Copies of the Royal Navy service record, death certificate and list of medals awarded to John Barnard Norton (Bunty) Whyte (1909-1942), son of Balephuil/Oban artists Duncan MacGregor Whyte and Mary Barnard Whyte, who was killed during an air raid on Southampton during WW2. The material includes correspondence from Navy Command to the donor.
Click here to view 2019.68.1
Genealogical information about the descendants and ancestors of Hector MacKinnon, Vaul (1801-1864), and his wife Margaret MacKinnon, Balephuil, who emigrated to Australia with their four children in 1853. They were living in Balephuil in 1841 before moving to Barra in the mid-1840s, where their fourth child was born. By 1851, the family were living at Petty in Invernesshire. They sailed for Australia from Inverness on board the ‘Bloomer’ in 1853. Includes emailed correspondence regarding links to distant relatives living on Tiree in 2018: MacFadyen, Scarinish; MacKinnon, Balemartine; Cameron, Kirkapol(?).
Click here to view 2019.21.1
Information about Archibald MacKinnon, Balephuil & Mull (1824-1886) and Colin MacDonald, Balephuil & Glasgow (1856-1927). Colin MacDonald’s father (also Colin) died in the Balephuil fishing disaster of 1856, just before he was born. Colin Jnr trained as a doctor then returned to Tiree to start a practice at Balemartine in 1909. Colin’s wife Jessie Maggie MacKinnon was Archibald MacKinnon’s daughter. Archibald MacKinnon survived the Balephuil fishing disaster of 1856.
“Around 1909, a second doctor had come to the island, Dr Colin MacDonald (an Dotair Domhnallach), whose first wife was related to Helen Kennedy (Eilidh bheag, Balevullin), set up a rival practice in Balemartine … but it is unlikely the island could support two doctors and left after a few years to go to Bunessan” [on Mull]. Extract from ‘Water from the Seventh Wave – a history of Tiree’s healers’ by John Holliday.
Information about the MacFarlanes of Balinoe and Elgin, 1858-1876, including the (1) marriage certificate for Rev James MacFarlane, Balinoe, and Isabella Farquharson, Cornaig, on Tiree in 1858, (2) death certificate for Isabella MacFarlane in Elgin in 1865, (3) 1871 Elgin census record listing James MacFarlane, (4) death certificate for James MacFarlane, 1876. Includes additional family history information emailed by the donor.
Click here to view marriage certificate; death certificates for Isabella and James
After their marriage in 1858, the MacFarlanes moved to Elgin where James took up the position of Baptist Minister. When Isabella died, aged only 34 years, she left three children: Archibald (b. ca 1860), Margaret (b. ca 1861) and Mary. In the 1871 census, Mary is living in Oban with her mother’s sister, Eliza. It is presumed that Mary stayed with the Whytes in Oban and that she is the ‘other Mary’ referred to in Duncan MacGregor Whyte’s letters to his wife Mary Bernard when he was in Australia. The Whytes were artists who built The Studio in Balephuil.
Sail-maker’s padded leather palm pad. Found at The Moorings, Balephuil.
Army knife with ‘ J. CAMPBELL’ engraved on the side. Found at The Moorings, Balephuil.
Small metal oil dispenser for lubricating hinges etc. Found at The Moorings, Balephuil.
Leather sail-maker’s palm strap found at The Moorings, Balephuil. Similar to item 2009.98.1.
The Scots Magazine, June 1965, with an article about Tiree and its people ‘Island of Prosperous Crofters’ by Campbell K Finlay. Includes photographs of Scarinish Harbour: A D Brown, Tobermory (merchant to Tiree); Margaret Brown, Vaul; Malcolm M MacLean, Salum; A H MacPhail, Clachan; A G H Bruton, Lodge Hotel; Travee; coastal cliffs; croft house, Scarinish; Parkhouse, Balephetrish; L J MacFadyen, Kenovay; J L MacInnes, Salum; W MacPhee, gamekeeper; Balephetrish road. Also mentioned in text: Walter Hume, the Reef & An Fhaodhail, primary schools, boarded-out children, island house, sheep, bulb-growing, cottars, income, crofters’ war, snipe shooting, tourism, fishing.
Click here to view 2018.78.1
Fosslised bivalve seashell in a piece of worked flint found in a sand blowout at Balephuil.
