Letter written in 1899 to Lady Victoria Campbell about Gott Bay pier
Transcription of a letter written in 1899 by an unknown correspondent to Lady Victoria Campbell about Gott Bay pier.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
The new pier at Gott Bay was built between 1909 and 1913 after many years of political pressure by Lady Victoria Campbell, Lord Archibald Campbell, the island’s surgeon Dr Alexander Buchanan and many others.
As stated in the letter, the Duke of Argyll was concerned about the increasing estimated cost of successive surveys. In the end the pier cost over £20,000 to build; £16,000 were spent on construction and plant, over £2,000 on fees and around £2,000 on interest.
It was paid for by contributions of £14,000 from the Congested Districts Board and the Board of Agriculture, £2,250 from the Duke, and the public and the Tiree Association each raised £250. The balance of £3,417 was supplied by an interest-free loan from the Agricultural (Scotland) Fund.
Photocopied report by the Argyll County Council Piers Committee on proposed pier at Gott Bay.
Report by the Sub-Committee of the Piers Committee on the proposed pier at Gott Bay, Tiree, detailing costs, location, specifications, applications, dates and captains recommendations.
Photocpy of two newspaper articles `Thank you, Tiree!` and `The Late Captain Allan Campbell, Scarinish`.
(1) Letter to the editor of the People`s Journal by T. Henry Ruddich from near Carlisle who stayed on holiday at `Seaside`, Vaul. He praises Tiree as a holiday destination and includes a four-verse poem. (2) Obituary for Allan Campbell of Deobedal, Scarinsh.
This petition was sent in 1851 to Sir John MacNeill, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for the Relief of the Poor in Scotland. Sir John was married to a daughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll, who appended the petition to his ‘Crofts and Farms in Hebrides’ addressed to the Napier Commission of 1883.
A hundred and thirty-six islanders signed the petition. Ninety-nine of them were landless cottars; the remainder were small tenants, of whom only four paid rent over £10 a year. They represented the class of islanders that the Duke was anxious to clear from his estate.
Around a third of the petitioners were given assistance to emigrate with their families on board the ‘Conrad’, ‘Birman’ and ‘Onyx’ in July 1851. Another twenty-seven families from the island left with them.
Photocopy of book `Argyll Estates Instructions` 1771-1805 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.
