Photocopied bill of account dated 1861 for fitting out the fishing boat `Duchess`.
Bill of account dated 1861 from Malcolm R Lister, Boat Builder, to the Duke of Argyll for fitting out the fishing boat `Duchess`. (Bundle 1537)
Photocopied letter dated 8/3/1862 to the Duke of Argyll from Edward Curtis Stanford about kelp processing.
Letter dated 8/3/1862 to the Duke of Argyll from Edward Curtis Stanford about kelp processing. (Bundle 1542)
Photocopied estimate of costs dated 11/3/1862 from William D. Young & Co to John L. Stewart.
Estimate of costs of building an iron kelp drying shed dated 11/3/1862 from William D. Young & Co to John L. Stewart. (Bundle 1542)
Rescue involving the crew of the ‘Duchess’
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.
Photocopied letter dated 6/5/1871 about the wreck of the `Duchess`.
Incomplete letter dated 6/5/1871 probably addressed to the Duke of Argyll about the loss of the fishing boat `Duchess` during a storm.
Photocopied letter dated 18/1/1847 to the Marquis of Lorne from Mr Dick Lander, Secretary of the Board of Fisheries.
Letter dated 18/1/1847 to the Marquis of Lorne from Mr Dick Lander, Secretary of the Board of Fisheries, acknowledging receipt of £690 10/- being half the sum required to improve certain creeks on Tiree.
Provisional order for the construction of Gott Bay pier.
Provisional order for the construction of Gott Bay pier dated 1959.
Photocopied letter dated 26/11/1887 from W John Straw about the Tiree pier.
Letter dated 26/11/1887 from W John Straw to Mssrs. Lindsay Howe & Co about the Tiree pier. (Bundle 927)
Letter of 1847 from the Secretary of the Board of Fisheries
Transcription of a letter of 1847 from the Secretary of the Board of Fisheries to the Marquis of Lorne.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
The failure of the potato crop in 1846 led to widespread food shortages in the Highlands and Islands. In an attempt to provide work for people suffering from destitution, the government decided to improve ‘certain creeks on the west coast of Scotland’.
The Board of Fisheries sent an inspection team to Tiree and neighbouring islands to examine the state of the fishing boats, lines and piers. They concluded a total of £2,199 was needed to develop the fishing industry on Tiree, Mull and Iona and that the Duke of Argyll should pay half the costs.
The Marquis of Lorne argued against this proposal with some justification as the estate had tried for many years to encourage islanders to combine crofting and fishing with little success. However, in 1847 the Duke agreed to pay £690 towards building four new piers at Balemartine, Hynish, Milton and at the Green in Kilmoluaig.
Copy of letter dated 2/2/1944 from Lloyd`s of London to Captain Neil MacFadyen.
Letter dated 2/2/1944 from Lloyd`s of London to Captain Neil MacFadyen of Kenovay forwarding him the Lloyd`s Medal for Bravey at Sea.
