Gills, Angus (Eigg Mountain Settlement History)  (Map Location)

 

This house site is east of the Trunk Road about half way from the Main Road to Maple Lodge.  It is associated with Angus Gillis.  The land was sold to him by the Crown in 1859.  However the site is indicated on an 1834 grant plan (Q_34) as belonging to Malcolm MacIsaac.  Ken Teasdale believes that Malcolm arrived in 1823.  His brother Lauchie lived briefly on the northeast lot at the intersection of Arisaig Road and Main Road before moving to Maple Ridge.

 

The cellar is located in a stand of small hardwoods.  This is an exception to an assumption we have been making that cultivated and settled land would not be grown over in hardwood and may indicate that the site was abandoned very early to allow for a number of generations of tree growth.  The cellar suggests a large house typical of a well-established farm.  Malcolm MacIsaac may have been the “squatter” mentioned by Kenton Teasdale who cleared the land and established a first farm before either abandoning the land or transferring it to Gillis, who may have been related by marriage.  Gillis may have sought to formalize the transaction to become the first legal titleholder.

 

The cellar is 20 ft by 20 ft and is still about 6 ft deep with exposed rock.  This is a conservative measure; it was probably closer to 24 ft N-S.  The foundation appears to have extended further to the west as well making the building 24 ft by 26 ft with the 26 ft wall oriented east at 118 degrees.  It is on a gentle slope that overlooks a deep slope to the east at the bottom of which appears to be water.

 

The following is a photo of the cellar looking Northwest.

 

 

The following is the cellar looking northeast.

 

The following is a photo of the western edge of the cellar.  It is relevant because there is a pile of stone here that Charlie wanted to rule out as having been moved by a machine.  The stump that once grew over the stone is 50 years old or more [does he mean 50 years at the time it was cut – in which case this would be much older].  So the pile predates any machinery that he knew of operating here.

 

 

May 3, 2008