Gillis_Angus(John Red’s Son) – (Eigg Mountain Settlement History)

Angus Gillis was born 1826 the son of John Gillis (Red) and Christy MacDonald (Loddy) and married Elizabeth MacDonald, the daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth MacDonald. He and Christy had six children – Colin, Mary, Alexander, Elizabeth, Christine, Mary Ann and Catherine. In the 1871 census he was owned a farm of 100 acres with 40 acres improved and 10 acres in pasture. He grew spring wheat, barley, oats, buckwheat, potatoes, clover seed, flax and hay. He owned a pair of oxen, 4 milk cows, 3 horned cattle, 6 sheep, 2 pigs and produced butter, cheese, wool, homemade cloth and linen. He had a house and barn and a plough as well as harvesting 15 standard pine logs, 10 standard spruce logs and 20 cords of firewood. He died May 28, 1873 of “inflammation of the lungs” and was buried at St. Margaret’s cemetery at Arisaig. A prominent grave marker was erected in his honour at Arisaig – it identified him as John’s son who lived at “Rear Arisaig”.