Note about Religion. In the various books about the Church in 1600-1750 era it is clear that the Lowlands of Scotland, South of the Tay, were two thirds Episcopalian and rest Protestant. The Highlands were nominally Roman Catholic/Episcopalian but largely semi-heathen with many superstitious beliefs. From the Evil Eye to a endless supply of spirits in water or rocks etc. According to Donald Sage, Church of Scotland minister, the people were more religious than the Estate owners and middle class persons. However other writers differ, perhaps it depends on where and when.
So despite John Knox protestantism was far from universal. In 1745 the Highland Clan Chiefs were mostly Nominally Roman Catholic although the people were not really. It is clear that many Ministers changed Church to suit the prevailing Political forces so they did not hold very strongly to one or the other creed.
After 1750 the situation changes in the Highlands with a influx of Missionary Ministers mostly of the Free Church outlook. At this time the Free Church was part of the Church of Scotland and attended the meetings. The Lowlands edged towards the Church of Scotland slowly. The Highlands rapidly adopted the Wee Free outlook, you can thank the Sages the next time you travel the North and find nothing open on a Sunday.
All the Perth Sages founded by Joseph belonged to the Dissenting Churches, mostly the Free Church branch. Uncle Edgar has a Birthday Card from the United Free Church of Scotland in 1919, others have a note beside them where Marriage place is known.
Chart of the Missionary Sages. Descendants Locharron Sages, Missionary Sages For a impression of how fragile life was in the North just count the children of Aeneas who survived to adulthood.
Aeneas Sage had a son Alexander who succeeded him as the Minister at Kildonan. He had a son who became the Minister at Achness, not far away, his name was Donald born 1788. Alexander married twice with at least one Son who published his book. Alexander is buried with his wives in Kildonan.
Alexander had a son Donald who was the Minister of Achness, over the mountain from his father. Donald was present at the Achness Clearances and became the Gaelic Minister at St Nicholas in Aberdeen, after that at Resolis on the Black Isle. His Manse and Church were burnt down as part of the clearances.
Pre-reformation days Kildonan was part of the Abbot of Scones province and he had to appoint the clergy. They say its a small world.
They seem to have been joined by a Angus Sage who came from Loch Carron, think Strome Ferry, and raised a family. However there was already a Angus there as two sets of records each Angus marries two different Elizabeth MacKay ladies and each have three children called Alexander (Alur), Catherine and Mary in the same order. The available dates rule out this being a single family. Nothing like keeping names simple.
In 1810 the Sutherland Estate was being ruthlessly cleared of people, the Library has a book of papers written by the Estate involved. From these Rev Alexander Sage was the Minister at Kildonan in 1791-1814 time and seemed to side with the People of Kildonan and Helmsdale. He evidently kept Goats as the Factor, Mr Young, wanted to fence a wood to keep them out. The entry for Kildonan in the Statistical Account of Scotland for the year 1791-1799 was written by the Rev Mr A Sage who thus becomes the second Sage known to have been a Minister and the second to enter History (This is the Alexander mentioned above)( Note that this does not allow for more discoveries!).
If you wish to see the Statistical Account is at, This will take you to the collection.
People in Kildonan rioted against the Clearances and as part of the peace deal some were required to enter the Army to fight Bonaparte, they were in the 93rd Regiment Sutherland Highlanders, could not find a list so do not know if any Sages were amongst them. At the scene of the Riot the Ministers are recorded as siding with the Factors in telling the people to go home (no information about Mr Sage). Kildonan was mainly inhabited by Gunn families.
A modern book is "The Highland Clearances" by John Prebble published in 1963.
Donald Sage left a large number of papers, they were edited into a book by his son called "Memorabilia Domestica" this is a source book for understanding the North Highlands.
The population of Kildonan Parish fell from 1574 in 1811 to 565 in 1821 and was 257 in 1831 as a result of the Clearances. The majority of these people were incommers as it was policy to employ people from outside the County. For the Census in 1841 Ross and Cromarty needed four reels of film but Caithness was on two small reels, the rest of the people had been cleared. Ross and Cromarty clearance was just as brutal but started later.
A list of Jacobite Prisoners and there fate was found, no Sages were taken prisoner after the 1745 rebellion. Where known the Sages belong to Protestant Church's and they were less likely to join the Rebellion. Since the Army tended to save expense by hanging, the Highland record is probably incomplete. However four Ritchies were recorded as prisoners from the Lowlands and were transported.
From Fasti Eclesia Scoticanae
Became schoolmaster of Logie-Easter in 1719 and of Cromarty in 1722; licen. by Presb. of Tain 18th Aug1725; soon afterwards he was app. missionary in the parishes of LochCarron, Applecross and Gairloch; called by the Presb. 'jure devoluto' 7th Jan., and ord. 10th Feb 1726. Died 17th July 1774.
At the time of his settlement the parishioners were in a very barbarous state. An attempt was made on his life by firing the barn on the evening before his ordination. He caught the incendiary, but instead of handing him over to punishment he set meat and drink before him, saying, 'Go and tell your neighbours how the Whig ministers avenge their wrongs.'
He was frequently offered personal violence in the performance of his duties and found it necessary to carry arms in self-defence. Being a man of gigantic size and strength, he held more than his own in his encounters with his unruly parishioners. Persevering in his duty, his resolution and firmness in the enforcement of Church Discipline, he struck the vicious with terror while his prudence in composing differences, his benevolence and hospitality gradually conciliated and gained the goodwill of his people. Having accused a co-presbyter of heterodox opinions, he was enjoined by the General Assembly, 29th May 1759 "not to be over-ready to fish out heresies without very good and justifiable reasons."
He marr. 29th Aug. 1728, Elizabeth (died Feb. 1780, aged 74), daughter. of John MacKay minister of Lairg, and had issue Katherine born 26th Oct. 1729 (marr. 1749 Charles Gordon of Pulrossie, Sutherland); Anne born 29th Sept. 1731, died 15th March 1739; Mary, born 6th Feb. 1734 (marr. Donald Kennedy, farmer, Kishorn); Flora born 22nd Aug. 1736, died 22nd M 1737; John, born 19th Aug. 1740, died 7th Feb. 1753; Margaret, born 20th Sept 1742, died 22nd May 1744; Murdo, 10th June 1744, died 8th Oct. 1745; William, born 15th Dec. 1746, died student about 1760; George, born 27th Nov. 1748, died 27th Dec. 1752; Thomas born 12th Feb. 1750, died 16th Dec. 1752, Alexander born 2 July 1753 he became the Minister at Kildonan.
The ancient nobility of Scotland had been men of war. When Aeneas Sage was a divinity student his curiosity led him to go to Fetteresso Castle in 1715 to see the Old Pretender, Scotland's rightful king. 'His countenance,-' Sage told, 'was considerably above the common cast of faces, and was even royal, but it had a pale, sickly hue, expressive of weakness. His fierce and mailed followers, the Earls of Mar and Marischal, Cameron of Locheil, General Hamilton, and others, stood around him, with heads uncovered, and to these men of bold and vigorous spirit he yielded himself much as would a child to its nurse." But Sage had seen the last of the feudal barons, and their descendants of the next generation were to be, not warriors, but improving landlords.
Note by John. Fetteresso is in Aberdeenshire near Stonehaven, this meeting was after the battle of Sherifmuir. Aenas was fortunate to escape being tried for treason for this visit.
Another Tale from,
THE CHURCH IN THE HIGHLANDS
At LochCarron, Aeneas Sage met with no better treatment. In his petition to his Presbytery for an Act of Transportability we read: 'Four nights before my ordination some of the country people set fire to the house where I was lodged, when they thought that two ministers from Skye were with me' .
He was for a time under the necessity of carrying arms, so threatening were the looks of his parishioners. One of the many legends which gathered round Sage's name set forth that when on one occasion he asked the local factor for his overdue stipend, he was answered by a challenge to fight; but no sooner had the factor drawn his sword than the minister parried his thrust, closed with him, threw him on the floor, shivered his sword, and thrust his head up the chimney --and held it there till he declared that the stipend would be paid.
Donald recounts that on another occasion, after another argument the Factor paid the stipend in Farthings.
At least one book has been written about Aenaes, so far not found.
ALEXANDER SAGE, born 2nd Jul 1753, youngest son of Aeneas S., of LochCarron; educated at Cromarty School (where his teacher was John Russel -the " Black Russel " of Burns afterwards min. of Stirling]) and King's College Aberdeen;
M.A.4 (31st March 1172) became schoolmaster of Tongue;
licen. by Presb. of Tongue 2nd April 1779;
assistant at Reay, 1779-82;
ord. missionary at Dirlot and officiated in the higher parts Latheron and Halkirk,
1784-7; pres. by Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland, and George, Lord Gower, in April, and adm. 10th May 1787;
died 14th April 1824.
marr. (1) 19th March 1784, Isabella (born 14th Jan. 1751, died 27th Nov. 1792), eld
daugh. of Donald Fraser, min. of Urquhart
and had issue-
Elizabeth, born 7th Dec1785 (marr. Finlay Cook, min. of Reay;
Jane, born 21st March 1787 (marr. William Forbes, min. of Tarbat);
Aeneas, born 31st Aug. 1788;
Donald, min. of Resolis, born 20th Oct. 1789 ;
and two others died young
Marry (2) 11th Dec. 1794, Jean (died 25th June 1819), third daugh. of
Major George Sutherland of Mid Garty, second son of Sutherland of Langwell.
The Sutherland Clearances of 1819 occurred during his ministry at Achness, where he and his, entire congregation were driven from their homes. Summonses of ejection were issued and dispatched all over the district to a population of 1600. His farewell -services at Achness and Achna-Huiaghe " were felt," he wrote in his Memorabilia, " by myself and by the people from the oldest to the youngest, to be among the bitterest and most overwhelming experiences of our lives."
I selected a text which had a pointed reference to the peculiarity of our circumstances, but my difficulty was how to restrain my feelings till I should illustrate and enforce the great truths which it involved with reference to eternity. The service began, the very aspect of the congregation was of itself a sermon, and a most impressive one. I preached and the people listened but, every sentence uttered and heard, was in opposition to the tide of our natural feelings, which setting in against us mounted at every step of our progress higher aild higher. At last all restraints were compelled to give way. The preacher ceased to speak, the people to listen. All lifted up their voices and wept, mingling their tears together. It was indeed the place of parting and the hour. The greater number parted never again to behold each other in the land of the living.
He marr. (1) 21st July 1821, Harriet Gordon (died 7th May 1822), daugh. of James Robertson of Naval Hospital, Barbados, and Pitstrunie, Aberdeenshire:
(2) 20th June 1826, Elizabeth (died 25th Jan. 1889), daugh. of William Mackintosh, min. of Thurso, and had issue.
Christina Sutherland, born 1 st Aug. 1827 ;
Alexander, born 14th Nov. 1828;
Isabella Fraser, born 24th May 1830;
William M'Intosh, born 22nd May 1832;
Aeneas John, born 21st Nov. 1833, joined the East India Company on a ship when 16, last known as a Navy sailor.
James MacIntosh, born 12th Sept. 1835
Elizabeth Catherine, born 24th June 1838, died at Inverness 26th Feb. 1923;
Donald Fraser, ord. min. at Parkhill, Ontario, 1874, adm. min. of Free Church, Keiss, 1880, died 1890;
Richard Ramsay, born 31st Aug. 1843;
Christina Camilla Jahe, born 26th Sept. 1846 (marr. 1872, Donald Sutherland, min. of Free Church, Kilmonivaig), died Dec. 1923.
Publications, He left in MS. a mass of interesting genealogical and ecclesiastical reminiscences, part of which was edited by his son Donald, under the title Memorabilia Domestica, or Parish Life in the North of Scotland (Wick, 1889, 2nd ed., 1899).
Note by John, the book is regarded as the best source of information about the North Highlands available.