Document: 1 Sage Tale

Date: 14 February 2003
Author: JPR

Our Sages came from Auldearn and Ardclach, since there are very few Sage families in this area it is reasonable to assume they are all connected. The earliest record for our Sages is about 1685 When William Sage was born in Auldearn, the parish records start in 1687 so just miss the birth and of course no record of parents. They stayed in Auldearn for the birth of the children of whom Alexander is our ancestor. He married and started his family in Auldearn untill 1736 approx, his next child was born in Ardclach in 1739, they stayed there for the birth of two children. Our William Sage is believed to have been a preacher or minister for a Sect of the AntiBurger Secessionist Church and moved about a bit, first back to Auldearn then Nairn and finally Perth. So far cannot specify what a Anti Burger was, the group that became the Free Church split over some order and formed a Burger and a Anti-Burger group, later they rejoined, always as part of the Church of Scotland. The people of Auldearn are noted as being of a "dark and gloomy" faith in the Statistical records.
Auldearn and Ardclach are about 8 miles apart near to Nairn. The Stewart line also starts somewhere around here.
On the Map of Nairn Area accessed above:
1 is Loch Flemington where the Stewarts reside in 1866.
2 is Cawdor where Sages lived 1710-1740.
3 Is Auldearn.
4 Is Ardclach. Aberlour is a few miles off this map.

The Sages around Nairn seem to disappear about 1800, at this time the Clearances in this area were underway, they possibly were part of a tide of people who were forced to emigrate.

The Sages in Perth were all connected with weaving, until the factories destroyed that way of life. Even then they worked in weaving factories in Perth.
After William Sage the other Sages all belonged to the splinter group of Churches, loosely the Free Church, however none are recorded as Ministers in Perth.

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