Dates: 1880s

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2022.31.4

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Digitised copy of a Report of Enquiries made regarding Donald Sinclair, 20 August 1886.

Donald Sinclair was a joiner and Chairman of the Land Law Reform Association and one of the six arrested crofters who were taken to Inveraray. The report details how Sinclair was convicted on charges of theft in October 1877 and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, after breaking into a spirit shop at 55 London Street, Glasgow, and stealing beer or porter, champagne and gin.

Enclosed is a copy of a statement made by Neil MacKinnon (24 Raglan Street, Glasgow), a childhood friend of Sinclair. MacKinnon provides details of Sinclair’s good character, particularly following his time in prison, and claims that Sinclair is now an evangelist, teaches Sunday School and preaches, and that he is a fluent speaker in Gaelic on religious and political subjects. MacKinnon also provides details of Sinclair’s marriage to the daughter of ‘the largest merchant in Tiree’. The following people gave evidence on behalf of Sinclair: Mr McIntyre (publican), Mr McKechnie (the contractor), John McDonald (watchman), Donald McKechnie (contractor’s foreman). Apart from the publican, these were all natives of Tiree.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

 

2022.31.3

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Digitised copy of Tiree Estate, Improvements &c done for Crofters, 1878-1885. The list is organised by year and contains details of improvements, repairs to buildings, charity and ‘miscellaneous’ works along with their costs. Works performed include fencing, drainage, ditches, dykes, and roofing. There are records of charitable works, such as supplying seed potatoes to crofters, and providing assistance for replacing a boat, the purchase of livestock, and animals, or for building repairs.

The following names appear in the record, and some names appear more than once:

Lachlan McLean (Cornaigbeg), Malcolm McDougall (removed from Heanish), John McLean (Caoles), Alexander, Neil and Donald McFadyen (Caoles), John McLean (Balephuil), Widow Murdoch Campbell (removed from Balinoe), Widow Catherine McKinnon (Kilmoluaig), Donald McCallum (smith and crofter, possibly Kilmoluaig), Donald McPhee (crofter, Balemartine), Captain William Sinclair (Mannal), Widow Murdoch Brown (Mannal), John McKinnon (Balephuil), Angus McArthur (crofter, Balemartine), John Brown (Mannal), Colin Henderson (Balemartine), Widow Alexander Henderson (Balemartine), Rev John McFarlane (Balinoe), Archibald, Donald and John Campbell (farmers, Balinoe), Neil McKinnon (Moss), John Morrison (son in law of Neil Morrison [deceased], Moss), Donald McDougall (Balephuil), Donald McFarlane (Balemartine), Angus McInnes (Kilmoluaig), Alexander Livingston (Heanish), Rev Duncan McFarlane (Heanish), Hugh McKinnon Junior (crofter and packet man, Heanish), G B Smith & Co (Glasgow), Alexander and John McFadyen (Barrapol), A & J McFadyen (Balemartine), James Brown (Balemartine), Hector McDonald (Caoles & Ardess), Archibald McDonald (Caoles & Ardess),  Widow Neil McKinnon (Heanish), John McDonald (Heanish), Angus Munn (Heanish), Neil Campbell (Balinoe), Archibald McLean (Balemartine), Donald Campbell (Balemartine), Donald McLean, (Balemartine), Widow Mary McLean (Crofter, Vaul), John McPhail (crofter, Cornaigmore), John McLean (crofter, Kilmoluaig), John Cameron (Moss), P & R Fleming & Co (Glasgow), Hector McPhail (Cornaigmore), Hugh McLean Junior (Caoles), Donald Kennedy (Balevulin).

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2022.31.2

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Digitised copy of a letter from the Board of Supervision, to the Duke of Argyll, dated 26 November 1885 regarding the care of paupers in Tiree. A copy letter from D McPhail, Inspector of Poor in Tiree, dated 26 October 1885, is enclosed. McPhail writes regarding the death of Janet McLean or McFadyen (pauper, Balinoe) who lived alone and was found dead in her house. A copy of the medical certificate signed by Alexander Buchanan is included. McPhail observes that ‘we may have more cases of the same kind’ and that ‘the above is the second death in a house alone within the parish this year’.

Also enclosed is a list of paupers living alone in the Parish of Tiree, dated 16 November 1885: Ann McKinnon (Balinoe), Hector McLean (Balinoe), Cath[erine] McDougall (Balephuil), Marion Kennedy (Balevullin), Christina McDonald (Caoles), Mary Brown (Caoles), Mary Campbell (Ernal), Cath[erine] McLean (Ernal), Cath[erine] McFadyen (Heanish), Ann McLean (Hynish), Hannah McDonald (Kenovay), Cath[erine] McKinnon (Mannal), Flora Brown (Sandaig), Malcolm McDonald (Scarinish), Cath[erine] McKinnon (Scarinish), Flora Cameron (Ruaig), Arch[ibal]d McLeod (Vaul). McPhail notes the types of support they receive from the Parochial Board (including ‘necessary clothing and an allowance of soap’).

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2022.31.1

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Digitised copy of a Report from Heylipol Public School for the winter months, February 1883. The report was written for the Duke of Argyll by J McFarlane and is divided into observations on ‘attendance’, ‘progress’, ‘general’ and ‘state of the island’ and contains remarks on: attendance for December 1882 to February 1883; the affect of weather on attendance; subjects taught and standards; appointment of compulsory officers; comments on parents and their attitudes to education; and teachers. McFarlane also discusses unrest in the island (the ‘wild & extravagant ideas that originally started in Ireland’ and the ‘circulation of pernicious & revolutionary literature’) and refers to a petition signed by crofters in the west end. He recounts a conversation with a man named Donald, a crofter in Balevullin, and also refers to the consequences of inadequate farming techniques.

Click to read a transcript of this item.

From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

 

2022.29.12

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Hardback edition of A Pronouncing Gaelic-English Dictionary by celebrated lexiographer, Neil MacAlpine, of Islay.

Inside cover board inscribed, ‘A.R. MacDonald, Cornaigbeg, Tiree. Personal Property’.

Gaelic to English and English to Gaelic, with phonetic key.

Re-printed from 1845 first pressing several times.

549pp.

2022.29.10

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Compact, leather-covered, Gaelic ‘Biobull / Bible’, produced by Comunn-Bhiobull Duthchail na h-Alba. On the inside front cover is written ‘Cornaig Sunday School. For Mary Ishbel MacDonald [Kenovay], with every good wish for the future, J Gillies, 28/8/46. John Gillies was the Church of Scotland Missionary on Tiree for 17 years (1937-1954), teaching Sunday School in Gaelic and English.

2022.29.9

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Hardback book ‘The Scottish Anthem Book’, 1922, revised from the original ‘Book of Anthems’, which was published in 1875 as and aid to singing hymns and psalms in the Church of Scotland. Belonging to Effie MacDonald (nee MacCorquodale), Kenovay, it is signed ‘Euphemia Cameron MacCorquodale, No. 8’.

2022.21.1

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Photograph and sample of gutta-percha from a bale found embedded in the machair shore at Sandaig (NL 936 436) by visitor Jennie Hynd in September 2022. The extent of the lichen and vegetation on the bale suggests that it had been there for some time.

Gutta-percha is a stretchy, rubbery material, derived from the latex of the Palaquium gutta tree in Malaysia. During the second half of the 19th century, gutta-percha was imported into Britain in vast quanities and used as insulation for underwater electrical cables, golf balls, chewing gum and root canal treatment. Synthetic materials have since largely replaced it.

Bales of gutta-percha have been washed up on the beaches of western Europe for over 100 years, with many likely to have come from ships wrecked during WWI such as the Japanese liner Miyazaki Maru, which was sunk by a German U-boat off the Scilly Isles in 1917.

 

 

2021.54.98

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Transcript of Precognition of Witnesses against Hugh MacDonald on charges of Malicious Mischief in 1885. The transcript provides details of how Hugh MacDonald (Moss) took possession of a house in Moss. Statements are provided by:

Donald McMillan (cottar, Moss)
John McNeill (fisherman, Balevullin)
Christy (or Cursty) McDonald of McNeill (wife of Donald McNeill, Balevullin)
Peggy Beaton of Carmichael (widow, Ross of Mull)
Hugh Macdiarmid (factor to the Duke of Argyll, Tiree)
Angus Macdonald (shepherd, Moss)
Alexander Buchanan (Medical Officer for the Parochial Board of Tiree)

Click to read a transcript of this item.

From the liveArgyll Archives in Lochgilphead, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

2021.54.97

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Transcript of a Report submitted to Tobermory Procurator Fiscal regarding the deaths of Mathew Byrne Mate, Robert Mackay, Thomas Wedick, James Donley or Donelly, James Kehoe (all of Arklow) and Herman Hallander (of Sweden) in 1885.

The deceased were all serving on board the Brigantine ‘Nancy’ of Dublin, which sank on 8 February 1885 after striking ‘Dubhsker’ (Dugh Sgeir) an outlying rock about three miles to the North West of Craignish Point (Cràiginis or Rubha Chràiginis), Tiree. The Captain, Richard Kerrow (Arklow), was rescued.

Richard Kerrow (above), Alexander Cameron (Moss), William McNeil (fisherman, Balevullin), Murdoch MacLeod (Police Officer, Tiree) are named as witnesses.

Click to read a transcript of this item.

From the liveArgyll Archives in Lochgilphead, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.

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