Born in Ruaig in 1838, Charles MacKinnon embarked on a career as a young man that eventually included almost every kind of sailing ship service. In 1862 he shipped as an ordinary seaman on the tug ‘Bungaree’ which reached Sydney after six months.
The day after docking in Australia he signed on with a local barque, the ‘Woodbine’, and within four years he was its master and part-owner. He then bought the first iron vessel in Australia, the barque ‘Melrose’. He ceased sea-faring in 1882 on accepting an appointment as first Foreman of Magazines, Middle Harbour in Sydney.
Charles was a fluent Gaelic speaker and a founder of the Highland Society of New South Wales. On a trip home in 1901 he remarked to neighbour looking out to sea, ‘Dh’ atharraich a h-uile rud ann an Rubhaig ach Sgeir an Duilsg!’ (Everything in Ruaig has changed except Dulse Rock!)
Black and white photograph of Captain Charles Alfred MacKinnon 1838-1926.
Captain Charles Alfred MacKinnon 1838-1926.Born in Ruaig in 8/3/1838 the son of Archibald and Catherine MacKinnon. Married twice to (1) Christina Isabella MacKinnon and (2) Catherine Elizabeth Eglington. He joined the Scottish fishing fleet, voyaged to North and South America and then Australia. In 1862 he shipped as a seaman on the `Bungaree` voyaging to Australian ports. He then signed articles on the barque `Woodbine` which he later became master of and part-owner. At the end of 1882 he left the sea on accepting an appointment as first Foreman of Magazines, Middle Harbour, which he resigned in 1901 to visit Europe, the USA and Japan. He was a fluent Gaelic speaker, was one of the founders of the Highland Society of New South Wales and was a prominent member of the League of Ancient Mariners. He died in Sydney, new South Wales on 16/3/1926.
Envelope addressed to Captain Heddle of the Skerryvore steamer
Photograph of an envelope addressed to Captain Heddle of the Skerryvore steamer and date-stamped 1841.
Courtesy of Mr Alistair Morrison
Captain James Heddle was the master of the paddle steamer Skerryvore built by Menzies and Sons of Leith for the purpose of towing lighters loaded with granite blocks and other materials from the harbour at Hynish to the Skerryvore rocks during the building of the lighthouse.
The 150 ton wooden steamer was fitted with two engines of 30 horse power each at a total cost of over £6,350. Initially reluctant to embark on such an expense, the Northern Lighthouse Board eventually agreed when a suitable vessel for purchase could not be found. £1616 was recouped from the sale of the steamer in 1847.
In his Account of the Skerryvore Lighthouse Alan Stevenson highly commended Captain Heddle for ‘his unwearied exertion in the discharge of his harassing duty at Skerryvore’ which no doubt contributed to his sudden death in 1841 from tuberculosis of the lungs.
Black and white photograph of Captain John MacKinnon and Neil MacDougall.
L-R: Captain John MacKinnon (1890-1953) and his brother-in-law Neil MacDougall (see photo E146). Captain MacKinnon was awarded the MBE in 1946 in recognition of his service in the Merchant Navy during WWII.
Black and white photograph of the three Brown brothers of Cornaigbeg.
The three Brown brothers of Cornaigbeg, probably taken in the 1940s. L-R: Alasdair, father of John Neil Brown; Neil; John, a captain in the Merchant Navy and father of Pearl and Mary Brown. (Original in Filing Cabinet 8 drawer3)
Three sporting medals and a photograph mounted and framed, 1952-54
Three sporting medals and a black & white sports-team photograph belonging to John and Alistair MacNeill of Hynish mounted and framed: (1) medal won by John MacNeill representing Cornaigmore School at the 1952 Argyll County Sports in Lochgilphead (associated information mounted below medal), (2) Junior Championship medal won by Alistair MacNeill representing Cornaigmore School at the 1953 Argyll County Sports in Dunoon Stadium (associated information mounted below medal), (3) Intermediate Championship silver medal won by Alistair MacNeill of Hynish as runner-up at the 1954 Argyll County Sports in Campbeltown, (associated information mounted below medal, (4) photograph of the Tiree team returning from the 1953 County Sports on board the Lochearn. L-R: Billy Whiteside; Margaret Sinclair; Captain Neil Campbell; Roland Robertson, Gaelic and Latin teacher at Cornaigmore Secondary School; Archie MacIntyre; Alistair MacNeill holding Junior Championship trophy; his brother John MacNeill; Sarah F. MacDonald, Balemartine Primary headteacher.
