Tag Archives: smiddies and blacksmiths

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1998.275.1

Audio cassette recording of Grace Campbell, Tullymet, talking to Liz Lapsley.

Grace Campbell talks to Liz Lapsley about her family and childhood memories, her schooldays, her life as a teacher, the loss of her parents and the shop, Scarinish Hotel and licencing, her mother`s working day, the hardships of youth, the start of the W.R.I., tinkers, blacksmiths, joiners, funerals, the first cars on Tiree, the plane landing on Gott Bay shore, local events and traditions.

1997.229.1

Tiree blacksmiths in the 20th century

Sound clip in English of retired vet Robert Beck talking about the blacksmiths on Tiree in the 20th century.

Courtesy of Mr Robert Beck

Retired veterinary surgeon Robert Beck talks about the number of blacksmiths on Tiree within living memory during a public talk on the subject of Scotland’s native horse given at the 1997 Feis Thiriodh. In 1945 there were over four hundred working horses on the island providing ample work for eight smiddies.

The Tiree Clydesdale was in great demand in the early 20th century especially for work in the towns. Derived from cross-breeding a superior type of native pony introduced to Tiree in the early 1800s with Clydesdales brought in by Tom Barr in the 1870s, they were tougher and faster than mainland-bred draught horses.

Many crofters kept one or two brood mares which were also worked. Three stallions, two Clydesdale and one Highland pony, ‘walked’ the island, kept by Hector Campbell of Cornaigmore, John MacLean of the Brae, Cornaigbeg and Donald MacIntyre of Gott.

2000.9.1

Audio cassette recording of Donald MacIntyre, Gott, interviewed by Maggie Campbell on 18/1/2000.

Donald MacIntyre talks to Maggie Campbell about the people in Gott, their work and their houses, the smiddy, the decline in the number of horses and blacksmiths, shoeing horses and making implements, breeding and showing Clydesdales and training foals.

1997.48.1

Photocopy of book `Argyll Estates Instructions` edited by Eric Cregeen.

The instructions given by John, the 5th Duke of Argyll to his Chamberlain in Mull and Morvern and his Chamberlain in Tiree with an introduction by Eric Cregeen.

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