Hector Gillies 1828-1887
Youngest son of six
. Hecter Gillise was born to Donald Gillise & Jean Cameron on 17/2/1828 at Applecross, Ross and Cromarty . SP not purchased .
When he was old enough Hector, followed in his brothers’ footsteps and became a drover, taking cattle from the west coast and western isles to sell at markets over in Easter Ross and in the lowlands – at places like Muir of Ord and Falkirk.
A vivid description of Falkirk Tryst in 1848 is reproduced in Haldane’s well-known book, ‘Drove roads of Scotland’:
“The Scottish drovers are, for the most part, mounted on small, shaggy, spirited ponies, that are obviously quite at home among the cattle; and they carry their riders through the throngest groups with astonishing celerity … Besides numbers of shows, from 60 to 70 tents are erected along the field, for selling spirits and provisions … As most of the purchasers are paid in these tents they are constantly filled and surrounded with a mixed multitude of cattle dealers, fishers, drovers, auctioneers, pedlars, jugglers, gamblers, itinerant fruit merchants, ballad singers and beggars. What an indescribable clamour prevails in most of these party-coloured abodes! … When the cattle dealers are in the way of their business, their conversation is full of animation, and their technical phrases are generally appropriate and highly amusing.”
He had a colourdul life, being imprisoned once, and up in court a couple more times
Alan´s wondrous history of his life : a MUST read
https://applecrosshistory.wordpress.com/2019/12/26/the-rise-and-fall-of-hector-gillies-part-1-hector-the-drover/
After his second brush with the law, he moved up to Thurso, taking a lease on a pub
Died 7/1/1887 , aged just 58.. Never married, althoug he didhave 2 illegitimate children, e left his "estate" to Finlay´s son, John