[Games] Playing again! :D - The MacMorran Family
in reply to a message by Daffodil
Scotland A green, agrarian nation that has thwarted off many invaders.
FINAL FAMILY
Hendrie & Nialla || [Ruadhán], Mairead / Magnus, Beitris / Isobell, Henry / Niall, Lilias
Hendrie & Eilionoir || (Duncan, Clara), Aileas
- Ruadhán & Finnola || Mhàiri, Ninian, Padraig
- Mairead & Seamus
- Magnus & Ysenda || Faolán / Finlay
YEAR 0: Hendrie and Nialla, whose parents are acquainted and who have known each other for years and slowly fell in love, are wed on a (mercifully) bright May afternoon.
DH [22] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [20] Nialla Shearer – tailor’s daughter / straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
YEAR 1: Nialla gets pregnant nearly instantly and early into the new year they welcome their first child – make that children, fraternal twins! The new parents are completely overwhelmed and utterly overjoyed with Mairead and Magnus.
DH [23] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [21] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [nb] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [nb] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 2: Hendrie damages his hand badly with an awl while woodworking, which damages nerves and breaks some bones in his hand which heal poorly. Thankfully he works with family so is able to continue working with some modifications, albeit with pain and not as quickly, which begins causing concern for the family’s income.
YEAR 3: The family is blessed with another set of twins, this time identical girls whom they name Beitris and Isobell. This brings great happiness along with a bit of concern for the young parents especially given Hendrie’s injury last year. Nialla wants to help make some income as well, but now with four babies, that won’t be possible yet.
DH [25] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [23] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [2] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [2] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [nb] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [nb] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
YEAR 4: The couple have twins again this year, after which Nialla tells Hendrie he should either sleep in front of the fire or with his back to her for a good while or their already precarious situation will become desperate. With whimsy and hoping for some sort of good luck they name the boys after themselves, calling them Henry and Niall.
DH [26] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [24] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [3] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [3] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [1] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [1] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [nb] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [nb] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
YEAR 5: A fire tragically kills all but one of the Ballendalloch family, who were friends with Hendrie’s family. Both parents and their 9 year old daughter perish leaving their 12 year old son Ruadhán an orphan. Their extended family lived far away and, while another family could take the boy, Hendrie won’t hear of it. He and Nialla decide being part of a big brood, which’ll ensure he’s busy, might be good for the boy. He can be of help to their family and apprentice to Hendrie as well, so they adopt him (technically as his guardians so they can retain his family name).
DH [27] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [25] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [12] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DD [4] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [4] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [2] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [2] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [1] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [1] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
YEAR 6: Sleeping back-to-back didn’t work for that long (it was worth a try!) and our couple welcome another little girl, whom they name Lilias.
DH [28] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [26] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [13] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DD [5] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [5] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [3] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [3] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [2] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [2] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [nb] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 7: There is fear of war with England which has everyone on edge.
YEAR 8: Beitris develops chronic headaches, which no one can explain and which her twin Isobell does not suffer. All she can do for them is to lie in dark and quiet, praying or daydreaming, until they pass or subside enough for her to take part in gentle activity again.
YEAR 10: While the younger children heeded their mother’s advice to avoid the standing stones, Ruadhán couldn’t help but explore to catch a glimpse of one of the Fair Folk. One day he came upon a girl and, with her white blond hair, thought he was beholding a leannán sídhe. Meanwhile she, actually a young woman named Finnola, saw the sun hit his fiery, deep red hair as he came up the hill and thought she was having a vision of daring Fae warrior. The two fell in love immediately, and secretly began courting until their acquaintance was recently discovered by her father (the next town over’s baker). Time will tell what happens…
DH [33] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [31] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [18] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DGf [18] Finnola Baxter – baker’s daughter / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
- DD [10] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [10] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [8] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [8] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [7] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [7] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [5] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 11: Surprising no one, Finnola was revealed to be with child. Hendrie and Nialla are happy that their adopted son is happy, but are of course concerned about his future. They convince Finnola’s family to let the young lovers marry, given that he is a capable and good-hearted young man with a reliable trade to support them. The men are converting a shed on the property for the couple until they can build their own home. Finnola has a difficult birthing, but mother and daughter survive and seem fine. They name the baby Mhàiri after Ruadhán’s sister who passed away.
DH [34] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [32] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [19] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [19] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [nb] Mhàiri Ballendalloch– wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
- DD [11] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [11] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [9] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [9] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [8] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [8] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [6] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 12: There’s a horse racing contest that Magnus wants to take part in, but his parents say he’s too young. He sneaks off with the neighbor’s pony and enter anyway, and loses. His folks are not well pleased and he’s charged with mucking the neighbor’s stables for the rest of the season in punishment.
YEAR 13: There is a severe storm and it damages Ruadhán and Finnola’s little dwelling. The silver lining is that it seems to be a good time to start building that permanent home now, and they get to work straightaway.
YEAR 14: Henry catches a sweating sickness and it’s touch-and-go for a bit, but he recovers with no ill effects. Finnola would like another child and is concerned that hasn’t gotten pregnant by now, thinking perhaps Mhàiri’s difficult birth damaged her in some way. She’s praying to St. Margaret to bless her and help them have more children.
DH [37] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [35] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
YEAR 15: Finnola’s prayers have been answered, though not in the way that she had wished for or imagined. Ruadhán encountered an abandoned baby while walking in the hills! Everyone said he was likely a changeling and should have been left be (Hendrie said probably his parents couldn’t feed or he was illegitimate), but he remembered how he was taken in himself, how he met his wife at the stones thinking she was one of the Fair Folk like people said this wee one was, felt it had to be St. Margaret’s intercession for them, and couldn’t leave the poor child to die alone out there. No one would claim the baby, so they adopted him and, in a nod to his miraculous entry into their family, named him Ninian after the saint.
DH [38] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [36] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [23] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [23] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [4] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [2] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [15] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [15] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [13] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [13] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [12] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [12] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [10] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 16: There is another severe storm, but this time everyone (and their houses) are safe and emerge unscathed.
YEAR 17: There’s a minor epidemic and unfortunately even minor ones take their toll. After four days of sickness Nialla weakens and passes away. Hendrie is at a loss and Mairead, Beitris, and Isobell make sure the household continues to run as smoothly as it can in their mother’s great absence.
DH [40] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [dec 38] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [25] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [25] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [6] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [4] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [17] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [17] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [15] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [15] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [14] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [14] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [12] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 18: After years of thinking that they couldn’t have another child naturally, Ruadhán and Finnola are surprised with another baby! Padraig (they kept with their penchant for religious/saint names) looks like a perfect blend of his parents and his siblings are thrilled with the little chap.
Hendrie is still grieving over Nialla’s death last year and is loath to add more mouths to feed to the family, but when Finnola introduces him to her cousin, Eilionoir, a recently-widowed young woman with two small children of her own, he recognizes his need for a partner and the children’s need for a mother. Eilionoir is amenable to the idea. She loves children, the kids are mostly raised already anyway (though she finds some of them will benefit from having a scribe’s daughter for a stepmother in the writing department), she’d be happy to live closer to her cousin, Hendrie isn’t bad to look at by half and is by all reports a decent, upstanding man. Hendrie approaches her father and the two wed a couple of months later. The Gillespie children take after their father, who had wavy, ginger hair and pale blue eyes. The MacMorran children are wary of their new stepmother, but think it’s fun to have toddlers around–Lilias in particular–and help take good care of them.
Mairead is jealous that Magnus has a girlfriend. She’d love to step out with a boy, but has too much to do at the house. She was initially resentful of her new stepmother, having been the woman of the house and taking pride in that, but she also had begun to despair of having her own family in the near future at all. Now that Eilionoir has joined the family, she again dreams that she’ll meet someone dashing (like she imagines her mother and sister-in-law did) and fall in love or that her father will make her a good match in a few years. Meanwhile, she chafes at her twin scuttling out of the house after dinner to go walk with his girlfriend while she is stuck at home. Magnus met Ysenda at the marketplace when he was hanging about with some friends. He was captured by her lovely violet eyes and no-nonsense attitude, and struck up a conversation with her at her father’s stall (she’s this town’s baker’s daughter). She was equally captured by his dark blue eyes and mischievous half smile and sealed their flirtation with a free sweet bun. Their parents, who are tolerating the association, hope there won’t be another type of bun in the picture too soon – or at least before the girl is of age next year and they can make things official.
DH [41] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [dec 38] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [26] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [26] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [7] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [5] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
-- DS [nb] Padraig Ballendalloch – curly, strawberry blonde hair and green eyes
- DD [18] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [18] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DGf [17] Ysenda Kemp – frizzy, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
- DD [16] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [16] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [15] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [15] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [13] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
DW [28] Eilionoir MacGilleBhàin – housewife (scribe’s daughter) / wavy, light brown hair and brown eyes
- DW’s DS [4] Duncan Gillespie – wavy, ginger hair and hazel eyes
- DW’s DD [2] Clara Gillespie – wavy, strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes
YEAR 19: Magnus and Ysenda were married two weeks after Ysenda’s 18th birthday, and just had fraternal twin boys, Faolán and Finlay!
DH [42] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [dec 38] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [27] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [27] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [8] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [6] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
-- DS [1] Padraig Ballendalloch – curly, strawberry blonde hair and green eyes
- DD [19] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [19] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DW [18] Ysenda Kemp – frizzy, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
-- DS [nb] Faolán MacMorran – curly, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
-- DS [nb] Finlay MacMorran – frizzy, golden blonde hair and hazel eyes
- DD [17] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [17] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [16] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [16] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [14] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
DW [29] Eilionoir MacGilleBhàin – housewife (scribe’s daughter) / wavy, light brown hair and brown eyes
- DW’s DS [5] Duncan Gillespie – wavy, ginger hair and hazel eyes
- DW’s DD [3] Clara Gillespie – wavy, strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes
YEAR 20 [FINAL]: Hendrie and Eilionoir had a baby girl! They name her Aileas and she’s a dear and the apple of her father’s eye despite him having experienced fatherhood seven times before. It’s Mairead’s turn for matrimony, despite her fears that she wouldn’t wed. She’s affianced to an artist who lives in Edinburgh, whom she met when he was traveling through the area, so her life will change a lot once they get married and she moves with him, but she’s anticipating beginning her own family. Beitris, who still is plagued with severe headaches, but has turned to her faith to come terms with them, has decided to take holy orders and become a nun. She’s a novice now and will be moving into the convent soon. Isobell is not yet engaged or tied down, being presently concerned with playing the field until she’s quite bored of it and picks a lucky man to marry.
DH [43] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [dec 38] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [28] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [28] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [9] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [7] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
-- DS [2] Padraig Ballendalloch – curly, strawberry blonde hair and green eyes
- DD [20] Mairead MacMorran – handicraftsman’s daughter / frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DFiancé [24] Seamus MacAldonich – artist / curly, brown hair and pale blue eyes
- DS [20] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DW [19] Ysenda Kemp – frizzy, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
-- DS [1] Faolán MacMorran – curly, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
-- DS [1] Finlay MacMorran – frizzy, golden blonde hair and hazel eyes
- DD [18] Beitris MacMorran – novice nun / frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [18] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [17] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [17] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [15] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
DW [30] Eilionoir MacGilleBhàin – housewife (scribe’s daughter) / wavy, light brown hair and brown eyes
- DW’s DS [6] Duncan Gillespie – wavy, ginger hair and hazel eyes
- DW’s DD [4] Clara Gillespie – wavy, strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes
- DD [nb] Aileas MacMorran – frizzy, light brown hair and pale blue eyes
FINAL FAMILY
Hendrie & Nialla || [Ruadhán], Mairead / Magnus, Beitris / Isobell, Henry / Niall, Lilias
Hendrie & Eilionoir || (Duncan, Clara), Aileas
- Ruadhán & Finnola || Mhàiri, Ninian, Padraig
- Mairead & Seamus
- Magnus & Ysenda || Faolán / Finlay
YEAR 0: Hendrie and Nialla, whose parents are acquainted and who have known each other for years and slowly fell in love, are wed on a (mercifully) bright May afternoon.
DH [22] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [20] Nialla Shearer – tailor’s daughter / straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
YEAR 1: Nialla gets pregnant nearly instantly and early into the new year they welcome their first child – make that children, fraternal twins! The new parents are completely overwhelmed and utterly overjoyed with Mairead and Magnus.
DH [23] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [21] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [nb] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [nb] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 2: Hendrie damages his hand badly with an awl while woodworking, which damages nerves and breaks some bones in his hand which heal poorly. Thankfully he works with family so is able to continue working with some modifications, albeit with pain and not as quickly, which begins causing concern for the family’s income.
YEAR 3: The family is blessed with another set of twins, this time identical girls whom they name Beitris and Isobell. This brings great happiness along with a bit of concern for the young parents especially given Hendrie’s injury last year. Nialla wants to help make some income as well, but now with four babies, that won’t be possible yet.
DH [25] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [23] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [2] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [2] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [nb] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [nb] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
YEAR 4: The couple have twins again this year, after which Nialla tells Hendrie he should either sleep in front of the fire or with his back to her for a good while or their already precarious situation will become desperate. With whimsy and hoping for some sort of good luck they name the boys after themselves, calling them Henry and Niall.
DH [26] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [24] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [3] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [3] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [1] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [1] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [nb] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [nb] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
YEAR 5: A fire tragically kills all but one of the Ballendalloch family, who were friends with Hendrie’s family. Both parents and their 9 year old daughter perish leaving their 12 year old son Ruadhán an orphan. Their extended family lived far away and, while another family could take the boy, Hendrie won’t hear of it. He and Nialla decide being part of a big brood, which’ll ensure he’s busy, might be good for the boy. He can be of help to their family and apprentice to Hendrie as well, so they adopt him (technically as his guardians so they can retain his family name).
DH [27] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [25] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [12] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DD [4] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [4] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [2] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [2] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [1] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [1] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
YEAR 6: Sleeping back-to-back didn’t work for that long (it was worth a try!) and our couple welcome another little girl, whom they name Lilias.
DH [28] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [26] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [13] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DD [5] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [5] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [3] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [3] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [2] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [2] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [nb] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 7: There is fear of war with England which has everyone on edge.
YEAR 8: Beitris develops chronic headaches, which no one can explain and which her twin Isobell does not suffer. All she can do for them is to lie in dark and quiet, praying or daydreaming, until they pass or subside enough for her to take part in gentle activity again.
YEAR 10: While the younger children heeded their mother’s advice to avoid the standing stones, Ruadhán couldn’t help but explore to catch a glimpse of one of the Fair Folk. One day he came upon a girl and, with her white blond hair, thought he was beholding a leannán sídhe. Meanwhile she, actually a young woman named Finnola, saw the sun hit his fiery, deep red hair as he came up the hill and thought she was having a vision of daring Fae warrior. The two fell in love immediately, and secretly began courting until their acquaintance was recently discovered by her father (the next town over’s baker). Time will tell what happens…
DH [33] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [31] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [18] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DGf [18] Finnola Baxter – baker’s daughter / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
- DD [10] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [10] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [8] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [8] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [7] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [7] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [5] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 11: Surprising no one, Finnola was revealed to be with child. Hendrie and Nialla are happy that their adopted son is happy, but are of course concerned about his future. They convince Finnola’s family to let the young lovers marry, given that he is a capable and good-hearted young man with a reliable trade to support them. The men are converting a shed on the property for the couple until they can build their own home. Finnola has a difficult birthing, but mother and daughter survive and seem fine. They name the baby Mhàiri after Ruadhán’s sister who passed away.
DH [34] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [32] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [19] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [19] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [nb] Mhàiri Ballendalloch– wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
- DD [11] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [11] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [9] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [9] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [8] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [8] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [6] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 12: There’s a horse racing contest that Magnus wants to take part in, but his parents say he’s too young. He sneaks off with the neighbor’s pony and enter anyway, and loses. His folks are not well pleased and he’s charged with mucking the neighbor’s stables for the rest of the season in punishment.
YEAR 13: There is a severe storm and it damages Ruadhán and Finnola’s little dwelling. The silver lining is that it seems to be a good time to start building that permanent home now, and they get to work straightaway.
YEAR 14: Henry catches a sweating sickness and it’s touch-and-go for a bit, but he recovers with no ill effects. Finnola would like another child and is concerned that hasn’t gotten pregnant by now, thinking perhaps Mhàiri’s difficult birth damaged her in some way. She’s praying to St. Margaret to bless her and help them have more children.
DH [37] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [35] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
YEAR 15: Finnola’s prayers have been answered, though not in the way that she had wished for or imagined. Ruadhán encountered an abandoned baby while walking in the hills! Everyone said he was likely a changeling and should have been left be (Hendrie said probably his parents couldn’t feed or he was illegitimate), but he remembered how he was taken in himself, how he met his wife at the stones thinking she was one of the Fair Folk like people said this wee one was, felt it had to be St. Margaret’s intercession for them, and couldn’t leave the poor child to die alone out there. No one would claim the baby, so they adopted him and, in a nod to his miraculous entry into their family, named him Ninian after the saint.
DH [38] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [36] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [23] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [23] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [4] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [2] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [15] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [15] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [13] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [13] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [12] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [12] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [10] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 16: There is another severe storm, but this time everyone (and their houses) are safe and emerge unscathed.
YEAR 17: There’s a minor epidemic and unfortunately even minor ones take their toll. After four days of sickness Nialla weakens and passes away. Hendrie is at a loss and Mairead, Beitris, and Isobell make sure the household continues to run as smoothly as it can in their mother’s great absence.
DH [40] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [dec 38] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [25] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [25] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [6] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [4] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [17] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [17] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DD [15] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [15] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [14] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [14] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [12] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
YEAR 18: After years of thinking that they couldn’t have another child naturally, Ruadhán and Finnola are surprised with another baby! Padraig (they kept with their penchant for religious/saint names) looks like a perfect blend of his parents and his siblings are thrilled with the little chap.
Hendrie is still grieving over Nialla’s death last year and is loath to add more mouths to feed to the family, but when Finnola introduces him to her cousin, Eilionoir, a recently-widowed young woman with two small children of her own, he recognizes his need for a partner and the children’s need for a mother. Eilionoir is amenable to the idea. She loves children, the kids are mostly raised already anyway (though she finds some of them will benefit from having a scribe’s daughter for a stepmother in the writing department), she’d be happy to live closer to her cousin, Hendrie isn’t bad to look at by half and is by all reports a decent, upstanding man. Hendrie approaches her father and the two wed a couple of months later. The Gillespie children take after their father, who had wavy, ginger hair and pale blue eyes. The MacMorran children are wary of their new stepmother, but think it’s fun to have toddlers around–Lilias in particular–and help take good care of them.
Mairead is jealous that Magnus has a girlfriend. She’d love to step out with a boy, but has too much to do at the house. She was initially resentful of her new stepmother, having been the woman of the house and taking pride in that, but she also had begun to despair of having her own family in the near future at all. Now that Eilionoir has joined the family, she again dreams that she’ll meet someone dashing (like she imagines her mother and sister-in-law did) and fall in love or that her father will make her a good match in a few years. Meanwhile, she chafes at her twin scuttling out of the house after dinner to go walk with his girlfriend while she is stuck at home. Magnus met Ysenda at the marketplace when he was hanging about with some friends. He was captured by her lovely violet eyes and no-nonsense attitude, and struck up a conversation with her at her father’s stall (she’s this town’s baker’s daughter). She was equally captured by his dark blue eyes and mischievous half smile and sealed their flirtation with a free sweet bun. Their parents, who are tolerating the association, hope there won’t be another type of bun in the picture too soon – or at least before the girl is of age next year and they can make things official.
DH [41] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [dec 38] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [26] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [26] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [7] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [5] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
-- DS [nb] Padraig Ballendalloch – curly, strawberry blonde hair and green eyes
- DD [18] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [18] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DGf [17] Ysenda Kemp – frizzy, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
- DD [16] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [16] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [15] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [15] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [13] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
DW [28] Eilionoir MacGilleBhàin – housewife (scribe’s daughter) / wavy, light brown hair and brown eyes
- DW’s DS [4] Duncan Gillespie – wavy, ginger hair and hazel eyes
- DW’s DD [2] Clara Gillespie – wavy, strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes
YEAR 19: Magnus and Ysenda were married two weeks after Ysenda’s 18th birthday, and just had fraternal twin boys, Faolán and Finlay!
DH [42] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [dec 38] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [27] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [27] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [8] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [6] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
-- DS [1] Padraig Ballendalloch – curly, strawberry blonde hair and green eyes
- DD [19] Mairead MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [19] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DW [18] Ysenda Kemp – frizzy, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
-- DS [nb] Faolán MacMorran – curly, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
-- DS [nb] Finlay MacMorran – frizzy, golden blonde hair and hazel eyes
- DD [17] Beitris MacMorran– frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [17] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [16] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [16] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [14] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
DW [29] Eilionoir MacGilleBhàin – housewife (scribe’s daughter) / wavy, light brown hair and brown eyes
- DW’s DS [5] Duncan Gillespie – wavy, ginger hair and hazel eyes
- DW’s DD [3] Clara Gillespie – wavy, strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes
YEAR 20 [FINAL]: Hendrie and Eilionoir had a baby girl! They name her Aileas and she’s a dear and the apple of her father’s eye despite him having experienced fatherhood seven times before. It’s Mairead’s turn for matrimony, despite her fears that she wouldn’t wed. She’s affianced to an artist who lives in Edinburgh, whom she met when he was traveling through the area, so her life will change a lot once they get married and she moves with him, but she’s anticipating beginning her own family. Beitris, who still is plagued with severe headaches, but has turned to her faith to come terms with them, has decided to take holy orders and become a nun. She’s a novice now and will be moving into the convent soon. Isobell is not yet engaged or tied down, being presently concerned with playing the field until she’s quite bored of it and picks a lucky man to marry.
DH [43] Hendrie MacMorran – handicraftsman / curly, black hair and dark brown eyes
DW [dec 38] Nialla Shearer – housewife (tailor’s daughter)/ straight, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- ADS [28] Ruadhán Ballendalloch – handicraftsman / wavy, red hair and green eyes
- DW [28] Finnola Baxter – housewife (baker’s daughter) / curly, white blonde hair and pale blue eyes
-- DD [9] Mhàiri Ballendalloch – wavy, white blonde hair and green eyes
-- ADS [7] Ninian Ballendalloch – straight, light brown hair and blue-green eyes
-- DS [2] Padraig Ballendalloch – curly, strawberry blonde hair and green eyes
- DD [20] Mairead MacMorran – handicraftsman’s daughter / frizzy, black hair and blue-green eyes
- DFiancé [24] Seamus MacAldonich – artist / curly, brown hair and pale blue eyes
- DS [20] Magnus MacMorran – curly, brown hair and dark blue eyes
- DW [19] Ysenda Kemp – frizzy, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
-- DS [1] Faolán MacMorran – curly, golden blonde hair and violet eyes
-- DS [1] Finlay MacMorran – frizzy, golden blonde hair and hazel eyes
- DD [18] Beitris MacMorran – novice nun / frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DD [18] Isobell MacMorran – frizzy, brown hair and blue-green eyes
- DS [17] Henry MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DS [17] Niall MacMorran – straight, brown hair and dark brown eyes
- DD [15] Lilias MacMorran – frizzy, black hair and dark blue eyes
DW [30] Eilionoir MacGilleBhàin – housewife (scribe’s daughter) / wavy, light brown hair and brown eyes
- DW’s DS [6] Duncan Gillespie – wavy, ginger hair and hazel eyes
- DW’s DD [4] Clara Gillespie – wavy, strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes
- DD [nb] Aileas MacMorran – frizzy, light brown hair and pale blue eyes
This message was edited 5/10/2021, 3:40 PM