Digitised copy of a letter from John G Campbell to the Duke of Argyll, 8 May 1865. Campbell sends a report on the state of Tiree schools; the increasing number of scholars in Kirkapol; the need for a stand for children’s plaids and shawls in wet weather; bringing the school under government inspection; attendance at Balephuil; remarks on the teacher at Balephuil; remarks on Mr McCowan at Balevullin; declining attendance at Free Church schools; presentation of prizes by Mr Geekie; aversion to emigration and comments on the reasons for this.
Attached is a table entitled ‘Schools in the Island of Tiree Examined March 1865’ containing data for Kirkapol, Heylipol, Balevullin, Balephuil, and Cornaig. Contains figures for: the number attending; number present at examination; number on the roll studying reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, geography, Latin, Greek, geometry and mathematics, algebra, book-keeping.
From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.
Digitised copy of a letter from John G Campbell to the Duke of Argyll, dated 17 September 1864. Campbell discusses school prizes offered by the Duke, and the winners of the prizes; details of the examination held at Moss Church, attended by Mr Geekie, Dr Buchanan and Mr John McLean (Cornaig); problems with teachers, including those at Sandaig and Heylipol, and the difficulty in getting new teachers; the need to improve the school house at Heylipol; lack of schooling provision in the west end of the island; closure of the assembly school in Balevullin; difficulties with the Crois teacher (‘a mere boy & a teacher only in name’) and the lack of schooling over the winter in that part of the island; the achievements of John McLean (Cornaig) at College in Glasgow.
From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.
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.
Black and white photograph of Mary Kennedy of Balevullin/Cornaigmore found in Robert Doncaster`s house in Cornaigmore in 2003.
Mary Kennedy (Mairi Dhòmhnaill Mhòir; 1858-1940) was born in Balevullin to Donald Kennedy and Catherine Gillies. The ruins of the house are beside ‘Braeside’, Balevullin. Mary was one of six siblings: John (1851-1907), Alexander (1853 – 1936), Mary (1858 – 1940), Archibald (1860 – ), Charles (1863- 1868) and Catherine (1866 – 1948). Mary had one son, Donald Archie Kennedy, a sea captain in the Merchant Navy, who built a house in Cornaigmore (R Doncaster’s). Mary lived there from 1925 until her death in 1940, latterly with her daughter-in-law, Agnes Livingston, and her two children, Mary and Colin, who returned from Canada in 1932. (Original photo in Filing Cabinet 8 drawer 3)
