Why did your Ancestors settle in Fort William
The Name
The town grew up as a settlement next to a fort which was named 'Fort William' after William Of Orange, and the settlement that grew around it was called 'Maryburgh', after his wife. This settlement was later renamed 'Gordonsburgh', and then 'Duncansburgh' before being renamed 'Fort William', this time after Prince William, Duke of Cumberland."
The Early Years
Fort William was traditionally the grounds of the Clan Cameron. The fort was constructed to control the population after Oliver Cromwell's invasion during the English Civil War. It was then used to suppress the Jacobite uprisings of the 18th century.
During Victorian times, paddle steamers sailed up Loch Linnhe into the bay at Corpach and then into the Caledonian Canal as early travellers journeyed to Loch Ness and Inverness in the north.