The Innes Saloon

When I was about 13 years old, my grandmother, Elizabeth Grace Innes told me that her father, George Innes and her grandfather, John Innes built houses in Inverness, and George named the streets after himself.  One street is George Street and one is Innes Street.  You might recall that last year, my grand-daughter, Grace and I went to those streets, took lots of photos and ate in the Innes Saloon.  We found the house on Innes Street where they lived.

Today, I found out that the houses on Innes and George Streets were not built by George Innes or John Innes.  In fact, the houses were built by a variety of different people.  The original land was a part of a tract called Wester Shipland and different trades men, carpenters, slaters, joiners, etc. secured long-term rentals of the individual lots and then built the houses on Innes and George Streets.  It may be that my great-grandfather, George Innes worked for these people to construct the houses, but he did not "build" the houses himself.

I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that my grandmother, Grace was misinformed about the houses on Innes Street. My grandmother was a strict and proper Scottish woman and would never make that up.

I also found some new and rather interesting information about the previous owners of the Innes Saloon.

In 1841, at the age of 21, Margaret Paterson (1819-1895)  married Donald Paterson. They lived in Inverness and had 8 children. Donald Paterson was a seaman, who owned 10 shares (out of a possible 64 shares)  in the 78 foot schooner, Lillias. The Lillias ran a trade route, probably carrying wheat or oats, along the Scottish coast and then to Prussia. In 1830, Donald was lost at sea on the return voyage from Pillau, a Russian seaport town in Kaliningrad Oblast. The ship and all hands were lost, leaving Margaret a widow with 8 children. She received about 445 pounds from insurance on Donald's interest in the ship and his life.

Their daughter, Alexandrina Paterson married Hugh Paterson, my great-great grand parents Thomas and Elizabeth MacIntosh Paterson's son.

Are you following along so far?

Margaret's brother, Harold Paterson (1824-1889) never married.  He worked for the Scottish version of the IRS.  He was an Exciseman and levied and collected taxes.  In 1875, he purchased the Innes Saloon  from Jessie Ross Taylor.  Harold and his older and widowed sister, Margaret Paterson (1819-1895) and her daughters, Grace and Margaret lived and worked in what they called The Innes.  After Harold passed away, his nieces, Grace and Margaret inherited the pub.