th March 1812, aged 76 years, and was buried at Grayfriars in Perth. There were no Moon families in Perth before 1776 when a George Moon married Katharine Stewart. All of the incoming Moons are thought to have come south from the Blair Atholl / Moulin areas. His age at death indicates that he was born around 1736 with the only Perthshire baptisms of a Donald Moon being that of the son of Donald Moon and Janet Fraser in Moulin parish, 12th February 1738.

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(Generation 4) The Children of Donald Moon and Janet McFarlane in Calvine.

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John Moon and Elspeth McIntosh in Perth

In 1797 John Moon was working as a weaver at Tomgoulach, just to the north of Orchil-beg, beside the Allt Clune. It is quite likely that this was the family home of his father Donald who was also a weaver.

Moulin OPR, 20th December 1797
John Moon in Tomgoulach and Elspeth McIntosh in Aldclune married December 30th.

The 1851 census for Perth shows that Elspeth McIntosh was born on the eastern side of the Allt Clune which was in Moulin parish - the western side being in Blair Atholl parish.

As previously stated, John Moon and Elspeth McIntosh moved to Perth by 1801, together with John's sister Grizel and their father Donald.

The couple seem to have had at least seven children. The records for Grayfriars Burial Ground in Perth show that Janet, daughter of John Moon, labourer, died of smallpox on 20th August 1801 aged 1 year and 6 months. There is no sign of a baptism in any of the OPRs. All of the other children were born in Perth except John who was born in Redgorton parish but the reason for this is unclear. Both Janets, James and George were all buried in Grayfriars Burial Ground but there do not seem to be any monumental inscriptions.

The 1841 census return for Perth shows that John Moan and his wife were living in Logcut Vennel. However the Perth Directory shows that by 1845 the family were living at 189 High Street, and by 1848 had moved to Cutlog Vennel and were still there for the 1851 census.

The Perth Directory shows that in 1845 a John Moon was living at 189 High Street but this appears to be a different person and may, in fact, be John Moor. In the 1851 census widow Elisabeth Moon, aged 56 years, was living at Skinnergate and letting lodgings. The Perth Directory for the same year lists Mrs John Moor as living at 21 Skinnergate. This seems to be the correct surname as the 1851 census records that Elisabeth (Moon) was born in Dunkeld and the Dunkeld OPR records the marriage of Elisabeth Dow to John Moore, 20th July 1814.

The real John Moon and his wife were still living in Cutlog Vennel for the 1851 census.

Although John Moon had been born at Calvine, this village was within the old parish area of Strowan (Struan) which had been combined with the parish of Blair Atholl. The King James VI Hospital in Perth (the building still exists in Hospital Street) was first founded by a Royal Charter on August 9th 1569 by the Regent Earl of Moray. On 29th July 1587 it was reconfirmed by King James himself, with a remit of raising revenue on behalf of the burgh’s poor from lands previously held by the church in the town prior to the Scottish Reformation in 1560.

John, himself, might have been in the hospital in 1850 as the Perth Directory only mentions Mrs Moon in Logcut Vennel.

Grayfriars Burial Ground records state that Elizabeth, wife of John Moon, deceased labourer, died 5th February 1853 aged 84 years. This is rather odd as the same records relate that John Moon, labourer, died 19th November 1854 aged 86 years.

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(Generation 5) The Children of John Moon and Elspeth McIntosh in Perth

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Andrew McCash and Grizel Moon in Perth

After the death of her father in 1812, Grizel married Andrew McCash, sometimes given as 'McAsh', in October 1814.

Perth OPR, 3rd October 1814
Perth, the 24th day of September 1814, contracted:

Andrew McAsh, carter in West Church parish of Perth, and Grizell Moon in St. Paul's Church parish of Perth, daughter of the deceased Donald Moon, late weaver in Aldclune in the parish of Blair Athol. - Elder, Alexander Duff - The persons forenamed were regularly proclaimed and married the 3rd day of October, said year, by Rev Mr Duncan McFarlane, Minister of the Gaelic Chapel in Perth.

There were only two children from the marriage: George, born around 1820; and Alexander, born 10th March 1822. Unfortunately Alexander died of whooping cough in infancy and was buried at Grayfriars.

Andrew McAsh, carter, died 7th January 1822 aged 63 years and was buried at Grayfriars, Perth. His son Alexander was born 2 months after his death. However there is an oddity in the Grayfriars burial record which states that Alexander McCash died of whooping cough, 8th June 1823 aged 1y 3m, yet the record also say "relative: A. McCash, parent". So either Andrew McAsh did not die until after the birth of his son, or the registrar was told that Alexander was the son of Andrew McAsh but nobody mentioned that Andrew was, himself, deceased.

The 1841 census for Perth (2/5) shows Girzel aged 60 at Mill Street, living with her son George who was a journeyman shoemaker, aged 20 years. Both had been born in Perthshire.

The 1845 Street Directory for Perth lists George McCash, shoemaker, living at 73 Mill Street. And the 1851 census for Perth (11/53) shows Grace aged 73 years and George aged 31 years still at Mill Street.

Grizel McCash, widow of a carter, died at 73 Mill Street in Perth on 15th March 1858 aged 80 years. Her parents were given as Donald Moon, deceased weaver, but the name of her deceased mother was not known. The informant was Grizel's son George.

George McCash never married. By 1862 he was living at 36 West Mill Street before moving to 71 Watergate where he lived until 1885.

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(Generation 5) The Children of Andrew McCash and Grizel Moon in Perth.

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George Moon in Canada

It is thought that George Moon emigrated to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in Canada, on the 'Clarendon' which sailed from Oban in 1808. The passenger list says that he was a 27 year-old labourer from Strathgarry, Perthshire. The previous passenger on the same list was John McGreigor, a 22 year-old labourer, also from Glengarry. Maybe the two young fellows were friends and emigrated together. No trace has been found of either men following their arrival in Canada.

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John Moon and Katharine Stewart in Urrard-more and Rinrory

In 1710 John Moon and William Tosich (McIntosh) were living in Urrard-more as the two tenants of William Murray, who probably held it in wadset. John Moon had the 8s 4d land of Urrard-more (about a half-merk land or 10-12 acres), so he had a rather small piece of land while William McIntosh farmed the rest of it. John Moon could not have been much more than 20 years old, so he seems to have been given a small 'first time tenant' farm which would not have supported a married man and his family.

John's younger brother Duncan seems to have joined him as, in 1713 and 1714, John Moon and Duncan Moon were paying the Minister's stipend for part of Urrard-more. John Moon married Katharine Stewart at some time around 1717, when he would have been about 27 or 28 years old. Their first two child, were born at Urrard-more, Alexander in 1718 and Elspeth in 1722, the latter being the same year that Duncan Moon's daughter Christian was born in Urrard-more.

John Moon's third child was born at Rinrory in Moulin parish which, presumably, was a larger farm. The Rinrory (Roan Ruarridh) house redoubt was part of a defensve position used at the Battle of Killiecrankie and was excavationed for the 'Two Men in a Trench' television series in 2003. Artefacts recovered from the investigations included nails possibly used to hold up timber panelling within the house and a shard of glass from an old wine bottle (Pollard and Oliver, 2003). Urrard House and gardens were constructed on the site of the Roan Ruarridh Redoubt in the 19th century.

The other tenants at Urrard-more from 1718 until 1728 was Finlay Stewart, who was married to Christian McBeath. In 1728 George Ritchie and his family in Baluaine moved to Urrard in an exchange of farms with Finlay Stewart snr. The 1739 rentals show that Finlay Stewart, the son of Finlay Stewart snr, possessed three-quarters of Baluaine while John Moon's brother Donald was farming the remaining quarter, as mentioned later on.

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The Children of John Moon and Katharine Stewart in Urrard-more and Rinrory

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Duncan Moon and Margaret Young in Tulloch and Baluaine

Duncan Moon seems to have been born around 1692, and would have been 15 years old when his father became the tenant of the ½ merk land of Tulloch in 1707. John Moon's three sons initially farmed at Tulloch but a ½ merk land is only about 12 acres and the family seem to have enough money to expand. His son Donald became joint tenant of Cuilt-more with Duncan Ritchie in 1709 while his son John became joint tenant of Urrard-more with William McIntosh in 1710. Duncan joined his brother John Moon in Urrard-more by 1713 when he was about 21 years old.

Duncan Moon married Margaret Young around 1720 and would have been about 28 years old. The exact marriage date is not known as the Blair Atholl OPRs did not commence recording marriages until November 1743. The couple had a daughter born at Urrard-more in 1722 and had her baptised with the name of Christian. Later evidence will show that another two daughters, Janet and Isabel, were born around the same time, but probably were born at Tulloch.

Duncan's father seems to have died in 1726 as the Duke of Atholl gave Duncan Moon a 7 year tack for half of West Tulloch in that year. The new lease was for a 20s or 1½ merk land, and the annual rent was set at £49 Scots, plus 3 pint of butter, 1 stone of cheese, 3 crue lambs (before they had grown thick wool), 3 hens and 6 dozen eggs.

Duncan Moon and Margaret Young had a son born at Tulloch, and baptised with the name of Duncan, 30th November 1728.

In 1730 the annual rent was increased to £60 Scots but without any incidentals, indicating the preference for cash rather than 'in kind'. The tack was given for a further 11 years, which was intended to encourage long-term improvements, and included half of the Lee Croft which was also called Balinald, presumably beside a stream as the name indicates.

Duncan was still renting the 20s land of West Tulloch in 1735, but the Duke had ear-marked the hillside for landscaping with parks and avenues of trees as an extension of the castle policies beyond the River Garry, so the family had to move. The solution seems to have been that Duncan and his family moved into his brother Donald's property at Baluaine as sub-tenants, while Donald took up residence at Urrard-beg. This notion is supported by evidence that Duncan's daughter were living at Baluaine in the 1740s.

The Kirk Session minutes for 26th May 1745 show that a testificate was given to Isobel Moon, daughter to Duncan Moon in Baluaine, who had left the parish at Candlemass (February) 1742. If she had been 18 years old at that time, she would have been born around 1724.

Janet, another of Duncan's daughters married Duncan Robertson in 1747. If Janet Moon had been born around 1726, she would have been 21 years old when she married.

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(Generation 3) The Children of Duncan Moon and Margaret Young in Tulloch and Baluaine

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(Generation 4) George Robertson and Isobel Moon in Dauchinlialash

As previously mentioned, in 1742, Duncan's daughter Isobel went to the Lowlands in search of work and returned at some point after May 1745. By 1753 she was living in Nether Drumnacrich with her sister Janet and her brother-in-law, Duncan Robertson, and on 15 Feb 1753 she married George Robertson in Dauchinlialash. All of their children were born at Dauchinlialash except John, who was born at Levadge-more.

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(Generation 4) The Children of George Robertson and Isobel Moon in Dauchinlialash

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Duncan Robertson and Janet Moon in Balinuarain

Blair Atholl OPR, 8 Jun 1747
Duncan Robertson in Balinfhuarain (Balinuarain) and Janet Moon in Easter Baluaine, married

If Janet Moon had been born around 1726, she would have been 21 years old when she married. The first two children were born at Balinuarain but Robert was born at Nether Drumnacrich in 1754 before the family moved to Toldamph, where Beatrice was born. Duncan Robertson probably wasn't a tenant farmer moving from one farm to another. In 1753 Isabel Moon, Janet's older sister, was living with them in Nether Drumnacrich when she married George Robertson in Dauchinlialash.

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(Generation 4) The Children of Duncan Robertson and Janet Moon in Balinuarain