Cromarty Archive

Braehead from the shore

Braehead from the shore

Date Added: 16 March 2005 Contributor: Alison Dunn Year: 1973 Picture No: 1068

An unusual shot from the beach below the Links of the houses on Braehead. Note that the house behind the tallest tree is Miss Macdonald's house, which burnt down in a mysterious fire shortly afterwards. See picture #1011. It is currently being renovated.
Barkly Cottages, to the left of that house, were inhabited at this time by George and Ted ??. George had reputedly won a large sum of money on a horse race in the south of England, and had bought the property in the 60s. Ted was a bit simple, and used to wander the town giving sweets to children. The sort of person that kids would probably be warned to avoid now, but he was harmless.
The wooden piles in the foreground are part of the old seabreak which ran almost all of the way along the top of the beach. Most, if not all, of this has now rotted away. Date is a guess, but seems about right.

Groups: Barclay House Restoration

10 Comments

My gggg grandparents lived at Braehead from around 1817 till around 1845. Their names were John Mann ships master and his wife Sophia maiden name Timms. Their children were Henry, Jas and Sophia born in greenwich before 1813 and then Anne, twins Charles and William and twins Henry and George. George was my dad's great grandfather.

Sophia was the keeper of a public house or inn at Braehead up until around 1845 - as yet I have been unable to confirm the name of it but it was definitely at Braehead as I have the proof through an application for aid to Trinity House in 1842.

If anyone knows of the pub or inn I would appreciate it - it could possibly have been called the Crown Inn but not definite.
Comment left on 05 September 2005 at 13:16 by Katrina Whitehouse
Help - does anyone have a picture or photograph of the Crown Inn which stood where the school now is at Braehead, Cromarty. My relatives ran it in 1820ish-1844. I would love to see what it looked like. Comment left on 06 September 2005 at 13:08 by Katrina Whitehouse
Hi Katrina - the map on picture #544 is possibly the only record we'll have of that. If you click on the Zoomify button below it you can see that the space on Braehead (called Links Terrace on this map) where the school should be, there are some buildings surrounded by gardens. I've no idea what these were.

If you look around the map some more you'll see that there are a number of Inns mentioned, and also the letters P.H. on some buildings, standing for Public House. There's no inn or public house shown on Braehead at all, but the map is dated 1871.

I'd be very interested in what information you have which makes you suspect your ancestor's establishment was where the school is now. Perhaps some other contributors have more information about this.
Comment left on 06 September 2005 at 16:14 by Garve Scott-Lodge
I appreciate all your replies - I have found out only today that it was not the Crown Inn they had but an article in the Inverness Journal dated 1833 said John Mann, late commander of the Inverness packet is opening the large house by the harbour as an inn with accomodation for guests etc. I believe this is still in the Braehead area so I am hoping you guys have information on this. Is the large house still there? I do not think it would have remained an inn but would have changed back to a house. If anyone has a record of what it was called or images I would be forever grateful. Also any info on the Inverness packet a 117 ton sloop which went between Inverness and London between 1810 and 1831 would be great as he appeared in the Inverness Journal a few times. Comment left on 06 September 2005 at 16:32 by Katrina Whitehouse
The Royal Hotel - the white building in picture #501 - is of course right beside the harbour, but is not on Braehead. It used to be called the Admiral Napier although I'm not sure if that was it's first name. Comment left on 06 September 2005 at 16:46 by Garve Scott-Lodge
Thank you Garve - it does say big or large house near or by harbour and on the 1841 census they are at Braehead so that house I assume is the house they turned into an inn. I also know they were still running the inn in 1842. Keeep digging for me Garve im sure you will find it for me and I will buy you a drink when I come up next year. Comment left on 06 September 2005 at 17:03 by Katrina Whitehouse
It looks like it could be what is known as the Cliff In or Inn, Garve, and Hugh Miller had his farewell dinner at the Mann's Inn so if you or anyone know of this please help - this drinks bill could become quite large - many thanks. Comment left on 07 September 2005 at 16:35 by Katrina Whitehouse
Now we're getting somewhere Katrina - the Cliff is a large house on George St. The only picture I've got of it just now is picture #946 - it's one of the houses on the right - but I'll take one tomorrow and put it on the site.

If you zoom in on the top left hand corner of the map on picture #544, the Cliff is the house just opposite the first E in George Street.
Comment left on 08 September 2005 at 19:52 by Garve Scott-Lodge
I've added a picture of The Cliff to the site now. Comment left on 13 October 2005 at 13:49 by Garve Scott-Lodge
Afternoon George and Katrina

Just come across Katrina's request etc.

My earliest TANT ancestor almost certainly came from London, to be Butler to Alexander Fraser of Balcony & Inchcoulter, first identified there in 1822 at the birth of their first child. HENRY TANT, followed by two more whilst still employed by AF.

About 1827, John, Henrietta and 3 children move to the Phoenix INN Evanton, where a fourth child, William Tant, is born in 1828.

In 1829, the family moves over the Firth to Cromarty, taking over the "HEAD INN", previously run by the Cormacks from about 1810.

There are various adverts in the Edinburgh Gazette of the period, of meetings to be held in "Tant's Inn" and "Tant's Hotel" in Cromarty, early 1830s.

In that period, another John Tant, Vintner, (m Hannah Aldred, London 1820), turns up in Cromarty, having a son Charles Tant born 1830 Cromarty. Apart from name & occupation, there is nothing to associate him with "my" John Tant & Henrietta (poss Tant).

To compound the situation, William Tant turns up in 1834 at Balcony as Butler (in succession?) to AF of Balcony, marrying a local girl, Kathleen Amelia Yellowlees, in February 1834.

In Novemebr 1834, this William Tant joins the Excise Service, with AF (above) and Doctor James Wishart of Dingwall as his Guarantors. William born in "Pancras" Middlesex about 1808.

Also in the early 1830s, my John Tant is served with three Summonses for Debt, particularly by William Watson, Ironmonger in Cromarty. Not clear whether these debts were paid etc.

My John and Henrietta then disappear, no other clues.

Vintner John and Hannah turn up in Edinburgh in the 1841 Census, with three of my John's children as well as their own child. My John's fourth child is working as a servant for the Sinclair family also in Edinburgh, one of their sons much later becomes 16rg Earl of Dingwall.

Hannah Aldred is recorded as dying in Edinburgh in 1848, no signs of her husband although he may still be living.

For the full story

genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?early,tants::tant::265.html

If you can help positively identify the Crown or Head Inn/s, I would be grateful.
Comment left on 25 February 2011 at 15:20 by Alex Dow
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