Robert almost certainly did not own the land he farmed - in 1841 Tithe composition book he is tenant to James Grierson at Slieu Whallen

Ballanass is a hill farm on the west side of Foxdale just up from the village of Lower Foxdale - he probably couldn't afford to keep it going as the mines offered much better wages and a 20ac hill farm was probably not very productive

In 1861 he was at GlenRushen possibly working at Beckwith's or Crossvein mines