Account of a supernatural event in 1979 witnessed at the scattering of the ashes of Captain James Campbell, skipper of the sunken ship ‘MacDhui’. James Campbell (1900-1978), Tiree emigrated to Australia in 1926.
Click here to view 2020.38.1
Photocopies of four newspaper articles (1926) and online information (2019) about the Fleetwood steam fishing trawler ‘ST Gaul’ that was swamped by a massive wave and wrecked on a submerged reef off Balevullin in 1926. The crew (all Grimsby men) took to a lifeboat but it overturned in the swell, and seven lost their lives. Two managed to reach the shore.
Small photograph of an oil painting of the yacht ‘Oceana’ sailing off the coast of Naples in around 1929, with Mount Vesuvius erupting in the background. The Oceana was wrecked at the west end of Crossapol beach in 1949, and the cause of much intrigue at the time. Painted by the Italian artist L. Papaluca (1890-1934), who was well-known for his paintings of ships. The painting belonged to Robert Polson of Badachro (Gairloch) who captained the yacht.
Insurance claim receipt made out to MacLaren Grain and Co., 1885. The claim was to recoup losses as a result of the steamship ‘Ardandhu’ colliding in 1883. Paid out by the insurance company William Euing & Co. Brokers. Before this incident, in 1881, the SS Ardandhu sank after colliding with another ship on the River Clyde. It went on to become wrecked on Hough Skerries off the west coast of Tiree during a storm in 1891.
Porthole from the WWII warship, HMS Sturdy, which was wrecked on rocks off Sandaig during a storm in 1940. The porthole has been re-painted by Donald Brown, Vaul, and decorated with a sketch of the ship. The stainless steel bolts and backing (made from an old fish box) were added by Donald.
A history of Rossdhu house, Kenovay, 1863-2018. Includes photographs of the house, the people who lived there and a family tree. Named individuals: Allan MacLean and his wife Euphemia MacLean, two of their sons Neilie Allan MacLean and Donald MacLean, Neilie Allan’s wife Catherine (Kate) MacLean of Ardbeg, Willie MacLean, Flora Campbell, Mena Knapman.
Click here to view 2019.97.1
Compiled information about the Steamship Laristan which ran aground on rocks at Craignish, Hough, in 1942. Includes the log of the ship’s movements around the time it ran aground, an extract from a book about shipwrecks, and an extract from Home Commands’ War Diary – Casualties and Defects. The ship was also known under the names of Cherrywood and Empire Gulf.
Click here to view 2019.85.2
Black & white photograph of seaman Ralph Frederick Smith (right) who was rescued by Tiree residents when his ship, the SS Laristan, ran aground on rocks at Craignish, Hough on January 19th 1942. Ironically, having survived the wrecking of the Laristan, Ralph Smith died at sea three months later when his next ship, the Empire Dryden, was torpedoed off the USA coast. Ralph’s Seaman’s Card with details of his death can be viewed here.
1930s binoculars given to Archie MacLeod, Carrachan, Kilmoluaig, by one of the officers of the destroyer HMS Sturdy, which was wrecked on rocks at Sandaig in 1940. Archie (Erchie Charrachain) was home on leave from Gourock where he was skipper on one of the troop tenders based there during WWII. He was present at Sandaig during the rescue and carried ashore on his shoulders one of the Sturdy’s navigating officers who, in a show of gratitude, placed the binoculars around Archie’s neck. Archie’s son, also Archie (Gilleasbuig Carrachan), played with the binoculars as a boy. The binoculars remained in Carrachan until they were passed on to An Iodhlann in 2019.
Includes handwritten history of the binoculars by Gilleasbuig MacLeod.
Scanned copy of a telegram sent by Captain John Brown (1902-1986), Balevullin, to his parents in Cornaig, after being shipwrecked on Tuskar Rock off the east coast of Ireland in 1927. Includes a page of background information. John Brown was 25 years old at the time and could not swim.
He met his future wife when his ship, the Baron Belhaven, was being repaired in Barry Docks (west of Cardiff) in 1941. A bomb had dropped down the funnel when sailing in convoy out of Liverpool during WW2.
