Alexander Oal, born about January 1788 and the eldest son of George and Janet Oll (m.s.Smith), married Margaret Murray in Wick on the 25th November 1814.
The Marriage entry in the Old Parochial Register shows Margaret as coming from South Walls (Orkney). There is a record of a Margaret Murray, daughter of John and Ursill Murray being baptised in the parish of Eday and Pharay on the 4th February 1792 but no confirmation if this is the correct Margaret.
Currently nothing further is known about them or their early life except that Alexander was described, like his father, as a ‘Weaver’.
In the 1841 census Alexander, now an ‘Agricultural Labourer’, his wife Margaret and 15 year old daughter, Janet, were living at Wathegar which is about 5 miles west of Wick off the main Thurso road. There were two others shown in the household – Margaret (surname unknown) aged about 15 and Elizabeth Sutherland aged about 30. This is not the Elizabeth Sutherland who subsequently married their son, John, in July of that year.
By 1851 Alexander was now a widower living at Thuster, which lies about 5 miles West of Wick on the A882 Thurso road, and described as a 'Weaver' again. Ten years later he was at Backrow, and was a 'Worsted Weaver'.
Alexander died of a ‘fever’ on the 8th February 1865, aged 74, in Thuster. The informant on Alexander’s Death Certificate was Alexander Gray, his son-in-law.
There is no further information on Alexander’s wife, Margaret, only that she must have died after 1841 and before 1851.
Three children have been discovered at the moment;-
John Auld (aka Oal) , - born about 1817
David Oal - born on the 27th December 1820
Janet Oal - born about 1828
Additional Information
The 1861 census shows that living next door to Alexander (above) were William Auld (aka Oal) and his sister Isabella Auld (aka Oal).
William, a farmer born about 1784, died at Thuster on the 18th March 1877 aged 92. His death was registered by Alexander Gray, Alexander's son-in-law and neighbouring farmer at Thuster. In 1871 he was a farmer of 7 acres and weaver living in Lower Wathegar in the same immediate area.
The 1871 census shows that apart from William and Isabella "Bell" there was also a Williamina McKay living with them. She is described as a 50 year old unmarried 'Farm Servant' and daughter of William Oal. There is a record of an 80 year old Williamina McKay, unmarried Dairymaid, having died on the 16th July 1901 in Halkirk but shown as the daughter of William McKay, a farmer, deceased, and Catherine McKay(m.s.McKay). Could William McKay really have been William Auld (aka Oal)?
Isabella, a farm/domestic worker born about 1791, had died nearby at Wathegar on the 25th January 1874 aged 82. Her death was notified by A.S.Gunn, a 'neighbour'. This neighbour could have been Alexander Gunn, a 39 year old shepherd, living with his wife, Mary, in Upper Wathegar (1871 Census)
They were both shown as children of John Oal, a weaver, and Catherine/Isabella Oal (m.s.Gunn).
There is a marriage of John Ole to Katharen Gun in 1775 in Watten but no confirmation that these are the correct parents although it looks quite possible.
If so they had seven other children - John - who could have died young (1775), Helen (1776), Margaret (1779), Janet (1781), Katherine (1786), John (1789) and Elizabeth (1793).
The 1841 census shows that as well as William and Isabella living at Thuster there was also Helen and Elizabeth. Taking into account the rounding down of ages in this census these last two would fit into the age pattern for the two shown above.
This John Ole (aka Oal) must have been born about 1755. Could he have been a brother of George Oll?