Tag Archives: mills and millers

1999.216.3

Audio cassette recording of John MacKinnon of Kilmoluaig talking to Maggie Campbell in October 1999.

John MacKinnon (Iain Chaluim) talks to Maggie Campbell in October 1999 about the people and places in and around Kilmoluaig, the use of lichen to dye cloth red, various ruins in the area around Loch Bhasapol where there used to be salmon and trout, the son of Sir Donald MacLean who spied for Russia, how the Green got its name, the once frequent sand drifts, the water drawn from wells, working crofts with horses, planting oats, turnips and potatoes, taking grain to the mill at Cornaig and the scarcity of people where they were once so plentiful. Tha Iain Chaluim a’ bruidhinn ri Magaidh Chaimbeul anns an Dàmhair 1999 mu na daoine agus àiteachan ann agus mun cuairt Cill Moluaig, feum crotail airson aodach a dhath gu dearg, diofrach thobhtaichean mun cuairt Loch Bhasapol far am b’ àbhaist bradan agus bric a bhi, mac fear-uasal Dhòmhnall ’IcIllEathain a bha na fhear-brathaidh airson an Ruis, mar a fhuair ‘An Green’ ainm, na cathaidhean gainmhaiche a b’ àbhaist a bhi ann, uisge air a tharraing a tobraichean, ag obair air na croitean le eich, a’ cur coirce, neipean agus buntàta, a’ toirt sìol don mhuilinn ann an Còrnaig agus cion nan daoine far an robh iad uaireigin gu math lìonmhor.

1997.265.22

Newsletter `An Tirisdeach`, Autumn 1985 (2 copies).

Local news including the arrival of BT engineer Jim MacNaughton and family, also Malcolm O`Dea (Radar Station) and family, the upgrading of townships roads, the deterioration of the mains water, information on AI, sheep fecundity and unltrasonic scanning by vet Pat Boyd, RAF 518 Squadron reunion, article by Argyll & Bute Archivist Murdo MacDonald, school news, unemployment benefit, article about Rev. Donald MacCallum and a poem both in Gaelic by Neil Brownlie, Tiree Association, the history of Cornaig mill and a contribution from Rev George Donaldson.

1997.160.14

The old mill at Cornaig

Photograph of the old mill at Cornaig.

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In the second half of the 18th century landlords started investing in mills with vertical water wheels which were more efficient than horizontal mills and generated a greater income. The Cornaig mill was built by the 5th Duke of Argyll in 1803.

Although the water wheel was vertical, gears inside the mill turned the upper horizontal ‘runner’ stone over the stationary lower or ‘nether stone. These were held together by a wooden spindle which was greased with beef suet.

The grinding surfaces of the stones were ‘dressed’ by the miller every year into an elaborate pattern of channels. Grain was fed in the centre of the upper stone with the miller controlling the distance between the stones, and consequently the fineness of the meal, with a number of small wedges.

Black and white postcard of the old mill at Cornaig.

The old mill at Cornaig in the 1920s when it was still operating.

2003.138.5

Colour photograph of Jean Whimp of Australia with her two daughters and Sir Lachan MacLean in Mull in 2002.

Jean Whimp of Australia, great-granddaughter of Archibald Campbell (1792-1841), miller at Cornaig, with her two daughters Jennifer and Kathleen, photographed with Sir Lachlan MacLean in Mull in June 2002.

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2003.133.1

Hector, Duncan and Lachie Dan MacCallum of Pictou Island, Nova Scotia

Photograph of brothers Hector, Duncan and Lachie Dan MacCallum on Pictou Island, Nova Scotia in the early 1950s.

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Courtesy of Mr Ken MacCallum

Donald and Flora McCallum emigrated from Tiree around 1823 with their nine children. Donald was probably the son of John McCallum, the first miller at Cornaigmore, who received a tack of the mill from the Duke in 1776. Donald’s brother, Lachlan, emigrated around the same time and settled on Pictou Island in Nova Scotia.

Lachlan’s son Daniel, ‘Big Dan’ McCallum, was born on Pictou Island and followed the charismatic minister Norman McLeod who took a group of followers from Scotland to Cape Breton, sailing on to Australia and finally New Zealand. Big Dan returned from the Victorian gold fields to become a sailor running the Union blockade of the southern ports during the American Civil War before returning to farm on Pictou Island.

Daniel’s three sons in the photograph made their livings as lobster fishermen. His great-grandson, Ken MacCallum, practises law in New York City and resides in Connecticut.

Black and white photograph of Hector, Duncan and Lachie MacCallum in Pictou Island in the 1950s.

The great-grandsons of John MacCallum, the first miller at Cornaig, on Pictou Island, Nova Scotia in the early 1950s. L-R: Hector MacCallum (1878-1953), Duncan MacCallum (1874-1955) and Lachie Dan MacCallum (1881-1967).

1998.89.4

Archibald MacLean (1887-1920)

Photograph of Archibald MacLean, miller at Cornaig.

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Courtesy of Mrs Annie Kennedy

Archibald MacLean (Èardsaidh Ruadh) took over the tenancy of Cornaig mill in 1905 for a rent of £42 per year. The conditions of the tenancy were that the miller had to make good any breakages to the machinery and to clean out the mill and lade regularly.

He was entitled to one seventeenth part in weight of all the grain sent to the mill. In addition he could claim one eighth part of a bushel of grain from each person using the mill as payment for providing lighting and cleaning the mill and lade.

The miller was not allowed to keep or allow animals of any description in the mill. He was also to manage, cultivate and manure the arable land included in the tenancy according to the rules of good husbandry.

Black and white photograph of Archibald MacLean, miller at Cornaigmore.

Archibald MacLean, miller at Cornaigmore.

1998.89.14

Photograph of Donald Archie MacLean, Millhouse, Cornaigmore, and family ca. 1910

Black & white photograph of L-R: Neil MacLean, Donald MacLean, Annie MacLean, and Donald Archie MacLean, Millhouse, Cornaigmore, in his sailor`s uniform around 1910. Neil was the father of Neil Beag, Kenovay, and of Lachie MacLean, Corrairigh, Cornaig(?). Annie was the mother of Ailig Beag, Heylipol. Donald Archie was the father of Archie Dubh, Kenovay (?) and possibly also of Donald Archie MacLean, butcher, Kenovay.

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