Transcription of John Ramsay’s report on Tiree schools in 1863.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
In 1863, John Ramsay, MP for Falkirk Burghs, reported on the state of Tiree schools to the Royal Commission on Education in Scotland chaired by the 8th Duke of Argyll. Ramsay assessed the condition of the buildings, the quality of the teaching, the progress of the scholars and their attendance at school.
At the time of the report, there were eight schools on Tiree, two supported by the Church of Scotland, four by the Free Church Ladies Society and one each by the General Assembly and the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge. Only three made a good impression.
The recommendations of the Argyll Commission were put into effect by the Education Act of 1872. Primary education was made compulsory for children aged five to thirteen and the control of schools placed in the hands of popularly elected school boards.
Transcription of John Ramsay’s letter to the 8th Duke of Argyll about Tiree schools in 1863.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
In 1863, John Ramsay, MP for Falkirk Burghs, reported on the state of Tiree schools to the Royal Commission on Education in Scotland chaired by the 8th Duke of Argyll. At the time of the report, there were eight schools on Tiree, of which only three made a good impression.
In this private letter to the Duke, Ramsay made several suggestions on how to improve the quality of the teaching on the island by removing unsatisfactory teachers, offering inducements for better pupil attendance and school inspections by the factor, Lachlan MacQuarie.
Rather than appealing to the Duke’s altruism, Ramsay stressed ‘the pecuniary value of education to the proprietor of a Highland estate’.
Photocopied letter dated 13/1/1862 from Rev John Gregorson Campbell to the Duke of Argyll.
Letter dated 13/1/1862 from Rev John Gregorson Campbell to the Duke of Argyll about the lack of accomodation for the teacher at Kirkapol school and the large class size (80-90 pupils). (Bundle 1540)
Transcription of a letter of 1868 from the Tiree factor John Geekie about a rescue involving the crew of the ‘Duchess’.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
In a letter of 1868 to the 8th Duke of Argyll, his factor John Geekie commended eight Tiree men who had rescued three fishermen from drowning in Balephuil Bay during a gale. Two of the men were crew of the ‘Duchess’, built by the Duke in 1860 and let out to local men.
In May 1861 the factor had reported that ‘the crew of the Duchess fishing boat had a very good fishing…once they took courage and went out where the Tyree boats were fishing outside the light house’, the implication being that the crew were unnecessarily timid.
Their reluctance is easily explained by their lack of familiarity handling a vessel nearly twice the length of the average Tiree fishing boat and also by the dangers of fishing five or more miles from shore in a small sailing boat in the days before reliable weather forecasting and global positioning.
Specification of the fishing boat ‘Duchess of Argyll’
Transcription of a letter of 1860 from Malcolm Liston of Granton regarding the specifications of the fishing boat ‘Duchess of Argyll’.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
In 1860 the 8th Duke of Argyll commissioned Malcolm Liston, a boat builder in Granton, to build a ‘first class fishing boat’ costing £130. Named the ‘Duchess of Argyll’, the boat was delivered to Tiree and let out to local fisherman.
Much larger than the average Tiree boat of 22 feet, the ‘Duchess’ was the latest in a series of attempts to encourage local fishermen who, since the rich fishing banks offshore were discovered in the 18th century, had been unable to compete with the bigger boats and superior equipment of crews from the north-east and other islands.
The ‘Duchess’ lasted only ten years. Because of her size, she was difficult to pull up on the beach and had to be moored offshore. In 1871, during a gale, the anchor chain tore out the stern, broke the mooring and she drifted ashore among the rocks at Hynish and was smashed.
