Digitised copy of Letter from Malcolm McLaurine, chamberlain of Tiree, to James Ferrier, 22 Mar 1803. James Ferrier was one of the Principal Clerks of Session. Also included is an incomplete copy of this letter.
In this letter McLaurine discusses cutting down the farms of Scarinish, Hianish [Heanish] and Balemartine and opposition to the plans to establish four mail lands from tenants of Barapoll [Barrapol] and Kenovar. McLaurine names Archibald McLean as being the most active protester and mentions that the inhabitants do not wish to ‘adopt any improvements inconsistent with their old customs & habits’ and that ‘their old hereditary customs and practices must be sacrificed’. McLaurine ascribes the inhabitants aversion to crofts and fishing as being due to ‘the idleness and laziness of their habits’. McLaurine also mentions the removal of ‘whisky delinquents’ to ‘upper Canada’.
Digitised copy of Letter from Malcolm McLaurine, Chamberlain of Tiree, to the 5th Duke of Argyll, 29 Mar 1802. In this letter, McLaurine discusses the removal of people from the island. Those selected for ‘Removings’ include: those found guilty of illegal distilling, two young millers at Cornaigmore who ‘paid no attention to the machinery, nor to their work’, and Malcolm McDonald (Caoles) for taking trees from Loch Sunart to sell in Coll. Those in fishing stations were under warning. McLaurine also discusses: the division of land into four mail lands; Major Maxwell and George Langland; the use of the Reef by cottars and the lack of ‘grass mail’ paid by them. McLaurine mentions the 5th Duke of Argyll’s instructions to remove ‘every 10th man, and those the most criminal’.
Digitised copy of Letter from Malcolm McLaurine, chamberlain of Tiree, to the Duke of Argyll, 15 Dec 1801. In this letter McLaurine expresses gratitude to the Duke of Argyll for giving him the farm at Balephuil and agreeing to build a house on it; the factor; the division of the farm at Crossapoll into crofts; instructing the people of Tiree in farming; enclosing and subdividing the farm at Balephuil; plans to develop a large garden and nursery; using the Volunteer Company to maintain the social order of the island and to supress smuggling and distilling; the Argyllshire Companies.
Digitised copy of Description of farms in Tiree. Contains observations made by ‘the minister McColl’ to the Duke of Argyll upon ‘the situation of improvements in Tiry in consequence of a conversation with his Grace in August 1786’. There is no transcript for this item.
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From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.
Digitised copy of Description of farms in Tiree, 1782. Contains a table recording: the old extent in maill lands; number of tenants in each farm; name of farm; situation; rent in 1771; new rent; schemed rent; rate per acre of arable and meadow, pasture, moss and blown land; acres contained in arable, meadow, pasture, moss, blown land, total; souming; bolls sowing; total souming and sowing; rate thereof in shillings and pence; Scarinish [?]; great [?] moss; expiration of old or present leases; rent accepted. There is no transcript for this item.
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From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.
Digitised copy of Remarks on the island of Tiree, 1771. The remarks made by the document fall under the following headings: The island over-peopled; the propriety of establishing a fishing village in Tiry [Tiree]; plan of executing the design of building a village in Tiry; method of tillage and cultivation; runrig abusive; too many horses and servants employed in plowing and other works of a farm; Tiry a fit country for wheel carriages; division of large runrig farms into smaller ones proper; the small tenants occupy too little land; remedy proposed; by seting the thirdes of the island to gentlemen farmers; and the other two thirds to small tenants; common pastures prejudicial; they should be divided on the adjacent farms; land: blowing of the reef and encroachment on it should be prevented; sand blowing; Tiry over stocked with sheep; which causes sand blowing; cutting bent encourages sand blowing; flax and hemp little cultivated in Tiry should be encouraged; pulling barley from the root hurtful; milns [mills] of Tiry on a bad footing; a new miln necessary; a wind miln might be of use; greddan a most barbarous custom; minister’s Glebe too large; distilling should be discouraged in the most effectual manner; bad consequences of it; a method of collection the rents of Tiry without much arrears; fresh water lochs easily drained; roads and landing places should be more attended to in Tiry; factors should be restricted from demanding services as a duty prestaball [prestable] to them by the tenants.
There is no transcript available for this item.
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From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.
Digitised copy of Observations by Major Campbell and Mr Burrell concerning the island of Tiree, 1769. Contains details of a proposed scheme drawn up by Major Donald Campbell and Mr John Burrell for the Marquess of Lorne (later the 5th Duke of Argyll). The proposed scheme includes the division of farms, the enclosure of land and improvements, There is no transcript available for this item.
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From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.
Digitised copy of Content of the different farms in the island of Tiree by James Turnbull, 1769. Turnbull records the acres and ‘R. Falls’ of infield, outfield, meadow, pasture, moss, blown sand, water or lochs, and the total in each farm. There is no transcript available for this item.
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From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.
Digitised copy of Content of the different farms in the island of Coll by James Turnbull, 1769. Turnbull records the number of mail lands for each farm, as well as the acres and ‘R. Falls’ for infield, outfield, meadow, pasture, moor, moss, blown sand, lochs or water, and the total in each farm. There is no transcript available for this item.
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From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.
Digitised copy of Instructions for the chamberlain of Tiree, 23 October 1750. These instructions were sent from the Duke of Argyll and include: land erosion (particularly at Cladich-chrogan in Balephetrish); quarrying, use of tenants to build a stone barricade; draining the Loch of Kirkapol; cutting of turf; tiends; Lachlan McLean at Ruaig and the building of a lint miln there; tenants in arrears; quarrels with McCualrigs; the pulling of bear [barley] and making gredan meal; growing hempseed on Tiree; sand drifts in Kelis [Caoles], Ballevilline [Balevullin], Keylipol and Quiyeish; arrangements for disposing of the product of the island; the farm at Crossapol; sending salt beef to market; use of planks; Hector McLean of Coll and the rental of the two ends of Coll; Donald McMillan and the tack of Beist; Memorial of Hector and Alexander McLean, who claaim to be unjustly turned out of their tack of Gott and Vuill by Barnecarry.
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From the archives of the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, made available through the Written in the Landscape project.