AAtt THE GIFT OF .A\i.AaSj:i^6jj:,.AMu^^ » ^M.%oHq nlwlq Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Cornell University Library HC257.S4 A4 1901 + + Report to the secretary for Scotland by 3 1924 029 973 751 olin Overs Digitized by IVIicrosoft® This book was digitized by Microsoft Corporation in cooperation witli Cornell University Libraries, 2007. You may use and print this copy in limited quantity for your personal purposes, but may not distribute or provide access to it (or modified or partial versions of it) for revenue-generating or other commercial purposes. Digitized by Microsoft® REPOET SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND THE CROFTERS COMMISSION SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE OP LEWIS IN 1901, AS COMPARED WITH TWENTY YEARS AGO. presented to botb Ibouses of iParliament b^ (Tommanb of Ibis flDaJestv. GLASGOtVs PRINTED FOB HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, By JAMES HEDDERWICK & SONS, At the " Citizen " Pbbss, St. Vincent PijAOE. 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Quarries Do, .. do, do. 1901, Price 4s. 6d, Mines Abandoned, List of the Plans of , Corrected to 31st December 1901, Price Is, The following appear periodically, and can be subscribed for : — Trade of the United Kingdom with British Possessions and Foreign Countries, showing the Quantities and the Declared Value of the Articles, Trade Reports of the British Colonies, with information relative to population and general oondiMon. Trade Reports by His Majesty's Representatives in Foreign Countries, and Reports on Commercial and General Interests, The Proceedings of Parliament in public and private business, published daily. House of Lords, Price Id, per 4 pp, ; House of Commons, Id, per 8 pp. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® REPORT SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND BY THE CROFTERS COMMISSION ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE OP LEWIS IN 1901, AS COMPARED WITH TWENTY YEARS AGO. Ipresenteb to botb Ibouses of jparliamcnt bi? Commanb of Ibis flDajest^. G r. A S G o w ■ PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, By JAMES HEDDERWICK & SONS, At the " GiTizBN " Press, St. Vincent Place. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from OLIVER & BOYD, Edinburgh; or EYRE & SPOTTISWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, E.G.; and 32 Abingdon Street, Westminster, S.W. ; or E, PONSONBY, 116 Grafton Street, Dublin. [Cd. 1327. J Price Is. M. 1 902. Digitized by Microsoft® f\.'3lfl^0vfO Digitized by IVIicrosoft® CONTENTS. EEPORT. I. Introdiictoiy, . . . . n. Situation and Extent, . III. Distribution and Annual Value of the Land, . IV. Burgh of Stornoway, V. Population, . . ' . . . VI. Education, Vn. Maintenance of the Poor and Pauper Lunatics, Vm. Grants for Public Works and for Miscellaneous Improvements A. Piers, Harbours, Boatslips, etc. 1. Port of Ness Harbour, 2. Port of Ness Breakwater, 3. Skiggersta Pier, 4. Portnambothag Pier, 5. Shadder Landing Place, 6. Bayble Pier, 7. Breasclete Pier, 8. Carloway Harbour, . 9. Valtos Pier, B. Roads and Footjyaths, 1. Carloway Road, 2. Township Roads and Footpaths, 3. Vallasay Bridge, Bemera, . 4. Gravir-Cromore Road, 5. General Grant towards Highways, . 0. Telegraph and Festal Extensions, . D. Miscellaneous, .... PAOE ix XV i xvii xviii xix xxiii sxxvii xlvi xlviii xlviii xlviii xlviii xlbc xlix xlix xlix xlix xlix xlix xlix 1 1 1 li li liii Digitized by IVIicrosoft® IV PAGE IX. Fisheries, . . . . . . liv X. Land Occupation, . . • Ixii XI. Industries, XII. Housing and Public Health, XIII. Clime, XIV. Social and Domestic Life, XV. Conclusion, Ixxx Ixxxv xciii xcv APPENDIX. A. (1) Population of the Island of Lewis from 1755 to 1901, ... 2 (2) Details of Population, etc., of Island of Lewis according to Census of 1901, . 3 (3) Summary, . . ...... 3 B Educational Statistics relating to School Board Districts, furnished by the Scotch Education Department — (1) Parish of Barvas, . . . .4 (2) Parish of Lochs, ... .5 (3) Parish of Stornoway, . . 6 (4) Parish of Uig, . . . . . 7 C. Statement furnished bj^ the Local Crov^ernment Board, showing for each of the years 1880 to 1900 the number of Poor of all classes at 14th January in each Parish in Lewis, and in the County of Ross and Cromarty, and the amount paid from the Medical Relief and Pauper Lunacy Grants for each year from 1880 to 1889, . . . . 8 D. (1) Statement furnished by the Scottish OflSce, showing Grants paid from Local Taxation (Scotland) Account to Parishes in Lewis during the years 1888 to 1901— (I.) Parish of Barvas, . . ... 9 (II.) Parish of Lochs, ..... 9 (III.) Parish of Stornowajr, ... .10 (IV.) Parish of Uig, ....... 10 (2) Statement furnished by the Scottish Office, showing Grants paid from the Local Taxation (Scotland) Account to the County of Ross and Cromarty during the years 1888 to 1901, • .... 11 (3) Statement furnished by the Scottish Office, showing Grants paid from the Local Taxation (Scotland) Account to the Burgh of Stornoway during the years 1888 to 1901, ... .11 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® V E. Table showing amounts annually received by Parishes in Lewis from ]'oor-Rate Assessment and other sources, and showing also ordinary expenditure from 1880 to 1900— (1) Parish of Barvas, ... . . 12 (2) Parish of Lochs, ... 12 (3) Parish of Stornoway, . . . 13 (4) Parish of Uig. ... . . 13 F. Pauper Lunacy — Memorandiim by the General Board of Lunacy regarding the growth and cost of Pauper Lunacy in Lewis, . . . .14 Table I., showing the number of Pauper Lunatics of each sex chargeable at 1st January of each year from 1880 to 1901 to Parishes in Lewis, and the manner of their disposal, .... . 18 Table II., showing in Quinquennial Pei-iods from 1881 to 1901 the number and disposal of the Pauper Lunatics in each Parish in Lewis, and the Population of each Parish, ... .... 1 9 Table III., showing for the Quinquennial Periods in Table No. II. the proportion to population of Pauper Lunatics, in Asylums and Pi'ivate Dwellings re- spectively, in each Parish in Lewis, and the like proportions in all Scotland, 20 Table TV., showing the expenditure by Parish Councils in Lewis on the mainten- ance of Pauper Lunatics in Asylums and in Private Dwellings during the years ended 15th May 1880 to 1901, including medical cei'tificates, cost of transport, etc., . .21 Table Y., showing the sources from which the expenditure on Pauper Lunatics by Parish Councils in Lewis was derived in the years ended 15th May 1880 to 1901, and the amount derived from each source, . . .22 Table VI., showing for the Parishes of Lewis the total expenditure (including outlay recovered from the Grant-in-aid) by Parish Councils on Pauper Lunatics per £10 of gross rental, ..... 23 G. Statement showing expenditure by the Congested Districts Board in the Island of Lewis from 1897 to 31st October 1901. ..... 24 H. Statement showing Roads and Footpaths constructed in the Island of Lewis under the Western Highlands and Islands Works Act, 1891-97, . . 25 I. Postal and Telegraph Statistics — (1) List showing the number of Post and Telegraph Offices at present in Lewis. 31 (2) Statement showing the amount paid annually in respect of certain Telegraph Offices in Lewis, and by whoij^ the Offices were guaranteed, 32 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® VI PAGE K. Statistics furnished by the Fishery Board for Scotland — (1) Statement showing the Grants or other payments made by the Fishery Board for Scotland to places in the Parishes of Stornoway and Barvas, Lewis, . 33 (2) Eeturn of the number of Net and Line Boats and Fishermen belonging to Lewis from the year 1880 to 1 900, and of the quantity and value of Herrings, White Fish, and Shell-fish landed in Lewis and Harris from the year 1889 to 1900, ........ 34 (3) Loans to Fishermen under the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1886, . 35 L. Excerpt from Evidence of Mr. Alexander Hunter, W.S., Edinburgh, regarding the effects of the failure of the Kelp Lidustry in the Western Islands, . 36 M. Lewis Houses — (1) Extract from Rules and Regulations of the Lewis Estate, issued in 1879, . . ..... 38 (2) Interlocutor of Sheriff-Substitute Campbell ordaining structural alterations on a Lewis Crofter's House, . . . . 38 (3) "Black Houses" in Lewis, etc. — Extract from the Second Annual Report of the Local Government Board for Scotland, 1896, . . . .39 (4) Bye-laws as to Regulation of Buildings made by the Lewis District Com- mittee, ..... ... 39 N. Statistics of Crime. — -(1) Table showing (1) the Number of Offences against the Person, (2) the Number of Offences against Property, and (3) the Number of Miscellaneous Offences in each Parish of the Island of Lewis and dealt with by the Police, from 1880 to 1900, inclusive, . . . .41 (2) Table showing the nature of the Miscellaneous Offences in each Parish of the Island of Lewis dealt with by the Police, 1880-1900 (being the details applicable to the third column of the preceding abstract, pp. 41-3), . 44 0. (1) Judicial Rental of the Island of Lewis, taken for the Forfeited Estates Com- missioners in 1718, . .... . . 47 (2) Depositions of Ground Officers regarding waste lands in their districts in 1718, .... • ... 54 (3) Deposition of Mr. Zacharjr Macaulay, Chamberlain of Lewis, regarding subjects occupied by him, ....... 54 P. Particulars of Farms in Lewis — (1) Statement lodged with the Crofters Commission by the Estate Management in November 1888, showing Alterations made on Farms in Lewis, Occu- pancy, and Rent of each, during the period from 1844 to 1888, . . 55 (2) History of the Peninsula of Park, compiled from Estate Records, and contri- buted by Mr. William Mackay, Chamberlain, for the information of Sheriff- Substitute Fraser and Mr. Malcolm MacNeill, in connection with their mquiry regarding the condition of Lewis Cottars in 1888, . . 69 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Vll Q. Statement showing Outlays by Proprietor on Crofts and Rents of Crofting Town- ships from 1848 to 1888, and showing also the Gross Rents of all the Crofting Townships in the Island of Lewis in 1901-2. (1) Parish of Barvas, ...... 60 (2) Parish of Lochs, ...... 60 (3) Parish of Stornoway, . . . . . .61 (4) Parish of Uig, . . ... 61 R. Rent of Lewis Estate in 1901-2. — Statement showing Gross Rents of Crofts and other subjects not exceeding £30, and Rents of Farms and Sporting Subjects in detail, all as appearing in the Valuation Roll for 1901-2 — (1) Parish of Barvas, ...... 62 (2) Parish of Lochs, .... .62 (3) Parish of Stornoway, ...... 62 (4) Parish of Uig, ...... 63 S. Supplementary Statement by the Local Government Board, showing for the Parishes in the Lewis and for the County of Ross and Cromarty in each year from 1880 to 1900, both inclusive, the Gross Rental as in Valuation Roll, Parish Council Expenditure not defrayed out of Loans, Receipts by Parish Councils other than Assessments, Net Amount of Parish Council Expenditure to be met by Assessment, and Rate per £ of Gross Rental required to raise such Assessment, ...... 65 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Digitized by IVIicrosoft® REPORT THE CROFTERS COMMISSION ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE OF LEWIS IN 1901, AS COMPAEED WITH TWENTY YEAES AGO. TO THE Eight Honourable ALEXANDER HUGH, LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH, K.T., His Majesty's Secretary for Scotland. I. INTEODUCTOEY. Your Lordship having remitted to us to prepare an exhaustive Eeport on the social condition of the people of Lewis at present as compared with about 20 years ago, and with authority to collect information from other public Departments, we at once took such steps as were necessary to carry out the remit. We communicated with the public Departments likely to possess such information as would aid us in our inquiry, and have to acknowledge the ready response made. We have embodied the result of our inquiries in the following Eeport, and the appendices contain prints of most of the documents received from other Departments. At the outset, it is proper to glance briefly at the . history of the island, as antecedent circumstances have had an important bearing on the conditions now . prevailing. In pre-Norse times the Island formed part of the territory of the northern Picts. The Dalriadic tribes from Ireland which swept over Argyll and the southern Isles do not appear to have ever obtained a footing in Lewis ; and although various churches were dedicated to St. Columba there, its name does not appear in the pages of Adamnan. Indeed, the oldest written reference to it we possess is in the Saga of Magnus Barefoot (1093-1103), where it is mentioned as Ljodhus. In a translation thereof we read : — " Fire played fiercely to the heavens over Lewis. He (Magnus) went over Uist with flame. He harried Skye arid Tiree. The people of Mull ran for fear. There was smoke over Islay. Men in Can tyre bowed before the sword edge." Elsewhere in the Saga we are told that when he came to the Western Islands " he fell straightway to harry and to burn the builded country and to slay the men-folk." The practice of the Vikings appears to have been to slay the men and take the women captive. The subjugation of Lewis by the Norsemen must have been complete, for in no other part of the Hebrides does the Norse element prevail to the same extent even at the present time. Of this element there are ample topographical, linguistic, and ethnological proofs. In the matter of topography the eidhs, laxays, bosts, dales, fjalls, kletts, sands, wicks, etc., all disclose their Norse origin. The personal names are in many cases Norse, such for example as : — Norse personal Gaelic. Norse. names Uisdean (Hugh). Eistein. Manus. Magnus. Iver. Ivarr. Leod (MacLeod). Ljotr. Eonald. Eognvaldr. Torquil. Thorkell. Eaonaid or Eaonaild (Ea^e^/^^-^g^ ^y M^C^Sofl© X Nbrse Place Names. Tlie Lewis surname " Macaulay " (son of Olaf) has its equivalent in the Shetland surname " Ollason." The Norse domination of the Hebrides came to an end after the battle of Largs in 1263, and in 1264 the kingdom of Man and the Isles became a possession of the Scottish Crown. After that time the Forse tongue (which probably had been the language spoken in Lewis for about four centuries) was superseded by Gaehc, but it has left enduring traces in the names of the hills and dales, the bays and headlands, the lochs and rivers, the townships and shielings of the island. It has also enriched the Gaelic vocabulary, particularly in terms relating to the sea and ships. Indeed we find no reference anywhere to the ancient inhabitants of the Hebrides opposing the JSTorse invaders with their galleys, " the fact being," as Sir George Dasent points out in his edition of the Icelandic Sagas " that the pure Celt has never taken to the sea, and " that the heraldic galley quartered in their arms " by certain Highland clans " is a trace of their close connection with the Northmen." A few specimens of Gaelic and Norse maritime terms may be given : — Gaelic maritime terms from the Norse. Gaelic. Birlinn (a galley). Bkta (a boat). Sgoth (a skiff). Sgioba (a ship's crew). Trosg (cod). Sgait (skate). Langa (ling). Lunn (launching roller). Stiiir (rudder). Ailm (tiller). Norse. Byrdingr. Batr. Skuta. Skip (a ship). Thorskr. Skata. Langa. Hlunnr. Styra. Hjalm. Some Norse customs have also survived the decay of the Norse language, and to the present time several of the customs of Lewis are identical with those prevailing in Shetland. Ethnology. As to the ethnology 5f the Lewisman, Dr. John Beddoes says : — " The Outer Hebrides (the Long Island, as they are collectively called) have a population doubtless dilFering much in its several divisions, which has been much studied by Captain Thomas and Dr. Mitchell. My personal knowledge of it is confined to Stornoway and the immediate neighbourhood, and to a few photographs from other parts. Two or three strongly contrasted types are met with in the Lewis. There is the large, fair, comely Norse race, said to exist almost pure in the district of Ness, at the north end of the island ; the short, thick-set, snub-nosed, dark-haired, often even dark- eyed race, probably aboriginal, and possibly Finnish, whose centre seems to be in Barvas ; and the West Highland type, which has gradually filtered in, and is usually characterised by an athletic figure, of medium size, a bony face, long sinuous pointed nose, grey eyes, and dark hair. On the whole, I think the Norse type still predominates at Stornoway, though its language was swamped by the Gaelic centuries ago. The incongruity of these types comes out in my Stornoway observations, the Ness type appearing in the abundance of fair hair, the Barvas in that of black, and perhaps also in that of red hair, the union of both in the great number with hazel or brown eyes and brown hair." * After the Norse occupation Lewis became part of the Earldom of Eoss, but the principal possessors were Macleods. The internecine struggles of that period may be passed over, but the efforts made to colonise and civilise the island deserve some notice. . . On 19th December 1597, the fifteenth Parliament of James VI. passed an Act calling on the proprietors of the " Hielandes and Hes " to " compeir before the Lordes of his Hienesse Checker at Edinburgh and to produce their infeftmentis, richts and titles" between the said date and 15th May 1598, and then to find sufiicient caution for " yeirly and thankful payment to his Majestie of his yeirly rentes, dewties and service." * The Races of Bntain, page 240. The "Fife Adven- turers." Digitized by Microsoft® XI Mr Donald Gregory considers that " this Act was prepared with a view to place The " Fife at the disposal of the Crown, in a summary manner, many large tracts of land ; Adven- afFording thus an immediate opportunity to the King to commence his favourite plans *"'^'®'"^' for the improvement of the Highlands and Isles." * How many of the proprietors " compeired " we do not know, but this much is certain, that many territories in the west were held to be at the King's disposal, among these being the Island of Lewis and Eona-Lewis, and the district of Tronterness in Skye. The lands named were in 1598 granted to a company of gentlemen known as the " Fife Adventurers," and consisting of Patrick, Oommendator of Lundoris, James Learmonth of Balcolmy, and nine others, for the purpose of improving and colonising the same, according to plans suggested by the King. In the Act granting the lands of " Lewis, Eonalewis, and Tronterness," it is set forth that " his majestic considering and perfytelie vnderstandiug that the saidis landis and lies ar be speciall providence and blissing of God Inrychit with ane incredibill fertilitie of cornis and store of fischeingis and vtheris necessaris surpassing far the plentie of ony pairt of the Inland, And yit nottheles the same ar possest be inhabitantis quha ar voyd of ony knawledge of God or his Eeligioun and naturallie abhoiring all kynd of civilitie, quha hes gevin thame selfis ovir to all kynd of barbaritie and inhumanitie, quha vtteris daylie the effectis thairof not onhe be thair treasonable practizes and attemtis aganis his majestic, his estait and quyetnes of his Eealme bot be maist odious abominable murthuris, fyres and depreda- tiounis maid amangis thame selfis extendit maist vnmercifuUie to all aiges and sextis quhair thay can find thame maisteris of their awin revenge, occupying in the meintyme and violentlie possessing his hienes proper landis without payment of maill or gressum thair foir." The grantees, who are referred to in the Act as the " Gentilmen Adventuraris " were empowered to erect as many Burghs of Barony within the lands granted as they might consider expedient ; to create Bailies and other officers for ruling these Burghs and with power to admit all tradesmen or craftsmen to the liberty of a free Burgh of Barony. They were also to "big and hald within the samyn burrowis tolbuithis, " mercat croces, and oulklie mercattis at their plesour with frie fairis and priviledge " thairof," and to erect as many sea-ports or havens as they might think expedient. " And forder his Maiestie being maist cairfuU that the foirnamit gentilmen, thair airis " maill and successouris and vtheris, the Inhabitantis of the foirsaidis landis and lies for the " tyme sail nawyis be destitute of the comforte of spirituall pastouris for preicheing to " thame of the word of God and administratioun of the Sacramentis in all tyme cuming " His hienes be the said infeftment sail speciaUie erect four sindrie peroche kirkis within " the foirsaidis landis and Hes of the Lewis and Eonalewis and tua sindrie perroche " kirkis within the foirsaidis landis of Trouternesh with ane rectorie, personage and " vicarage at ilkane of the saidis kirkis." For Lewis, Eonalewis, and liandschandt the " adventuraris " were to pay an annual rent of " seven scoir chalderis beir " between the " feistis of Yuill and Pasche " ; and 400 merks for Tronternesh, commencing with the year 1600. In order to support them in their enterprise a Commission was granted to the Duke of Lennox and the Earl of Huntly who in 1599 proceeded to Lewis with a force of 500 or 600 hired soldiers, besides gentlemen volunteers, and artificers of all sorts. They met with much opposition, however, from the Macleods, who had the secret support of Mackenzie of Kintail. Mackenzie himself, it was believed, had been anxious to obtain possession of the island. The Adventurers endured great hardships during the winter, and many of them died. Passing over the numerous minor incidents of the conflict, it may be stated that in 1601 the Macleods attacked the invaders, overpowered their camp, burned their fort, killed many of their men, and at length compelled the leaders to capitulate — one of the terms of surrender being that they would never return to the island, and that they would give up their title to Tormod, one of the Macleod chiefs. For the performance of these conditions several of the Adventurers were detained as hostages. But in 1605, the Fife men, armed with " a commission of fire and sword," and assisted by some of his Majesty's ships, made another attempt to take possession of the island. They again met with much opposition and, beginning to weary of their undertaking, they, in 1607, returned to their homes for good. The island then came once more into the possession of the King, and in 1608 His Majesty granted it to three others, * Western Highlamds and Islands, page 111. t Eileanan Siant {i.e., Sacred Lslands), commonly known as The Shant Island?, lying to the south-east of the Lewis coast. Digitized by Microsoft® Xll Tlie"Fife namely Lord Balmerino, Sir George Hay, and Sir James Spens. In 1609 Lord Adven- Balmerino was convicted of high treason and was thus precluded from takmg turers." advantage of the grant. The other two grantees went to Lewis, not only to set up their colony, but also to apprehend NeiU, one of the Macleod chiefs. _ The latter was secretly backed by Mackenzie of Kintail, who instigated him_ to seize a vessel conveying food to the Adventurers. Failing to apprehend NeiU, and suflering from want of food, they were forced to quit the island, leaving, however, a small garrison at Stornoway. Soon after their departure NeiU Macleod surprised and burned the fort and took the garrison prisoners. These, however, he sent safely home to ±ite, and thus ended in 1610 (after twelve years' strenuous efforts) the attempts ot the Fife Adventurers to colonise the island, cultivate its " fertile " soil and develop its " store of fischeingis." . . . In the same year the Fife men disposed of their title to Lord Kintad, who with his own followers and friends took possession, and the island continued in the owner- ship of the Kintail family down to 1844. The The ownership of the island since the same was acquired by the_ Mackenzies Mackenzie stands thus:— The first Mackenzie was Kenneth, created Lord Kintail in 1608, and S'Ef''^ who in 1610 received a Charter of Lewis under the Great Seal. He died m 1611, and was succeeded by his son Colin, commonly referred to in West Highland tradition as "Cailean Ruadh" (Red Colin). On 3rd December, 1623, James VI. created him " Earl of Seaforth " in the peerage of Scotland, and he is subsequently mentioned as "The Red Earl." He died in 1633 without male issue, and was succeeded by his brother George as second Earl of Seaforth. George died in 1651, and was succeeded by his son Kenneth Mor, the third Earl, who died in 1678. On his death his son Kenneth Og became the fourth Earl. He was married to Lady Frances Herbert, daughter of the Marquis of Powis. According to Major Mackenzie's genealogical tables of the clan Mackenzie Earl Kenneth was created Marquis by James VII. Another writer says he followed King James to France and was there created Marquis. He was also a Knight of the Thistle, and we find him referred to by the Lewis tenants in 1718 as Marquis, while his widow is mentioned as Marchioness. * He died in Paris in 1701. The fifth Earl was his son William, referred to in Highland song and story as "Uilleam Dubh" (Black WiUiam). He was with the Earl of Mar at Sheriffmuir in 1715, and was wounded at the battle of Glenshiel in 1719. In consequence of the part he took in the " rising" under Mar he was attainted and his estates forfeited on 7th May, 1716. For a time he lived in exile, but during' that period the mainland rents and a certain amount of the Lewis rents were regularly remitted to him, the Commissioners on the Forfeited Estates receiving but a small portion of the sums claimed by them. Acting on his advice, his tenants surrendered their arms in 1725. At' the same time they agreed to pay their rents in future to the Government, but on condition that they were discharged of arrears which had arisen during the forfeiture. To this proposal General Wade consented, and also promised to use his influence to secure the Chief's pardon. Wade appears to have fulfilled his promise, for on 12th July, 1726, George I. discharged the exiled Chief " from imprisonment or the execution of his person on his attainder," and George II. made him a grant of the arrears of feu-duties due to the Crown out of his forfeited estate. On 31st July 1730 the Seaforth Estates, including the Island of Lewis, were sold by public auction to Mr. John Nairn, of Greenyards, for £16,909 8s. 3^d., under burden of an annuity of £1,000 per annum to Frances, Countess Dowager of Seaforth, above referred to. The latter was estimated to represent £9,000, and thus making a total purchase price of £25,909 8s. 3^d. This transaction was understood to be in the interest of the Earl's son, Kenneth, Lord Fortrose. In 1733 an Act of Parliament was passed to enable "William Mackenzie, late Earl of Seaforth," to sue or maintain any action, notwithstanding his attainder, and to remove any disability in respect thereof, to take or inherit any real or personal estate that might, or should, hereafter, descend to him. He died in Lewis in 1740, and was buried in the old Chapel at Eye. * At a judicial inquiry at Stornowa.v in 1718, Kenneth Mackenzie, Dalmove, deponed that *■ he had a tack from the late of Earl of Seaforth, William, yrin designed Marquis, as having right from his mother, dated in June, 1709, which he presented." Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XIU He was succeeded as chief by his sou Keuneth, who bore the courtesy title of Lord The Fortrose. During the '45 he was a staunch supporter of the Government. He died in Mackenzie^ London in 1761, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. o/l^ewis°^* He was succeeded by his son Kenneth, who in 1763 received from the Crown a charter of the Seaforth Estates. Li 1766 he was created Baron Ardelve, and in 1774 Earl Seaforth in the peerage of Ireland. Li 1778 he raised the old 78th Regiment, afterwards the 72nd, and now the 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. Find- ing himself in embarrassed circumstances he sold the estates in 1779 to a relative. Colonel Thomas Francis Frederick Mackenzie — great-grandson of Kenneth Mor, the .3rd Earl — for £100,000. Colonel Thomas, on succeeding- to his mother's estate in England, assumed the name of Humberston. Earl Kenneth died in 1781 without male issue, and with him the title became extinct. The new purchaser, Colonel Thomas Mackenzie Humberston, died in 1783, and was succeeded by his brother Colonel Francis Humberston Mackenzie. He raised two regiments, mainly on his estates in Ross-shire, and these are now represented by the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. In 1797 he was created a peer of the United Kingdom under the title of Lord Seaforth and Baron Mackenzie of Kintail. He had been for a time Governor of Barbadoes. His four sons predeceased him, and dying without male issue in 1815 the title of Earl of Seaforth became extinct ; but his successors in the property have continued to use the designation of " Seaforth." Sir Walter Scott refers to the circumstances of his death in the verse : — "Thy sons rose around thee, in light and in love. All a father could hope, all a friend could approve ; What 'vails it the tale of thy sorrows to tell ? In the Spring time of youth and of promise they fell ! Of the liiie of MacKenneth remains not a male To bear the proud name of the Chief of Kintail." He was succeeded in his estates by his daughter Mary Elizabeth Frederica, who had been married to Sir Samuel Hood, M.P. for Westminster. He died in 1814, and in 1817 Lady Hood married, secondly, James Alexander Stewart of Glasserton, who after- wards assumed the name of Mackenzie. He had been Governor, of Ceylon, and Lord High Commissioner to the Ionian Islands. In 1825, the island, excepting the parish of Storno- way, was exposed for sale judicially to pay the entailers debts, but was bought in by Mr. Mackenzie for £160,000. (See page Ixix). He died in 1843, and his widow in 1864. In 1844, owing to the failing fortunes of the Seaforth family, Lewis was sold to The jVIr. James Sutherland Matheson (afterwards Sir James Matheson) of the family of Achany Matheson and Shiness in Sutherland.shire, at the price of £190,000. He died in 1878, without ''°P'^^® °^^' issue, leaving the heritable estate in liferent to his widow. Dame Mary Jane Matheson, while the fee was settled on his nephew, Mr. Donald Matheson. Lady Matheson died on 19th March, 1896, and was succeeded by the said Mr. Donald Matheson. He died on 19th February, 1901, but sometime prior to that date the ownership of the island had passed to his son Major Duncan Matheson, the present proprietor. The Act granting the island to the Fife Adventurers referred specially to the turbulent condition of the inhabitants at that time and previously. We also obtain a Lewis vivid picture of the state of Lewis society at the beginning of the 17 th century from Society another source. One of the first acts of the new chi'ef after obtaining possession in "^ * ^^ ^, 1610 was to bring the Reverend Farquhar Macrae, minister of Gairloch, with him to Oentury. the island to minister to the spiritual wants of the people. For 40 years prior to this visit no one in Lewis appears to have been baptised or married ! The population, we are told,* had lapsed into heathenism, but Mr. Farquhar's mission proved thoroughly successful. " Large numbers of the people were baptised, some of them being fifty "years of age, and many men and women were married who had already lived together "for years." Our author also says that the success of this mission went far to reconcile the inhabitants of Lewis to Lord Kintail's rule. According to a Kintail tradition, " the number of people that came to be baptised by Mr. Farquhar was so " great that, being unable to take them individually, he was obliged to sprinkle the water " at random on the crowd with a heather besom." The Seaforth authority was absolute during the period of 234 years in which the The island was in possession of the family, the chiefs word being law. An idea of ^®'^^°''*'^ the august influence of the family name in the minds of the peasantry may be formed " "^'^"^ * History of the Glcm Macrae, page 57. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XIV The Seaforth Influence. from a remark made to one of our number by a primitive crofter in the Parish of Uig about ten years ago. Asked as to the ownership of the island before it was acquired by its present possessors, he replied — " We called the old proprietor ' Seaforth,' but I " understand ' the Prince of Welsh ' was his right name." Not only did the chiefs name inspire a sentiment of awe, but his subordinates appear to have exercised unrestricted powers. According to John Knox, who made a tour in the Highlands and Hebrides in 1786, Seaforth's factor had a complete monopoly of the trade in cured fish and black cattle. In support of his statement as to the cattle trade, he quotes a document of which the following is a copy, addressed by the Factor of the time to a subordinate, presumably a ground officer : — Alex. Factor to Seaforth. A Factor's orders. Emigration in 1773. Recruiting. Natural Resources of the Island. " Copy warrant. " Donald, You are to intimate to the whole tenants in your district, who pay rent " to the factor, that they must sell no cattle this year, until the rents are paid, to any " person who has not the Factor's orders to buy ; and if any one attempt to buy with " ready money, you are to arrest these cattle, and not allow them to be carried out of " the country until the whole rents are paid up. This, on your peril, I desire may be " done immediately, and any person who dares to sell, after these orders are made " public, you are to acquaint me thereof. Tell John Morison, in Nether Shathu [Shadder], " that it is expected he will buy up a good many stots and droving cows this year for '• us. If he does, it will be obliging, and the service will not be forgot. Write to me " when you have obeyed these; orders. (Signed) Alexander ." " Extracted by John Morison, late tacksman of Little Berneray." Morison, commenting on the foregoing, says: — "You'll please observe, that there " has been no arrears of rent in the island since the year 1752, so that there was no " proper apology for granting such warrants, as it only meant to secure the cattle to " themselves, having forbidden any other person to buy, even with ready money." * It was probaby the same Factor at whom the tenants took umbrage some years before Knox's visit. Thus we find the following significant passage in the Edinburgh Evening Courant of 29th September 1 773 : — " 840 people sailed from Lewis in July. " Alarmed with this. Lord Fortrose, their master, came down from London about five " weeks ago to trea,t with the remainder of his tenants. What are the terms they " asked of him, think you ? ' The land at the old rents, the augmentation paid for " three years backward to be refunded, and his Factor to be immediately dismissed.' " The Courant added that unless these terms were conceded the Island of Lewis would soon be an uninhabited waste ! Notwithstanding the Seaforth influence large emigrations from the island took place at this period. Another form in which the Seaforth family exercised their influence in Lewis was in recruiting. When raising their battalions in Eoss-shire they found in Lewis a nursery of soldiers ; and beyond doubt the martial spirit is still a living force there. Such was the drain on the population by recruiting that the Eev. Colin Mackenzie, minister of Stornoway, writing on the question of wages in 1796, says : " By reason of the multitudes levied for the Army and Navy, the great number of " sub-tenants, and the many hands wanted for the fishing boats, labourers and farm " servants are become very scarce and difficult to be found." t The Fife Adventurers, as we have seen, expected to find great natural wealths in Lewis, and the last Lord Seaforth, Francis Humberston Mackenzie, entertained similar expectations, for he caused the Eeverend James Headrick, a Mineralogist to write a report on the resources of the island. This was in 1800. Mr. Headrick describes the island mineralogically and geologically, and proceeds to make numerous recommendations, including the improvement of muirs and mosses, the stopping of blowing sands, the making of roads, the abolition of run-rig, the smelting of iron by peat, the making of glass from the alkali extracted from burnt kelp, the promoting of fisheries, and the establishing of salt works, tweed manufactories, etc. No large under- taking, however, followed on Mr. Headrick's recommendations. Nevertheless, steady * A Tour through the Highlands of Scotland and the Hebride Isles in MDCGLXXXVI, by John Knox pp. 192-3. • t Old Statistical Account, Vol. xix., p, 251. + A belief in the existence of mineral wealth in Lewis had long been entertained. The Privy Council records of 22nd May 1616, contain the following entry :— " Ane patent ordanit to be past to Archibald Prymrois of the copper and leade mynes in Ila, Sky, and Lewis."— P. C.^., vol. x., p. 525. Digitized by Microsoft® XV progress was made, and tlie Seaforth family by precept and example endeavoured to better the condition of their tenants. Eoad making was begun in 1791, but the Road- advance in this direction was slow, for the total length of roads made in the course of ™akmg. fifty years was only 45 miles, or less on an average than one mile per annum. Great advances, however, were made during this period in establishing schools in Schools and the island, and Lady Seaforth became a pioneer in the promotion of Home Industries, ?"T^® ,. particularly spinning and sewing. Her Ladyship distributed premiums among teachers and pupils on a liberal scale, visited the schools personally, and took particular cognisance of their proficiency in spinning and knitting. The minister of Stornoway, previously quoted, thus states the result : — " She has now the satisfaction to find, that " by Iier kind interposition and benevolent exertions to introduce and promote spinning " of yarn in this island, many poor girls have been rescued from habits of idleness " and vice, and trained to industry and virtue." * But the Seaforth training was not destined to continue, for under the circum- stances already stated, the island had to be sold in 1844. The new proprietor, Sir James Matheson, spent much of his great wealth on the Sir James island with a lavish hand. His advisers formed the idea that the Lewis bogs Matheson's and peat hags could be cultivated to profit, and with the view of realising this j^^^^^** idea he began to reclaim stretches of waste land. He also established chemical works for the purpose of extracting paraffin oil from peat, built lodges, farm- houses, and schools, and partly opened up the country with roads. When he obtained possession there were only, as we have seen, 45 miles of roads ; and these but im- perfectly formed. "When he died in 1878 there were over 200 miles on which, and on the necessary connecting bridges, he had spent £25,593. During the years 1845 and 1846, when the Highlands were visited by famine, Outlays by he imported meal and seed potatoes for the relief of his tenants, of the value of ^"^^^^^^ £33,000. About one half of this sum was afterwards refunded by them in labour on roads and other improvements, but the other half was gifted to them. He expended large sums in helping some of his crofter tenants to emigrate, and in the advancement of the condition of those who remained. Desirous of improving the postal facilities he acquired steamers, and for a number of years had the contract for carrying the mails from Ullapool to Stornoway. The following figures illustrate the liberality with which Sir James spent his m sans on these and other objects : — Castle buildings and offices, including grounds and policies, £100,495 Buildings and land reclamation, 99,720 Eoads and bridges, 25,593 Brickworks, - 6,000 Patent slip, - 6,000 Bulls for improvement of crofters' stock, 1,200 Fishcuring houses, 1,000 Quay for steamers at Stornoway, - 2,225 Chemical Works for manufacturing paraffin oil from peat, 33,000 Cost and outlay on shooting-lodges, 19,289 Gas Company, - - 350 "Water Company, 1,150 Meal, seed potatoes, etc. (as above stated), - - 33,000 £329,022 In addition to the foregoing, he laid out the following sums in con- nection with the island : — Industrial and other schools, - £11,681 Loss on steamers, - - - - 15,000 Loss on contract for carrying mails by steamer, - 16,805 Emigration of 2,231 persons in Lewis to Canada, - 11,855 £55,341 Add original cost of the island, - 190,000 Total, - - £574,363 * Old Statisticcd Account, vol. xix , p. 244 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XVI Outlays 1)T Sir James Mathesoii. We need not pause to discuss the wisdom of these vast outlays. Some of the intended improvements were of a permanent character and greatly benefited the island ; others had a different result. Most of the experimental undertakings have long since been abandoned. But the expenditure was of the utmost importance to the population. No doubt large sums were paid to skilled tradesmen from other quarters, and for materials imported, but a great part of the first stated sum of £329,022 must have found its way into the pockets of the islanders. A Period of With Sir James's death the outlays indicated by the above figures came to an end. Destitution, ^his was a serious calamity for Lewis. Years of adversity followed. The fishing industry was prosecuted with indifferent success, the crops failed, and destitution became prevalent. Eelief funds were raised to alleviate the distress. The winter of 1882-3 was, after 1846, perhaps the blackest in the modern history of Lewis. A gale on 1st October 1882 swept away the hay and corn crops, and the potato crop had been a complete failure. A public meeting to raise funds was held at Stornoway on 13th December following. Mr. William Mackay, the then Chamberlain of the estate, presided. Mr. Mackay, after describing the effects of the gale, went on to explain that many crofters had then barely suflScient potatoes for seed, and that some had used for food the little they had reserved for seed, while such as had not been eaten were diseased and unsuitable for planting. As regarded the grain crop, from one-half of the same in some districts, to three-fourths in others, had been lost by the gale, and not a few of the inhabitants were in absolute want. As to the fishing, great numbers of the fishermen had been unsuccessful at the East I-H •3[J[0^ (■Bu^gnpuj CO (M 00 in 00 I-H CO •3[J0Ai9Jpa8^ 03 r— ( CO OS OS 00 CO OS CO cq 00 51 00 in I-H •oi:^auu4q.TJY 00 t~ cq 10 -*-*,-( CO i-H m CO CO 00 I-H (jq CO •^ni^FiSA. 1-H m t~ CO 00 •>* cq 00 t- cq in i-T op 00 CO •Snip'B9'}j; 00 CO CO 152 518 1,016 227 I-H cq" 10 00 •uoipru:q.suj STlOl8t{9g; 00 120 516 1,005 182 I-H ffq I-H CD no sj-B^oqag CO 00 CO 164 601 1,270 276 CJS CO •siooqog JO •ojs[ 00 ^ OS CD I-H I-H ; Registeation District. i I itized 1 1 1 J' Bv lwcrosoft(§ 1 4^ g p-i xxvu Except the four Parish schools and one Parliamentary school, the whole educational Schools and supply of the island was provided by voluntary benevolence up to the passing of the ^'^°°'^ Education (Scotland) Act, 1872 (35 & 36 Vict., cap. 62). In 1865 the total number of in^^gesl*^ schools in Lewis was 47, of which 35 were connected with the Free Church. The revenue of the 47 schools in that year amounted to =£1,555 7s. lOd., made up thus : — Salaries paid by heritors, Parliamentary grants, Grants from trustees of bequests, School fees. Voluntary subscriptions, &c., £140 169 10 10 142 13 4 1,093 4 6 £1,555 7 10 The work thus accomplished by benevolent agencies was remarkable in the circum- stances, but much remained to be done ; and the School Boards which came into existence after the passing of the above Act began their labours with zeal. Deducting the number of Establishing scholars on the rolls in the Parish of Stornoway (1,270) from the total number of 2,697 schools stated by Mr. Nicolson, there were only 1,427 pupils in the Parishes of Barvas, Lochs, E^u^^tk)n and Uig in 1865. This number appears to have been but a small proportion of the Act 1872. children of school age in these parishes, for the School Boards applied to the Education Department to provide accommodation for not fewer than 3,683 children, and after inquiry the Department sanctioned accommodation for 3,112 children at a cost of £41,245 10s. 8d. Towards the payment of this sum the Department made grants amounting to £25,390 16s. 6d., leaving the balance of £15,854 l4s. 2'd. to be other- wise provided. The Boards, acting in terms of Section 45 of the Education Act, had recourse to the Public Works Loan Commissioners for the balance, and in this way borrowed a sum of £15,712. These loans were made on the security of the school rates, and were payable within a period not exceeding 50 years. Of this sum they had only repaid £3,133 13s. 3d. up to 31st March 1888. By 31st March 1901 the payments amounted to £7,583 10s. Id. The following table shows the preparations made by the Boards in these three parishes for carrying out the Education Act, including the cost of buildings and grants received from the Education Department : — School accom- modation. Total cost of School Buildings. Building Grant from Education Department. Borrowed from Public Works Loan Commis- sioners. Total repaid to Public Works Loan Commis- sioners, by 31st March 1888. Barvas, Lochs, . TJig, . . . 955 1,431 726 £8,523 4 10 20,122 10 12,600 5 £5,258 2 6 12,428 9 7,704 5 £3,076 7,636 5,000 £591 17 3 1,214 12 3 1,327 3 9 Total, . 3,112 i;41,245 10 8 £25,390 16 6 £15,712 £3,133 13 3 But while the elaborate preparations indicated by the above figures were made, the School attendance of pupils was not enforced. Mr. Nicolson found 2,697 scholars on the rolls attendance and 1,606 in actual attendance in September 1865. The number in average attendance enforced in 1880 was 2,057. For a time matters became gradually worse, for, according to a communication addressed by the Scotch Education Department to the School Boards of Barvas, Lochs, and Uig in November 1888, the average attendance at that date was 534 for 944 school places in Barvas, 710 for 1,463 school places in Lochs, and 331 for 696 school places in Uig. It was at the same time pointed out that, had the respective Boards secured an average attendance in any reasonable degree pro- portionate to the accommodation provided, the grant under Section 67 of the Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XXVIU Failure to pay School Fees. Excessive School Kates. Special Allowances for teaching Specific Subjects. Education Act might have been increased by about £100 in Barvas, £150 in Lochs, and £100 in Uig. It has to be added that the payment of school fees had ceased to be a reality and had almost become a tradition. Based on the average attendance, the Parish of Barvas should in 1888 have paid about £270 in fees. In 1882 the amount actually paid was only £90 6s., and in 1887 it had fallen to £4 10s. Similarly, the Parish of Lochs should have paid about £300 in fees. The amount paid in 1882 was £44. 19s. 9d., and in 1887 only lis. Uig should have paid fees to the amount of £170, but the sum actually paid in 1882 was only £29 18s. 2d., while no payment at all was made in respect of fees in 1887. In short, the fees in the three parishes in. proportion to the average attendance should have reached about £740 per annum, but the total sum paid was only £165 3s. lid. in 1882, and £5 Is. in 1887. This sum of £740 was arrived at by calculating the average fee per scholar in average attendance at 8 s. 7d. per annum. That sum was regarded as a fair estimate of the rate which might have been expected from these three parishes as compared with 12 s. lljd., which represented at the time the rate of fee per child all over the rest of Scotland. It is proper to explain that the above figures do not quite agree with the figures in the tabulated Appendices to this report ; but it has to be pointed out that the latter include the cost of books sold to children, while the figures above given are those set forth in the Eeport of the Education Department for 1888-89, and presumably do not include the cost of books. The result of the failure to pay the school fees was to throw the burden of main- taining the educational requirements of the respective parishes on the rates. Accord- ingly in 1881 and 1882 the rate in the Parish of Barvas amounted to 6s. 8d. per £ ; in 1884, in Lochs, 5s. 8d.; and in 1881, in Uig, 4s. 6d. In this state of matters the Education Department made special enquiry with the view of ascertaining what further public assistance ought to be given, and as a consequence Parliament authorised special encouragement to be given to regular attendance by a graduated attendance grant rising in several cases to double the usual rate. Special allowance was also made, under certain conditions, for teaching specific subjects, and for the employment of Gaelic- speaking assistants. The amounts received in the said three parishes under these heads in 1888 were — in Barvas, £78 5s. ; in Lochs, £103 18s. ; and in Uig, £13 4s. ; or in all, £195, 7s. The average number of scholars, and the revenue derived for school purposes from public monies by each of the three parishes named, in 1888, may be tabulated thus : — Amount in Special Grants Parish. Average attend - Total amount of Code Grant. made for the General Pur- poses of the School Fees, including cost of books sold Amount raised from School Board Total. Boards and to to Children. Eate. relieve Taxa- tion. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ 8. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Barvas, 645 495 5 267 9 4 14 6 378 1,145 3 Lochs, 827 713 1 6 307 19 10 6 14 6 736 1,763 15 10 Uig, . 357 263 10 97 19 3 5 9 say 415 781 10 Grand Total, . 1,829 1,471 16 6 672 19 10 16 9 9 1,529 3,690 6 1 The school rate in the said three parishes in 1888 was — 4s. 6d. per £ in Barvas, 5s. in Lochs, and 2s. 6d. in Uig. We have not the exact amount raised from the school rate in Uig in 1888. We have, however, £830 as the amount raised in 1888 and 1889 and one-half of that sum, viz. £415, is stated in the foregoing Table. The sums thus realised were totally inadequate to meet the educational wants of Digitized by Microsoft® XXIX these three parishes, and the Education Department was of opinion that the liabilities incurred were due to causes for which the localities were responsible. As has been shown, grants were not earned owing to the irregular attendances, and Failure fees had practically ceased to be paid, thus throwing the burden on the rates. Further, *» P*y a great falling oiF in the payment of rates had set in. The serious nature of the ^**^^- situation is thus described in a letter from the Education Department in 1888 to the Boards of the said three parishes : — " It appears that concurrently with the increase of liabilities the sources from which " these may be met have greatly diminished, and that this has been due to the fact that " rents have been largely unpaid, that rates, due from tenants, are largely unpaid also, "and that, as regards the rates falling on owners, they have to be demanded " partly in respect of property for which the owners, having received no rent, are called " upon to pay one-half of the rates ; and partly in respect of property for which, having " received no rent, they are called on to pay rates, both for themselves and for their " tenants. It is evident that such a state of things must sooner or later destroy the " resources of the owners, and break down the whole system upon which local and " Imperial taxation and administration are based." In consequence of the impending financial break-down, the Education Department, in Exceptional a JVIinute dated 21st December 1888, made a special arrangement whereby the School ^®-^.^® Boards of Barvas, Lochs, and Uig, and those of certain other Highland districts, were to ^f i888. receive exceptional assistance, and a representative of the Department — viz., Mr. J. L. Eobertson, H.M. Inspector of Schools — was associated with the local administrative bodies. Under this Minute certain sums available under the Probate Duties (Scotland and Ireland) Act, 1888 (51 & 52 Vic. cap. 60), were allocated to such parishes as came within its scope. When fands from this source ceased to be available, a sum for the same purpose has been provided by Parliament year by year in the Education Estimates. ]VIr. Robertson entered at once and vigorously on the duties assigned to him, and Educational the arrangement (which still subsists) has proved eminently satisfactory. There has P'°g^^^®- been a large increase in the average attendance. The increase of population no doubt partly accounts for this, but very much is due to the increased stringency used in enforcing the compulsory clauses of the Education Act. Moreover school attendance has been greatly aided and facilitated by the construction of roads and footpaths to schools. We are aware that since the Congested Districts Board came into existence in 1897 many roads and footpaths have been formed leading to schools. It may also be stated that in the enforcement of the compulsory clauses Mr. G. J. Campbell, while Sheriff- Substitute of Lewis, made it a rule to take defaulting cases on Saturdays, thus causing as little dislocation of the regular school work as possible and contributing to improve the attendance. Above all, the abolition of school fees has removed every excuse on the part of parents for neglecting the education of their children, and the school attendance may now be regarded as regular. The effects of the said Minute on the educational interests of the parishes concerned were such that in the Report for 1890-91 My Lords say — "The Boards are restored to a " position of solvency ; and though it cannot be said that the local resources are in all cases ■' sufficient to meet the present burdens, yet we trust that provision has been made for " a sound financial position, combined with increased efficiency, and that before long local " responsibility may be fully restored." Statements to the same effect have appeared in the subsequent Reports of the Department. The grants received under that Minute have been of the utmost benefit to the Total grants Boards of the said three parishes. Thus, between 1889 and 1900 inclusive, the Parish ^^l^^®** of Barvas has received a gross sum of £3,472 12s. 2d. ; Lochs, £7,666 7s. 5d. ; and Uig, Minute of £2,880 6s. 7d., or £14,019 6s. 2d. in all. We give the details for each parish during 1888. these years in the following Table : — Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XXX Table showing amounts in Special Grants made for the General Purposes of the School Boards of Barvas, Lochs, and Uig under the Departmental Minute of 21st December 1888 and subsequent Minutes, from 1889 to 1900 inclusive. Annual Grants under Minute of 1888. Improved School attendance. Barvas. Lochs. Uig. Total. 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, £ s. d. 460 7 9 592 16 5 534 8 575 140 230 300 100 250 290 £ s. d. 547 9 5 860 6 4 1,501 8 11 330 690 500 877 2 9 950 600 410 400 £ s. d. 297 9 8 473 5 11 863 11 50 400 136 60 50 400 100 50 £ s. d. 1,305 6 10 1,926 8 8 2,899 7 11 955 1,230 136 500 1,167 2 9 1,300 1,100 760 740 Grand Total, . X3,472 12 2 ^7,666 7 5 £2,880 6 7 £14,019 6 2 It ought to be added that the Parish of Stornoway did not participate in these grants. In the matter of attendance the figures for 1880 and 1900 are highly instructive.. The population of Barvas in 1881 was 5,325, and may be taken as having been nearly the same in 1880. The average number of pupils in attendance at the various schools in 1880 was only 550, and the grant earned £365 2s. 2d. In 1891, under the procedure of the Boundary Commissioners, the population became increased by 795. The number when the Census was taken was 5,699, but with the altered boundaries rose to 6,494. In 1901 the population was 6,736, and the school attendance increased from 550 in 1880' to 964 in 1900. In a corresponding degree the Code Grants had risen from £365 2s. 2d. in 1880 to £1,174 4s. Id. in 1900. Other grants received in subsequent years were made for some special reason and cannot be referred to here for purposes of comparison. In the Parish of Lochs the population in 1881 was 6,284. In 1891, when the Census was taken, it was 6,432, but under the operations of the Boundary Commissioners 1,756 of that number were transferred to other parishes, reducing the population of that parish to 4,676. In 1901 the population is given as 4,733. It is thus difficult to compare 1900 with 1880. But it may be mentioned that in 1880 the number of pupils in attendance was 451, and in 1900, 821. The Code Grant rose from £258 12s. Id. in 1880- to £1,005 4s. in 1900. The changes made by the Boundary Commissioners did not affect the Parish of Stornoway, and we are therefore in a position to deal more confidently with the figures. In 1881 the population of that parish was 10,389, and in 1901, 12,983, or an increase of 24-9 per cent. The average number of pupils on the roll in 1880 was 829, while in 1900 the number had risen to 1,755, or 111-7 per cent. The Code Grants increased from £491 14s. 6d. in 1880 to £2,105 Os. 2d. in 1900, or 328 per cent. The population of the Parish of Uig in 1881 was 3,489. When the Census was taken in 1891 the number was 3,660, but with altered boundaries it became 4,621. In 1901 it had fallen to 4,497. A satisfactory comparison is thus impossible. The number of pupils in average attendance in 1880 was 227. In 1900 the number was 743. The Code Grant rose from £155 9s. 2d. in 1880 to £1,006 10s. 6d. in 1900. But while we cannot make satisfactory comparisons as to the individual parishes, we can with regard to the island as a whole, and in order to show the remarkable improvement which has taken place, we add in tabular form the statistics of population, the average school attendance, and the Code Grants earned in 1880 and 1900 : — Island of Lewis Population. 1881. 25,487 1901. 28,949 Increase per cent. 13-5 No. of Scholars in average attendance. 1880. 1900. 2,057 4,283 Increase per cent. 108-2 Code Grants. 1880. 1900. £ s. d. 1,270 17 11 £ s. d. 5,290 18 9 Increase per cent. 316-3 It will thus be ^^Bi^'^^^MlmmS^MP^ school children to the entire population in 1880 was at ftie rate of 8 per cent., the proportion at the present time is XXXI To illustrate the steady progress of education in Lewis during the twenty years under review we subjoin a Table showing the number of pupils in average attendance, the amount earned in Code Grants and in Special Grants, as also the sums collected from •ordinary local sources in each Parish, during every fifth year from 1880 to 1900 : — -ti 5« S 13 ■* T-H O «0 05 o ^ to to o 00 to o -^< -* t- © to © to ffl s / 1 — 1 += M b «i 0) g P5 S '=^ oi CO CO .-H O O CO ■* O O .-H I-H I-H r-H O P-H Cq CO © rH rH o ^' O « 00 t- rH 00 l-l O to O CO CO OS 00 rt eq © 00 to © I-H T-H 1 . 00 .-1 O 00 O m 00 t~ (M lo o OS OS t>> OS OS in cq rH m to ,-( i-H ,_| I-H I-H I-H I-H 7—t . . 03 lO CO IN lO S O O 00 O CO ^ O >Ci i-H to rt o o CO o in © © © © o © O CO © © in m o 00 00 m © © in © b~ © rH to in ■—I 1 m o i-H .-H to t- rH I-H CO 00 I- CO • rH CO Ir- to CO 1 ^ to CO OS to cq m rH O to .-H in lo * "* CO OS ©_ r-i -* -* 1— ( ■^ Cm OS: fa 0-3 g S ^ WJairS 00 to 1:- t- CO 1 CO OS to in 1 m I-H o CO to M rH rH CO 1 02 t-H P|3 sj ^ ra o o ~ to 00 i-H I-H 1 — 1 [ in I-H cq (M I-H 1 — 1 00 00 t- CO cq 2 cq © CO grH,-, 1^ ^ » oq O CO I-H t^ t- rH rH h^ ■" o eg ® Oh s a S 3 'd lo o -* o o ^ © xt _S =" _S a -2 _2 00 ® ' — ' < - 1 12 1° 1 1 to o o o o o to o o 1 1 1 1 1 1 |in 1© CO © t- in w lO C<1 00 in ■* ^ o a ^^5 -2t- fl 1=1 O S ^ .2 -8 6.2 S^ . •73 Si CO O CO o o © © © 00 to T-H to I — 1 rjl to 1 rt 1 0> 00 (M 1 ■ in in 1 rH < i-H i-H f-t 1— ( I— ( rH I-H I-H I-H I-H 1—tr-iT—^} — f 7—i r—ij~-(,—ij—ij-~t w ' w" 1 02 «! • l-l ^ ^ P3 2 ' Oigi^zed by ivicrosofta o 51 M t3 w h^ s XXXll Tn the following Table will be found the figures applicable to the island as a whole for every fifth year : — • o o o H O 00 GO o < w H o 12; < CO o cc P3 C5 O B3 Ph iJ «0 O 00 t- (M t- ■4 o oo «c_ o co -*" m" to a> (N 'P ^ ^ TS o o o o o S o •gpq mO o o o o -P o -S §Im o o '.f o 00 ^5 o CO in ^ o a? °°„ o_ t~ o li Gn CD -<^ UH ''(^ ^ 00 00 fl O o> (M in^ jS (m" (m" O e+.< O _ -B® I— 1 I— 1 C5 o CO A^ C5 in 00 CO rt ElB CO rc "> 1-1 1 — 1 choo udin Doks Chil I 1 o o (M Vl-^^ _g m tS 1 73 L O 1< (B _• ecial Grants ma Purposes of the relieve Eates. Under Depart mental Minute 21st Decembe 1888 and subs quent Minutes 'd CO o o 1 00 03_ o m o o Total amount of Sp for the General Boards and to -ESt- d - Gran ion 6 catio: 1 Act, -a to 00 o C<1 (a) onal •sect Edu land) 1872 05 1 1 o 1 — 1 00 00 T-H 03 CO en cq o Additi under of the (Scot: ■=1^ r— * CO o 1 — 1 oq" I— t in o o 00 2 g -s -a «i I— S O t^ 1 — 1 T-H 03 1 — r O -^Sj t- o CO Oi Total Code schoi D t-;^ CO -* cq i-T <— T cq" -* in" U '^ -S.S „ s a a, g>H r- ti C< i-" S 5 rH t- -* o 05 CO „^ o ^ S S f— ( r— 1 T-H 00 g m :g sc o co' "i. co" i> o "S ^ ^ o in o m o c» 00 Ci 05 o 00 1— < 00 00 T-H 00 T-H OJ 02^ t-i ^ Hi ft rsin ifi"7^W /^i/ hAit O /^rs^ uig nIZ&U uy IVIn rivS' 1 M XXXIU We have already dealt with the increase of the Code Grants. The Special Grants under Section 67 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1872, were Special begun in the Parish of Barvas in 1881, and in the three other Parishes of Lewis in 1882. gi'^nts These varied according to the circumstances in which they were made. Section 67 The Grants under the Departmental Minute of 21st December 1888 were com- menced in 1889, and applied to the whole island except the Parish of Stornoway. They also varied in amount each year. The Grants in relief of fees were begun in 1890, and have increased from £945 Os. 6d. Ciiants in in that year to £2,586 in 1900. In 1890 the four Parishes of Lewis received these ^^^^^®^ °^ grants at the rate of 6s. 6d. per unit of average attendance for the six months ending 31st March. The rate for the year to 31st March 1891 was lis. per unit of average attendance, and for subsequent years 12s. per unit of average attendance. The effect of these Grants has been the cessation of school fees ; while the Special Grants have resulted in reducing the school rates from the exorbitant amounts they had reached, to moderate sums which the parties liable can fairly meet. Whde dealing with school revenues we may place in the following tabular form the total earnings of the schools of each Parish for the twenty years under consideration : — [Table. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XXXIV o o OS T— I I o 00 00 m p •A -A o m m h- 1 o > o EH 2 g g , r^ Ift ia o o I-H 00 ill! -^ (M o I-H -* I-H ^ 1 Grand To Educa Departmi local so IM to I-H 00 CO_ eo" CO co" I-H I-H O I-H CO 166,956 13 IM ■* ia CD in i ID 1 mO r-H I-H (M t~ I-H C4-t (jq C5 CO O in 1 H ^o (M I- ^ CO ■•^ fl la J t- I-H t^ t- CO «= ,-1 I-H I-H 1 — 1 m 1 — 1 l-H ^ o ^ ^ 00 lO 1 — 1 CO 00 1 s- CO (M I-H CO CO im_ im" IM CO eo (M I-H -d® to o o CO . t- ■* 00 t- CO fl s w 1 — 1 m"^ to 03 cq CD m -S ^ i-. ^ CO IM CD Oi CO ^ -t °°„ m o_ m^ g icT ^ oT ^"^ cc" GJ IM s-s p O ^ 03 • ■^ -, o ft CM C/2 0) H Pd CO rH o d ^ in o • S s OJ (-1 t5 pi o .ia «+-i oc C3 rl 2! ^i^ TI is o OS o pq w J <1 H ■is -t^ CQ 00 1 — 1 o ^ in T— 1 00__ o 1>^ I— 1 3^- icT .—1 t-" t-T CO CO "■5 §-1 o •=+-" l^i°l ^ 00 to CO CO uO 02 cS -3 ,"0 . X 00 I— 1 CO f— 4 CO 05 I— 1 to I-H to -a o " 3 -p CQ ■4 00__ CO oo_ o CO cq CO 05 Expen Board land, enl; altera of (M sq co" I-H in to 1-^ -a -p o cS CQ 13 -* to lO CO 00 o fl a t^ 1:~ OS m OS CT cq m^ o_ 1 — ( g a r-T r-n" o^~ i-H to" 0) o !h U f^ S rt' 02 f^ f— 1 ea rt -p o r H PM < 7/f/zec/ jby /!/ oT ■< m icrosSft® 1 i 02 XXXVll In concluding this part of our Report we may state that the Education Department ^^^^^^'. has favoured us with a copy of a special report on the subject of Higher Education in ^'^^ ^°"' Lewis made by Mr J. L. Robertson, H.M. Inspector. It is in the following terms : — " The Nicolson Institute is the recognised secondary centre for the whole Island, "and is accessible to the best of the outlying pupils by a system of small bursaries. The '" number and amount of the bursaries is inadequate in my- opinion, but the County Com- " mittees of Ross and Cromarty cannot aiford a larger subsidy than the present to the " Lewis district. The Institute is very well staffed, and sends annually to the University " direct a number of its pupils. " The policy of having one well-equipped secondary centre for the island has had my " continuous support ; and, though some opposition was met at the outset of the experi- " ment, opinion is now unanimous that this policy was, in view of present educational " requirements, the most suitable for the Island. All schools are tributary to the Institute, ^' and the cordial co-operation of their head teachers is marked. " Regarding the practical or scientific aspect of education, I may say in a word that " there is a clamant need of a central Technical School in Lewis, and that the local resources " are quite inadequate for the establishment of such a school or its maintenance on an " effective basis. Such popular technical instruction as Household Economy, Wood and " Iron Work, and Practical Navigation and Seamanship would be leading features. " For years we have all here studied this question, but we are helpless without external " aid. It is most unfortunate in my opinion that the Congested Districts Board's Act did " not in its list of permissible lines of effort and expenditure include the subject of practical " technical education. Lewis offers an admirable field for such an extension of the Board's ^' functions." It is of interest to add that in the Session of 1899 a Bill was introduced into Par- Technical liament at the instance of the Congested Districts Board to enable that body to devote Education. part of the funds at their disposal to aid technical education. " The Bill," as we learn from the Second Report of the Board, " was designedly drafted in general terms, but its ■' chief object was to enable us [the Board] to give grants to various localities in the ' '' congested districts in aid of simple technical education, and education in Domestic " Economy." The principal clause of the Bill was in the following terms : — " Where the Congested Districts (Scotland) Board are satisfied that a portion of the ' ' Congested Districts (Scotland) Fund may be advantageously applied for the benefit of ^' the inhabitants of congested districts in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland for " purposes other than those set forth in Section 4 of the Congested Districts (Scotland) Act, " 1897 (in this Act referred to as ' the principal Act'), they may apply a portion of the " said Fund, not exceeding one-fiffch thereof, in further providing for the practical instruc- " tion of, or for such other purposes as may appear to be of benefit to, the inhabitants " of the said districts." The Bill passed through the various stages in the House of Lords. It met with some opposition in the House of Commons, however, and was abandoned in that Session, and no similar measure has since been introduced. VII.— MAINTENANCE OF THE POOR AND PAUPER LUNATICS. Before the passing of the Poor Law Act in 1845 (8 and 9 Vict., cap. 83) the poor Mainten- of the Island of Lewis lived mainly by begging among their neighbours, such help as ance of they received in this manner being supplemented by the weekly church-door collections ^°^ betore . iDiissiiiff or and the amount of fines or mulcts imposed on moral delinquents. At the end of the p^op Law 1 8th century Mrs. Mackenzie of Seaforth distributed food and clothing among the more Act. necessitous ; and afterwards an annual sum of money was sent by her and her husband to each parish for the like purpose. The number of poor in the Parish of Stornoway about 1790 is stated at 127, of Number of whom 63 lived in the town. There were in Barvas at that time 80, in Lochs 58, and in 'P°°^ i^ Uig 50. By 1833 the number of poor persons in Stornoway had increased to 219, who ^^Lq received on an average 5 s. each per annum. In Barvas the number at that time is stated at 30. The relief from the Kirk Session there, however, could not have been material, for the church-door collections and mulcts did not exceed £3 yearly. Exclusive •of this aid it would appear that poor persons depended on the generosity of their Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XXXVlll Mainten- ance of Paupers under Poor Law Act. neighbours. Thus it was a custom, which long survived in Barvas, for the tenants ta contribute a quantity of seed in the spring time, and hand the same to the Kirk Session for distribution among the poor. In Uig the paupers are stated at 50 ; but the church collections are declared to have been quite inadequate for their support. The number of paupers in Lochs at that time had not been ascertained. The parish minister, how- ever, states that such of them as did not have near relations to support them, found willing friends among their neighbours to administer to their necessities. Before 1845 poor people throughout the Higlands proceeded from house to house, and from township to township, obtaining such alms as the inhabitants could afford. So common had the practice been, that the receipt of food and clothing in charity was regarded as a natural right, and it was customary to hear of a mendicant's peregrination as " ag iarraidh a chodach " (seeking or asking for his portion). To the present day the poor in Lewis depend largely on the charity of their neighbours. This may be inferred from the statistics received from the Local Government Board, which show that the proportion of paupers to the whole population of the island is little more than half the corresponding figures applicable to the mainland of Ross and Cromarty. Having regard to the general poverty of the inhabitants a different result might have been expected, but when the circumstances are considered it is easy of explanation. A considerable proportion of the ratepayers are very poor, and the existing poor rates higher than they can well bear. Accordingly, a large number of applications for parochial relief have to be refused, and the applicants are then obliged to have recourse to the bounty of their neighbours, who, though often unable to help them with cash, are usually able and ready to afford help in kind. Their charity assumes various forms. A feeble or infirm person who is not the recipient of parochial relief gets land tilled and seed sown for him or her. In like manner aid is given in casting and curing and carrying home peats. When boats arrive with fish, the poor who have no male relative to fish for them are seldom forgotten ; and when the crops are reaped in autumn those who have not sown often receive quantities of potatoes, &c., from neighbours. Indeed, a large number of those in receipt of parochial relief must depend to a considerable extent on their friends and neighbours, for, in many cases, the allowances are practically illusory. In this connection reference may be made to the Report on the Condition of the Cottar Population of Lewis, to the Secretary for Scotland, •made in 1888 by the late Sheriff- Substitute Fraser and Mr. Malcolm M'Neill, C.B., formerly of the Board of Supervision, now Vice-President of the Local Government Board. Statistics are given in the Appendix to that Report as to the rates of weekly aliment paid to paupers in each of the four Parishes of Lewis. At that time there were in the island 14 persons recei^^ing 6d. a week or less ; 136 receiving between 6d. and 9d. ; and 139 between 9d. and Is. In the following Table the figures applicable to the said parishes are given, these being taken from the Appendix mentioned : — Rates of weekly aliment. ■Rates of Weekly Aliment paid to Registered Poor residing in Lewis in 1888. Parish of Parish of Parish of Parish of Barvas. Lochs. Stornoway. Uig. Total. Aliment, 6d. a week or less, 3 2 9 14 „ above 6d., not exceeding 9d., 30 26 61 19 136 „ 9d., „ Is., 16 26 69 28 139 „ Is., „ Is. 6d., . 27 27 50 20 124 „ Is. 6d., „ 2s., 2 12 17 5 36 „ 2s., „ 2s. 6d., . 3 6 5 6 20 „ „ 3s., „ 5s., — — — 3 3 Croft Rents at lO^d. per week, . — — 16 16 Clothing and Room Rent at Is. 3d. per week. ~ 17 — 17 81 97 237 90 505 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XXXIX In addition to aliment paid at the foregoing weekly rates, some of the paupers received other help from the Parochial Boards. The subjoined figures applicable to the four Parishes are taken from the details given in the said Eeport : — Help other than Aliment paid in respect oe Eegistered Poor residing in Lewis IN 1888. Help other than aliment. Parish of Parish of Parish of Parish of Barvas. Lochs. Stor noway. Uig. £ s. d. £, s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d, Attendance on Poor, 16 11 19 17 49 5 3 21 6 Bedding for „ . . . 10 14 1 14 11 1 15 12 9 11 1 6 Clothing for „ . . . 39 13 1 99 5 5 110 19 10| 55 2 2 Extra Relief to „ 6 6 H 18 10 36 5 1| 13 2 6 Fuel to „ . . . 18 6 6 14 10 9 28 11 6 16 4 Rents of Paupers' Houses and Lands, 9 15 4 27 8 7| 101 7 4 43 5 Repairs of Paupers' Houses, . 21 11 9* 26 6 7i 16 11 5 9 5 2 Nutritious Diet to Paupers, . 2 19 4 4 13 10- 13 1 7 2 19 4 Education of Pauper Children, 2 18 10 124 17 7 224 18 2i 371 14 10 175 4 6 The figures in respect of aliment show that, no matter how economically the paupers lived, a large proportion of them would require to have the amount allowed by the Parochial Boards supplemented from other sources to escape starvation, yet death from starvation but rarely, if ever, occurs in any part of the crofting area. Keturning to the question of the proportion of paupers to the total population, it Proportion maybe observed that ia 1880 there were 777 paupers (including dependants) in a°fP*^P*^ population of 25,487 (the Census of 1881 being taken as the nearest record of the,? °P"*" population in 1880). That number gives a proportion of 30'4 per thousand. There is a steady increase down to 1895, when the proportion of paupers stands at 34 '2 per thousand. In 1900 there is a reduction, the proportion being 30 "1. On the mainland of Eoss and Cromarty there were 3,134 paupers (including dependants) in 1880 in a population of 53,060, or 59"0 per thousand. By 1895 the proportion had fallen to 49 "6 per thousand; but in 1900 it stood at 50"9. The following Table gives the population in 1881, 1891, and 1901 ; the number of paupers in every fifth year, and the proportion of paupers to the entire population, firstly, for the Island of Lewis, and secondly, for the rest of the County : — Island of Lewis. Mainland of Ross and Cromarty. Population. Year. Number of Paupers in each fifth Year. Proportion of Paupers per 1,000 of Population. Population. Number of Paupers in each fifth Year. Proportion of Paupers per 1,000 of Population. 25,487 27,590 28,949 1880 ' 1885 1890 1895 1900 777 779 905 945 873 30-4 30-5 .32-8 34-2 .30-1 53,060 50,220 47,472 3,134 3,027 2,740 2,495 2,418 59-0 57-0 54-5 49-6 50-9 An examination of these figures shows that during the 20 years from 1 8 8 1 Increase in to 1901 the population of Lewis has increased by 3,462, or at the rate of 13'5 per cent, number of The number of paupers in 1900 showed an increase of 96 over the number in 1880, or P''^"P®'^®' at the rate of 12*3 per cent. That pauperism has not increased to the same extent as the population is satisfactory, but the rate of increase in each case is not materially •diiferent. Digitized by Microsoft® xl As regards the mainland of the county, population and pauperism have both been on Lhe decrease. The decrease in the population during the 20 years is 5,588, or 10-5 per cent. The decrease in the number of paupers, on the other hand, is 716, or 22-8 per cent. Number of "With regard to the number of paupers in each Parish of Lewis, a reference to the ^^cKrish *ietailed statement furnished by the Local Government Board, as the same appears in eac ans . ^pp^^^^j-^ q_ ^p^g^ g^^ ^-^j ^-j^^^ ^^at the number of paupers in Lochs, Stornoway, and Uig has not greatly changed during the 20 years under review. In the first of these Parishes the number in 1880 was 152, rising to 226 in 1891. In 1898 it stood at 212, and in 1900 at 162, or 10 more than in 1880. The number of paupers in Stornoway in 1880 was 406. Thereafter it fluctuated from 381 in 1881 to 538 in 1897. In 1900 the number stood at 419, or 13 more than in 1880. The fluctuations in the Parish of Uig are not so marked. In 1880 the figures were 124, and in 1883 and 1884 they decreased to 102. The highest limit was reached in 1899, when the number stood at 144. In 1900 it was 131, or 7 more than in 1880. These various figures are on the whole in keeping with the increase of population. The Parish of Barvas, however, presents a different state of matters. In 1880 the paupers numbered 95, and they were as low as 82 in 1882. Since then there has been a gradual, if not a rapid, increase, until 1898, when the high figure of 198 was reached, or more than double the number in 1880. In 1900 the figures stood at 161, or 66 more than the number in 1880. It ought to be explained that the number of paupers stated in the Appendix include pauper lunatics in every case. Poor Rates. The maintenance of such a large pauper population as is shown above, imposed a serious burden on the ratepayers. In the section of this Eeport dealing with Education, the rates under that head were mentioned. The poor rates were equally serious. Mr. George Walker, of Port-Lethen, who was an Assistant Commissioner under the Eoyal Commission on Agriculture of 1878, visited the Island of Lewis before he submitted his report in 1880. At page 557 of that report the amount of rates payable in each of the four Parishes is given. Including poor rates, school rates, registration dues, public health and road assessment, they were as follows (one-half being payable by the landlord and the other half by the tenants) : — Stornoway, ... ... ... ... 6s. 4d. per £ Lochs, ... ... ... ... ... 9s. 4d. ,, Barvas, ... ... ... ... lis. 6d. ,, Uig, ... ... ... ... ... 9s. 2d. Mr. Walker says the tenants complained greatly of rates, especially excessive school rate, and suggested it should be made an Imperial tax, or that relief should be obtained in some other way [see page 557 of his Report). This is an interesting statement in view of what has since been done by the Legislature. Total rates, At page 33 of the Appendix to the Eeport on the Lewis Cottars previously referred 1880-8. to, the rates from 1880 to 1888 are given. They consist of poor rates (including cemetery, sanitary, valuation, and registration rates), school rates, and road rates. The total of these per £ in the four Parishes was as follows in each of these years : Total rates in 1879. Barvas. Lochs. Stornoway. Uig. Year. Total Eate per £. Total Rate peri'. Total Rate per^. Total Eate per ^. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1880 7 6 6 10 5 6 7 1881 11 6 9 4 6 4 9 2 1882 8 2 9 6 4 6 2 1883 7 10 10 5 10 5 10 1884 6 10 10 8 5 10 6 1885 7 8 9 4 4 10 6 1 1886 9 4 10 6 5 6 1887 11 4 11 2 5 2 6 2 1888 11 6 11 8 5 8 6 6 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® xli Parliamentary Papers published in 1885 and 1888 respectively give the gross Bates, etc. rental, the rateable value, and the poor rate per £ for the years 1884-85 and 1887-88 I^^q^^ and, as they may be taken as typical of the state of matters from 1880 down to about 1890 the details applicable to the four Parishes of Lewis are stated here : — 1884-85.* 1887-88.t PARISH. Gross Rental. Animal or Rateable Value. Poor Rate per £. Gross Rental. Annual or Rateable Value. Poor Rate per £. Bakvas, Lochs, Stoknowat, .... Uig, . ... £ 3,212 4,125 14,991 5,325 £ 2,930 3,776 12,839 4,955 s. d. 2 9 3 8 1 8 2 £ 3,182 4,835 16,225 4,827 £ 2,901 4,436 14,604 4,586 a. d. 5 6 5 2 4 2 6 * Figures taken from Parliamentary Paper No. 316 of Session 1885. t Figures taken from Parliamentary Paper No. 366 of Session 1888. The poor rates for the period from 1892 to 1900 appear in the annual reports of Poor rates the Board of Supervision and Local Government Board for Scotland, and the figures i"! 1892- . . ' O -1 AAA applicable to Lewis may be stated here : — Poor Rate per £. ! Year. Parish of Parish of Parish of Parish of Barvas. Lochs. Stornoway. Uig. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 1892-93 7 4 6 2 8 3 2 1893-94 7 4 6 2 8 2 11 1894-95 7 6 4 2 8 2 4 1895-96 7 6 4 2 10 3 10 1896-97 7 10 6 4 2 10 4 10 1897-98 8 7 4 3 2 4 2 1898-99 9 7 4 2 11 4 2 1899-00 9 7 4 2 11 4 10 The amounts realised from these rates levied on proprietors and tenants during the twenty years were as follows in each year : — , Amounts annually paid by Proprietors and Tenants in the Island of Tjewis in respect of -^^o^nts Poor Rates during the period from 1880 to 1900. i Barvas. Lochs. stornoway. Uig. £ s. d. £ 8. d. £ a. d. £ s. d. 1880-81 532 8 1 860 1 2 1,630 12 9 824 18 11 1881-82 642 6 5 823 2 1,817 19 3 615 6 6 1882-83 437 12 10 854 7 9 1,443 3 567 14 5 1883-84 489 773 1,456 607 1884-85 440 801 1,027 472 1885-86 509 836 1,082 451 1886-87 655 1,279 1,394 578 1887-88 393 764 1,489 512 1888-89 1,094 1,564 2,070 713 1889-90 522 847 907 531 1890-91 590 962 1,035 433 1891-92 672 834 1,151 796 1892-93 754 959 2,164 887 1893-94 925 1,003 . 2,232 798 1894-95 769 1,042 2,168 641 1895-96 769 209 2,373 238 1896-97 1,315 1,185 2,368 1,663 1897-98 1,022 1,037 2,672 708 1898-99 482 638 2,597 112 1899-00 1,297 1,408 2,758 1,477 Total, . 14,309 7 Qic Vtmd byiMi crQ$QM) 3 i 13,624 19 1(3 received from poor rates, 1880- 1900. xlii Bevenue and expen- diture. Threatened breakdown of Poor Law administra- tion. Poverty of cottar population in 1887-8 . The Supplementary Statement furnished by the Local Ixovernment Board for Scotland, and which appears at page 65 of the Appendix to this report, shows the gross rental of each Parish in Lewis during the 20 years under review, the Parish Council expenditure not defrayed out of loans, the receipts by Parish Councils other than from assessment, the net amount of Parish Council expenditure to be met by assessment, and the rate per £ of gross rental required to raise such assessment. In the figures above given the actual rates, and the actual amount received from assessment as the same appear in the reports of the Board of Supervision and the Local Government Board, are given. The Supplementary Statement now referred to, on the other hand, shows the rates that would be required to meet the expenditure but for the grants received from Government. In 1888 the Poor Law administration in Lewis seemed about to break down in the same manner as the educational system had done. The amount received in Barvas had fallen from £655 in 1887, to £393 in 1888 ; and in Lochs from £1.279 in the former, to £764 in the latter year. In Stornoway there was an increase ; and in Uig the decrease was not marked. The rates were not collected ; the credit of the Parochial Boards was exhausted at the Banks, and a deficiency in the funds required to pay for maintenance of the poor was anticipated. With regard to the situation which had arisen, the Board of Supervision in their 43rd Annual Report say: — " The Parochial Boards seemed to be "paralysed by the difliculties with which they were surrounded, and not to know what "to do in the circumstances. We pointed out their duty to them, and remonstrated with " them as to their failure to use the utmost powers at their command for enforcing the " payment of rates. We are glad to be able to add that more vigorous measures were " resorted to by the Parochial Boards, with the result that the dreaded deficiency of funds " has been, for the present, averted. But the crisis referred to, and, indeed, the collapse " of the whole system of administering relief to the Poor in these Highland districts, is, in " the present condition of the population, in constant danger of recurring, and some " effectual and permanent remedy is urgently called for" (pp. ix.-x.) The Parochial Boards had a difficult task to perform at this period, for unquestionably a large proportion of the people were in exceedingly straitened circumstances. Important testimony on this point is afi'orded by the Eeport of 1888 previously quoted. The Parochial Board of Stornoway, at a meeting held there on 9th January 1888, with the Chamberlain of the island, Mr. William Mackay, in the chair, considered certain questions put by Mr. M'Neill. The Board recorded " that great poverty does exist among the " cottars in the landward district " (p. 24). So critical did the Board regard the situation that they authorised the Inspector " to deal with cases of absolute destitution threatening " starvation." The Inspector had, in point of fact, occasionally relieved such cases (p. 25). Mr. Macfarlane, the Inspector of Poor for Stornoway, being interrogated, replied, "I " am a native of this Parish, and I do not think the people ever had less money and " credit in my experience. But for the last good harvest the people would have been " starving. It frightens me to think what may happen in the present condition of the " fishing. If next harvest is bad there must, in my opinion, be starvation " (p. 26). The Rev. Hector Cameron, Free Church minister of Back, writes : — "Amono- the squatter portion of our population we have every reason to expect greater and more pressing poverty this year than formerly, more especially among those of them who have got little or no land" (p. 26). The Parochial Board of Lochs on 10th January of the same year, in answer to Mr. M'Neill, record that " there were then some cases of absolute destitution in the Parish." They had no expectation of widespread destitution, however, but the condition of the people would be one of marked but not of unusual poverty during the spring and early summer. The Inspector was authorised to relieve cases in which starvation was threatened, and he did frequently relieve such cases (p. 27). The Parochial Board of Uig on 11th January record that there was no absolute destitution, except in some isolated cases, but they added, " from the failure of the East Coast fishing last year, and the low price of stock, and particularly from the fact that credit in consequence is at a very low ebb, it is feared there will be some of the people in absolute want before the end of next summer" (p. 29). The Minute of the Parochial Board of Barvas is to the same eff"ect as that of Uio- Such was the condition of the island in 1887-8 ; and the relief of taxation afforded to the ratepayers under the Probate Duties (Scotland and Ireland) Act, 1888 (52 & 53 Vict. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® xliii cap. 60), was cordially welcomed. Section 2 (1) (A.) (i.) of that Act provided for the paying of a sum of £30,000 for the relief of local taxation in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in such proportion and manner as might from time to time be directed by the Secretary for Scotland. Under this enactment the Parish of Barvas received £920 1 5s. 6d. for the relief of rates, and £16 5s. Id. towards the cost of management of Parochial Boards, pauper lunatics, &c., between 1889 and 1890; the Parish of Lochs £1,086 12s. 2d. for the former, and £33 2s. 5d. for the latter purpose during the same period ; the Parish of Stornoway, £1,810 18s. lOd. for the former, and £97 12s. lOd. for the latter purpose, also during the same period; while Uig received £603 6s., and £15 13s. lOd. for those purposes respectively in the two }'ears mentioned. The money thus received relieved the Parochial Boards from theii' difficulties ; and grants annually voted since 1890 in relief of local taxation under subsecjuent statutes have enabled the Boards to carry on their duties. The details of these various grants from the Scottish Office between 1889 and 1901 Grants will be found in Appendix D. (pp. 9-11) ; while the details of grants from the Board of^^"™^ Supervision for the period from 1880 to 1889 will be found in Appendix C. (p. 8). Supervision These it may be convenient to summarise here. The figures applicable to each of and Scottish the Parishes of Lewis during the twenty years under review are as follows : — Office, ° -^ ■' 1880-1901. Parish of .1 Barvas. /. From Board of Supervisimi, 1880-89 — (1) Medical Relief, .£646 8 (2) Pauper Lunacy, 323 16 6 //. Frmn Scottish Office, 1889-1901-- (1) ReUef of Rates (1889-90), £920 15 6 (2) Towaids Cost of Management of Pai-ocliial Boards, Pauper Lunatics, &c. (1889-90), 16 5 (3) Towards Maintenance of Pauper Lunatics (1891-1901), 1,069 3 (4) Poor Law Medical Relief, 789 3 8 (5) Relief of Rates (1894-1901), . 389 10 9 (6) Relief of Rates on Agricultural Occupiers (1898-1901), 673 9 11 Parish of Lochs. I. From, Board of Supervision, 1880.89 — (1) Medical Relief, £832 19 7 (2) Pauper Lunacy, 688 3 4 //. From Scottish Offi^ce, 1889-1901— (1) ReHef of Rates (1889-90), £1,086 12 2 (2) Towards Cost of Management of Parocliial Boards, Pauper Lunatics, &o. (1889-90), . 33 2 5 (3) Towards Maintenance of Pauper Lunatics (1891-1901), 1,629 12 5 (4) Poor Law Medical Relief. 765 10 (5) Relief of Rates (1894-1901), . 291 17 9 (6) Relief of Rates on Agricultural Occupiers (1898-1901), 409 11 Parish op Stornoway. /. From Board of Supervisiov, 1880-89 — (1) Medical Relief, £1,097 6 9 (2) Pauper Lunacy, .... 1,263 3 5 //. From Scottish Office, 1889-1901— (1) Relief of Rates (1889-90), (2) Towards Cost of Management of Parochial £1,810 18 10 Boards, Pauper Lunatics, t -great-grandfather of Lord Macaulay. The historian was thus the sixth in direct descent from Domhull Digitized by Microsoft® li by Sheriff Brand, as Chairman of the Crofters Commission, and Colonel Gore-Booth, E..E., Consulting Engineer to the Scottish OflB.ce, was held at Stornoway in May 1901. Numerous witnesses were examined from the Park district, when it was found that there was practical unanimity in favour of the direct route. It has accordingly been adopted, and the Congested Districts Board have voted a sum of £2,700 for the construction of the road. It may be added that the Lewis District Committee have prepared a somewhat elaborate scheme of roads for the district of Park, and submitted the same to the Con- gested Districts Board for their consideration. 5. In addition to the roads above mentioned the Congested Districts Board have made a general gr-ant of £362 6s. 8d. toicards highways in Lewis. The total amount of public monies for the construction of roads in the island from 1891 to 1901 has been as follows : — 1. Carloway Road, £15,500 2. Roads and Footpaths under the Western Highlands Works Act, 1893-94, 1896-97, 3. Vallasay Bridge, Bern era, 4. Grravir-Cromore Road, 5. Greneral Road Grant by Congested Districts Board C. — Telegraph and Postal Extensions. £2,133 18 2,362 17 6 4,496 111 2,700 362 15 6 6 8 ! Board, £23,170 2 2 During the twenty years under review great improvements have been effected in the matter of extendiag postal and telegraph communications. In a district where the art of writing has been so little practised as it has been in Lewis till comparatively recent times, postal facilities were not considered of great importance, but with the advance of education correspondence increased, and improved postal facilities have been increased Postal proportionately. In 1833 there was only one mail packet in the week to Lewis. *'°™'^^\'^^' It sailed from Poolewe to Stornoway, and in severe weather was occasionally unable to ^ii^^T^-^ • perform its weekly trip. At that time there was no Post-office in the island outside of of I9th Stornoway. century. As yet the number of deliveries in the rural parts of the island is somewhat meagre. They may, however, be sufficient for the present necessities of the various localities, and are probably as numerous as the business transacted would justify. In 1880 there were eleven Post-offices in Lewis in addition to the head-office at Improved Stornoway. The latter had for some time previously been fully equipped with a Money postal Order and Savings Bank department. The telegraph had also been introduced, but there *'®'*" was no telegraphic communication with any of the country offices, and telegrams for all parts of the island other than Stornoway were as a rule forwarded by the first mail despatched after the receipt of such a message. Of these eleven Post-offices one was at Garrabost in the district of Eye ; two were in the district of Back (Gress and North Tolsta) ; two in Lochs (one at Crossbost and one at Balallan) ; two on the north side of Loch Roag (one at Callernish and one at Carloway) ; one on the west side of Loch Roag at Miavaig ; and one on the Island of Bernera. There was also one at Barvas, and another at Cross in the district of Ness. Since 1880, Post-offices have been opened at Portnaguran in Eye ; Laxdale, in the neighbourhood of Stornoway ; Laxay, Keose, and Gravir, in Lochs ; Islivig* On the Atlantic seaboard in the Parish of Uig ; at Shawbost (between Carloway and Barvas); and at Port of Ness in the Parish of Barvas. Similar progress has been made in the matter of Money Orders and Savings Banks. Progress of In 1880 Miavaig was the only rural office where Savings Bank business was transacted. ^^^"^S'^ In 1900 there were Savings Banks at Back, North Tolsta, to the north of Broad Bay ; ^^"j^^^^^^ at Garrabost and Portnaguran in the Peninsula of Eye ; at Crossbost and Balallan in * It may be of interest to state here that Islivig, which has now got its Post-office, adjoins Brenish, where Donald Cam's son Angus (referred to on the preceding page) resided. It appears to have been the home of the Macaulays of Uig — the sept from which Lord Macaulay was descended — from time immemorial. In 1891, ten crofters of Islivig applied for fair rents — nine of whom bore the surname Macaulay. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® lii Lochs ; at Bernera, Callernish, and Carloway in the Parish of Uig ; at Shawbost, Ness, and Port of Ness in the Parish of Barvas, in addition to Stornoway and Miavaig pre- viously mentioned. The business done at these country offices is small in amount, but it is noteworthy that while there were only two accounts on 31st March 1880 out of Stornoway, there were on the corresponding date of 1900 sixty-oii^e such accounts, with a gross sum of £922 8s. 5d. to their credit. The growth of Savings Bank business at the head-office at Stornoway is highly significant. In 1880 the number of depositors was 82, with a sum of £651 8s. 7d. at their credit. By 31st December 1889 the depositors had increased to 220, and the deposits to £2,430 2s. 8d., while on 31st December 1900 the depositors numbered 505, and the deposits amounted to £11,179 lis. 7d. The total number of depositors in the island at the date stated was thus 566, and the total amount of deposits £12,102. The great bulk of the deposits, it will be seen, was at the head-office in Stornoway, but it would be a mistake to suppose that the depositors were confined to that district. The country postmaster is, as a rule, a man of the crofter or fisherman class. He is fully trusted, but his neighbours regard the amount of their means and substance (when they have any) as a profound secret and therefore do not wish the local post- master to have any knowledge of it. When the proverbial old stocking is discarded, recourse is had to the head office in Stornoway. But notwithstanding feelings of the kind indicated, the country offices have made a promising beginning, and it is to be hoped that they will gradually foster a spirit of thrift among the people. The various offices above enumerated have been opened at the instance of the Postal Authorities in the ordinary development of postal business. Telegraph The case is different, however, with regard to the extension of the telegraph service; o ces m ^^^ where a loss was apprehended guarantees were demanded. On the requisite districts guarantee being found the telegraph service was extended, and there are now 12 tele- Guarantees, graph offices in the country districts of Lewis. In the case of four of these (Callernish, Carloway, Miavaig, and Crossbost) the extension was carried out by an expenditure under sub-head B. (4) of the Highlands and Islands Works vote ; and the service has been carried on by the Post Office without a guarantee. In each of the other cases the service was extended by the Post Office after getting a guarantee against loss. The progress of telegraphic extension and development in the island may be seen from the following statement showing the date of opening of each new office in chrono- logical order : — 1886 — Balallan, in Lochs. 1888 — Portnaguran, in the district of Eye; Back, to the north of Broad Bay; Port of Ness, in Barvas. 1889 — Garrabost, in the district of Eye ; Barvas, in the Parish of that name. 1896 — Crossbost, in the Parish of Lochs. 1901 — Gravir, in the Park district of Lochs ; Keose, north of Loch Erisort, also in Lochs. With the exception of Balallan, all the offices have been guaranteed against loss by Public Departments. The guarantor in the case of Balallan was Mr. J. A. Piatt, shooting tenant of Park Deer Forest. He paid a sum of £lO 3s. 6d. under that guarantee, but since 1893 the office has been carried on by the Postal Authorities without a guarantee. The office at Port of Ness, opened in 1888, has entailed considerable expenditure in its upkeep. It is of great service to the locality, but it is also of the utmost importance to Lloyd's in connection with their signalling station at the Butt of Lewis. Further, there is a lighthouse at the Butt to which also it is of importance. In 1889 the Fishery Board paid the Post Office £217 5s. 9d. to make up the deficiency for that year. That sum included £20 from Lloyd's. (A like amount was received from Lloyd's during the succeeding six years.) In 1894 the deficiency was £55 6s. lOd., but in every other year the amount exceeded £100. The total amount paid to the Post Office during the period from the openmg of the Port of Ness telegraph office in 1888 to 2nd October 1895 has been £992 17s. 3d., of which £852 17s. 3d. has been contributed by the Fishery Board and the balance of £140 by Lloyd's. Telegraph offices were also opened at Portnaguran in the district of Eye and at Back in 1888. In respect of these the Fishery Board paid a sum of £647 15s. 7d. down Digitized by IVIicrosoft® liii to 1895. It is, however, satisfactory to observe that the yearly deficiency has fallen steadily from £135 15s. lOd. in the first year to £60 12s. lOd. in 1895. Barvas, opened in 1889, has the unique record of showing a surplus in one year. That was in 1892, when it was £5 5s. 9d. to the good. It has, however, cost the Fishery Board £81 14s. 8d. between 1889 and 1895. Garrabost, opened as a telegraph office in 1889, has only cost the Fishery Board the sum of £27 18s. lOd., the highest amount in any one year being £7 14s. 8d. in 1890, and the lowest £1 19s. 5d. in 1895. The business at all these ofiices is steadily increasing. In proportion as it does the annual deficiency diminishes ; and it is satisfactory to note that the telegraph business at Port of Ness, Back, Portnaguran, and Barvas has been carried on by the Post Office since 1895, and at Garrabost since 1896, without any guarantee. The only other offices calling for remark here are those opened at Gravir and Keose in 1901. Here the guarantors are the Lochs Parish Council, but the Congested Districts Board have guaranteed the Council against loss to the extent of £60 10s. per annum. The offices have not yet been opened a year, and accordingly no money has been paid up to the present time ; but the Congested Districts Board have become liable for the amount stated. The guarantees paid from public sources and the amounts received out of the Western Guarantees Highlands and Islands Works vote for the extension of the telegraph service in Lewis ^? conneo- may be tabulated thus:— telegraph Portof Ness— Fishery Board 1888-95, £852 17 3 Lloyd's Do., 140 service. £992 17 ^«^^^g™ ^^'^JFishery Board 1888-95, 647 15 7 Barvas — Fishery Board 1889-96, 81 14 8 Garrabost — Do. do., 27 18 10 ^^^^^^^^^jCongested Districts Board (liable for) 60 10 CaUernish, Carlo way, andMiavaig — Western Highlands Works Vote, Sub-section B. (4), 1,094 Crossbost — Western Highlands Works Vote, Sub-section B. (4), - - 145 Total, £3,049 16 4 D. — ^Miscellaneous. The Congested Districts Board have incurred considerable outlays under this head, the expenditure having been directed towards the advancement of agriculture, the im- provement of stock, and the promotion of Home Industries. First, as regards Agriculture, — The Lewis crofter in the past rarely changed the seed sown, with the result thatlmprove- he frequently had a poor and sickly return. The Board, having considered that a change ™®°* °* of seed oats and seed potatoes would be beneficial, purchased large quantities and dis- ^S^^u ure. tributed the same to the value of &n*J in the island. They have also expended a sum of £86 on experiments in vegetable and turnip cultivation, including the cost of hurdles and fencing. Potato spraying in Lewis and Harris cost £397. The exact amount spent in each place cannot be definitely ascertained, but much the larger part is applicable to Lewis. As to the improvement of stock, the Board have paid a sum of £ 170 in aid oflmprove- premiums for stallions in Lewis. They have also sent 16 bulls and 3 rams for the service ™®'^* °^ of crofters' stock in the island, the cost of the 19 animals being about £350. ®*°*'^' The Board have caused inspections to be made with regard to cattle diseases in Lewis, the cost of which has amounted to £55. Home Industries in Lewis, fostered by Lady Seaforth upwards of a century ago. Home and encouraged and stimulated by the late Lady Matheson, still require attention. The industries, local Committee, presided over by Mr. G. J. Campbell, Sherifi"- Substitute of Lewis, has Digitized by IVIicrosoft® liv been active in this good work. In support of its objects the Board have expended a sum of £305. . . The sums above stated as disbursed by the Board do not include the cost of visits of supervision and inspection. These it is impossible to state separately from the general cost of such visits throughout the congested areas. The outlays by the Board under the head of Miscellaneous are here summarised:— A dvancing Agriculture : — (1) Oat and Potato seeds, (2) Experiments in Vegetable cultivation, (3) Potato spraying, Improvement of Stock: — (1) Premiums for Stallions, (2) Bulls and Eams, (3) Cattle Diseases, Home Industries, £777 86 397 £170 350 55 £1,260 Total, 575 305 £2,140 Summary. Finally, the total expenditure under the head of grants for public works and other miscellaneous improvements in the Island of Lewis mainly since 1891 may be tabulated thus : — A. — Piers, Harbours, Boat-slips, &c., B. — Roads and Footpaths, C. — Telegraph and Postal Extensions, D. — Miscellaneous, £36,501 16 9 23,170 2 2 3,049 16 4 2,140 £64,861 15 3 It only remains to add that the figures setting forth the amount of grants for the construction of public works in Lewis, or in aid of such works, are taken from Parliamentary publications, and from statements furnished to the Commission for the purposes of this inquiry by the Departments concerned. The Parliamentary papers from which information has been derived are (l) A Return of Expenditure under the Western Highlands and Islands Works Act, printed by Order of the House of Commons on 16th July 1898, No. 302 of the publications for that year; and (2) The First Report of the Congested Districts Board, published in 1898 (C. 9135). The statements to the Commission are from (1) The Congested Districts Board ; (2) The Department of the Consulting Engineer to the Scottish Office ; (3) the General Post Office ; and (4) The Fishery Board for Scotland. These will be found in Appendices G-., H., I., and K. respectively at pp. 24-35. IX.— FISHERIES. Hebridean In remote times the inhabitants of the Western Islands do not appear to have Fishing prosecuted the fishing industry to any great extent along their coasts. There were prosecuted however, companies formed in the south to fish in northern waters, and the Records of ysou ern ^^^ Scottish Privy Council show how they were harassed in their undertakings by the Islesmen. In 1576 Roderick Macleod of Lewis and his son Torquil came under an obligation for themselves, their kin, friends, and others, "on na wyis molest, stop, troubill " or mak impediment to ony his Majesteis subjectis in thair lauchful trade of fischeing " in the Lochis of the Lewis or utheris the north ylis of this realme." {Collectanea de Rebus Albinicis, p. 101.) In the reign of Charles I. strenuous efforts were made to establish a Hebridean fishing companies in 16th century. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Iv industry, and in 1633 several noblemen formed themselves into an association for that purpose. They were honoured by the patronage of the King and encouraged by His Majesty's bounty. Two Royal fishing stations were set up in the Long Island — one at Lochmaddy. and the other on the Sound of Harris. By this time, as previously mentioned, Lord Seaforth had acquired the Island of Lewis, and as soon as his authority there was established, he began to rear up a sort of independent Principality. In contravention of the laws and privileges of Royal Burghs he introduced into Stornoway a number of Dutch I^ewis fishermen in order to prosecute the fishing industry there. In 1629 the Commissioners ^^"^S^, ^ of Royal Burghs complained to the Privy Council of Lord Seaforth's conduct in the ^y Dutch matter. They alleged that he "draiv in hither ane number of strangers who day lie fishermen. " resorts to and fra Holland to the Lewes and continent next adjacent " [that is the mainland of Ross, where the Mackenzie influence was predominant] " and hes caused " them be answered of all such commoditeis as these bounds aff"ords, as namelie with " fishes and beeves quhilkis with the hyde and tallow, with manie utheris commoditeis, " they transport to Holland." The Council sustained the views contended for by the Burghs and decided against Lord Seaforth. In 1632 the King wrote to the Privy Council concerning the "great wrongis done by strangers inhabiting the Lewis and " repairing thereto in trading and fisching against the laws of that our Kingdom." Special reference was made to Lord Seaforth's conduct in the matter ; and eventually His Majesty commanded the Council "that yow give ordour to the inhabitouris of the " yles not to suffer any stranger to trade or fisch within the same ; using your best and " readiest endeavours that the whole fisching be reserved for the use of the natives and *" subjects who are frie of the Societie of new erected by us, whereby thay may be " encouraged to sett forward in so great and hopefuU a work, whereof we are pleased to " tak upon us the protection." {Collectanea de Rebus Alhinicis, pp. 105-6.) After this some of the Dutchmen were sent away ; but several Dutch families settled in Stornoway and remained there until the outbreak of hostilities between Great Britain and Holland in 1653. They were then expelled, but their example, according to Knox, had a good effect on the natives, who from thenceforward have done more in the way of fishing and traffic than all the other parts of the West Highlands.* To illustrate the disinclination to fish shown by the Western Islanders of former days. Islanders of it may be mentioned that about 1786 Captain Macleod, the then proprietor of Harris, ^P"^"^®^ introduced into that Island a number of Bast Coast fishermen with Orkney yawls to teach (j^^clined the inhabitants. In the spring of that year he proceeded to try the fishing on the coast to fish. near Rodel, but his generous design was ridiculed by the tenants, who maintained that he would meet with no success. He, however, persisted, and in course of one month caught 4,400 large cod and ling, between 400 and 500 skate, and innumerable quantities of small fish.* By the end of the eighteenth century the prosecution of the fishing industry seems Lewis to have been general wherever there were favourable fishing grounds along the coast of fishing in Lewis, but Stornoway and its neighbourhood formed the centre. the 18th The minister of Barvas, writing in the Old Statistical Account, states that there were a few cod, ling, and haddock taken upon the coast, but that the principal fishing- was that of dog-fish, from the liver of which a considerable quantity of oil was extracted. It is worthy of observation that in former times, and in some cases even to the present day, dog-fish has formed a favourite article of food in the island. There were upwards of 40 boats employed at the dog-fish industry in the Parish of Barvas in the 18th century, and from 8,000 to 9,000 Scotch pints of oil were annually manufactured from the livers of dog-fish and sold to Stornoway merchants at from 6d. to 8d. per pint. For a length of time the tenants of Ness were able to pay their rents with the proceeds of dog-fish oil. The minister of Lochs says there were about 70 fishing boats belonging to the Parish ; and he adds that the people from their youth were accustomed to a sea-faring life. Cod and ling, he mentions, constitute the principal fishing, of which about 24 tons on an average were annually caught. The cured fish were sold to the Stornoway merchants. Other kinds caught were consumed in the Parish. The minister of Uig states there were then 73 fishing boats in his Parish. Great quantities of herrings of uncommonly large size, he adds, were caught in Loch Roag within the immediately preceding years. In 1794 there were about 90 sail from all parts of the Kingdom at the herring fishing in that loch. About 40 years prior to that date the hauls were so large that fresh herrings were sold at Is. per cran. For Loch Roag- *A Tour through the Highlands of Scotland cmd the Hehride Isles, in MDCCLXXXVI, hy John Knox, p. IBl. Digitized by Microsoft® Ivi cured herring Sweden was at one time the principal if not the sole market. At the date of the Old Statistical Report there were 275 netmakers in Uig, showing that the fishing industry was prosecuted with some measure of activity. " All the people," the writer says, " dwell in little farm-villages and they fish in the summer season. .The womendo not " fish ; but almost at all times when there is occasion to go to sea, they never decline that " service, and row powerfully." (Vol. XIX., p. 284.) The minister of Stornoway gives statistics showing the quantities of fish shipped from Stornoway during the six years from 1791 to 1796 inclusive. In these years there were 14,000 barrels of herrings "exported" (presumably to the Continent), and over 20,000 " shipped" for British consumption. Cured cod and ling were mainly exported, the figures varying from 39 tons in 1792 to 134 tons in 1794. For home consumption the higher figures are those for 1795, when the quantity was 19 tons. 11 cwts., and the lowest those for 1796, the quantity being 1 ton 14 cwts. All the train oil shipped was for home consumption, except 40 barrels exported in 1796. The following Table shows the total quantities of herrings and cured fish, &c., shipped from Stornoway for home and foreign ports during the years stated : — Fish shipped at Stornoway towards close of 18th century. Decline of kelp industry gave an impetus to fishing. Year. White Herrings. Cod and Ling. Salmon. Train Oil. Barrels. Tons. Cwts. Qrs. Barrels. Barrels. 1791 4,592^ 64 18 ... 393 1792 6,163 44 3 2 . • * 114 1793 10,945 68 3 3 4i 264 1794 6,739i 137 11 1 156 1795 4,395i 114 3 . . • 176 1796 1,753 120 17 1 ... 276 Total for 6] years. J 34,588^ 549 14 2 H 1,379 Sir James Matheson's attitude towards the fishing industry. These figures show an annual average of 5,765 barrels of white herring, 91 tons cod and ling, and 230 barrels of train oil. The term "white herring" no doubt means salted herrings, as distinguished from smoked or red herrings. The decline of the kelp industry in the Hebrides gave an impetus to fishing, and in Lewis there was after that decline a progressive increase, particularly as to cod, ling, and hake; for the number of these fish taken or purchased by craft belonging to Stornoway was 122,398 in 1828, 173,041 in 1829, and 198,226 in 1833. (Lord Teign- mouth's Sketches of the Coasts and Islands of Scotland, Vol. I., p. 220.) The herring fishing, however, did not make such great strides. To the middle of the nineteenth century it was mainly confined to the lochs, for till then the people were not acquainted with deep-sea fishing, and their boats and nets were not suitable for it. The cod and ling fishing was, however, vigorously prosecuted, the fish being, as a rule, cured and sold. Prior to 1833 there were about 120 tons of this fish cured annually in Stor- noway and shipped to Ireland and the Clyde. Flounders, saithe, and haddocks were caught in large numbers, but mainly for domestic consumption. " The haddock," says the minister of Stornoway, in the New Statistical Account, " is a general favourite, and " is to be had at all seasons in the Broad Bay. There is always a ready sale for it in " spring, when the salt beef becomes tough " ! There is no record of any large expenditure by Sir James Matheson to promote the fishing industry. He made considerable outlays, as has been seen, in securino- steamer communication with the island, and also expended £2,225 in the building of a^'quay for steamers at Stornoway; but the only entry of any large outlay by him, having a direct connection with the fishing industry is one setting forth that he expended £1,000 on fish-curing houses. Indeed, there is evidence that he did not consider it his duty as proprietor, or likely to be ultimately beneficial to him, to invest money m that way. Mr. John Munro Mackenzie of Calgarry who had been chamberlain for Sir James in Lewis, gave evidence before the Napier Commission at Edinburgh on 24th October 1883. In course of the same he laid considerable stress on the importance to Lewis of harbours and boat-slips. At the close Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ivii of his examination Lord Napier interrogated him thus — " You seem to have a very high sense of the importance of harbours and boat shelters. When you were there you were associated with a very rich and benevolent proprietor. Was his attention not called to that question ? " Mr. Munro Mackenzie — " Constantly, but that was one of the few points which he and I differed upon. 1 constantly wished that some of the money expended on other things should be expended upon harbours, and he always said : ' Well, the fish-curer should do it. The people who are getting the benefit of this fish trade should do it." I said : ' You will get it in another way. You will get it in rents.' But I could never get him to see the advantage to him. He always said that the fishermen and curers, and the people engaged in the trade, should do it for themselves." — (Question and Answer, No 46,055.) Among capitalists IMr. JMethven, of Leith, was a pioneer of the deep-sea herring introduc- fishing. With the encouragement given by him and other fishcurers, that fishing tion of received an impetus, and a larger class of boats was introduced. Many of these were of ^'^'^8®'^°°^*^- the type known as the " Anstruther build," and each one was in consequence called "An Anstrutherach," a name which in course of years was shortened into "Eanstrach." This word became the usual designation for boats of that build till the larger boats of recent years were introduced. With the use of the " Eanstrach " the deep-sea herring fishing of Lewis prospered. The extent of the Stornoway herring fishing and of the cod and ling fishing may be seen from the following figures applicable to the years 1870-75 : — Year. Barrels of Herrings cured at Stornoway. Number of Cod and Ling cured in the Stornoway district. 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 159,180 61,099 48,925 87,913 75,471 57,709 297,464 332,395 357,879 481,570 325,141 471,611 The statistics furnished by the Fishery Board for Scotland show the importance ol the fishing industry in Lewis during the period specially covered by this Report. The number of herring boats belonging to Lewis, however, has at no time during this period reached 200. In 1880 the actual number was 165, and that may be regarded as a fair average for a series of years. The fluctuations in the figures, Lewis however, are somewhat perplexing, for while in 1889 the number had risen to 197, itfi^hmg had dwindled to 96 in 1895. In the following year it rose to 187, and in 1900 it stood ^°'^*^- at 179. A much larger number of boats is engaged in the cod and ling fishing, but in that industry also the numbers fluctuate. In 1880 there were 3 5 1 of this class. They gradually increased till 1891, when a total of 440 was reached. In the following year they had decreased to 330 ; and immediately thereafter a rapid increase set in, the number in 1895 being 704. Then another decline followed, and in 1900 the number was only 442. The number of fishermen and boys employed in the fishing industry was 2,730 in 1880; in 1885 it rose to 3,530. Since then there has been a gradual increase till a total of 3,903 was reached in 1898. In 1900 the number had fallen to 3,617. As to the value of the fish caught the statistics furnished commence with the year 1889. The figures for the years 1889-1900 include the value offish taken in Lewis and Harris, the whole island being in the same fishery district. The catch of herrings Value of represents nearly three times the value of the white fish, but it would be a mistake to^sl^caught suppose that the proceeds remain in the island. A large majority of the boats engaged in^"^ ^^^^' the summer fishing come from other quarters, and carry with them the proceeds of their enterprise. The white fishing, on the other hand, is mainly confined to local boats and the proceeds accordingly go to the Islanders. 7 Digitized by Microsoft® Value of herrings. Value of white fish. Value of shell-fish. Contribu- tion of Harris. Iviii The following figures are instructive with regard to the proceeds of the herring fishing. The value of herrings caught in Lewis and Harris in 1889 is given in the Fishery Board Eeturn at £57,071. In 1891, it rose to £90,738, but after that year it steadily declined, reaching the low figure of £20,462 in 1 8 94. After that a steady increase set in until 1898, when the very large sum of £128,707 was reached. In 1900 the figure was £83,547. The total catch of herrings during these twelve years amounted to the value of £816,583, or an average of £68,048 per annum. Taking next the white fishing, the total catch was of the value of £26, 683 in 1889. A steady increase followed till 1893, when the sum of £36,158 was reached. After that date there has been a decline until, in 1900, the figures fell to £21,487. Only in one year did the figures exceed £30,000, viz., in 1897, when the catch was valued at £32,813. The total value of white fish landed in these twelve years is £337,692, or an average of £28,141 per annum. In the case of shell-fish, the most important of which are lobsters, the value has varied from £7,871 in 1892, down to £3,392 in 1900. This falling ofi" is accounted for partly by the scarcity of full-grown lobsters, and partly by the fact that the fishermen are employed in more remunerative branches of industry. The total value of the shell- fish landed during the said twelve years was £61,907, of which £27,682 was contributed by Harris, leaving £34,225 to Lewis. The yearly average in Harris was £2,306, and in Lewis £2,852. It is noteworthy that while the contribution of Harris to the total catch of Lewis Fishery District amounts to £27,682 for shell-fish in the twelve years, its total catch in herrings and white fish only amounts to £17,258. Deducting the contribution of Harris from the total catch in the Stornoway Fishery District during the period specified, the following classification may be made-: — Lewis — Herring and White Fish, Shell-fish, . Harris — Herring and white fish. Shell-fish, . £1,137,017 34,225 £17,258 27,682 £1,171,242 44,940 Total for Lewis and Harris, £1,216,182 Progress of local boats. Progress of fishing industry. Although the annual catch fluctuates, there is evidence of the general progress of the fishing industry so far as the local boats are concerned in the fact that according to the Eeturns of the Fishery Board the value of boats belonging to Lewis in 1880 was £17,130, while in 1900 it rose to £26,638, or an increase of 55-5 per cent. The value in the last year is owing more to the larger and improved class of boat than to increase in numbers. The herring boats and white-fishing boats in 1880 numbered 516, and taking them as a whole give an average value of £33 4s. Od. In 1900 the two classes together numbered 621, or an increase of 20 per cent, as compared with 1880, and had an average value of £42 18s. Od. It may be added that there were in Lewis in 1900, 88 boats of 45 feet keel and upwards, classed first, and having a tonnage of 2,239. These were all from places where good harbour accommodation is obtainable, such as both sides of Loch Erisort, the districts of Leurbost, Eye or Point, and Back. There are none of this class in Stornoway, or in the adjacent fishing villages. There were 61 classed first, with 30 to' 45 feet keel, and having a tonnage of 808, in the island in 1900. Boats of the second class, and measuring from 18 to 30 feet keel, are met with throughout the island, there being 30 of these at Port-of-Ness alone. The total number of such boats in Lewis in the year stated was 218, with a tonnage of 1 072 Concerning the progress generally, the following passage from the Annual Eeport of the Fishery Officer at Stornoway may be quoted : " A noticeable feature in connection with the industry [fishing] is the spirit of " progress manifest at a number of creeks bordering on the Minch. Several new boats " of the most modern construction have been added to the fleet. Fishing material has " also been improved. For the first time in the history of the Lewis fishermen, five crews Digitized by Microsoft® lix " prosecuted the herring fishing as far as Great Yarmouth, and two at Lerwick. These " were remarkably successful. Notwithstanding the failure of the summer herring fishing, ^ " the earnings of the crews engaged in its prosecution ranged from £400 to £1,200." [Annual Report of the Fishery Board for 1900, p. 258.) The Return of the Fishery Board on which these observations are based will be found in Appendix K. to this Report. Although the great majority of the boats engaged in the summer herring fishing Importance come from a distance, as has been explained, the industry is of the utmost importance to ^'^f^l^f. Lewis. Such able-bodied men as have no boats of their own can get employment on ^g^j^g '^•^' stranger boats as hired hands, and those Lewismen who have suitable boats prosecute the fishing with as much success as others. In connection with the herring fishing the female population of Lewis earn a large Lewis amount in successful years. In the hot weather usually prevailing during the summer Gr"**^!'^- fishing it is absolutely necessary that the herrings should be cured as soon as possible after they are landed, and accordingly a large number of women are required for gutting and packing. Some of these come from other quarters, but the vast majority are Lewis women. While waiting the arrival of the fishing fleet they may be seen in large numbers on the streets of Stornoway. They knit, and chat to each other in Gaelic, as they saunter along. Bareheaded and clad in short skirts and knitted shoulder- wraps, or shawls of the most vivid colours, they present a picturesque appearance. Whenever the boats arrive the fineries are defied, oilskin aprons are put on, and they begin to work with right good will. In this work they are formed into crews or parties, each party being divided into gutters and packers. Whenever the fishing is prosperous they are thus occupied daily till Saturday, when all living within a moderate distance of Stornoway return to their homes. There they spend their Sundays, and return to work on Monday. In this way they afford a good illustration of the Gaelic saying — "Di-h-Aoine mo ghaoil ; Di-Sathurna mo ghrkidh ; Di-D6mhnaich " latha a' chadail mhoir ; Ach oich ! oich ! Di-Luain — an t-seachdain cho fada 's a bha i " riamh." (Friday, my love ; Saturday, my darling love ; Sunday, the day of the long sleep. But Monday, alas ! alas ! the new week as long as ever it was !) On the Mondays they may be seen wending their way from the country districts to Stornoway. Each carries a creel or basket with food and raiment for the week, and walks barefooted over the rough roads with the utmost unconcern. On reach- ing the outskirts of Stornoway a halt is made, usually on some grassy plot by the road, a toilet process is gone through, shoes and stockings, which had been carried slung round the neck, are put on, and then the straggling groups proceed to town to commence the arduous duties of another " long week." A branch of the herring industry which deserves a passing notice is that of kipper- Kippering, ing. For, a length of time the Stornoway June kippers were considered the best in the market ; and curers brought girls from Yarmouth and other places for the kippering trade, the local women not having acquired the art in any considerable numbers. Now, however, the Lewis girls are expert kipperers, and very few English women are brought to Stornoway. The importance of the fishing industry in Lewis can hardly be over-estimated. The money earned circulates through the island, and Stornoway in particular, as the mercantile centre, profits largely. During the busy part of the fishing season the population of the town is doubled — sometimes more than doubled — and a great impetus is given to local trade. The success or non-success of the fishing afiects all the relations of peasant life ; and perhaps there is no respect in which this is more notice- able than in the number of marriages in the winter, which vary according to the success of the fishing season. With the view of accommodating the increased shipping, and particularly the large Pier and number of fishing boats which resort to Stornoway in summer, the Pier and Harbour '^^'^^^^^^ Commissioners of the town have made large expenditure within the last few years in^^pj^ ™° *" deepening the harbour and extending the quayage accommodation. The extent of the work may be estimated from the fact that the annual value of the undertaking is entered in the current Valuation EoU at £3,081 lis. 8d. Finally, a few observations may be ofiered on the subject of loans to fishermen under the Crofters Holdings Act. Section 32 of that Act authorised the Fishery Board for Scot- Digitized by Microsoft® Ix Loans under the Crofters Act to fishermen. land to make advances, by way of loan, to persons engaged in the prosecution of the fishing industry, whether crofters or others in crofting parishes, in the seven counties mentioned in the Act and abutting on the sea ; the Treasury to advance to the Fishery Board for this purpose such sums as might from time to time be voted by Parliament. The second part of the section proceeds : — " The purposes to which the sums advanced " as aforesaid shall be applied by way of loan, shall be deemed to include the building, " purchase, or repair of vessels, boats, and gear for fishing purposes, and any other purpose " of the like nature, for the benefit or encouragement of the fishing industry within the " localities above specified, which may be sanctioned by the Fishery Board, with " consent of the Secretary for Scotland." In due course the Secretary for Scotland, with the consent of the Treasury, made rules as to the terms on which the Fishery Board might make advances by way of loan to persons coming within the scope of the said section of the Act. Under these rules the loans were divided into two classes — (1) for the building of new boats; and (2) for buying gear, or for the purchase or repair of boats already built. In the case of new boats the maximum sum to be advanced was not to exceed £312 in any case ; and in estimating the value of a boat such value was to include the sails, rigging, anchor, chains, spars, and the usual boat gear and fittings, but no fishing gear. Loans for this purpose — i.e., the first class — were to bear interest at 3^ per cent., and principal and interest were repayable in half-yearly instalments according to a scale to be prepared by the Fishery Board. These instalments, in terms of the agreement of parties, ranged over periods of from four to ten years. Boats of this class were mort- gaged to the Board. Loans for the second class varied according to the condition of the boat or other circumstances affecting the security. Under the said enactment the Fishery Board made 246 loans throughout the districts to which they were applicable, the total amount advanced being £30,111 16s. 7d. Of the total number 93 were effected with Lewis fishermen, who received advances amounting to £11,933 lis. 9d., thus leaving £l8,l78 4s. lOd. as the sum advanced to all other quarters. In the case of Lewis all the advances were made between March 1888 and January 1891. No advance has been made to any quarter since the last stated year. Thus the time for repayment of all the loans has expired ; but it is matter for regret and disappintment that there are not only outstanding arrears, but that the Fishery Board felt compelled to seize a number of b'jats and dispose of them to the best advantage. In other cases boats were surrendered and afterwards sold by the Board. The arrears due from all quarters at 31st December 1900 amounted to £8,333 3s. lOd., of which £7,463 12s. 9d. was in respect of principal, and £869 lis. Id. of interest. In the matter of repayment it is to be noted that the Lewis borrowers have done better than the others as a whole. We place here in tabular form the total amount of loans, the amount repaid, including principal and interest, and the percentage of principal paid, distinguishing between Lewis loans and all other loans : — No. Amount advanced. Amount repaid, including Principal and Interest. Percentage paid. Loans to Lewis Fishermen, . Loans to Fishermen from all 1 other quarters, including Oro- ] marty, Helmsdale, Wick, ! Lybster, Orkney, Shetland, ' Harris, Barra, Loch Broom, Fort-William, &c. J 93 153 £ s. d. 11,933 11 9 18,178 4 10 ,£ s. d. 9,835 4 4 10,813 15 82-4 59-5 Total, 246 30,111 16 7 20,648 19 4 But for the unfortunate position of the Parish of Barvas in respect of these loans Lewis would have presented a much better appearance than it does. Barvas received fifteen loans amounting to £1,053 18s., but of this sum only £259 3s of Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ixi principal, and £32 18s. Id. of interest has been repaid. Taking principal alone, these figures only show payments amounting to 2 4 "5 percent, of the whole advance ; and even adding interest to the instalments of principal, the percentage is only 27. On the other hand, the three Parishes of Stornoway, Lochs, and Uig received loans amounting to £10,879 13s. 9d., and repaid £7,903 9s. Id. of principal and £1,639 14s. 2d. of interest, making in all £9,543 3s. 3d., or 87 per cent, of the total advance. As stated, the Fishery Board was under the necessity of seizing boats when the borrowers had failed to implement their part of the contract ; and from the statistics given at page 35 of the Appendix it will be seen that not fewer than 31 Lewis boats had either been seized or were surrendered. These when sold realised £1,024 12s. Four boats were wrecked, two of which were insured and two not insured. In respect of the former the Board received £47 15s. 8d. The total advances made by the Board to Lewis fishermen and the monies received in repayment thereof may be tabulated thus : — Total Advances, Monies received — Principal repaid by Borrowers, . Net sums received for seized or surren- dered Boats, . Money received from Insurance Companies (wrecked Boats) Interest paid by Borrowers, £11,933 11 9 £8,162 12 1 1,024 12 47 15 8 1,672 12 3 10,907 12 Net loss of Capital, exclusive of all Interest, . £1,025 19 9 So much for the financial aspect of the Lewis loans. The following figures show the total number carried out in Lewis, and how they now stand : — Total number of Loans, i.e. mortgaged Boats, 93 Fully paid up, .... 35 Boats seized or surrendered and sold, . . 31 Boats found unsaleable, ... 5 Boats wrecked, .... 4 Loans compromised after legal action, . 2 Loans still outstanding, i.e. Boats still mortgaged to the Board, . . .16 — 58 — 93 The Appendix shows that a sum of £1,998 2s. 8d. of principal has been written ofi' against the local loan fund. This amount included balances which were found to be irrecoverable in connection with costs of seizures and sales, unsaleable boats, wrecks and compromises. No sum has been written off" as against borrowers, however, and these <5an still be proceeded against should the Board consider that course expedient. As regards the four cases of wreck, two were uninsured at the time of the loss, and therefore no money could be recovered in respect of them. In the Qase of the other two, the amount for which the boats were insured was insufi&cient to pay the full value of the boats. Further, the owners were in arrear with their instalments, and balances had to be written ofi". In the two cases compromised, actions were raised in the Sheriff Court, and after some procedure the borrowers made offers which the Board accepted. There are sixteen boats still mortgaged to the Board, but it is confidently hoped that all, or nearly all, the loans in respect of these will be paid up. The amount of principal against these loans still outstanding is stated at £700 9s. 4d. We understand, however, that since the date of the Return printed in the Appendix the sum of £77 has been received to account, reducing it to £623 9s. 4d. But for the comparative failure of the West Coast fishing in 1901 a much larger amount would have been paid. The Board anticipate that with an average fishing in 1902 fully one-half of the mortgaged boats will be clear, and that the remainder may be clear next year. The sum of £254 4s. 8d. stated as "interest outstanding" includes interest due by the owners of the mortgaged boats, and also interest debited to the borrowers in all the •other cases of arrears, but which still remain unpaid. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ixii While it is to be regretted that these loans have not been fully paid up, and that so many boats had to be seized or were surrendered, it is to be borne in mind that the advances were made to aid a deserving class of men in adverse circumstances, and in surroundings where they were unable to help themselves. Those who have cleared their boats are said to be doing well, and in no case have they gone back for a second loan. In that view of the situation the amount of money dropped as in a question of account- ing should not be considered a loss, but as a grant in aid towards a highly important object, the benefit of which is directly and indirectly felt in the advancement of the fishing industry. The help given by the Fishery Board in the matter of piers and harbours and in telegraph extension has been dealt with in the preceding section. Lewis at the end of the 16th century. Land occupation in Martin's time. Park Forest. X.— LAND OCCUPATION. As to the state of land occupation in Lewis before the beginning of the 18th century there is little known, but we get a glimpse of this subject in a " Description of the Isles of Scotland," supposed to have been written for James VI. between 1577 and 1595. " This He of Lewis," we are there told, " is very profitable and fertile alswell of corns " as all kind of bestiaU, wild fowl and fishes, and speciallie of beir, sua that thair will " grow commonlie 20, 18, or at the leist 16 bolls beir yeirlie eftir ilk bolls sawing. It " is 40 lb. land of auld extent and payis yeirlie' 18 score chalders of victuall, 58 score of " ky, 32 score of wedderis, and ane great quantitie of fisches, pultrie, and quhyte " plaiding by thair Cuidichies,* that is feisting thair master when he pleases to cum in " the cuntrie, ilk ane thair nicht or twa nichtis about, according to thair land and " labouring." (Skene's Celtic Scotland, vol. iii., p. 429.) The rent of Lewis in 1644, according to Dr. Fraser Mackintosh's Antiquarian Notes (first series), was £5,938 13s. 4d. Scots, or £494 17s. 9-^d. sterling. Martin, who wrote his account of the Western Islands about the end of the 17th century, states that the country was arable on the west side for about 16 miles along the coast, while it was " plain and arable in several places in the east." The arable land along the west coast was doubtless the division or parish formerly known as Claddach, i.e., the shore-lands. It embraced the present Parish of Barvas and a considerable portion of what is now the Parish of Uig. The other parish of the island was Eye, so called from the Eidhr or isthmus, where the old church was situated. It embraced the present Parish of Stornoway and a great extent of what is now the Parish of Lochs. Uig and Lochs were erected into separate parishes by decree of the Lords Commis- sioners on Teinds on 19th September 1722. In Martin's time the grain sown in Lewis was barley, oats, and rye. Flax and hemp were also cultivated. " The best increase," he says, " is commonly from the " ground manured with sea-ware ; they fatten it also with soot" — both being still largely used in the island. In the cultivation of the land there were about 500 people employed daily for some months in each year. The corn was sown in lazy-beds, or, as they are still called in the Hebrides, Talamh Taomaidh. The island was reputed very fruitful in corn "until the late years of scarcity and bad seasons." These years " brought them very low, and many of the poor people have died of famine." Before that time corn was so abundant that they brewed " several sorts of liquors, as "common usquebaugh, another called Trestarig, id est aqua- vitas, three times distilled "which is strong and hot." [Western Islands, pp. 2 and 3.) The live-stock of the island consisted of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and hogs. He then proceeds — " There are abundance of deer in the Chase of Oservaul, which is 15 " miles in compass, consisting in mountains, and valleys between them : this affords " good pasturage for the deer, black cattle, and sheep. This forest, for so they call it, " is surrounded with the sea, except about one mile upon the west side : the deer are " forced to feed on sea-ware, when the snow and frost continue long, having no wood to " shelter in, and so are exposed to the rigour of the season." {Ibid., p. 10.) Oservaul, it may be explamed, was the old name of what is now the Park Deer * Cuidichies, i.e., cuid-oidhche, or night's quarters, including food. This was an obligation which the lord often imposed on his vassal, the number of such entertainments in course of a year varying according to the extent of land occupied by the latter. ° Digitized by Microsoft® Ixiii Eorest. In, the " Description of the lies," mentioned on the preceding page, we read — " Thair " is na woods in the Lewis but ane great wildernes or forest caUit Osirdaill, quhairin is " sustenit mony deir, thairfor it is pleasant hunting." In the Macfarlane Topographical Collection it is referred to as " Oisserfaill," and Blaeu has it " Ostrafeald " — misplaced, however. It is obviously derived from the Norse Austr (east) and Fjall (a mountain), meaning " Eastern mountain," in contradistinction with the Fjalls of Harris lying due west of it. The principal mountain on the east side of St. Kilda, it may be observed, is " Oisaval," and has the same meaning. (For further references to Park Forest, see note on page 1.) In consequence of the part taken by Lord Seaforth in the " Eising " of 1715 (as Collection previously mentioned), his estates were forfeited and he himself was obliged to leave the "I'^^^y^i 5 country for a time. During his exile his tenants remained faithful and annually ' remitted a considerable portion of their rents. The Commissioners on the Forfeited Estates also endeavoured to collect rents from the same tenantry, but with indifferent success. In Eoss and part of Inverness they were represented by William Eoss, of Easter Fearn, and Eobert Eoss, a Bailie of Tain. These gentlemen had violent encounters with the Kintail tenants, and their annual collections from the Island of Lewis cannot have been large at any time — while in some years it was nil. In 1718 a Judicial Eental of the Seaforth Estates was taken — that is to say, the J^clicial tenants were convened and iudicially examined as to the rents thev formerly paidx ■ ■ . *> */ ST J_i6wis in and thereafter the amounts were entered in the rent-roll of the Commissioners as 1713 the rent of each farm, or township, as the case might be. These rentals are preserved among the Seaforth papers in the Begister House in Edinburgh. That relating to the Island of Lewis bears the following heading : — " Judicial Eentall or Account of the Eeall Estate of William, late Earl of Seaforth, " in ye Isle of Lewis, taken by Sr Patrick Strachan of Glenkindy, Surveyor Genii, of " the Forfeited Estates in North Brittain, upon the oath or depositions of the respective " tenants or vassals of the sd. estate in presence of David Bethune of Cuilniskea, " Substitute Sherif of Eoss, by virtue of a Commission or Substitution from George " Munro of Culcairn, Sheriff Deput of Eoss, dated the twenty -nynth of JuUy last. " This Eentall begun in Stornoway the first day of September 1718 years as follows." [The rent of each possession is then given in detail.] On the first case being called (that of Donald Matheson, Eaarnish), a protest was lodged by Colonel Alexander Mackenzie " for saving the right of Kenneth Mackenzie " of Assint, his pupill, to ye said Estate of Seafort as ye protestant [i.e., protesting] " heir, which protest was given in writing." The deposition of the said Donald Matheson is recorded as follows : — " Appeared personally Donald Mathewsonne, Eaarnish, and Parish of Lochs, who " being deeply sworn and interrogat what rent he used to pay to ye said William, late " Earle of Seaforth, MAKES OATH that he hath noe Tack of his possession at present, " but had one which is expired from ye s* late Earle whom ye depn* calls Marquis of " Seaforth as having power from his moy"" and that the Deponent does now pay one " hundred pounds Scots and no more for his possession and does not ow any part of the " said rent, having paid the last yearly rent to Mr. Zacharias M^Aulay, the factor, or " Chamberlain, which is the truth as he shall answer to God. (Signed) " D. Matheson. „ " David Bethune." The next tacksman was John Mackenzie in Leurbost, who had "a tack from the late " Seaforth as factor for his mother the Marchioness," and which had expired. He paid a yearly rent of £116 18s. 8d. Scots to Mr. Zacharias Macaulay the factor. Mr. Macaulay, who was present, stated that his factory was from the Countess Dowager. It may be here mentioned that Mr. Macaulay had been factor for Lord Seaforth for a length of time before the forfeiture, and that he continued to act locally under the factors for the Forfeited Estates Commissioners. He had been educated at St. Andrews, and was a man of more than ordinary attainments.* His cousin, the Eev. Aulay Macaulay, minister of Harris, was the great-grandfather of Lord Macaulay. t *He was the author of several Gaelic songs. The air of one of these {An gliogram ckas) appears to have fascinated Burns, for he composed to it the song " Blithe hae I been on yon hill," characterised by himself in a letter to Thomson as " one of the finest songs ever I made- in my life." In Burns's works the title of Macaulay's song is mis-spelled " Liggeram cosh." t See footnote, page 1. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Old Divisions of land in Lewis. Tacksmen and small tenants in 1718. Ixiv Most of the tacksmen appear to have had leases, and as a rule adhibited their names to their depositions, showing that they were men of education. The smaller tenants, on the other hand, had no leases, and few, if any, could write. "Where the tenant failed to appear, a relative or a neighbour gave evidence on his behalf, and sometimes the factor deponed as to the rent. The following is a copy of entry No. 65, and is quoted in full as a specimen of the depositions of the smaller tenants : — "No. 65, Angus M'Eon, Donald M^CoU, John MWurchie, Malcolm M"=Wirchie" [Angus son of John, Donald son of Donald, John son of Murdo, Malcolm son of Murdo], "in Nether Bible and Parish afors*^ [Ey] for themselves and for Murdoch M^Eon " also there who is valetudinary and absent MAKE OATH that neither of them have a " tack, but that each of them have in possession a farthing, for which they pay yearly " sixteen merks Scots each and no more, which rent they have paid for several years " past to Mr. M°Caulay j" Chamberlain and say they know no other Landlord but him- " self. And depone they cannot condescend what either of them is in arrear, but " believe they may be owing some part of- the last year's rent each, which is the truth " as they shall answer to God, and depone they cannot write. (Signed) "David Bethune," Each of these tenants (as they deponed) occupied a farthing land, and it may here be observed that, in the past, land in Lewis was divided into pennies, halfpennies, farthings, clitigs, and cianags. A clitig was of the value of half a farthing, while a cianag was of the value of half a clitig. A farthing land in Lewis was rented at 17s. 9id. sterling in 1718.* Along with the above depositions from the district of Eye it may be well to give the following from a different part of the island in order to further explain the position of the small tenants : — "Donald M'=Gillimichaell, William M'^Homas, Gillichallum M'^Coilog, and John " M<=Conellt in five penny landi of Borrow and Parish of Cladach afor* MAXE OATH " severally that neither of them has any Tack of their possessions, But that each of " them pay yearly to y^ above Mr. Zachary M-=Aulay for behoof of ye Countes for"* " Nyne Pounds Scots, Two Bolls one Lipie meall, Fifteen pound weight of Butter, and " three-fourths of a mutton. Depone they and each of them are someq' in arrear but " know not the ParticuUars, and this is y^ truth as they and each of them shall answer " to God, and depone they can't write. (Signed) " David Bethune." This rent-roll has not been hitherto published, and is therefore given in Appendix 0, pp. 47-54, in order to show the state of possession of land in Lewis in 1718. When the rent is wholly or partially in money it is stated in the depositions in pounds or merks Scots (as the case may be), but in the Appendix it is converted into money sterling. An asterisk (*) is prefixed to the name of every tenant who signed his deposition, while a dagger (t) is prefixed to the names of those for whom the factor gave evidence. All those not marked by either an asterisk or a dagger deponed they could not write. An examination of the rent-roll shows that the first 64 entries apply to what in those days would be regarded as large farms, or tacks, the occupant of each of which would be designed as Fear Baile, or Tacksman. Twenty-two of them were Mackenzies four MacLennans, and three Mathesons— doubtless trusted adherents of the Seaforth family on the mainland, who received lands in Lewis as the reward of their fidelity. Of * The yield of a farthing land in Harris prior to 1795 was computed at from four to five bolls The stock was four milch cows, three or perhaps four horses, and as many sheep on the common as the tenant 3 368) ^^''' ^ possession was from £\ 10s. to £1 {Old Statistical Account, vol. x.,, t Donald son of the servant of Michael, William son of Thomas, Gille-Calum (now Malcolm, but literally servant of Columba) son of Donald the young, and John son of Donald . .\' ^^^^,^f ^y " ^^ '^f an uncommon place-name in the Islands. The late Captain Thomas explains its origm thus-" If only one family lived withm the township it was a Penny land, such as Penny-Donald ■ but if the cultivable land was of some extent there would be several famUies within the dykes or township and the collective enclosed land would be named from the number of those famiUes, as Five-Penny Ness "" (/ roceedmgs of the Antiquarian Society of Scotland, vol. xiv., p. 403). Digitized by Microsoft® Ixv native Lewis names, Macaulay, Morison, and Maciver are the principal. The smaller tenants in the country districts numbered 222. Surnames are uncommon among them. They are designed sometimes by personal characteristics, such as Glas (pale-faced), Og (young), Ban (fair), Mbr (tall or stately) ; or by their occupations, such as Gohha or Gow (smith), Brebiter (weaver), Keard or Kaird (artificer) ; but more commonly by patronymics — each of which in many cases formed a respectable pedigree — such, for instance, as "Erick Neindonall" (Euphemia daughter of Donald), "John M'Oilicean" (John son of Donald son of John), "Duncan M'GillichristvicOoilvicCormoid" (Duncan son of the servant of Christ son of Donald son of Norman), while "Donald M'Eanvicinishvicoil " is Donald son of John son of Angus son of Donald. In the following name from the district of Back ecclesiastical descent is traced — " Donald M'Coilvicneillvicintagart " (Donald son of Donald son of Neill son of the priest).* Nicknames, such as " Lovely " and " Baby," are also used to identify some of the tenants. In addition to the tenants in the rural districts of the island above referred to, there were 81 in the town of Stornoway. Of these, 14 were Mackenzies, while other main- land surnames, such as Matheson and MacLennan, are represented. The entries in the rent-roll do not throw any light on the number of sub-tenants on the farms, or of the number of cottars or squatters in the townships. The total rent of the island, as ascertained in course of the judicial inquiry, was as follows : — Meal, 256 bolls, 2 seteen, 2 pecks, f lippies. Muttons, 183fe-. Wedders, - 45. Butter, 173 stones, 14 lbs. TaUow, 7 stones. Salmon, 1 barrel. Money, £713 3s. 9,^'^. A note to the rental explains that the heritor paid the land tax and minister's stipend, being £1,000 (Scots), and £2,000 (Scots) per annum to the Crown and £100 (Scots) to a schoolmaster. The vicarage rent due to the heritor was omitted. It was, however, explained that it consisted of lambs, wool, butter, cheese, &c., and was applied to the payment of the stipends, which in some years it exceeded and other years fell under. During the preceding two years it was collected by Colonel Mackenzie's orders. It was proposed to sell the Seaforth estates in 1722, and particulars of the various Lewis divisions of these were printed for the information of intending purchasers. The rental valuation of the Lewis portion, as above shown, was partly in money and partly in kind. The"^ particulars printed contained the money value of such portions of the rent as were paid in kind — -the whole of the Lewis rental being stated thus in sterling money : — Money, Oatmeal, 256 bolls. Sheep, 228, Butter, 173 stones, Tallow, 7 stones, Salmon, 1 barrel. £713 3 3tA 89 2 2+ 25 6 8 28 19 7 1 3 4 3 Total, - £860 15 Oj Although the rents had been ascertained, the factors do not appear to have been receiving payment, and the following letter from Mr. Zachary Macaulay to them is instructive as showing the condition of the island at that time : — * One Nial Mac-an-t-sagairt, probably an ancestor of this tenant, seems to have caused trouble to the authorities about the beginning of the 17th century. The following entry concerning him appears in the records of the Privy Council under date 11th June 1611 : — "The quhilk day comperit personalia Eorie " McKenzie of Cogach tutour of Kintaill, and become actit and oblist as cautioun and souirtie for Neill " Mclntagart in the Lewes, that he sail compeir personalie befoir the Lordis of Secrite Oounsail so oft as he " salbe lauchfully chairgit to that effect upoun thriescore dayes warneing, and answer to sic thingis as salbe " layed to his charge, under the pane of ane thousand raarkis. — Eorie Mackansie of Cogaith." 8 Digitized by Microsoft® (Joiulition of Lewis in 1721. Factors' rent accounts, 1720-2. Ixvi " Stornova, February 22d 1721 " Gentlemen,— Yours of the 16th January I received upon the 8th of February. " It's not practicable to conveen the tennents of the Lewes att such a season as this ; " but I shall take care that the contents of your letter be communicated to them all att " their respective dwellings. I beleive, yee know, without my information, that my " Lady Dowager of Seafort meddled with cropt one thousand seven hundred and " fifteen, and CoUonel Alexander M-^Kenzie with cropts one thousand seven hundred and " sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen, either by himself or his doers. None has " meddled with cropt one thousand seven hundred and twentie. " Ffor the ordainary method of payment of the Lewes rents, pleas know that the " rental consists of four branches (whatever mistake Glenkindy might have been in), " viz., money, meal, butter, and mutton. The three last branches were punctually " received in their seasons. As for the money branch, ther was very little of it payed " in cash. But in the monthes of October and November, cowes were raised and " slaughtered, and the beefe sent to such mercats as the manadgers thought fit. Then " in January, February, etc., Aquavity was received for a considerable pairt of the " money rent. In short, ther was hardly anything, the ground produced but was " received in its season, and after all, a Whitsunday clearance, even for one cropt, was " never yet gotten in the Lewes. " I know no effects now in season (or that can be expected before May or June) " but meal and some aquavity, and for the meal, being it's a little dangerous to leave it " in the hands of the tennents, and that others more responsable may need it. Tie make " bold to raise as much of it as the tennents may handsomely spare, and be answerable " att a day for it. The aquavity they may delay to your own arrival. The nixt product " is milk cowes in the month of May. These for the most pairt may be sold within the " Island. Therafter, in June and July, driveing cowes. How to dispose of them, yee " know much better than I. "As for resistance or disobedience, ther is no danger att all, ther being no spot of " ground in Great Brittain more effectualy disciplined into passive obedience than the " poor Lewes Island. But I can assure yee shall find one rugged hag that will resist " both King and Government, viz., POVEETY. " It's possible that this account from a person in my circumstances may seem " disingenuous ; but I only intreat that yee intertain no wrong impression that way, " but suspend yer judgements till time and yer own experience determine the matter, " and accordingly pass yer verdicts upon the report of, gentlemen, " Your humble servant, "Zach: M^Aulay. " The bearer, yer servant, took twenty shillings sterlin which wt ten to a boat for " going over wt him makes thretty." * The Colonel Alexander Mackenzie referred to in the first paragraph is doubtless the same Colonel who protested at the judicial inquiry. The failure to pay rent at that period is also significant — a Whitsunday clearance never having been obtained in the island, according to Mr. Macaulay. " The rugged hag " Poverty, that would resist " both King and Government," is unfortunately still with us. There is no record of the factors having paid the Island a visit, but it is clear they were not in receipt of rents. In 1723 their accounts for the three preceding crops were audited and the following entry appears under the heading "Barony of Lewis": " The factors having had no intromission with the rents of this Barony for the cropt " 1722, nor with the rents or rests of preceding years, except £1 10s. payed by " Zachary Macaulay, Discharge themselves thereof by the remainder of the rents resting " as per rental inside." The rents for the three years are stated in the accounts thus : — Crop 1720, Crop 1721, Crop 1722, £827 £827 £827 7 7 7 9 9 9 £2,482 3 3 * The original letter, of which the above is an exact copy, is among the Seaforth Forfeited Estates papers in the Register H£5|f»»A^Ji/g)h \/%f ffd/l™gQrf«@ back is—" To Mr. William Ross of Easter Feme, and Mr. Robert Ross, «ayly oiTane." Ixvii The factors give credit for tlie sum of £1 10s. paid by Mr. Macaulay, as stated in the P.S. to his letter quoted on the preceding paafe, and discharge themselves of the balance of £2,480 13s. 3d. Although the Lewis tenants of this period did not pay rents to the Forfeited Estates Commissioners, it is probable that, like the mainland tenants, they paid to the exiled Earl. In 1725 the Forfeited Estates Commissioners reported that they did not sell the estate of William, Earl of Seaforth, " not having been able to obtain possession, and consequently to give the same to a purchaser." The exiled chief received a "simple pardon " in 1726, and thereafter returned to the Highlands. He appears to have spent a considerable part of his time in Lewis. After that period perhaps the most noteworthy event in connection with land Introduc- occupation in the Island was the introduction of potatoes. Before 1735 potatoes were*i°" ^^ rarely raised in fields in any part of Scotland. In 1743 they were planted for the first P°*^*°®"' time in the Outer Hebrides; and by 1750 their cultivation had reached the north of Shetland. But while these dates may be regarded as indicating the time when potato- growing became general in the Islands,potatoeswere introduced into certain districts many years earlier. Martin, writing of Skye about 1695, says the ordinary diet of the people consisted of " butter, cheese, milk, potatoes, colworts, brochan, i.e., oatmeal and water " boiled. The latter, taken with some bread, is the constant food of several thousands " of both sexes in this and other isles during winter and spring " {Western Isles, p. 201). The exact date of the introduction of potatoes into Lewis is not known, but the minister of Stornoway, who appears to have written about that parish in 1796, says: — " With the utmost difficulty, about 40 years ago, the people were prevailed on to plant " potatoes, but of which they now plant great quantities by the plough and by the " spade, and find them to be the most useful of all crops raised in the Parish" {Old Statistical Account, vol. xix., p. 249.) The time stated by the writer would indicate the introduction of potatoes to Lewis to have been about 1756; but it is probable they were cultivated there for years before that date, seeing they were grown in South Uist from 1743 onwards. Dr. John Walker in his Economical History of the Hebrides (1812) narrates the circumstances under which potatoes were brought to South Uist. In the spring of 1743 Clanranald was in Ireland on a visit to liis relative Macdonell of Antrim, and was greatly interested in the potato culture which he saw in that country. He brought a cargo home with him to South Uist. " On his arrival, the tenants in the Island were " convened, and directed how to plant them ; but they all refused. On this, they were " all committed to prison. After a little confinement, they agreed, at last, to plant " these unknown roots, of which they had a very unfavourable opinion. When they " were raised in autumn, they were laid at the chieftain's gate by some of the tenants, " who said, the laird indeed might order them to plant these foolish roots, but they " would not be forced to eat them. In a very little time however, the inhabitants of •' South Uist came to know better, when every man of them would have gone to prison, " rather than not plant potatoes." (Vol. i., p. 251.) Eeverting to the subject of tacksmen — that is tenants who rented extensive Tacksmen holdings and usually had a large number of sub-tenants residing on their lands or mi(l(]le paying them rent, in money or labour — Lewis had its share of them ; but we do not hear "**''• such serious complaints made against them as against those in the neighbouring islands. The tacksmen of former days were of two classes. Those who came first in date were the friends of the Chief, and deemed it a duty to have a large number of sub- tenants with whom they dealt kindly.* * James Macdonald, in his General View of the Agriculture of the Hebrides (1811), refers to the old order of tacksmen as follows : — " Various causes, which are sufficiently obvious, combined to throw the greater part of the Hebrides into the hands of this description of men. They were friends or relatives of the proprietors, who had no other means of providing for their connections than by giving them portions of their lands. Nor, indeed, must we confound the class of men under review, witli the common run of lowland or of English farmers. They were, and in many parts still continue to be to this day, men of elegant manners, good education, and capable of acquitting themselves in every relation of life, and in every part of the world, as finished gentlemen. The ridicule, therefore, which ignorance often attempted to fix upon them for the smallness of their incomes, and the circumstance of their tenures of lands being incom- patible with the personal consideration and respect which they claimed, was ill-placed and impertinent, They were, in fact, by birth, manners, and education, gentlemen ; and supported that character with admirable consistency in public and private life, in peace and war, in the palace, drawing-room, or in the field of battle " (pp. 73-74). In illustration of the respect in which the old Highland tacksmen were held, leference may be made to Thomas Mackenzie of Langwell, Lochbroom, who died there on 13th February 1825, aged 82. Concern- ing him the Inverness Courier of 10th March 1825 had the following : — " He was the last in that part of " the country of the well-educated, well-bred, and intelligent class of farmers called ' the old school.' He " was the sixth in succes.sion of the same family on the same farm. His body was conveyed over a distance " of eleven miles to the place of intejm.ent, on the shoulders of atove five hundred Highlanders, who " spontaneously assembled to renderGl/Qlii^/2©S^ribjKafl/fe@A!6^l©^(@ tribute ; and he was laid in the " grave amidst a multitude of weeping relatives and friends, by six sons, all grown up and able men." Ixviii Tacksmen or middle- Alterations and consoli- dations of holdings. The later tacksmen were as a rule commercial men, who exacted what they could from their sub-tenants. Knox, who visited Lewis in 1786, says that 40 years previous to that date the then factor farmed the whole island, and paid Seaforth a yearly rent of £1,000; The im- provements in course of the interval resulted in a rent-roll of £2,500 in 1786. The Eev. John Lane Buchanan, writing in 1789, says "The greatest tacksman in Lewis is the Laird's ground officer," but he adds that the island was for the most part inhabited by tenants holding directly from Seaforth, who " easily perceived the folly, " as well as the inhumanity, of lending out the people on his island to imperious tacks- " men, for the purpose of raising fortunes to themselves on the ruins of the unfortunate "sub-tenants."* We do not hear much about tacksmen from the ministers of Lewis in the Old Statistical Account except in the case of Stornoway. In that Parish there were then (1796) twelve large farms, " and what portion of each of them is not occupied by the tacksman himself, is let to sub-tenants, who pay to him, each person from £1 10s. to £3 of yearly rent, and twelve days service." (Vol. XIX., p. 248.) In 1806 Mr. Eobert Brown, Sheriff-Substitute of the Western District of Inverness- shire, wrote a volume in reply to Lord Selkirk's Observations on the State of the High- lands, in the course of which he (Brown) states that the Island of Lewis, " with the exception of some hill pasture let to shepherds, is mostly occupied by small tenants." (P. 47.) Mr. John Munro Mackenzie of Calgarry, who had been for some years Chamber- lain of the Lewis Estate, and was well acquainted with the history of the island, maintained that the greater part of Lewis had been in the hands of tacksmen till the beginning of the nineteenth century. Examined in Edinburgh before the Napier Commission in 1883, he said : — " Till the beginning of this century, the greater part of " the Lewis was in the hands of tacksmen, or middlemen, who got in some cases from " their sub-tenants in money, produce, and labour what nearly paid their rents. There " were the Macivers of the Parish of Stornoway, the Morisons and Murrays of "Barvas, the M'Aulays of Uig, and the M'Leods of Lochs. When Mr. Stewart- " Mackenzie married the Hon. Lady Hood, daughter of Lord Seaforth, and took the " management of the estate into his own hands, he did away with the middlemen, and " let the land direct to the crofters. This, no doubt, was a step in the right direction, " but it had its disadvantages, as the example of a good middleman, who looked after " his people, and who was industrious in farming and attentive in stock-breeding, was " beneficial to the people, though in some cases they may have been petty tyrants." (Minutes of Evidence, Vol. IV., p. 3305.) Macdonald in his General Vieiv of the Agriculture of the Hebrides (previously mentioned) held a similar opinion, his first recommendation on the question of tenure being as follows : — " Sub-setting of lands should be gradually abolished, excepting in " some of the remoter and larger islands, where gentlemen farmers are necessary for " the maintenance of good order in the country." (P. 568.) A comparison of the rent-roll of 1718 with the current valuation roll affords striking evidence of the disappearance of the middleman. In the former, Raarnish Leurabost, Laxay, Balallan, Breinish, Croulista, Zneep, Borve, Callernish, Carloway' Brue, Garrabost, Barvas, and several other farms are entered in the names of tacksmen'. As elsewhere throughout the Highlands and Islands there were doubtless on these farms a large body of sub-tenants. On the disappearance of the Lewis middlemen these sub- tenants became tenants of the proprietor, and we have their descendants at the present day as crofters. In other cases some of the smaller farms, such as Arshadder, Pabbay, and Little Bernerary, have ceased to be residential subjects, and are now occupied as crofters' shielings or other grazings. In several places, on the other hand, the small tenants have disappeared, as also the small tacksmen, and their possessions 'have been consolidated into large farms. For instance, " Adderawill," Carnish, etc., now form Ardroil; while North and South Galson form the farm of Galson. Similarly Linshadder has absorbed several smaller places. Consolidations on the one hand, and divisions and sub-divisions on the other have resulted in producing the large number of farms, forests, and townships enumerated in Appendices P, Q, and E (pages 55-63), many of which do not appear in the rental of 1718 (pp. 47-54), although doubtless most of the land was then in occupation In connection with the rental of 1718 it is worthy of remark that, with the excep- * "2'raveh in the Sehrid&s : from IZS^o 1790," page 34. Digitized by Microsoft^ Ixix tion of Hawbost, none of the farms and townships named is situated in the district of Oservaul or Park. There were small tenants there at a later date, however ; and con- siderable numbers have been removed from Scaladail, Isgean, Stiomravagh, and other places when the Park peninsula was being' converted into a sheep farm ; but . in 1718 Oservaul was the home of deer, and of no letting value at that time. In summer, teiiants from other quarters had shielings there, as such names as Airidh Dhomhuill and Airidh Thormaid testify. In Appendix P, page 59, we reproduce from Mr. Macneill and Sheriff-Substitute Eraser's report on the cottar population of Lewis in 1888, a History of the Peninsula of Park compiled from the estate records and contributed by Mr. William Mackay, the then" Chamberlain. lu 1825 the Parishes of Barvas, Lochs, and Uig were exposed for judicial sale in Valuation Edinburgh "for payment of the entailer's debts under an Act of Parliament " °^ P":"^*. °* (57 Geo. III., cap. 23). The particulars contained in the advertisement in the Edinhurgli jg^' .Evening Courant for some weeks prior to the sale, are of interest as showing the estimated value of these three parishes at that time, and may be briefly stated thus : — Barvas. Estimated land rent after deduction of public burdens. Proven value at 23 years' pur- chase, Produce of kelp shores, 70 tons, after deduction of expenses of making, Proven value at 10 years' pur- chase, Eental. £1,517 15 5 201 Value. £34,908 14 7 2,010 Lochs. Land rental, as above, Proven value, as above. Kelp shores, 179 tons, as above. Proven value, as above. 1,695 1 10 855 38,987 2 2 8,550 Uig. Land rent, as above, ... Proven value, as above. Kelp shores, 211 tons, as above. Proven value, as above. 1,862 2 5 1,010 42,828 15 7 10,100 £7,140 19 8 £137,384 12 4 The advertisers explained that these lands had been formerly let at much higher rents than they were then valued at, but that owing to the remoteness of the situation and the late depreciation of land produce, a reduction of from 25 to 30 per cent, had been made on the advice of the witnesses examined for the purposes of the sale. The sale took place in the Parliament House on 2nd March 1825 before Lord Medvsryn, Lord Ordinary on the Bills. The upset price was £137,384 12s. 4d. (being the value set forth in the advertisement), and after spirited bidding the property was secured by Mr. Stewart Mackenzie at the price of £160,000. The possession of the Island was thus secured to the Seaforth family for the time. It may be added that Sir James Matheson paid only £30,000 more for the whole Island twenty years later, but it has to be kept in view that while, according to the advertisement, the kelp shores of the three parishes exposed for sale in 1825 at ten years' purchase on the net annual values added £20,660 to the estimated capital value, they were of little or no value at the date of Sir James Matheson's purchase. The " land hunger " of which we have heard so much during the last 15 or 20 "Land years appears to have manifested itself in Lochs before 1833, for the minister of the*i™ger." Parish, writing in the New Statistical Account in that year, says — " The poor people are glad, at present, to have a spot of ground, at whatever price, to ensure some food for the ensuing year." {Boss and- Cromarty, p. 166.) Digitized by Microsoft® Ixx forming. Emigration Mr, Tliomas Knox, who became Chamberlain of Lewis in 1833, was examined sheep ijefore a Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament on the question of emigration in 1841. At that time there were 1,913 small tenants in the island, who paid yearly rents varying from £3 3s. 9d. to £3 12s. 3d. He stated that the country produced sufficient corn for the use of the people in most seasons. The years 1836-1837 were exceptional, and outside relief then became necessary, but he would not consider any person in Lewis poor who had a Lot of land, however small, if it were sufficiently stocked. There were, however, in the island small tenants occupying land that was not suitable for raising grain, and in order to avoid the recurrence of such distress as had occurred in some recent years he advocated the emigration of about 6,000 persons from these localities, and that the ground should be put under sheep. This course had been followed in 1838, when five families numbering 70 souls were removed, and the land previously occupied by them converted into sheep farms. The above may be regarded as the purport of Mr. Knox's evidence so far as it relates to the occupation of the land. Sir James Matheson purchased the island in 1844 at a cost of £190,000, or about 9s. 4d. per acre. There were then 2,110 tenants, who may be classified thus : — Paying under £1 per annum, 123 Paying above £1 and under £2 10s., - 515 £2 10s. and under £5, - - 1,299 £5 „ £10, 129 £10 „ £30, 18 £30 „ £100, 21 £100 „ £250, 4 £250 „ £600, - 1 Classifica- tion of tenants in 1844. Sheep Abolition of run-rig Total, 2,110 The rental at that time, exclusive of feu-duties but including salmon fishings and shootings (the latter being only £200), was £10,681.* Shortly after the purchase of the estate by Sir James Matheson the potato failure led to much destitution. To cope with the situation in Lewis, Sir James began his large expenditure on works, partly in the hope of improving the estate and partly for the purpose of providing employment for his tenants in their distress. The amount expended by him has been stated with some detail at an earlier stage of this Eeport (See page xv.) The result of the expenditui'e so far as land is concerned will be referred to later. (See pages Ixxvii-viii.) . During the Seaforth ownership small tenants had been removed, and sheep farms dter forests. ^^^^ '^. '°™^ quarters formed. Soon after Sir James Matheson acquired the property, aflForestmg began, but not on a large scale. About 1850, sheep were cleared from the lands of Morsgail and Scaliscro, and both these farms converted into deer forests Eun-rig prevailed throughout the island at one time. It, however had been partially abolished early m the nineteenth century. In the years 1849 1850 and 1851 the whole croft lands were surveyed, re-allotted, and valued ; and almost every vestiee of run-rig put an end to— the tenants getting individual holdings. The general result of this revaluation and resettlement was an increase of from 10 to 12 per cent on the rental— an increase that Mr. Munro Mackenzie, the then Chamberlain, did not consider too much m the altered circumstances of the island, brought about by the makine of roads, regular steam communication, fencing, and other improvements Destitution This again was a period of destitution, for in 1850 there were (accnrr^^r^^ tr. - 1850. Mr. Munro Mackenzie) not fewer than 12,829 persons in LewTs receiviir s^^^^^^^^^ of meal from the Destitution Committee.t In the following year Sir John Mlcneill made his Eeport to the Board of Supervision on "The state of the Highlands and Islands " In Lewis he found 2,628 families of crofters paying a gross rent of £6 854 14s 7H givmg an average rent for each of £2 12s. 2d. Of these, 577 paid rents under £2 per annum, the aggregate amount being £669 7s. 2d., or an average of £1 3s 2id each Ihe^soummg at that time was one cow and one stirk, and five sheep, for every pound ,-n 1 sst I* f' ''"I'^It^ clear how much of this sum was in respect of land. It was stated by the Chamberlain n 1883 before tb^ Napier Commission to have been £10,256 {Minutes of Evidence, p. 1090) ; wbileln ISq^ the Estate Agent before the Deer Forest Commission stated it at £9,437 19s. 2d (Minui^ofV^-} P- \IIV-- I^V-^^^^^'y-"™ i^ Highlands, reprinted from The Times in 1884, the ^gvi^hJfrelJofT'''-' m 1844 IS estimated at £9,800. (p., 69) ,, , ^. .,^ S^^^-uifurai rental of Lewis f Napier Co^n.^issioMmlcm^^ MiCrOSOft® Ixxi The lands in the occupancy of the various classes of crofters it was estimated would not keep them in food, etc., for more than six months of the year ; and accordingly they had to go to the Caithness fishing, or seek employment elsewhere, in order to pay their rents and maintain themselves during the remainder of the year. In addition to the crofters there were then in the island about 800 houses occupied by persons who did not possess any land. Tenants paying under £4 did not pay assessments dirpctly at that time ; and there were thus only 891 in the island who were on the assessment roll. Of these, 58 paid assessments on rents over £30 a year ; while there were 833 whose rents varied from £4 to £30. By deducting this number of 833 from the total of 2,628 stated by Sir John Macneill it is seen there were then iu the island 1.795 tenants paying rents under £4 per annuln. The following is a classification of the ratepayers of Lewis in 1850 : — Landless house- holder.s. Number of Eatepayers. Eents assessed on. Aggregate amount of Eent. 1 642 97 65 29 20 9 23 6 Under £5 From £5 to £10 10 „ 20 20 „ 30 30 „ 40 40 „ 50 50 „ 100 100 „ 200 Sir James Matheson on lands and House Property £1,996 587 2 7 802 6 5 654 2 2 671 15 385 10 1,879 7 8 839 11 4,582 6 4 Total, 891 £12,398 1 2 Olassifica- tion of ratepayeis in 18.50. In the succeeding years there were fair crops ; and when Mr. Munro Mackenzie left Lewis in 1854 he considered the people were in comparatively comfortable circum- stances. He had been very strict in the matter of collecting rents, and after six years' experience did not leave more than half-a-year's rent in arrear throughout the island. In 1874 attention was directed to the question of crofter holdings in Lewis by what The is commonly known as the Bernera Eiots. In that case |;he then Chamberlain, who Be™eiM, was also a solicitor in Stornoway (Mr. Donald Munro), took out summonses for removal against 56 crofters in the Island of Bernera, and sent an ofiicer to serve the same. After the officer had completed the service he was followed by a number of persons, whose treatment of him led to three Bernera men being afterwards tried before the Sheriff with a Jury at Stornoway on a charge of assault committed on an officer of the law in revenge for having executed his duty. The Chamberlain was examined for the prosecution. His cross-examination by the late Mr. Charles Innes, solicitor, Inverness, who acted for the defence, was intended to show the excessive sway exercised by him in the island. In answer to questions by Mr. Innes he stated he was, or had been till shortly before. Chairman of the Parochial Boards and of the School Boards of each of the four parishes ; Vice-Chairman of the Harbour Trustees ; Director of the Stornoway Gas Company : Director of the Stornoway Water Company ; Deputy-Chairman of the Eoad Trust; legal adviser to each of the four Parochial Boards; Chief Magistrate of Stornoway ; Justice of the Peace ; a Commissioner of Supply and a Commissioner under the Income Tax Acts; a Notary Public; Commanding Officer of the local Volunteer Company ; and Procurator-Fiscal of the island ; while one of his clerks was Collecror of Poor-rates. In answer to other questions he said: — "I did not consult Sir James Matheson " about removing the people, and I issued all the summonses of removing against them " without receiving instructions from him so to do. I am not in the habit of consulting " Sir James about every little detail connected with the management of the estate. « Q. Oh ! Then you considered the removing of 56 crofters and their families too small " a matter to trouble Sir James about ? A. — I did." Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ixxii The jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty. Soon thereafter the Chamberlain demitted office ; and it is unnecessary to refer further to the Bernara case than to say that it was not without its effect throughout the island. Land When the land agitation commenced in 1881 the Lewis crofters entered into it agitation, yji^]^ ardour, and afterwards large numbers of them gave evidence before the Napier Commission. Occupation Mr. William Mackay, the Chamberlain at that time, appeared at the sittings of the iSsT*' ^^ Commission in Lewis and gave information as to the rental, number of tenants, and other matters. He stated the total crofting rental of the Island then at £8,463 ; and gave details as to some of the parishes. In Uig, for instance, there were 419 crofter holdings with a rental of £1,533. In addition to them there were 147 cottars. ' There were seven tacksmen in the same parish paying a gross rental of £1,274 5s. Od. In Barvas there were 812 crofters paying a rent of £2,330 4s. 6d. Many of the cottar class had their names entered in the rent-roll in 1881 (as will be afterwards explained), and in consequence the number of squatters, or cottars, in Barvas in 1883 was only 87. There was only one large farm in the parish, and it, together with grazings let to the miller at Dell in Ness, paid a gross rent of £403 9s. 6d. The crofter rental of Stornoway in the same year was £2,491 Is. 6d. As regards the rental of the whole island in 1882-83 Mr. Mackay stated the salmon fishings at £145, the shootings at £3,754, and the land rental at £12,713 4s. lOd. Other subjects owned by Lady Matheson (who four years previously had succeeded to the estate) brought up the total rent to £18,163 5s. 8d. It may be proper to point out here that there is an inaccuracy in the statement of the rental set forth at page 1090 of the Napier Commission Evidence — doubtless arising from a typographical error or clerical omission. The details given only amount to £17,783 4s. lOd. It may, however, be assumed that the gross rental was correctly stated at £18,163 5s. 8d. In consequence of sub-division, and changes carried out or sanctioned by the estate Sub- management, the number of tenants on the estate has greatly increased since 1844. The division. process of sub-division had been begun before then, however, and in course of the re-allottment in 1849-1851 some of the sub- divided holdings appear to have been converted into separate holdings. On this question Mr. Munro Mackenzie, in his state- ment given at page 93 of the Appendix to Sir John Macneill's Eeport (1851), says: "The division of lots had been made about forty years ago; and, on a considerable " number of them, it was found that two or three families had since settled, who either " held the lot in common, or had divided it amongst them. In the townships that have " been re-lotted, a separate lot has been assigned to each lotter. In some cases of aged " couples, widows, and other persons incapable of cultivating a large lot, the original lot " has been sub-divided, so as to give to each of such persons the quantity of land they " were capable of managing. But in no case are two families permitted to occunv the " same lot."* ^^ The process of sub-division, however, continued, and Mr. William Mackay, Chamberlain, having stated before the Napier Commission at Miavaig that there were' 147 squatters or cottars in the Parish of Uig, desired at a subsequent sitting to explain how there were only 87 of that class in Barvas. The following quotation from Mr. Mackay's evidence requires no comment • " 14946. The Chairman (Lord Napier)— You wish, I believe, to make a statement " to us ? M\ Mackay-— Yes, I do so, in the way of accounting for the small number " of what I call squatters or cottars that appear in the statement I have to make I " am speaking of 1881. In opening a new rent ledger, I entered the names of squatters " and cottars who had been about ten or fifteen or twenty years as such paying rent " not directly to the landlord, but to the crofter, though perhaps both of them would " appear at the rent-collection day. That led to trouble and sometimes confusion I " entered the whole of them in our ledger. The number now in the rent-roll in the " Parish of Barvas is 812. * Mr. James Macdonald, in his General View of the Agriculture of the Hebrides (1811), comments on the smallness of Lewis ho dings. Farthing lands," he wrote, "ought not on any account to be allowed bein^ too small a farm for the maintenance of a family." " No smaller sub-division of lands than halfnennv InnH! ought to be permitted, and on the death of the tenant these should descend to "the eldest son or tn ™ one heir, and not the whole of the family" (p. 814). ' °™® Digitized by Microsoft® Ixxiii " 14947. Paying directly to tlie landlord ? A. — Yes. "14948. Mr. Cameron of Lochiel — And they were cottars before? A. — They " were squatters. " 14949. The Chairman — About how many were admitted at that time ? A. — "Probably about one-third of 812. Since 1881 up to this date I find there are 87 " squatters or sub-tenants. " 14950. Mr. Cameron — These are not entered in the rent-roll ? A. — No. " 14951. The Chairman — Have they all built their houses since 1881 ? A. — Yes, " so far as known to me. The rental of the 812 crofters is £2,330 4s. 6d., or an " average of £2 17s. 4d. per crofter." Mr. Malcolm Macneill and Sheriff-Substitute Fraser, in their report on the condi- tion of the Lewis cottars in 1888, observe that " crofts already too small to maintain " one individual are made the home of three or even four families " [see p. 5). The general result of this sub-division was that in 1894 there were nearly 1,000 more holdings in the island than there were when Sir James Matheson acquired it fifty years previously. The total number of crofter holdings in 1894 was 3,076, and of these not fewer than 483 were rented at sums not exceeding £1 per annum, their distribution throughout the four Parishes being as follows : — Barvas, 126 ; Lochs, 59 ; Stornoway, 232 ; and Uig, 66. The number 3076 sets forth the rent-payers as the same appear on the roll of the estate, but it is unquestionable that the real number is considerably larger. A son marries, builds a house beside the original croft house, and gets a part of the holding to cultivate. He contributes a part of the rent, either by paying it direct to the tenant or towards the tenant's account at the estate oflfice. There are thus many householders throughout the island interested in the land, but without any legal title to occupancy. Eeference may here be made to pp. xxii-xxiii of the Eeport of the " Royal Com- mission (Highlands and Islands, 1892) " (commonly known as the Deer Forest Com- mission) where the question of sub-division in Lewis is dealt with, and illustrations of the same given. There is no reliable information as to the exact number of squatters, or cottars, in Lewis at present, but the estate management estimated it in 1894 at between 900 and 1000. These are for the most part relatives of the crofters, but they nevertheless constitute a serious incubus on every crofter township. Elsewhere in the Highlands, enlargement of holdings afibrds at least partial, 4??'^'^'^' possibly in some cases full, relief. In Lewis, on the other hand, the congestion of the ^T® °^ crofter townships is such that enlargement under the Crofters Act, even if it were ment of competent to any material extent, will not meet the requirements of the situation. It holdings, is impossible to enlarge individual crofts thei-e except by consolidating adjoining vacant crofts with them. Such an opportunity as this rarely occurs, for there are always numerous landless persons applying for every vacant holding. Applications for enlargement under the Act have in every case been opposed by the estate management in Lewis, and in one instance only were we in a position to assign land in terms of the Act. That was in 1890, when 61. acres from the farm of Galson were assigned to eight crofters of Mid-Borve, in the Parish of Barvas, at a gross rent of £13 4s. In the same year an application by crofters in the township of South Dell, in the Ness district, who also applied for part of Galson, was refused on the ground that the granting of the same would materially affect the letting value of the remainder of the farm. [Section 13 (3) {b).'\ In 1891 the following applications for enlargement of holdings were dealt with; — (I.) Crofters of Croulista for the lands of Carnish, forming part of the farm of Ardroil ; (2.) Crofters of Valtos, for Eeef and Pabbay ; f 3.) Crofters of Kneep, for Eeef ; (4.) Crofters of Tobson and Yallasay, Bernera, for the lands of Liunndail ; (5.) Crofters from the latter two townships for Little Bernera — all the lands applied for in the latter four cases being portions of the farm of Linshadder. The five applications above mentioned were refused on the ground that the two farms of which the lands applied for formed parts, had been under lease for a term of years at the passing of the Act, and current at the date of hearing. The applications were accordingly dismissed as incompetent [section 13 (2)]. 9 Digitized by Microsoft® Lxxiv After the expiry of the lease of Linshadder, the crofters of Kneep made a second apphcation for the lands of Eeef. At the inquiry in 1896 it was elicited that both Linshadder and Eeef were then let to the same tenant, but on different missives of lease. The rent of Eeef under the new arrangement did not exceed £100, and the application was opposed on that ground. The objection was sustained, having regard to the terms of section 13 (3) (c) of the Act. An application by the crofters of Sandwick for a park let to the tenant of the farm of Holm, near Stornoway, was refused on similar grounds, in 1892. Crofters in Laxdale applied for part of the Manor Farm, near Stornoway. It was opposed, and after inquiry in 1891, was refused on the ground that the granting thereof would operate material damage to the letting value of the remainder of the farm [section 13 (3) (*)]. One other application falls to be mentioned, viz. : — that of crofters in the Carlo- way district who applied for the Island of Little Bernera. After the lodging of the application the estate management let the said island to certain crofters in Bernera- We held, in the circumstances, that the land applied for was not available. We mor. Land iissigned to crof'tei'S by estate manage- ment. Position of cottars. Lewis farms. Deer forests. accordingly refused the application, but at the same -time reserved to the applicants to apply for Little Bernera of new in the event of the land again becoming available. While the estate management opposed all these applications for enlargement, they gave some land to crofters, but we are not in a position to state the area in each case. It may, however, be explained that the total area of farms above £30 of rent was stated by the Chamberlain in 1888 as extending to 66,486 acres, while in 1894 it was stated to the Deer Forest Commission at 65,969, showing that in' the interval the farms had been reduced by 517 acres ; and it is understood that that extent was given to crofter townships in extension of grazings. All the applications for enlargement we have referred to were by crofters who desired to better their position, while retaining possession of their present holdings. The position of the cottars and squatters is different. Their remedy is either emigration or migration. To the latter the majority of them pin their hopes, and point to the areas in the island presently under sheep and deer, as places where they could better their condition. The principal farms may be here referred to. These are in different parts of the island — but mainly in the Parish of Uig. In Barvas the only large farm is Galson, extending to 6,236 acres. Dalbeg and Dalmore, in this parish, are let as one farm. In the Parish of Stornoway, the farms of Gress and Coll extend to 8,929 acres and 4,695 acres respectively. Besides these, there are other smaller farms containing a fair proportion of arable land. In Uig the largest farm is Ardroil, which extends to 12,000 acres. Another farm there, Linshader, in 1888 extended to 10,971. It has, however, been somewhat cur- tailed since then, but we are not in a position to state its present extent. Mealista extends to 5,440 acres, and Tuimisgarry to 4,100 acres. The oldest abode of deer in the island was Oservaul, now Park, but it was only cleared of sheep in 1886. Morsgail and Scaliscro were cleared of sheep and put under deer about 1850. Aline, the only other forest, was cleared about the same period. Grimersta is a sporting subject and is classed with the forests, but its chief sporting attractions are salmon and grouse. Arnish had been under deer, but is now under cattle and sheep. A Eeturn of Deer Forests published by Order of the House of Commons in 1899 (Parliamentary Paper No. 346) states the same areas for Aline, Morsgail, and Park, as were stated to the Deer Forest Commission iii 1894. Scaliscro had, however been increased from 3,143 acres in that year to 6,099 acres in 1898 when the Eeturn was prepared. The small forest of Arnish near Stornoway (which was usually shot over in connec- tion with the castle moors) was stated to the Deer Forest Commission as extending to 2,776 ; but in the Parhamentary Eeturn it is given as 2,606. The deer forest areas of the island stand thus, according to the latest published Eeports. Aline, ... ... ... ... ... 8,774 acres. Park, Morsgail, Scaliscro, Grimersta, Digitized by Microsoft® Total, 75,275 acres. 41,913 )5 13,311 ?» 6,099 35 5,178 ?) Ixxv Mr. George Walker, Port-Lethen, in course of his report on agricultural depression, Proposed in 1879 described the over-crowded state of the crofter townships in Lewis. He con-^£™^'°° sidered that emigration to the extent of one-half of the population would be the most townships. effectual cure, but, recognising the attachment of the people to the land of their birth, suggested, in order to meet the existing situation, that " townships might be put down " in eligible sites, giving long leases or feus to tenants, and assistance to build com- " fortable and suitable houses ; and, as opportunity occurred, the present wretched " houses in old townships should be reduced in number and improved." Further on, he added that " convenient portions of sheep farms might be given off to new crofters." While making these suggestions he, however, considered, in view of the large number of the population, that giving effect to them would only serve as temporary measures of relief. [Bejwrts of the Assistant Commissioners (Royal Commission on Agriculture). p. 558.] The Deer Forest Commission scheduled lands in 15 different places as suitable for new holdings, extending in the aggregate to 1,618 acres old arable, and 34,516 acres pasture, as follows : — Lands scheduled by Deer Forest Commis- sion for new holdings. Old arable. Pasture. Parish of Lochs. acres. acres. Stiomrabhagh Grazings, 107 3,083 Fiilean Chaluim Chille, 17 203 Crobeag, 29 126 Eilean Orasaidh and Eilean Eosaidh, ... 90 Parish of Uig. Mangursta Grazings, 42 2,620 Carnis „ (part of), 30 628 Tuimisgearraidh Grazings, 70 1,518 Eeef, 93 451 Linshadder Grazings, 152 10,977 Parish of Barvas. Dalbeag Grazings (part of), - 78 1,795 Galson „ 692 5,248 Parish of Stornoway. Arnish deer forest* (part of). 42 163 Aignish Grazings, 85 Gress Grazings, 181 3,579 Tolsta, Total, ... 3,035 1,618 33,516 ♦ Arnish is now (1901), a sheep farm. They also scheduled the following 10 separate subjects as suitable for extension of existing crofters' holdings : — ■ Digitized by Microsoft® Ixxvi Old arable. Pasture. Land Parish of Uig. acres. acres. scheduled Morsgail Deer Forest, 13,020 by Deer Forest Scaliscro Deer Forest, 60 1,825 Oommission for Parish of Lochs. extension of Aline Deer Forest, 1J9 8,307 holdings. Park Deer Forest Parish of Stornaway. 165 40,135 Aignish Grazings (part of), 82 57 Melbost „ „ 74 Goathill „ ,, 49 29 Tunga (or Tong) Grazings (part of) (Gearraidh- Scoir), 10 216 Coll Grazings (part of) (south side) 106 620 Coll „ „ (north side) Total, ... 816 665 65,025 Shooting lodges. Sporting rental. Changes in Lewis farms, 1844-88. With regard to the scheduling of Morsgail, Aline, and Park, the Commissioners added the following explanatory note : — " The Commissioners deem it right to explain that they have scheduled these forests " (Morsgail, Aline, and Park, Nos. 90, 91, and 92) in respect of the exceptional circumstance " of the case. They have abstained from scheduling similar lands on the mainland. They " do not believe that the lands now scheduled are suitable for new Holdings ; but were " these lands occupied as common pasture by the crofters, under a properly adjusted " system of management, their occupation would be of much advantage to the occupants " and more than outweigh anydisadvantages,orsupposed disadvantages, otherwise arising. " In considering the case of Lewis, it cannot be left out of view that the congestion is " very great, and the demand by crofters for access to the lands now scheduled is of a " very urgent nature. The Commissioners recognise that in the event of these lands, " or any considerable portion thereof, being assigned, such rents as are presently " obtainable will probably not be got, and that there may be accordingly a corres- " ponding increase of rates upon other parts of the island." (Book of Eeference to Deer Forest Commission Maps, p. 44.) We have no details as to the estate expenditure on lodges ; but in the general statement of outlays incurred by the late Sir James Matheson'is the following : — " Cost of outlay on shooting -lodges, £19,289." Doubtless, considerable sums have been expended under this head since Sir James's death in 1878. The sporting rental of the island in 1882-3 was stated at £3,899 ; in 1894 it was £6,135. The present sporting rental, including deer forests, salmon fishings, grouse moors, shooting-lodges, castle grounds and policies, is £5,798 (Valuation EoU, 1901-2). With regard to the farms in Lewis, we were furnished by the estate manao-ement in the course of our inquiries in the island in 1888 with a statement giving particulars as to rents, alteration of boundaries, &c., from 1844 to 1888. An examination of this document shows there have been extensive alterations — lands added to farms in some places, and lands taken oiF in others. There were corresponding variations in the rents and, as a chapter in the history of land-holding in Lewis, it is given in Appendix p' pp. 55-59. We append to it the Chamberlain's history of the peninsula of Park (referred to on p. Ixix). At the same time we were furnished with a statement showing the extent of these various farms, amount expended upon them by the proprietor from 1844 to 1888, and the rent at the latter date. We have put the figures in tabular form, and added column giving the present rents as the same appear in the current Valuation EoU, follows a as Digitized by Microsoft® Ixxvii Statement showing total Areas of Farms above £30 of Eent per annum in the Island of Lewis ; Expenditure on same by the Proprietor prior to 1888, and Kent in that year, based on Statements submitted by the Estate Management to the Crofters Commission in 1888 ; and also the Present Eent, as the same appears in the Valuation EoU for the year 1901-2. Parish. Name of Farm. Extent in Area. Estate Expenditure. Rent in 1888. Rent in 1901-2. Acres. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Barvas. Galson, * 6,236 2,713 315 165 13 6 Dell Mill and Lands, . 160 792 73 68 Dalbeg, 2,136 108 90 50 2 6 Lochs. Crobeg, Orinsay, &c., . 4,908 80 110 110 2 Valtos, 580 t 30 30 2 6 Stornoway. Aignish, 254 1.34 70 70 Melbost, 215 472 100 100 12 3 Holm, 200 1,161 146 12 6 132 Stoneyfield, . 165 1,100 60 60 6 Goathill, 144 706 90 95 Manor Farm, 200 t 210 170 Coll, .... 4,695 1,252 117 80 Gress Mill and Lands, 8,929 119 167 3 125 North Tolsta, 2,353 100 (1 80 60 Tong, . 360 t 34 38 Uig. Mealista, 5,440 57 85 85 Mangersta, . 1,920 1,9 95 70 Ardroil and Ardmore, . 12,000 197 245 190 2 Timisgarry, . 4,100 None. 80 45 Linshadder, &c., . 10,971 842 354 50 Croir, 520 t 44 15 40 ,0 66,486 9,852 2,596 10 6 1,835 9 * Of whicli 61 acres have since been assigned to the crofters of Mid-Borve. t The outlays on Valtos, Manor, Tong, and Croir farms have not been furnished. The farm rental was stated before the Deer Forest Commission at £2,279. It will Decline in be seen accordingly there was a decline of £317 10s. 6d. between 1888 and 1894, and farm rental. a further decline of £443 19s. 3d. between 1894 and 1901, or £761 9s. 9d. during the whole period from 1888 to 1901. The expenditure on some of the farms has been far from remunerative ; and if the Result of landlord were to receive legal interest, as would be the case if an outside party had P'^°P^'*!^'^'® advanced the money, there would be little left for land rent. On Galson farm, for instance, p^^i^se ^^^ there was an expenditure of £2,713, which, at 5 per cent, would yield £135 13s. of farms, interest. The rent, however, is only £165 13s. 6d. and on that footing there is only a sum of £30 Os. 6d. left for the whole farm of upwards of 6,000 acres. On the same basis of calculation the interest on outlay on the farm of Coll is £62 12s., thus leaving only £17 8s. for the land. The farm of Holm in the neighbour- hood of Stornoway and which is mainly arable, presents a better appearance, for, after meeting £58 Is. of interest on outlay there is still a balance of £73 19s. for the land. Stoneyfield, however, in the same locality, after paying £55 of interest on capital expenditure leaves only £5 6s. for its 165 acres of land, mainly arable. Interest at the rate of 5 per cent, on the outlay on all the improvements mentioned in the above statement would amount to £492 12s. and would thus leave only £1,342 8s. 9d. as the land rent, or about 5d. an acre on an average. The outlays incurred in improving subjects now held by crofters varied in extent Proprietor's and character. In some of the old townships there was no money expended on improve- expenditure ments. In others, considerable outlays were incurred in draining and fencing. The^g^^^g^ larger items were, however, for reclaiming land, and these have been very unremunerative. In several instances the rents will not yield interest on the outlay, to say nothing of rent for the land. In this class, Deanston (so called after Mr. Jamss Smith of Deanston, who carried out the land reclamations for Sir James Matheson) may be mentioned, the amount expended there having been £2,202 17s. 3d. The Chamberlain, (Mr. WiUiam Mackay) in furnishing us with a statement of the outlays by the proprietor " on crofts Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ixxviii " and other lands in Lewis now held by crofters since 1848," on 24th November, 1888, wrote as follows concerning Deanston :— " You will observe a large outlay on Deanston. " This, I may say, was a mere experiment by the late James Smith of Deanston, who " at the time was considered an expert in agriculture ; and the lands reclaimed by him " are now let to the crofters of Lochganvich for £5." • •. j • The amount expended by the proprietor on croft lands in the four parishes during the period stated was as follows : — Barvas, Lochs, Stornoway, Total, £9,164 17 4 41 17 3 4,090 2 8 3,192 13 2 £16,489 10 5 In Appendix Q (pp. 60-1) we give the total rent of each crofting township, as the same appears in the current Valuation EoU, and in a separate column the amount (if any) expended by the proprietor in improvements, as set forth in the statement furnished to us in 1888. As previously indicated, the total rents in some cases are less in amount than the interest that would in ordinary circumstances be received on the outlay. At 5 per cent, the total outlays on croft lands would give a return of £824 9s. 6d. The current crofting rental is £6,338 14s. 4d., and deducting therefrom the said mentioned interest, we have a sum of £5,514 4s. lOd. as land rent, giving an average rate of slightly over 5d. per acre. The crofting rents were for the most part fixed by us, but some were the subject of agreement, in terms of Section 5 of the Act. Fair Rents As to our dealings with Fair Eent applications, it may be stated that between 1888 and arrears and 1896 we issued Orders fixing the rents of 2,573 holdings. In a large proportion dealt with ^f ^hese the proceedings were carried on by one of our number, assisted by two Commis*^^ assessors, in terms of the Delegation of Powers Act, 1888; and against some of the Orders issued appeals were taken. After disposing* of the appeals, the net result of our proceedings in the matter of fixing Fair Eents in Lewis was that the " Present Eents " — that is, the rents payable when we proceeded to deal with the applications — amounting to £7,252 2s. Id., were reduced by us to £4,943 7s. 8d., or an annual reduction of £2,308 14s. 5d. The arrears submitted to us amounted to £41,040 14s. 4d. Of these we cancelled a sum of £30,186 15s. 7d., and ordered the balance of £10,853 18s. 9d. to be paid in instalments, extending over a series of terms, according to the circumstances of each case. This balance, we are glad to say, has been very largely paid up. The following Table sets forth the number of cases in whicli Fair Eents were fixed in each year, and also the amount of the alterations after disposing of appeals : — sion. Year. No. of Holding. Present Rent. Fair Rent. Arrears. Total amount. Ordered to be Paid. Cancelled. 1888, . 1889, . 1890, . 1891, . 1892, . 1896, . Less result of Appeals. Net result. 607 566 419 772 208 1 £ s. 1,784 9 1,451 10 1,035 7 2,384 18 591 9 4 7 d. 4 7 9 5 £ s. 1,146 11 1,069 4 704 12 1,630 16 392 18 2 15 d. 8 £ s. d. 8,056 2 7,012 1 6,202 17 11 14,845 10 1 4,863 8 11 60 16 3 £ s. d. 1,657 14 2,011 13 3 1,394 15 3 4,628 16 3 1,194 12 16 £ s. d. 6,398 6 2 5,000 7 9 4,808 2 8 10,216 13 10 3,668 16 11 44 16 3 2,573 7,252 2 1 4,940 16 3 9 8 41,040 14 4 10,903 10 9 49 12 30,137 3 7 2,573 7,252 2 1 4,943 7 8 41,040 14 4 10,853 18 9 30,186 15 7 Digitized by Microsoft® Ixxix Owing to the variations in boundaries, it is impossible to make a satisfactory Lewis comparison of the various classes of rents at different periods. In 1844, as we have^^^*®** seen, the total rent was £10,681. In 1850, after a large proportion of Sir James pgj,iods Matheson's expenditure on land had been incurred, it was £12,398 Is. 2d. since 1844. In 1879-80, according to Mr. Walker, Port-Lethen, in the report previously mentioned, the agricultural rental of Lewis was as follows : — Small tenants, £8,104 5 7 Tacksmen, &c., 4,878 11 10 Total, £12,982 17 5 In 1880-81 there were 2,340 holdings in the rural parts of the island paying rents not exceeding £4 — amounting in all to £5,548 19s. 6d. There were in the same year 596 holdings paying rents of £4 and upwards, but not exceeding £30 — amounting to £3,356 lis. 4d. The rental for the year may be classified thus : — Eents not excet Eents of farms. cceeding £30, ms. £8,905 4,299 10 7 10 £13,204 3,599 17 Total land rent, Eents of shootings and fishings. Total, 10 10 £16,803 18 8 In 1883 the Chamberlain stated the land rental at £12,713, and the fishings and shootings at £3,899— or £16,612 in all. In 1886-87 the rental, as set forth in the Valuation EoU, was as follows: — Eents not exceeding £30, £8,755 8 4 Farm rents, 3,026 2 Total land rent, - £11,781 10 4 Shootings and fishings, - 5,338 0* Total, - £17,119 10 4 In 1893-94 the particulars communicated to the Deer Forest Commission were as follows : — Crofting rental, £5,917 (omitting shillings and pence) Farm rental, 2,279 „ „ Total land rent. Shootings and fishings, castle ^ Total, In the present year (1901-2) the figures are: — Eents of holdings not exceeding £30, Eents of farms exeeeding £30, Total land rent, £8,343 15 1 Sporting rents, including deer forests, salmon fishings, grouse moors, castle and policies, shooting lodges, &c., £5,798 grounds, &c., £8,196 10 6,835 5 £15,031 10 5 £6,338 14 2,005 4 9 Total rural rent, £14,141 16 1 * Park, wMch had hitherto been a farm, is here included as a forest. This accounts partly for the decrease in the land rent, and the increase in the shooting rent, as compared with 1883. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ixxx We place here in tabular form the amount, under the three categories of crofts, farms, and sporting subjects, applicable to each parish for the current year : — Parish. Rents of holdings not exceeding .£30. Rents of holdings exceeding X30. Rents of Deer Forests, Shooting Lodges, Salmon Fishing.s, (fee. Total. Barvas, .... Lochs, .... Stornoway, Uig, .... Grand Total, £ s. d. 1,865 7 928 10 6 1,994 6 1,550 10 10 £ s. d. 273 16 170 4 6 965 18 3 595 2 £ s. d. 473 1,956 1,154 2,215 £ s. d. 2,612 '3 3,054 15 4,114 4 3 4,360 12 10 6,338 14 4 2,005 9 5,798 14,141 15 1 732 12 9 To which add Rent of Subj.ects in the Burgh of Stornoway forming part of the Estate, Total Rent of Lewis Estate, 14,874 7 10 In Appendix E (pp. 62-3) we give the gross rents of the crofting townships, and of other subjects not exceeding £30 per annum, and also the rents of all the farms and sporting subjects, in detail, as the same appear in the current Valuation Eoll. XL— INDUSTEIES. Avocations of the people. Net- making. Flax- spinning. Straw- plaiting. Distillation, Fishing in its various branches is an important industry in Lewis. Agriculture, including in that term both the cultivation of land and the grazing of stock, is, however, the industry which occupies most of the Lewisman's time. A large portion of the spring, summer, and autumn is occupied in the cultivation and cropping of the land, while in winter, when- the fishing fails, there are few outlets in the island for the energies of the people. In the past the male population have been largely employed in net-making during winter. This was a tedious occupation, a single net (if the meshes were small) being all or almost all that one man could make in the course of a winter. Cotton nets manufactured in the south have long ago superseded the old hemp nets, and net-making in Lewis has ceased to be a home industry. Lord Seaforth, towards the end of the 18th century, introduced flax into Lewis. It was grown there for years, and the women were taught to spin it. The project, how- ever, was not successful, and was abandoned many years ago. Similar efforts have been made in other parts of the Highlands, but they have all failed. Another industry introduced into Lewiswas straw-plaiting, and Lord Seaforth brought two teachers to instruct the people in that art. This endeavour also proved a failure. It may be remarked, however, that straw and bent plaiting are still carried on in North Uist. Most of the horse-collars used there are made of bent cut on the western machairs. Door- mats are also made from the same material, and sold in some of the country shops. Almost every dwelling-house had formerly a high straight-backed arm-chair the upholstering of which was entirely of straw or bent. It was usually reserved for the head of the house and was known by the name of Sonnag. In former times whisky-making was a thriving industry in Lewis, a large proportion of the grain raised being distilled. Martin, writing of the Western Islands, towards the end of the 17th century, describes a liquor distilled from oats as " Treas- Tarruing," i.e., treble-distilled. It was beheved to be a specific for most of the ailments that afi"ected the inhabitants. In the course of the 18th century the trade in Lewis- made whisky was considerable, and certain districts were more noted for the quality of the product than others. Whisky then passed as an article of exchange in the island, and the Factor received a considerable part of the rents in that commodity in lieu of money. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ixxxi Distillation was at that time a general occupation wherever grain could be produced. Smuggling, Hopes were entertained that it would be stopped through the enforcement of the Excise laws, but notwithstanding the vigilance of the Excise officers illicit distillation continued. Lord Seaforth ultimately established two distilleries in Lewis and these became formidable opponents of the old smugglers. The latter, however, struggled on for a time, for they were encouraged by the country people, who held a deep-rooted belief that the whisky distilled in the old Tighean Duhha (or Black Houses, as the smuggling bothies were called) was a purer and better spirit than distUlery-made whisky, which they regarded as adulterated. The Lewis distilleries were discontinued more than a generation ago, and smuggling has been for a length of time unknown to the island.* Formerly there were few, if any, tradesmen in the country parts of Lewis. Every man Shoe- was his own shoemaker, and frequently his own tailor. The brogues or shoes were made i"^'^?^'^? ^^^ of hide tanned at home with the root of tormentil.f The mainland peasant tanned the tanning. hides with oak-bark, but there being no trees in Lewis a native product was used for the purpose of tanning. Tailors were a despised class, and there were not many of them Tailors among the inhabitants — hence the necessity for tailoring being a species of home "despised, industry. The women, when not engaged in the cultivation of the land, were occupied with the Cloth- spinning and weaving of cloth, &c. Native herbs were used for the dyes, and all the wear- '^^'^™S- ing apparel of the inhabitants — male and female — as also the bed-clothes, were made at home. Cloth-making is still carried on to a considerable extent, but mainly for home use. Tweeds of the Harris type are woven and sent to market, but not on a large scale. Pottery was also made in the island. Modern earthenware has, however, long ago Pottery, superseded it, and pottery is now only made in Barvas. The Crogans (as these home- made utensils are called) produced at Barvas are extremely rude and primitive in appearance. They are httle used for home purposes, but considerable quantities of them are sold to curio hunters in course of a season. One other industry of great importance in former times, but no longer carried on in K^elp- Lewis, was the burning of kelp. From the influence this industry exercised on the lives ™'^™&* of the common people throughout the Western Islands it deserves more than a passing- notice. It never assumed the same proportion in Lewis as it did in Uist and certain other quarters, particularly Orkney, but nevertheless it was a source of wealth to the proprietor and peasantry of Lewis a century ago. Kelp-making had been for many years an important industry in Ireland. The Kelp- first kelp-maker in the Hebrides was an Irishman named Roderick Macdonald. He had ™ "^J^^l^ been brought from Ireland to North Uist in 1735 by Mr. Hugh Macdonald oi^^i'j^^ Balishare. Kelp-burning was begun there at that early period, and the Irish kelp- burner became known throughout Uist as " Ruairidh na Luathadh " — Rory of the ashes. The Orcadians were long before the Hebrideans in beginning to make kelp, for the Introduc- industry was introduced into Stronsay so far back as 1722 by Mr. Fea of Whitehall ^°" °/ ^®]P -•'.,, •' •' industry to m that island. Orkney. A^Tienever the people realised the great money value of the new product, kelp- making developed in Orkney with remarkable rapidity, and before long there was an output of about 3,000 tons a year. It has been calculated that for the 71 years from * With reference to the suppression of smuggling in the Hebrides, the Inverness Courier of 14th Suppression November 1827 has the following: — "Owing to the vigilance of Captain Oliver, of the Revenue cutter ° smugging. Prince of Wales, and the new Excise officers on shore, sm.uggling is now so completely put down in the Long Island that there is actually not a drop of illicit whisky to be got from the Butt of Lewis to Barra Head ; and there is probably at this moment a larger supply of legal whisky on its way from Greenock, for the supply of Stornoway alone, than was ever imported into the whole Hebrides before." t The common Gaelic name for the tormentil {Potentilla Tormentilla) is Barr-hraonan-nan-con (the The dogs' briar bud). On account of the use to which the roots are applied it is called cairt lair, i.e., " ground Tormentilla. bai-k," in the island of Lewis and other parts of the Hebrides. The following note on the tormentil from Lightfoot's Fhrci, Scoticri (Vol. I., p. 272) is not without interest : — , " The roots consist of thick tubercles, an inch or more in diameter, replete with a red juice, of an astringent quality. They are used in most of the Western isles, and in the Orknies, for tanning of leather ; in which intention they are proved by some late experiments to be sviperior even to the oak-bark. They are first of all boiled in water, and the leather afterwards steeped in the cold liquor. In the Islands of Tirey and Col the inhabitants have destroyed so much ground by digging them up, that they have lately been prohibited the use of them." It may be added that Dr. Lightfoot accompanied Thomas Pennant on his second voyage to the Hebrides (1772). Lightfoot was an enthusiastic botanist, and the journey resulted in the publication of " Flora Scotica" in 1777. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ixxxii Growtli of kelp industry in Hebrides. Kelp- making in Lewis in 18th century. Price of kelp. Decline of kelp — emigration. 1722 to 1793 the landlords and others engaged in the Orkney kelp industry received a gross sum of £291,976 — an amount larger than would have been required to buy the whole Orcadian group of islands at the rental of that period.* The growth of the industry in the Hebrides was at first slow, and kelp-burning was not begun in Tiree till 1746. Two years later Macleod of Berneray in Harris allowed some Irish labourers to make kelp on his shores. So little was the value of kelp realised at that time that he only charged them 2s. per ton manufactured for the permission given. In 1754 Irish kelp-makers were engaged in the Island of Coll ; and as late as 1762 an Irish manufacturer made 48 tons on the Island of Jura, and paid £10 for the liberty to cut the ware. As the burning of kelp came to be understood, and the marketable value of the product ascertained, the native population took the matter up, and the Hibernians disappeared from the Hebrides. The date when kelp-burning was begun in Lewis is not exactly known, but the industry spread rapidly through the Western Islands generally towards the end of the 18th century. Between 1764 and 1772 about 2,000 tons of kelp were annually made in the Western Islands and in certain parts of the mainland including Morven, Ardna- murchan, and Arisaig. Of this quantity about 50 tons a year were produced in Lewis. The Islands of North Uist and South Uist were, however, the great centres of the industry, for in each of them the output at the period stated was about 800 tons per annum. Barra at this time made about 60 tons ; and the expectations of great wealth in store from the development of the industry were such that stones were gathered from the hillside, or wherever else they could be found, and placed on the sandy shore so that in course of time they might produce a crop of sea- ware for kelp. In this island at a later date one of the Macneill proprietors established works for extracting out of kelp certain products used in glass-making. They are still referred to as " a' ghlasaree!' So rapid was the growth of the industry in Lewis, that in Lochs, as the minister of that parish states in the Old Statistical Account, there were between 45 and 50 tons of kelp manufactured annually. The minister of Uig says there were about 140 tons a year made in his parish, principally near Loch Roag. It was " superior in quality to any other kelp in the Highlands of Scotland," and in proof of this assertion he added that it always realised the highest price in the markets of the south. A large number of the people of Uig were then employed in the manufacture at home, while many went to Harris, and others to Uist for the same purpose. The minister of Stornoway does not state what quantity was annually made there, but he says kelp-making was the principal manufacture of the parish, and that everyone who was able to carry a creel, or fill it, was employed at the work for about three months of the year. It does not appear to have attained any importance in Barvas. The price of kelp varied according to the quantity of barilla (its great competitor) which found its way into the British market. In 1730 Orkney kelp only realised £l 5s. per ton, but towards the end of the 18th century it was as high as £8. The American war interfered with the importation of barilla, and on some occasions the price of kelp was as high as £22 per ton. The prices began to decline about 1810, and successive reductions of duties on salt, barilla, &c., since 1822, resulted in its being of little value in the market. As a consequence kelp-making declined, and in districts where the people depended on the industry great distress prevailed. In 1827 a Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament was appointed to enquire into the question of emigration from the United Kingdom. Among the witnesses examined was _Mr. Alexander Hunter, W.S., Edinburgh. He appears to have had an intimate acquaintance with some of the Western Islands ; and he gave evidence with regard to over-population, the decline of the kelp industry, and the necessity for emigration. In 1826 he superintended the emigration of 300 souls from the Island of Rum to Cape Breton. As his evidence has an important bearing on the condition of the Western Islands generally at that period, an excerpt • from it is given in Appendix L. page 36. '' Subsequently, in 1841, a Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament conducted mquiries as to emigration from Scotland. Prior to that date great distress prevailed in certam parts of the Western Islands, the failure of the kelp industry being one of the causes to which it was attributed. Emigration was at the time advocated as the best means for dealing with the problem before the country. Digitim(^tc^icMiUQ^,Q^®.., p. 398. Ixxxiii One of the witnesses examined was Mr. Alexander Macdonald, who is described as Kelp- an agent for the sale of kelp. He stated he was a native of the "Highlands in Ross- f'"™''^^ shire," and that he sold large quantities of kelp as a merchant in London. In each of;[8Q8.io, the years 1808, 1809, and 1810 he got about 1,500 tons from the estates of Lord Macdonald (North Uist and Skye), and a like quantity from the estates of Clanranald (South Uist and Moidart, &c ). These quantities represented a net sum of £14,000 a year to each of these proprietors, exclusive of the cost of manufacture, transportation from the Highlands to England, and commission and other charges. The Island of Lewis contributed well to the kelp made at that time, but not to the same extent as Uist. Lord Seaforth made from 800 to 900 tons. Mr. Macdonald does not state the value of this output, but at the rate in Uist it would amount to about £8,000 per annum. Harris is described as a great kelp country, the output being from 500 to 600 tons; while that of Barra was 250 tons a year. In the course of the ten years during which he dealt in kelp, Mr. Macdonald said he had paid a gross sum of £240,000 to the proprietors concerned. A common price at that time was £18 per ton. A sum of £4 went to pay the workers, freight, &c., and the balance of £14 was the profit of the kelp owner. While the industry flourished the people lived m comparative comfort and paid their rents regularly. So much was this the case that at one rent collection the factor for Lord Seaforth brought £11,000 with the exception of £14 (which rather than not have the sum complete he added out of his own pocket) from the Island of Lewis. In 1841 kelp was practically valueless in the market, and Mr. Macdonald stated he would not give £2 per ton for it. At the period referred to by Mr. Macdonald, the Scottish coasts produced about 20,000 tons of kelp, realising nearly £400,000 annually, which went mainly to the Western Islands and to Orkney. The Report of this Select Committee together with the Minutes of Evidence was published as a Blue Book by order of the House of Commons on 26th March, 1841. The Appendix (pp. 212-8) thereto contains a letter from Mr. Robert Graham, dated Edinburgh, 6th May 1837, addressed to Mr. Fox Maule, and communicated by Lord John RusseU's directions to the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury. The following extract from that letter, dealing with the growth of population concurrently with the increase of kelp and the poverty that followed the failure of that industry, is of interest to-day : — " The grand cause of this evil, and in which a variety of minor causes have con- Kelp- " centrated their results, is, that the population of this part of the country has been™^^5^S.^'^'^ " allowed to increase in a much greater ratio than the means of subsistence which it afibrds; ^ ^^^ ^ ^°^' " that the districts in question are totally incapable of maintaining in comfortable circum- " stances anything like the present population, must be evident, I think, to any man who "has an opportunity of observing them, and who is capable of reflecting and judging on " the subject; I may say it is the universal opinion of every one I have conversed with in " that country. This discrepance arises from a variety of circumstances over which the " Government have now not much control ; and in as far as it has arisen from acts of the " Legislature, it is almost inevitably the result of attending to the interests of the many, " though affecting the interests of the few. " (1.) The population has unduly grown up, as a consequence of the peace, which has " stopped the regular draft of soldiers and sailors from this country, and has sent back " many of its former inhabitants, who were lured away by the love of glory and other motives, " but who have all a feeling to die a natural death at home. It was indirectly increased " during the war, and an encouragement was given to the natural and reckless tendency " of the people to early marriages, by a provision of the militia laws, which entitled a man " to exemption in consideration of the number of his children. Some of the benevolent " and charitable funds, too, chiefly connected with the army, most inconsiderately witli- " held their benefits, but upon the qualification of a sufiicient number of children. " (2.) The kelp manufacture was, during the war, so profitable to the landlords, that " they encouraged the people to remain on their estates, being well aware that the quantity " manufactured depended upon the number of people engaged ; and that, however high " the rents became, they would still be paid, though in the meantime the proper cultiva- " tion of the lands might be neglected. The thoughts of all parties were turned to the " cultivation of sea- ware, rather than the ijultivation of the lands ; and the very prosperity " which, for a long time, attended the kelp trade, rendered the proprietors and people " both thoughtless of other things, till thev^nexnectedly fewd themselves in the con- " dition that the one is unable wliSA^4^<>^TN'^&$W2^the kelp manufacture has Ixxxiv " been unprofitable to the landlords. By various cbanges of the law, too hastily applied, " perhaps, to be quite consistent with the truest policy, first, by taking the duty off " barilla, and then by repealing that upon salt, successive shocks were suddenly given " to the situation of the kelp proprietors. The price of kelp bounded downwards, and " the fall of price did not tell so rapidly upon the condition of the people as might have " been expected, because considerable quantities were continued to be made long after it " had ceased to afford a fair immediate profit, though the employment enabled the labourer " to pay his rent. That rent, however, came generally to be paid in work, or in the " draft offish, and not in money. The circulating medium of exchange has become greatly "diminished in the country ; and in many cases the society is gradually going backwards " into a state of barter. The effects of this cause of the present distress may be instanced " by the produce of one estate, where from 1,200 to 1,500 tons of kelp were annually " manufactured ; £10 per ton was a moderate price during the war. A very small pro- ' portion of the produce then required would now meet the natural demands of the " district; and the gross price now will not average £2 or £3, more than one half of " which must be taken in the shape of work for rent" (p. 213). Kelp in The kelp industry in Lewis has suffered a serious decline since the period spoken 1825^ ^'^ to by Mr. Macdonald, for in 1825 the quantity produced in the parishes of Barvas, Lochs, and Uig (and these were the principal kelp-producing districts) was 460 tons yearly. Its value, after deducting working expenses, was £2,066 ; a sum which at ten years' purchase was calculated to add £20,660 to the capital value of these three parishes (see p. Ixix). Notwithstanding the fall in the value of kelp, it continued to be manufactured in Lewis, but the returns were not considered worth the labour involved. The price in 1833 averaged from £l 10s. to £3 3s. per ton. However, the Parish of Uig even at the low rates then current produced about 100 tons per annum. -^^^P" The time devoted to kelp-making after the industry had ceased to be remunerative Strimental "^^^ Considered highly disadvantageous to the interests of the people, and detrimental both to other to fishing and agriculture. On this point the Eev. John Cameron, minister of Storno- industries. way, writes as follows in the New Statistical Account in 1833: — "The toil in cutting, drying, burning the ware, and watching the pot night and " day, till the ware is converted to boiling lava, is terrible, and would require extra- " ordinary wages. This process, if not injurious to health, is ruinous to the eyes. How " this manufacture affects their morals, farther experience will disclose. " I add the following remarks upon the helping system. It is true that pro- " prietors of land and kelp shores got a good round sum for kelp, when the price was " high, — nearly £20 clear profit per ton ; but they know from experience, that this " commodity is very fluctuating in price, especially since barilla has been substituted " for kelp. The price of kelp is not now worth the trouble of manufacturing it." (Ross and Cromarty, p. 134). Iodine from Although the price was as low as indicated in 1833, it rose again owing to the Iselp. manufacture of iodine from kelp. Other modes of oi)taining iodine have since been found. Failure of and the kelp industry is again at a low ebb. For many years it has ceased to be carried Hebridean gn in Lewis, and it has met with the same fate on the mainland and all the islands of miking. ^^^' Hebrides excepting Uist and Tiree. It is now of little account in Uist, and is about to be discontinued in Tiree. In Orkney, however, it is still an important industry, Kelp- and an idea of its value may be gathered from the Assessment Roll of the County. The making landlords there are assessed annually on one-half of the clear profits in respect of kelp important received by them in the preceding year. In 1900-1 the Orkney proprietors were assessed Orkney on kelp shores to the value of £1,267 17s. 5d., and in 1901-2 to the value of industry. £1,715 lOs. These figures mean that in 1899-1900 the proprietors there received a sum of £2,535 14s. lOd., and in 1900-1 a sum of £3,431. The exact amount received by the tenants, or kelp-workers, in Orkney cannot be definitely ascertained, but it is estimated to have amounted to about £3,500 in the former year and £4,500 in the latter. In certain of the islands the kelp proceeds are frequently sufl&cient to pay a crofter's rent. The total kelp produce of the United Kingdom in recent years is about 7,000 tons per annum, the price being about £4. Of this quantity a large proportion is produced in Ireland. But there are two other sources from which the island of Lewis derives considerable benefit — viz., the Militia, and the Royal Naval Reserve. Most young able-bodied Lewis - men serve in either of these branches of the service, and in that way not only earn money Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Ixxxv during a season of the year otherwise unproductive, but undergo a course of valuable physical training. For many years Lewis has been the principal recruiting ground of the Eoss- Lewismen shire Militia (the 3rd Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders), and a special steamer is ^^ Militia, usually required to convey them from the island to the mainland when undergoing their annual course of training at Fort-George. At the latter place, which is the Depot of the Line battalions of the Seaforths, they come into contact with many veterans, from whom they learn much of the martial achievements of Eoss-shire regiments of former days ; and the military ardour so characteristic of the old Highlanders is thus in no small degree roused in their breasts. On the commencement of the Boer War the Eoss-shire Militia was called out for home service. The Battalion, however, volunteered for active service in South Africa ; but the War Office authorities sent them to Egypt, where they did duty for about a year. During their sojourn there they were accompanied by a Gaelic Chaplain from the Free Church of Scotland. In support of the statement above made that the Island has been for a length of time the principal recruiting field of the Eoss-shire Militia, we have the authority of its Colonel, Sir Hector INIunro, Bart., of Foulis, for saying that of the present total strength of the battalion 802 men are from Lewis. Of these, 572 have been in the ranks of the regiment for some time, while 230 are recruits of this year. The latter number shows that there is no decline in martial and patriotic spirit among Lewismen. Since the establishment of a Eoyal Naval Eeserve Station at Stornoway a large Lewismen proportion of the young men of the island join that service rather than the Militia. ^ Royal They undergo their annual course of training at whatever season of the year is most Re^^e suitable for them, and form a very fine body of men. In the present year 2,500 men have undergone their annual course of training at Stornoway. Of these, 2,300 are from Lewis, and the remaining 200 from Harris and Uist. XII. HOUSING AND PUBLIC HEALTH. When Thomas Pennant visited Skye in 1772 he called on Sir Alexander Macdonald's piper, Macarthur — one of the hereditary pipers of the Macdonald family, who held the lands of Peingown, Kilmuir, in respect of their services. The traveller describes the piper's abode thus : — " His dwelling, like many others in this country, consists of several apartments ; ^ Skye the first for his cattle during winter, the second is his hall, the third for the reception of P^P®^ ^. strangers, and the fourth for the lodging of his family ; all the rooms within one 1772. another" (Tour in Scotland, ii., 347). It is not clear how all the rooms were within one another ; but it is obvious from the description that the whole buildings consisted of one structure, each part being devoted to a particular purpose. Houses of the type described have long since ceased to exist in Skye, but it is melancholy to think that houses of even a more primitive Primitive character, and that in very large numbers, exist in Lewis to the present day. The piper's ^^^f^ o^ house consisted of four divisions, but a large number of the Lewis houses had only one, the cattle being accommodated in one end and the human beings in the other. About 1830 Seaforth sought to put an end to this state of matters, and ordered a partition to be erected between human beings and cattle, " and that more light should be admitted into the dark recesses of their habitations." In several instances reformation then took place, " but sorely against the wishes of the people." However, a beginning was made, and in course of time minor improvements were generally effected. It became a common thing to find a low stone wall, or partition, separating the. .part of the building occupied by the family from that occupied by the cattle. A further improvement which followed was the partitioning of a bed-chamber from the " central hall." In this bed-chamber male and female slept, and so common had been the practice, that one of a series of rules issued by Sir James Matheson for the better management of the estate was specially designed to put an end to it. These rules are 53 in number, are all in Gaelic, and bear no date. The 48th rule specified the type of house which the tenants were to build, and one clause ran thus : — Digitized by Microsoft® Ixxxvi The old Lewis dwelling house. " Bithidh mar an ceudna aitean cadail fa leth aig na firionaich o na hoirionnaich: (There shall likewise be sleeping apartments for the men separate from those occupied by the women.) . It may be well to describe in some detail the type of house which the new regulation was intended to supersede. ,. The old Lewis house was, as a rule, an oblong structure, varying m length according to the means and requirements of the occupier. It had one door, but frequently it had no windows. Chimneys did not find favour, as any opening for the escape of smoke tended to reduce the quantity of soot, which was regarded as a valuable manurial product. Accordingly, if there was a hole in the roof to admit light, a pane of glass was fixed into it. It soon had a coating of soot, and admitted little light. All the sun- light in the dwelling was admitted through it and by the doorway when the door happened to be open. The family and the cattle entered by the same door ; and the cows dung was removed only once a year — in the spring time. If one entered such a house in the month of May, after the crops had been sown and the manure cleared out, he would have to descend a foot or more from the level of the door-step to the floor, thence onward towards the portion occupied by the family, when he would have to step up a foot or so to reach the level of that floor. Later on in the season, the visitor would find that the cow-dung, to which a considerable quantity of sea-ware and earth had been added, was on a level with the door-step. Towards the beginning of spring the manure heap rose considerably above that level, and the visitor would have to get to the top of a plateau, and thereafter descend into the family circle. When t]ie spring tillage began, the manure was carried away in creels to the arable land, or, if the tenant had a horse and cart, the gable of the house was pulled down, and the cart backed in, loaded, and driven away. These operations liberated noxious and poisonous gases from the decomposing mass, which only those accustomed to them from their youth could bear. Even residents to whom they did not appear ofiensive some- times succumbed to the pestilence spread around, for after the spring work was over, " dung fever" not infrequently manifested itself, and claimed its victims. The walls of this primitive dwelling were generally about five feet thick. They consisted of an outer and an inner wall after the fashion of the old northern brochs ; but instead of having an intervening passage as in the case of the brochs, the cavity was filled up with earth. This earth served the purpose of mortar, and prevented the wind from blowing through the open rubble work. The couples and cabers of the roof started from the inner wall, and these in turn were covered with layers of divots and straw. The roof was by no means impervious to rain, which, as it oozed through, became thickened and blackened with soot, and often fell in heavy drops on the inmates. Such of the rain as did not find its way through the roof ran down to the earth forming the centre of the wall and percolated through it to the foundation. The walls were thus kept perpetually damp. The smoke through the open stone work of the inner-wall on the one hand, and the rain from the roof on the other, fertilised the earth forming the centre, with the result that it produced a luxuriant crop of green grass. This afi'orded a tempting bite to a hungry cow or sheep ; and it was no uncommon thing to see a quadruped climb up to the sort of balcony at the base of the roof of the older houses and walk along the same, greedily devouring the grass before it. Stripping The roof with all the soot adhering was stripped to the cabers, and the whole mass house roofs used as manure, or as a form of top-dressing. Its fertilising properties were considered for manure, valuable, and certainly the land to which this material was applied yielded good crops for the soil of Lewis. The process, however, had its disadvantages, for on every occasion on which the old divots forming part of the thatch were used for manure, a new supply had to be got from the hillside. This was highly detrimental to the grazing, large strips of the surface being annually filched, and requiring several years before a new crop of grass or heather appeared. The earth added to the manure during the season was also taken from the hillside. In this case all the earth was frequently removed and nothing but the bare stones left. Grass did not grow there again. This is the Lewis ecjuivalent to the Shetland " scalping " — a process which has proved highly injurious to Shetland grazings and which most Shetland landowners have endeavoured to suppress. It should be added that generally the barn was built against the back wall of the dwelling-house ; and frequently a member of the family on getting married hived off from the parental roof, erected a new dwelling against the old one, and settled down there. In this way there might be two or three dwelling-houses built close against each Digitized by Microsoft® Dwelling- houses in close proxi- mity to each other. Ixxxvii other, adding to the congestion in the township and making sanitation more and more difficult. This was the general character of the habitations in the outlying districts of Lewis Improving twenty years ago, and with the view of placing tenants in a better position, improving g^®^, leases were offered in 1879 to such as were willing to enter into them. The offer was contained in a series of rules and regulations printed in Gaelic and English. Under the first section of these rules, every tenant who, before Martinmas, 1881, should (1) execute improvements on his land by trenching, draining, and putting the same into a proper state of cultivation, &c., and (2) build a dwelling-house according to a specified type, was to get a lease for 12 years (1881-1893). The rule as to the dwellings provided that the improved class of house should consist of at least three apartments ; and also stipulated that the thatch was not to be stripped off or removed for manure ; that the byre was to be a separate building, and that the dung was to be regularly removed to the dung-heap. Any tenant, whether possessing a lease or not, who built such a house as was prescribed, " to the satisfaction of the proprietor or his factor," was in the event of removal, or otherwise quitting the holding, to be allowed compensation for the same. (The two rules here referred to will be found in Appendix M, p. 38.) The offer to give the crofters leases betrayed a lack of intimate acquaintance with Highland the sentiments of the people. Such offers have been made in various other parts of the crofters Western Highlands and Islands, but almost invariably without success. There was ^i^^^ ° deep-rooted conviction throughout the West that the native population had a natural right to the land of their birth, which right descended from father to son ; and that the signing of a lease for a term of years formed a contract under which they were either obliged to quit or to enter into a new arrangement, on the expiry of the lease, and was thus equivalent to selling their birthright. A striking illustration of this conviction is furnished in a volume entitled The Highlands of Scotland in l!j^U^ by Mr. Andrew Lang. The text is from a MS. in the King's Library, British ^^^Pan. The author is not known, but Mr. Lang conjectures it was Mr. Bruce, an fl|Wal under Government, who in 1749 was employed to survey the forfeited and o^^^^ates in the Highlands. Writing about Lochaber, Mr. Bruce narrates an incideig^mere the tenant demanded an ^^^ ^^ abatement of rent from the Duke of Gordon. The 1^0^eiused, and the tenant left the birthright farm, "boasting that no tenant would dare to suc(^a him in it." It was untenanted in land, for some years, till at length the Duke prevailed upon the Parish Minister to take it. The treatment meted out to the new tenant was such that he was obliged to give up the tenancy and retire to Fort- William. In explanation of this incident Bruce writes : — " It will be necessary in order to know the Reason of this Conduct to observe that throughout all Lochaber, and the adjacent Wild Countries, the Farms have been always given to the Cadet? of the Lesser Families that are the Heads of Tribes, which they - possess for Ages without any Lease, and look upon them as their right of Inheritance ; and when they are not able to pay their Eent and are turned out, they look upon the Person who takes these Farms after them, as usurping their right. These People have often Refused to take a written Lease thinking that by so doing they give up their right of possession." (Page 93.) The last sentence states a fact familiar to everyone possessing an intimate acquain- tance with the Western Highlands. Twenty-two years later (1772), Pennant directs attention to the same doctrine. The old tenure called duchas or duthchas is defined in Duchas the Gaelic Dictionaries as " a hereditary right ; a prescriptive right by which a farm*®"^"^®- descended from father to son " ; and Pennant explains that the old tenants " held their farms at a small rent, from father to son, by a kind of prescribed right, which the Highlanders called duchas. This tenure," he says, " in the feudal times was esteemed sacred and inviolable." {Tour in Scotland, vol. ii., p. 423.) These views had no sanction in law, but they have prevailed among the West Coast crofters to recent times, and it is therefore not surprising that the proposed leases in Lewis were not entered into. Neither does there appear to have been improved houses built " to the satisfaction of the proprietor or his factor." This is not to be wondered at, for shortly after the offer was made the land agitation in the Highlands altered the relations between landlord and tenant, the latter repudiating the power of removal, &c., hitherto exercised by the proprietor, and appealing for State protection. Subject to the limitations therein contained, the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 (49 and 50 Vict., cap. 29) gave statutory sanction to the demands of the Digitized by Microsoft® Ixxxviii Tenure under Crofters Act. Progress in Lewis slow. Notice to house- holders regarding construc- tion of dwellings. Legal proceedings for housing cattle in same dwelling as family. Application for Imperial grants to improve dwellings. Marquess of Salisbury on the Crofters Act. tenants, for it enacted that the crofter shall not be removed from his holding (except for the breach of one or more of the statutory conditions), and the security of tenure thus granted was conferred on his successors, " being his heirs or legatees " (sections 1 and 34).* Elsewhere in the crofting area, if the tenants were in tolerably comfortable circum- stances, improvements in dwelling-houses were begun as soon as their legal rights under the Act were established and appreciated. In Lewis however progress was slow. The people were in a large measure steeped in poverty, and they had become so much accustomed to the old order of things that they saw no necessity for a change. The fire in the middle of the floor, with the dye-pot at its side, the dark room, the peat reek, the hens roosting on the rafters above their heads, had satisfied their ancestors, who were better men and women than they, and why should this state of matters not satisfy them ? On the general condition of the houses from a sanitary point of view it is unnecessary to enlarge,. In 1891 and 1894 the Local Government (Scotland) Acts (52 and 53 Vict., cap. 50 ; and 57 and 58 Vict., cap. 58) brought new agencies into the field, and the Sanitary Inspector found much to occupy his attention. On llth February 1893 the Lewis District Committee had the whole question of housing under consideration, and as a first step adopted the following Minute : — " In regard to the dwelling-houses it was agreed to give notice to the people by a circular to each householder, that the Local Authority will insist henceforth that a wall of stone and lime reaching to the roof be built in each dwelling-house, separating the cattle end of the house from the other portion with no internal communication and that each end be provided with a separate entrance from the outside, and that every one failing to carry out this regulation is liable to be summoned before the Sheriff." In the following year the Sanitary Inspector received instructions from the District Committee to institute proceedings in the Sheriff Court at Stornoway against persons for housing cattle in the same dwelling as the family. Four cases regarded as typical were brought into Court. After the requisite inquiry in one of these the Sheriff Substitute issued an interlocutor on 6th March 1895 calling upon the defender to remove the nuisance complained of within a given period, and for that purpose he was ordained to execute certain structural alterations on his dwelling- house. These included (1) the erection of a stone or brick gable between the dwelling- house and the byre, so as to leave no means of internal communication between both buildings ; the gable to have a fire-place, thus putting an end to the old custom of having the fire in the middle of the floor ; (2) a window in the front wall of the kitchen of the dwelling-house ; and (3) a separate door from outside for the cattle. The interlocutor in this case is quoted in Appendix M., page 38. The other cases were similarly dealt with. In 1896 the Local Authorities in the Outer Hebrides, including Lewis, made appeals to the Local Government Board for grants from Imperial funds to improve the houses in the districts under their supervision. They were, however, informed that no hope could be held out that such grants could be obtained. The Board dealt with *The circumstances under which the Crofters Act was passed were stated by the Marquess of Salisbury at a public meeting in Edinburgh, on 30th November 1888. His Lordship in comparing and contrasting the question of Irish land with the question of the Scottish crofters (as reported in the Scotsman of 1st December 1888), said: — "The Scottish Crofters Bill was no measure " for which I am responsible — and I do not profess to admire it in all respects ; but it had this "particular note — it was not a disturbance of old, long-established rights. The ground on which you " interfered with the position of the Scottish crofters was that you said that, up to a comparatively recent " period, they had held upon a tenure not the general tenure of these islands, and that that tenure had by " lapse, by carelessness, by use, by encroachment, been converted into a condition of things wholly and "unjustly disadvantageous to themselves. It was said that the old clannish tenure, which was very " different from the ordinary law of landlord and tenant in this country, had slipped into the law of land- " lord and tenant, entirely to the advantage of the landlord, without any consideration of the valuable " interest which the clansman formerly had in the land on which he lived. Well, that is a very fair "argument, and the Act of Parliament (The Crofters Act, 1886) which flowed from it was that the rule " of prescription observed generally in this country should be considerably extended — extended from sixty " to eighty years— and that all who within eighty years had been in the condition of crofters should have " their case specially considered. That was a decision perfectly consistent with the ordinary doctrines of " the rights of property, whether you thought it wise or whether you thought it foolish. There was "nothing in it which affected the rights of property in general. The case of the Irish tenant was "very different." Further on in the same speech his Lordship, speaking of Ireland, said that while Parliament in its wisdom had " set aside the rights of landlords which had existed for many, many hundred " years," this land policy in Ireland had " nothing whatever in common with the very moderate and limited "measure which, in respec^^»j^y^^i^^rflu«flata,gc^^j^f(^ave applied to the crofters of Scotland." Ixxxix tlie question in their second Annual Keport (1896). (An extract from that Report on the housing question in Lewis will be found in Appendix M., page 39.) In 1898, Dr. Charles Macrae, medical officer f6r Stornoway, directed attention to the subject of dwelling-houses in the following terms : — " Sanitary progress is still much hindered by the lack of encouragement given to Sites for squatters — fishermen who are able and willing to build better houses if a site and a fishermen's modicum of land could be obtained. A modification of the Crofters Act seems called for ^°^^f^ to make building sites more available, and specially for the location of fishermen in places of best and readiest access to the sea treasures on which this island mainly depends. This, with other good results, would obviate resort to clandestine erections which tend so little to nobility of character." The sites of houses often formed a matter of difficulty. It is desirable to have the house on the holding ; and frequently there is no suitable site thereon — that is to say a site where a satisfactory system of drainage can be introduced and the sanitary arrange- ments made adequate. Again, the numerous cottar or squatter houses that crowd every township prevent Cottar over- improvement. Inferior in construction, they are uot unusually built up against the '=™^'Ji'^g croft houses, rendering it exceedingly difficult for the crofter to efiect improvements, ^^ ^^^ even where he has the means and the will to do so. The cottar under such circumstances ments. rarely improves. He is nearly always poor ; he has no security of tenure, and his heirs have no right to succeed to any building or other subjects possessed by him at his death. P°y^'^*.y (For a case in point reference may be made to that of LilliasMacgegorMacmillan, North ^^g^^^y^, ^^ Uist, Crofters Commission Report for 1896, p. 153.) Accordingly his sense of insecurity cottars discourages him from building a good house. But notwithstanding the various drawbacks to which reference has been made, Improve- the Sanitary Inspector is able from year to year to report a certain amount of progress. "^®^* ^"^ In 1892 he found attempts made by the inhabitants to improve the outward ^'PP^arance j™ j^^ of their premises by cleansing the surface, and in the matter of house accommodation he says improvements had been made in the townships of Aird and Shadder in the Parish of Stornoway, in Bragar in the Parish of Barvas, and in Calbost, Laxay, and Airidh- bhruthaich in Lochs. In 1893 he reports that " as to cleanliness of surroundings there has been a marked Marked improvement throughout the district. In many cases where nothing formerly was™P'^o'^®" noticeable there have been attempts to keep premises tidier than previously." "^^"t^nu In 1895, he says : — " There has been marked progress made in building new houses and improving existing ones during the year. In the Aird of Tong district improve- ments have been made on existing houses in five cases, and in almost every village in the Parish of Lochs new houses of a better class are being built, and improvements made on the old ones." In 1896, he again reports that new houses are being built in every part of the island, " and some of these are of a better class than those originally built 30 or 40 years ago." But he adds — " I am sorry to see in many instances that the new houses referred " to are built according to the primitive design and without regard to the sanitary " condition of the site chosen." In 1897 he says : — " Several new houses of a somewhat better description were erected " and a number of old ones repaired or altered to meet present requirements, but the " district is still in a very unsatisfactory condition with respect to suitable dwelling- " houses. The Ness locality indicated a greater degree of improvement than any other " within the district." The local Sanitary Inspector has the following on the same subject : — " The building of houses has been going on rapidly during the year in every ■ " parish ; several of the new houses are very good indeed, built with two gables and " entirely separated from the byres. The crofters are beginning to realise the benefit " of such separation." ..." New houses are built of a better class than the " original kind, but as most of them are surrounded by colonies of squatters' houses of " a very inferior class, the prospects of cleanliness can be nothing like satisfactory." In 1898 the local Sanitary Inspector writes : — "New houses of a better class are " being built in almost every village, and some of the old ones are being improved, but " in many instances houses of the primitive type are still being built in close proximity " to those of the better class." The Reports for 1899 and 1900 are to the same effect as that for 1898. ^^ Digitized by Microsoft® xc Improve- Having regard to the backward condition of the Lewis houses of 20 years ago, and ments more ^-^^ conditions of life prevailing in the island, the progress indicated above, though Ae'fishing slow, must be regarded as not unsatisfactory on the whole. In certain districts, parti- districts, cularly where the fishing is prosecuted with success, a marked improvement has taken place. In Laxdale, in the vicinity of Stornoway, there are a large number of good, substantial houses which would do credit to any district. In the district of Point or Eye, the number of new houses of an improved type has been so large that anyone who had not visited the island for 15 years would scarcely recognise the locality. In other districts, too, a well-constructed house may here and there be seen, but the old order still prevails to a very great extent. New houses With regard to new houses, a regrettable circumstance, as noticed in the Inspector's built after Report for 1898, is that in many instances they are built on the old pattern. Such a o pattern, pj-Q^gg^jj^g q^i^ tends to perpetuate the present unsatisfactory state of matters, and the Lewis District Committee of the County Council, acting under the powers con- ferred on them by Section 181 of the Public Health Act of 1897 (60 and 61 Vict., cap. 38), have issued a series of bye-laws intended to cope with the matter. They apply to the whole of the Lewis district and specify the class of house to be built in the future. A copy of these will be found in Appendix M, pages 39-40. In the Island of Lewis the crofting townships are so congested that until at least the squatter population find homes elsewhere, either on new holdings or away from the island, housing and other questions afiecting the welfare and comfort of the people will be urgent. Water supply. Typhoid resulting from con- taminated water. Improved water supply. General health of people. Infant mortality. " Fifth night's sickness." The question of water supply has been engaging the attention of the Sanitary Authorities. The Sanitary Inspector for the County in his second report described certain water supplies as "little better than cesspools for surface soakings." The Medical Officer for the Parish of Lochs, writing to the Board of Supervision on 28th January 1893, describes the water supply of Cromore thus: — "The water supply of Cromore is merely a few holes dug out amongst the arable ground next the houses, and polluted with the manure dissolved ofi" their arable ground ; and in some cases con- taminated with liquid sewage percolating through the soil from their houses." In the same year there was an outbreak of typhoid fever in the townships of Islivig and Breanish in Uig, and the medical officer says there is little doubt that in the case of Breanish it originated from the parties using water from a stream contaminated by sewage from houses and patches of cultivated land situated near its banks. Without entering into details in regard to particular districts, it may be stated that the annual reports of the Sanitary Inspector disclose a rapid improvement in the matter of water supply. Where the water in a well was found to be impure the well was condemned and closed, and a new well opened in a suitable locality. On the other hand, wells that contained good water, but open to contamination, have been cleaned out enclosed, and covered in. Improvements in this direction have been general throuo-hout the island wherever the same were considered necessary or desirable, and altogether the water supply appears to be now on a much better footing than formerly. The insanitary houses and the impure water to which the people have long been accustomed would lead an inquirer to expect a high death-rate. That is not so, however. The island is occasionally visited by epidemics of measles, whooping-couo-h, &c., like other parts of the country; and there are sometimes outbreaks of "dung-fever" a jDreventible malady — but altogether the general health is good. The rate of infant mortality is high, and a belief used to prevail that the weaklings died young, and that the strong who survived withstood the insanitary surroundings to which the weaker constitutions had succumbed. But the statistics published by the County Medical Officer show that the rate of infant mortality is higher in several of the mainland districts. It connection with this subject it may be remarked that a peculiar form of disease has prevailed in the island for upwards of a century. It seizes its victims about the fifth night after birth, and is in consequence called "the fifth night's sickness." It almost invariably proves fatal, the patient dying in convulsive fits. According to medical testimony it is infant lockjaw, and although still prevalent is on the decrease. It used to be common in St. Kilda. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XCl Taking the vital statistics of Lewis for a series of years it is found that as a whole Vital the death-rate is considerably lower than that on the mainland of Ross and Cromarty, statistic*-- On the other hand the birth-rate is higher. Martin, in his Western Islands, says—" lt°^tnd is a general observation of such as live on the sea-coast that they are more prolific than high birth- any other people whatsoever" (p. 147); and the Returns of the Registrar General afford rate, ample proof of this fact in Lewis. In 1891 the birth-rate was 31-93 per thousand, while on the mainland it was only 21-84. The death-rate of Lewis, on the other hand, was 17-57 and that of the mainland 16-60. This death-rate, however, was exceptional. In 1894 the death-rate of Lewis and the mainland were almost equal, the former being 17-17 and the latter 17-08. During the other years of the decade the mainland death-rate has always exceeded that of Lewis. In 1892 and 1893 the birth-rate both of the Island and of the mainland remained practically stationary, the figures for Lewis (omitting decimals) having been 28 and those for the mainland 19 per thousand in each year. The death-rate, on the other hand, was 16 in the former year and 15 in the latter as regards Lewis, while for the mainland the figures were 17 and 16 respectively. In 1894 the Lewis birth-rate reached the high figure of 29-87, while the corresponding rate on the mainland was 20-50. From the figures applicable to some of the districts it is found that the birth-rate in Carloway reached the remarkably high level of 35-44 in 1894. In that year the rate in Lochs was 32-85, and Barvas 29-32. The death-rate in these three districts in that year was 22:85, 16-11, and 16-54 respectively. In 1899 the birth-rate in the Point, or Eye, district was 33-33, while the death- rate was only 11-57. In 1900 Barvas had a birth-rate of 31-21 and a death-rate of 15-38. As a contrast to some of the mainland Parishes it may be stated that in that year the birth-rate in Glenshiel on the south-west of the County was only 8-19. It may be convenient to state here in tabular form (1) the birth-rate for the Island of Lewis ; the corresponding rates for the mainland of Ross and Cromarty ; and (2) the death-rate for Lewis on the one hand and for the mainland of Ross and Cromarty on the other. The figures applicable to Lewis for the period from 1892-1900 are taken from the annual Reports of the Medical Officer of Health for Ross-shire ; while those for the maiuland for 1891-1900 are calculated from the statistics furnished in said Reports. Except in 1891, when the census returns are adopted, the estimated population is taken as the basis of calculating the rate of births and deaths per thousand in each year :— - Table, showing (l) the birth-rate in the Island of Lewis and on the Mainland of Ross and Cromarty; and (2) the death-rate in Lewis and on the Mainland of Ross and Cromarty, respectively, per thousand of the population during the period from 1891 to 1900. Lewis Birth-rate and Death- rate — com- parison with mainland of Ross and Cromarty. Year. Birth Rate. Death Rate. Island of Lewis. Mainland of Ross and Cromarty. Island of Lewis. Mainland of Ross and Cromarty. 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 31-93 28-91 28-39 29-87 26-45 27-98 26-51 25-13 29-57 28-26 21-84 19-54 19-33 20-50 22-02 22-03 20-73 20-18 19-84 18-91 17-57 16-42 15-95 17-17 14-37 10-25 17-93 13-96 13-42 16-20 16-60 17-11 16-78 17-08 18-59 15-52 18-74 14-47 17-76 1966 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® xcu Excess of births over deaths. Along with the above table it may be of interest to have the total number of births and deaths in Lewis during the ten years named. The population in 1891, it may be repeated, was 27,590, and that in 1901, 28,949. The following figures show the total number of births, the total number of deaths, and the excess of births over deaths in each of the ten years : — Lewis Vital Statistics. Year. Total Births. Total Deaths. Excess of Births over Deaths. 1891 881 485 396 1892 830 507 323 1893 823 440 383 1894 728 436 292 1895 816 446 370 1896 873 310 563 1897 811 552 259 1898 G75 375 300 1899 793 360 433 1900 764 438 326 Total 7,994 4,349 3,645 Rainfall and mean tempera- ture. It will thus be seen that while the increase, as appears from the Census, is 1 359 the excess of births over deaths has been 3,645, showing that during the ten years 2,286 had left the island, or, in any event, that a considerable portion of them were temporarily absent from Lewis when the Census was taken. In this connection it may be stated that in 1891 there were 484 males and 105 females (589 in all) temporarily absent. In 1901 the figures were 1020 males and 359 females, or 1379 in all. The high birth-rate and the low death-rate are noteworthy, especially having regard to the insanitary surroundings of the inhabitants. Climate probably forms an important element, and, as bearing on that point, the following Table showing the rainfall at Stornoway for an average of 25 years (1866-90), and the mean temperature for 24 years compiled from Bartholomew's Atlas of Scotland, is instructive : — Month. Average Rainfall at Stornoway for 25 Years (1866-1900). Mean Tempera- ture at Stornoway for 25 Years. January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, Septembei October, . November December, 5 4-88 372 3-28 2-50 2-48 2-48 2-86 3-50 374 5-06 4-82 4-97 387 39-2 39-9 43-8 477 53-0 54-9 55-1 51-8 46-2 41-5 39-8 Year, . 44-29 46-00 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XCIU It may be mentioned that the rainfall on Island" Glass in Harris is 42-06 for the year. At Lochmaddy, further south, it is 57-18; at Oronsay 60-64, and at Strome- Ferry, on the mainland, 62-0. The mean temperature for Harris is slightly higher than that for Stornoway, being 47-8. Portree is 46-6, and the West Mainland about the same. The comparative mildness and dryness of the climate enable the people to enjoy a Peat-reek healthy out-door life throughout the greater part of the year ; and finally, the peat- ^ ^^®" reek and soot, so trying to eyes unaccustomed to them, are, according to some medical^" authorities, beneficial as powerful disinfectants and germ destroyers. As regards medical attendance a great advance has taken place in recent years. Improved "There is only one surgeon in the whole island," writes the minister of Lochs in the ^^'^^^^ Old Statistical Account. The minister of Stornoway, in the same work, says :'^ ^"^ ^'^°^' " Inoculation is performed here with success by the skill and attention of Mr. Robert " Millar, surgeon " — the only doctor. Subsequently there were two doctors in Stornoway, who attended to the sick in all parts of the island. This was the condition of matters till about 25 years ago. There are now resident medical officers in the rural parishes of Barvas, Lochs, and Uig ; while there are five in practice in Stornoway. XIIL— CEIME. SeriouH crime is of rare occurrence in Lewis. Occasionally a wave of excite- Serious ment passes over the community, and during its continuance excesses are committed cnme rare which reflect on the general good conduct of the inhabitants. But apart from such^°ggggg excesses and occasional brawls in Stornoway, the behaviour of the people as a whole, in so far as matters calling for police intervention are concerned, is exemplary. In the statistics of crime published annually by the Police authorities charges are Criminal divided into three classes — (l) Offences against the person; (2) Offences against property; ^*^*^®*^''®- and (3) Miscellaneous. In the first of these classes are included assaults of a serious nature, deforcement, and refusal to aid the officers of the law ; concealment of pregnancy, &c. ; and in the second, thefts, falsehood, fraud, and wilful imposition, wilful fire-raising, rioting, &c. The third category embraces disorderly conduct and breaches of the peace, petty assaults, cruelty to animals, the being drunk and incapable, perjury, contra- vention of various statutes, including the general Police Act, 1862, the Education Act, the Fishery Acts, &c. An examination of the criminal statistics applicable to Lewis for the period from 1880 to 1900 shows that the number of offences under the first and second classifications is very small, particularly in the rural districts. It may be, however, that there are undetected crimes committed in these districts, and a Gaelic proverb current in the Lewis, " Is iomadh fear a ghoid caora nach deach leatha air taod gu Steornqbhaigh " (Many a man stole a sheep who did not lead it on a halter to Stornoway), lends weight to this surmise. The number under the head of Miscellaneous is considerable as compared with the other two ; but having regard to the population of the island and the large influx of strangers to Stornoway during the fishing season, it is really small, and furnishes ample testimony to the law-abiding character of the people. In these statistics, Stornoway presents an unenviable contrast to the other districts Petty of Lewis, for the number of offences against the person and against property committed crime in within the Parish is, as a rule, greater than the number in all the rest of the island ; Stornoway. while as regards miscellaneous offences an overwhelming proportion of the same is recorded. It would be a mistake, however, to assume that the offenders are all residents in Stornoway. A great many of these offences consist of petty assaults, breaches of the peace, and disorderly conduct — offences which, as a rule, are the result of intoxication. The total number of miscellaneous offences committed in the island in 1880, for instance, was 76, of which two were in the Parish of Uig, and the remaining 74 in that of Storno- way. Of the latter, assaults, etc., number 20, and drunk and incapable 5, while there were 45 contraventions of the General Police Act. In the following year the total number of miscellaneous offences was 60, two of which were committed in Barvas, and the remaining 58 in Stornoway. Of the latter, 28 were petty assaults, breaches of the peace, &c., while 5 were the result of drinking to excess, and 22 were contraventions of Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XCIV the Police Act. Without going into details for each year, it may be remarked that in 1885 there were 146 miscellaneous offences dealt with by the police in Lewis. Of these, 121 were in Stornoway — one-half consisting of petty assaults, etc. In 1890 the total number had increased to 255, of which 184 were committed in Stornoway. Of the latter, 100 were petty assaults and disorderly conduct, etc. In 1895 miscellaneous offences numbered 271, 207 being in Stornoway. Of that number, 105 were under the category of petty assaults, etc. Lastly, in 1900 the total had risen to 371. Of these, 306 were in Stornoway, of which 118 were petty assaults, and the remainder contraventions of various statutes. It may be remarked that in 1899 nineteen persons — a very small number — are returned as " drunk and incapable " in Stornoway. Crime The explanation of the large number of offences, more or less traceable to drink, in traceable to Stornoway is that there are no licensed places in any other part of the island. Storno- •^■^■ink- ^a,y, as the chief business centre, attracts men from all parts of Lewis throughout the year. Arriving there, often fatigued and hungry, recourse is had to spirituous liquors. They forget the moral contained in the Gaelic proverb. Is fhearr an teine heag a gliaras na 'n teine mor a loisgeas (" Better the little fire that will warm than the great fire that will burn "), and more is consumed than the dictates of prudence would sanction. Sir James The evil effects of drinking under such conditions were so serious that in 1868 Sir Matheson's James Matheson addressed a circular letter of remonstrance to his Lewis tenants, remon-. According to this letter, offenders came from all parts of the island, but " the young agiSnst "^®^ " '^^ *^® districts of Point and Back, and " persons of various ages " from different excessive quarters of the Parish of Lochs, were singled out as offenders above all others. The drinking, letter conveyed wise counsel to the tenants in the matter of behaviour in Stornoway, and concluded by threatening that parties afterwards found guilty of the misconduct complained of would be deprived of their holdings. The letter is in Gaelic, and is quoted in full in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness (vol. vii., pp. 116-118). Licensed With regard to the question of licensed premises it may be stated that in 1833 there premises in were 20 in the island. Of these, 18 were in Stornoway — 4 inns or hotels, 7 shops, and Lewis. 7 cellars or taverns. There was one in bhe Parish of Uig and another in the Parish of Lochs. The latter was at Loch Shell, near where the shooting-lodge ofPark now stands. There was no resident population there in 1833, but the place served the wants of sea- faring people. In the Appendix to Sir John Macneill's Eeport on the Condition of the Highlands- in 1851 the number of licensed premises in Stornoway then is stated at 11 — 5 inns or hotels, 5 cellars, and 1 agency for a distillery. There were 3 in the rural districts, 1 at Callernish in Uig, 1 at Dalbeg in Barvas, and 1 at Glen, " a half-way house " between Stornoway and Barvas. In more recent times a great diminution has taken place. In 1880 there were 9 licensed places in Stornoway — 5 inns or hotels, 3 dealers in spirits, and 1 dealer in porter and ale. The licensed places in the country were then reduced to 1 in the Parish of Uig, presumably Garynahine, which superseded Callernish. In 1890 all the licensed places in Lewis were in Stornoway, and consisted of 3 inns or hotels, 2 dealers in spirits, and 1 dealer in porter and ale. In 1900 there were only 3 licensed places in the island — viz., 3 hotels in Stornoway. So far as known, shebeening does not prevail to any extent in the country districts, and it may be inferred that the absence of drinking facilities in these quarters explains the absence of offences which are frequently the outcome of drink ; while the concentration of the drink traffic at Stornoway accounts for their frequency there. MisceUane- In 1888, as will be remembered, the Education Department addressed a letter to ous offences, the School Boards of Barvas, Lochs, and Uig, in which inter alia complaint was made that contTOTen- ^'^® School Board authorities did not enforce the provisions of the Education Act in the tion of matter of school attendance. This remonstrance appears to have had the desired effect. Education and the Boards concerned, as also the Board of Stornoway, took active steps to ensure Act. regular school attendance. These proceedings resulted in swelling the number of mis- cellaneous offences throughout Lewis, as the statistics applicable to 1888 and 1889 show. In 1888 the total number of miscellaneous offences was 160, but in 1889 it had increased to 281. Of these, 110 were in respect of contravention of the Education Act; thus leaving the ordinary offences at 171, or 11 more than in the previous year. Of the 110 cases in which the parents were charged with failing to educate their children, 44 were from the Parish of Barvas, 22 from Lochs, 33 from Stornoway, and 11 from Uig. The largest number of contraventions of this class took place in 1889, but the Educational authorities have not wavered in their resolve to insist on the education of the young. Digitized by Microsoft® xcv The following Table shows the number of cases of contravention of the Education Act, and the number of miscellaneous offences, including said contraventions, in each Parish, the total number for Lewis, and the total number of miscellaneous cases, also including said contraventions, in each year during the period from 1889 to 1900 : — Barvas. Lochs. Stornoway. Uig. Total Miscellaneous cases in Lewis, in- cluding Con- traventions of Education Act. Total Contravention of Education Act. Year. Miscellaneous, in- cluding Contraven- tions of Education Act. Contra- vention of Educat'n Act. Miscellaneous, in- cluding Contraven- tions of Education Act. Contra- vention of Educat'n Act. Miscellaneous, in- cluding Contraven- tions of Education Act. Contra- vention of Educat'n Act. Miscellaneous, in- cluding Contraven- tions of Education Act. Contra- vention of ucat'n Act. 1889 55 44 41 22 157 33 28 11 28l' 110 1890 27 16 17 7 184 39 27 15 255 77 1891 34 22 56 12 166 15 21 8 277 57 1892 43 29 19 9 228 18 23 13 313 69 1893 51 39 17 9 182 17 15 1 265 66 1894 42 24 36 20 226 37 20 4 324 85 1895 37 23 8 1 207 26 19 1 271 51 1896 36 19 33 24 229 32 33 11 331 86 1897 49 19 10 2 197 18 16 3 272 42 1898 40 14 43 11 230 4 40 4 353 33 1899 20 9 20 2 ' 219 10 27 286 21 1900 31 5 18 4 306 40 16 1 371 50 The significance of the foregoing figures consists in this, that the first prosecutions had such a salutary efiect on offenders that in succeeding years the Educational authori- ties were not called upon to take legal action in anything like the same degree. In 1899 the total number of such prosecutions was only 21. The effect of these prosecutions on school attendance has been observed upon in the section dealing with Education. Stornoway has a monopoly of contraventions of the Police Act. The lowest record of this was in 1893, when the number stood at 21, but in the preceding year it was 68. Taking every fifth year, the numbers of these offences in Stornoway were as follows : — 1880, 45; 1885, 50; 1890, 36; 1895, 57; and 1900, 55. It may be confidently asserted that offences against the person and offences against Offences property are exceedingly few, when the population of the island, and the lai"ge ""l^^^^*^^^ numbers of people from other quarters who visit Stornoway during the year, but parti- Property cularly in the fishing season, are considered. few. Details of the three classes of offences enumerated applicable to each Parish m Lewis in each year from 1880 to 1900 inclusive will be found in Appendix N (pp. 41-46), as also a classification of the offences under the category of Miscellaneous, showing how many consisted of (l) breaches of the peace, petty assaults, and disorderly conduct ; (2) con- travention of the Education Act ; (3) contravention of the General Police Act, 1862; (4) poaching; and (5) various minor offences. XIV. SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE. The social and domestic life of the Lewis peasantry may be characterised as quiet Domestic and uneventful in the extreme. Few subjects of a public nature withdraw their attention Jj^^ from their daily avocations. They celebrate the New Year ; and a weddmg is the occasion for great rejoicing. Death on the other hand usually brings a cloud of sorrow ,over a whole district ; and funerals are largely attended. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® XCVl Tunerals. Sacramental gatherings. Old games " gone out of use." Lewismen of former generations fond of music and dancing. Mode of living in 1836. Standard of comfort in 1841. Formerly, in the Western Islands, funerals sometimes became orgies, and an old saying illustrative of this is that one funeral is better than twelve Sacramental gather- ings. (Is Jhearr aon torradh na da cJwmanachadh dhiag.) The Lewis funeral of to-day is, however, most decorous, and in every way in harmony with the situation. The Sacramental gathering is also an event that moves the rural life of Lewis. Some people consider it a duty to attend most of the Communion services in the island. These last from Thursday till Monday in each district; and during their continuance every house within a radius of some miles from the church is filled with visitors from other districts. The Lewis Islanders are indeed a quiet, serious people, and not given in any large degree to amusements. Games such as jumping, shinty, putting the stone, &c., are described as having "gone out of use" among adults prior to 1833. Martin mentions that in his time {circa 1695) the Lewis people were " very dexterous in the exercises of swimming, archery, vaulting or leaping." He also says they were great lovers of music, and that when he was in the island he got an account of eighteen men who could play the violin well without having been taught. The Lewisman of a hundred years ago does not appear to have had the same gravity of demeanour as his descendant of to-day, if we accept the statement of the Eev. John Lane Buchanan, who was " Missionary Minister to the Isles from the Church of Scotland " from 1782 to 1790. In a volume published in 1793, in which he describes his Hebridean experiences, he says the British laws had been introduced by the Seaforth of that period to the Island of Lewis. Referring to the manners and customs of the people, he praises their music and dancing. " In Lewis " he says, " since their late happy change from " servitude to freedom by the present noble minded proprietor, they are animated with " such life as to meet in companies, regularly every week, at stated places, where both " old and young take their turn at this agreeable past-time (dancing), when they exercise " themselves with amazing alertness and spirit." * These weekly dances have long since been discontinued — probably at a date beyond living memory — and in neither of the Statistical Accounts is mention made of them. Rev. Wm. MacRae, Minister of Barvas, writing in the New Statistical Account (1836), gives a description of his parishioners which it is believed was applicable to all the country districts of the island at that time. After stating that in their habits much cleanliness can scarcely be expected, considering their poverty and the wretchedness of their habitations, he proceeds — "Their mode of living most closely approaches the ' pastoral : — ^without arts, trade, or manufacture, navigation or literature, their whole ' round of duty consists in securing fuel, in sowing and reaping their scanty crops, ' and in rearing their flocks, and tending them at pasture. Yet in these limited ' circumstances, while supplied with food and clothing of the plainest description, and ' able to pay their rents, their simple cottages are abodes of happiness and contentment. ' Blue kelt is almost the only dress worn by the men, and stuifs, variously striped, by ' the women, with under dresses of plaiding, all home-made. In many instances, how- ' ever, cotton shirts and print gowns are beginning to supersede the use of some of these 'articles." . . . " Their ordinary food consists of oat and barley meal, potatoes and ' milk, variously prepared. Their domestic economy is frugal and moderate beyond ' conception. The produce of a foreign soil, as tea, cofiee, and sugar, and the common ' conveniences of art, as knives, forks, &c., are to them altogether alien." {Ross and Cromarty, p. 147.) In 1841 Mr. Thomas Knox, the then factor for Seaforth in the Island of Lewis, was examined before the Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament previously mentioned. Mr. O'Brien, a member of the Committee, asked him what were the ideas of comfort with respect to residence and food entertained by the Lewis people. He replied, " that they should have, of course, a house and plenty of firing, which is very easily procured in all parts of Lewis; and potatoes, some grain, one to five cows, and a few sheep." (Q. 2270.) In answer to further questions, Mr. Knox stated that such of them as fished had plenty of fish. That, with potatoes, was the common diet of the country. Lord Teignmouth. —Wh&t sort of fish ? Mr. Knox.— The smaller sort of fish,, haddocks, and the heads of the cod and ling. Mr. O'Brien. — ^Do they ever eat of meat ? Mr. Knox. — Not generally. I have seen dried mutton, a sort of ham. . . , Mr. O'Brien.— Bo you conceive that a person living in a house, without a chimney, and with scarcely a window, and eating potatoes, with fish occasionally, is not a poor * " Travels in the Hei Digitized by ih-ides from 1782, O 05 CO ^ ^ CS — fl o o i ) 01 n .^ rf tiO m rt ;^ ^ o o t-, fl a o g DQ o IB tn ^ a> >s -M ri ri Oh -*j ^ j> CO 2 •^ ■^ tc o ^ i. rj -^ I=i ^ ^ 3 -o ;zi a> J3 -*3 ^ "^^ -2 "S a} g a f3 a a /- o 3 O .« o •fc! ^ '5 5 M ^ « 6X) += ,i3 S/0 O to <1 a ■ — ii^l ,_, cq T-H c» t^ o ty of R Oromar ive of Li 00 00 t^ to to 1:^ CO r— 02 c ^ 2 « r^ CO CTi to O ta CO gs-i 1-^ 00 cq 00 00 (MOO C5 CO CO ^"g "" " " m 1" 3§ t~ cs to t~ tr~ to 1-^ ^ .-1 (M OJ 'o C^-H 3 -35 "^l r-H l^ 05 ^ m 1 O t4 O to O IM to to ^W CO 00 00 00 00 1—1 . — 15 oj ■ 60 -e 00 .-H 00 -^< , 1 E-i-^ C3 co CO CO CO >>- flP I— ( ■ i to a llegit Birth ural ;ratioi ricts ewis. OS 00 00 CO to -^ '^ ^= p^ cc d '^ ja go -♦^ ^ •— — . ^ ca -»» to ni •^ o cs -^ -S CO O rt 1£5 ^ - Oi CO ^D to to lO -^ CM ji^ 60 iJ ^ CO m CO (M t- ® 5 I— I 1— 1 CJ o 1-:] ^ to ^ ■* t£> 00 05 i^ 00 00 o ■£ -* to CO CO -* CO HfS r—t r— ( I— 1 i-H t^ . S cS FQ "3 ^ IM i-H lO C5 O t~ o -g t^ 00 to to 00 to ^S 1 — I T— ( l-H T— 1 00 s> ■ CO CD « r^ P ■^ u t^' ■rA a 3c/jfey Micra^ft®^ cT =2 >- sj ex/ CO oi Oi C3 ■+f ta 00 00 00 oo 00 o r— < r— I r— ( rH 1 — 1 H cu contro versies. Ecclesi- In connection with tlie social condition of the people, a passing reference may be made asticAl ^Q ^Yie ecclesiastical controversies which have in recent years interfered with the peace of the inhabitants. Prior to the Disruption, dissent in any form did not obtain a footing in Lewis. At the Disruption, however, an overwhelming majority of the population cast in their lot with the Free Church of 1843. The Declaratory Act passed by the Free Church Assembly a few years ago led to another disruption, a considerable number of people having joined the religious body popularly known as " the Seceders." They have a minister in Stornoway and a considerable following throughout the island. The union of the Free Church and the United Presbyterian Church in 1900 led to fresh divisions. All the Free Church clergymen of the island, excej)t those of Back and Park, joined the United Church, but their flocks got divided ; and, according to the current issue of Oliver & Boyd's Almanac, there are the following charges in connection with the various denominations throughout the island : — Estahlished Church. — Barvas, CrosSj Knock, Lochs, Carloway, Uig, Bernera, and Stornoway. United Free Church. — Back (vacant), Barvas, Carloway, Cross, Kinloch, Knock, Lochs, Park (vacant), Shawbost, Stornoway, and Uig. (There are three congregations adhering to this denomination in Stornoway.) Free Church. — Back, Park, Barvas, Carloway, Cross, Kinloch, Knock, Lochs, Shawbost, Stornoway, and Uig. (Except Back and Park, all these are returned as vacant. ) Free Presbyterian Church. — (Popularly known as " the Seceders ") Stornoway. Scottish Episcopal Church. — Stornoway. The zeal with which some of the contending sects maintain their respective interests may be illustrated by reference to a recent case before the Commission. The proprietor of Lewis applied to resume a small piece of common ground in the occupation of crofters, in order that the same might be feued to one of the dissenting denominations for the building of a church thereon, in the neighbourhood of an existing church. A section of the crofters interested favoured the application, while another opposed it, giving the following as one of their reasons : — " The two churches, if placed near each other, would lead to offence and possibly to a breach of the peace." The rancour and bitterness with which these ecclesiastical controversies are conducted have tended to break up old friendships and to disturb the peace of the social life of the people where they prevail. XV. CONCLUSION. Crofter It has often been said, and with truth, that of all parts of the crofting area, that problem in portion which presents the most difficult questions is the Island of Lewis. Not but that Lewis. some at least of the problems existing there, are to be found elsewhere ; but in Lewis they are more pressing, as they affect a wider area and a denser population. The observations already made tend to prove that these questions and problems have existed for a great length of time ; but while of significance from a historical point of view, we think they ought also to be made to lead up to some practical conclusions for the future. Our inquiry as to the Lewis of the past proves that the inhabitants of that Island are worthy of aU the attention they have received. Although they occupy a remote, and in some respects sterile Island, they are men of strong physical development, of touo-h moral fibre, and of undoubted intellectual capacity. The defects now to be found in the Lewisman are mainly those of insufficient education, and of too limited experience of the world— not defects of character or mind. In short, the Island of Lewis forms a most valuable part of the United Kingdom. An Island which could produce the ancestors of Lord Macaulay, as also Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the Arctic Explorer, from whom the Mackenzie Eiver in North-West Canada takes its name, and Colonel Colin Mackenzie Physical Surveyor-General of India, cannot fail to compel attentive regard. The physical XeiSth of ^^^^ "^"""^^ strength of the Lewisman is partly due to his surroundings. These Lewisman. compel Simplicity of life, and foster powers of endurance. They nerve him to face privations before which men brought up under more favourable circumstances would succumb. The cynical critic might indeed urge that Lewis is an earthly paradise, for there is to be found an exceptionally high birth-rate, an exceptionally low death-rate, and, notwithstanding insanitary conditions, a striking immunity Digitized by Microsoft® cm from many complaints. If in these important respects the peat hags of Lewis compare favourably with the rich alluvial plains of the East of Eoss-shire, is it necessary, such a critic might ask, to make any special efforts on its behalf? But little argument is needed to show that, despite these facts, Lewis is still far Backward behind the condition of development to be found among the better class of crofters in condition, most quarters of the Highlands, notwithstanding the efforts made for their amelioration in recent years. Thus, to take only one example, in the matter of housing and sanitation, Lewis may be said to stand alone. It is the sole place left where the custom of only one byre-cleaning in the year prevails. In answer to the question, what has been done in the past, and with what results. Progress of it is here only necessary to summarise. For a considerable period after the passing oP'^"^*^°°- the Education Act, thirty years ago, the progress of education in Lewis was slow and unsatisfactory. This was due to causes which have already been discussed. But soon after the issue of the Departmental Minute of 21st December 1888 a great change for the better became apparent. Exceptional relief was afforded to the Lewis ratepayer ; the schools throughout the Island were much more largely and regularly attended, and educational matters generally were placed on a sound and progressive footing. It would be difficult to mention any of the public grants in Scotland during the last quarter of a century which have operated more beneficially than this one in the direct promotion of the public weal and the mental development of a community. But further, twenty years ago, almost exactly, loud caUs were made in Lewis, as Orofter-s elsewhere, for State intervention on the land question. The demands made were for ^''*' more land to crofters, fair rents, security of tenure, and, above all, that cottars, or squatters, should be removed, or transferred, from crofting townships, and provided with suitable holdings elsewhere. In a few years afterwards, the passing of the Crofters Act operated as a substantial response by the Legislature to these urgings; for it gave security of tenure and the means of obtaining fair rents and of dealing with arrears ; but as to the important question of more land, while it has accomplished much elsewhere, it has done practically nothing in Lewis. True enough, crofters have in some few instances received enlargement of holdings by arrangement with the Estate Manage- ment ; but the sections of the Act which deal with enlargement of holdings have in Lewis remained almost a dead letter. This is not the fault of the Act, but is due to the circumstances of the case. The Act was of the utmost benefit as far as it went, but it did not deal, and perhaps at the time could not deal, with the demands made in Lewis for land to cottars, or squatters, and these persons remain to this day a serious burden on every, or almost every, crofting township in the Island. So very large a proportion of it is already occupied by crofters that the question of obtaining land for the landless in Lewis is attended with the greatest difficulty. In addition to the benefits conferred on Lewis in recent times by the passing of the Grants ir Acts of 1872 and 1886, the Island has profited materially in the matter of rates and ^^^^^°* J°_'^*'^ taxation by the annual grants provided by the Legislature. The effect of these has been ' ' ' "" to reduce greatly the local burdens, which were becoming much too heavy to shoulder, as well as to make education free. But not only have the annual grants referred to been made, but Parliament has also provided special grants for the purpose of developing the resources of the Island and improving the condition of the people. The outlays thus made on roads and footpaths, on piers and landing-stages, and on the extension of the postal and telegraphic services, have been in nearly every case of a highly beneficial kind. So much, then, for the recent past. And it is of consequence to observe that the Marked result of this generous and considerate policy has been, that when we compare the""^"'?®" present state of matters with that which prevailed in the Island twenty years ago, a^ggg^^ygj^^g^ gratifying improvement is to be discerned. Till a comparatively late date a visitor to the Island on successive occasions through long years, would have found no visible improve- ment. He would have recognised conditions prevailing similar to those which existed at the beginning of last century ; except perhaps that in the time of Sir James Matheson the Island was opened up by roads and some little advance made in the matter of educa- tion. But during the years to which we have referred a marked improvement has been made in every department of life, and it is no exaggeration to say that the social and individual advancement has been greater during these years than for more than a century before. It is indeed only those who have known the Island in the past, and have re- visited it within the last very few years, who can fuUy realise and appreciate the nature and extent of the progress made. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® CIV Recom- But what of the future ? Much has been done, but still much remains to do, and mendation. j^^^ ^^ij ^^gg ^j^g advancement already made lend strong encouragement to further efforts, but the density of the population and the ignorance which still prevails may well likewise induce a continuance of the policy which has been so steadily pursued. A region with the numerous and ever-increasing population of Lewis might at any time become a grave source of danger from epidemic disease, or a scene of misery from lack of food. The object of the public benefactor will therefore naturally be, on the one hand, not in any way injuriously to affect or deteriorate those physical and moral qualities which a life of simplicity and rigour has served to educe, and, on the other, to carry out such additional improvements as will further ameliorate their physical con- dition and qualify them better for the times in which they live. As already seen, only two industries of importance are to be found in the Island — viz., that connected with the occupation of land, and that with the prosecution of the fishing. Thus, there are two classes of small tenants to be found — those who derive their livelihood from the cultivation of the soil and from rearing stock, and those who trust to the harvest of the sea. The difficulty connected with the occupation of the soil is two-fold. In the first place, crofts, originally somewhat ''small, though possibly large enough, in view of local circumstances and conditions, have in course of years been sub- divided by the occupants. Gradually the Estate Management have too often found them- selves obliged to recognise this sub-division in the estate books, and deal with the sub- divided croft as consisting of two and sometimes three separate crofters' holdings. One effect of this has been to embolden those who had not sub-divided, but who had desired to do so, to carry out such sub-division. Another effect has been indefinitely to multiply the number of holdings which are much too small. For those sub-divided crofter holdings which have been recognised by the Estate Management as separate holdings, there is no remedy under the law as it stands. The only remedy is vigorously to carry on the improved system of education which has been so well commenced, with the conviction that as knowledge spreads among the occupants of these narrow home limits, they will more and more desire to quit those limits and boldly face the issues of life in the outer world. But we have said that the difiiculty is two-fold. The other part of it is that both on crofts which have not been sub- divided, and on those which have, numerous cottars and squatters are to be found. These occupants have no title, and pay no rent. They have no land, save what they illegally appropriate, or obtain by the tolerance of their crofter neighbours and the Estate Management. If they have stock — and many of them gather stock — such stock grazes on the common pastures of the crofters, to the serious detriment of the crofters' stock, as while these pastures can graze adequately animals carefully adjusted in numbers to the area and capacity of the ground, they cannot also support stock unwarrantably thrust upon them. What, then, ought to be done for these cottars and squatters ? Were they themselves asked the question their answer would be, "Break down the remaining farms in Lewis, and take certain of the lower-lying parts of the deer forests • divide these into individual holdings with an assigned area of common pasture for each new township, and many of us will then have sufficient elbow-room." Very true, and we are of opinion that this course might with advantage be adopted, at least to a reasonable extent; but even then not aU those who should, if possible, be accommodated would get holdings, and if they did, the remedy would be merely a temporary palliative, not a permanent adjustment. We think, however, there are further answers. In the first place, there ought to be much more rigorous enforcement of the provisions of the Crofters Act against the sub-division and the sub-letting of holdings, and, in the second we are strongly in favour of establishing and fostering technical instruction in Lewis for the teaching of trades and handicrafts, and the elements of scientific avocations. It is probably unnecessary here to enter upon minute details. These it will not be difficult to adjust. We admit that this idea is not new, but it appears to us deservino- of consideration. ® Whether these or other means of improvement be adopted, we are glad to have had the opportunity afforded us of submitting this Eeport, and we trust that it may be found useful in furthering the development and improvement of the Island to which it refers. DAVID BRAND. W. HOSACK. WILLIAM MACKENZIE, P. b. MACINTYEE Secretary «'^/g7f/^^^^/^e;|^/Cr0S0/^® Edinburgh, 51st March 1902. APPENDIX. 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(2) DETAILS OF POPULATION, Etc., OP ISLAND OP LEWIS, ACCORDING TO CENSUS OP 190L PARISH. 11 -:= c HOUSES. POPULATION. Persons Speaking Gaelic only. Persons Speaking Gaelic and English. Rooms with one or more Windows. TEMPOEAEIIiY Absent. Temporarily Present. Inha- bited. Unin- hab. Build- ing. Males. Females. Total. Males. Fe- males. Total. Males. Fe- males. Total. BABVAS - (97,543 Acres) 1.29-2 1,291 23 10 3,052 3,670 6,722 3,143 2,993 2,796 404 142 546 4 3 7 Shipping - - Total 1 - - - 14 - 14 - - - - - - - - - 1.293 1,291 23 10 3,066 3,670 6,736 3,143 2,993 2,796 404 142 546 4 3 7 LOCHS - (114,60] Acres) 976 970 5 2 2,237 2,488 4,726 1,770 2,533 2,247 4 6 10 4 6 10 Shiant Island - - Total STORNOWAY (63,160 Acres) 1 1 - - 4 4 8 7 - 2 - - - - - - 977 971 5 2 2,241 2,492 4,733 1,777 2,533 2,249 4 6 10 4 6 10 Stomoway, Town, Police 1 Bnrgh / &31 \ 557 8 - 1,764 1,947 3,711 167 2,663 2,854 33 21 54 164 27 191 Shipping Total 11 - - - 105 1 106 - 19 - - - - - - - 842 557 8 - 1,869 1,948 3,817 167 2,682 2,854 33 21 54 164 27 191 Landward - 1,687 1,655 40 19 4,142 4,989 9,131 3,474 4,994 4,010 453 129 582 167 259 426 Shipping Total 1 - - - 34 1 35 - 20 - - - - - - 1,688 1,655 40 19 4,176 4,990 9,166 3,474 5,014 4,010 453 129 582 167 259 426 UIG (129,105 Acres) 777 767 12 10 1,859 2,020 3,879 1,214 2,368 1,574 126 60 186 43 7 50 Bernera Island 108 106 5 6 292 288 , 580 154 397 232 - 1 1 - - - Flannen Islands (Lighthouse) 1 1 - -- 4 - 4 - 2 4 - - - - - - Shipping Total 5 - - - 34 - 84 - - - - - - - - 891 874 17 16 2,189 2,308 4,497 1,368 2,767 1,810 126 61 1S7 43 7 50 (3) SUM MARY Barvas 1,293 1,291 23 10 3,066 3,670 6,736 3,143 2,993 2,796 404 142 546 4 3 7 Lochs 977 971 5 2 2,241 2,492 4,733 1,777 2,633 2,249 4 6 10 4 6 10 Stomoway Tow n 842 557 8 - 1,869 1,948 3,817 167 2,682 2,854 33 21 54 164 27 191 Stomoway, Landward 1,688 1,655 40 19 4,176 4,990 9,166 3,474 5,0U 4,010 453 129 582 167 259 426 Uig- Total 891 874 17 16 2,189 2,308 4,497 1,368 2,767 1,810 126 61 187 43 7 50 5,691 5,348 93/ ■)# 'i^^h mr\ mt » }W 13,719 1,020 359 1,379 382 302 684 ' xfl O Q h-l 02 pJ «^ 3P og fqO -1^ rs O p Wq Oh CO ^ og is CO I— I iM ^^ aw H I— I <^ HPh GOp o I— I H O i M I— I P P-i I 10 ^* a O CO CZ2 o w I— I ?^ 6(1 rt •^ -E T3 73 S d ^ ri^ 2 UJ T^ PP ^a "o u -£3 ro-*0000OO.-i«3-V0C000«00>Ot-05(N00 05-*l:^005r-i HI C -*^ ■♦3 ■ — •n\ ^ ca o <^ op HO a> O pH « o a 13 fe <» 5 .S o s -e a >' o^ 03 tfj o o o !>. 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(1) STATEMENT FURNISHED BY THE SCOTTISH OFFICE SHOWING GRANTS PAID FROM LOCAL TAXATION (SCOTLAND) ACCOUNT TO PARISHES IN THE ISLAND OF LEWIS, DURING THE YEARS 1888-1901. (I.) PARISH OF BARVAS. Name ob Grant. Year ended 15th May. Relief of Rates (Highlands). Towards Cost of Management of Parochial Boards, Pauper Lunatics, &c. Towards Maintenance of Pauper Lunatics. Poor Law Medical ReKef. Relief of Rates (£50,000). Relief of Rates on Agricultural Occupiers. £ s. d. £ s. d. £■ ti. d. £ R. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1889 . 460 7 9 *3 10 2 — — ,■ 1890 . 460 7 9 *12 14 10 ■ (Paid out of Vote). — — 1891 . — — 60 1 6 71 14 5 — — 1892 . — — 56 70 18 9 — — 1893 . — — 110 16 5 79 5 11 — — 1894 . — — 113 16 1 76 4 ft43 6 1 43 5 3 ■} - 1895 . — — 110 1 10 74 11 2 43 4 9 — 1896 . — — 88 5 2 72 1 43 4 9 — 1897 . — — 99 11 9 71 5 6 43 3 11 — 1898 . — — 85 18 9 68 18 2 43 3 10 159 16 1 1899 . — — 126 6 67 16 3 43 1 11 159 7 10 1900 . — — 115 10 4 67 17 3 43 1 3 179 10 2 1901 . — — 102 17 11 68 15 10 42 19 1 174 15 10 920 15 6 16 5 1,069 3 789 3 8 389 10 9 673 9 11 (II.) PAEISH OF LOCHS 1889 . 543 6 1 *13 14 5 — — — ^ — 1890 543 6 1 *19 8 — — — ' — 1891 — — 133 11 11 98 4 — — 1892 — — 147 9 4 94 11 8 — — 1893 . — — 121 16 11 70 4 8 — — 1894 . — — 144 13 8 67 6 7 ft32 12 7 \ 32 14 — 1895 . — — 127 11 11 66 9 32 12 3 — 1896 . — — 143 5 7 63 15 6 32 9 10 — 1897 . — — 154 14 9 63 2 7 .32 16 11 — 1898 . — — 155 4 2 61 8 32 5 8 97 1 2 1899 . — — 159 3 3 60 1 3 32 3 7 96 16 1 1900 . — — 163 17 60 4 9 32 2 6 109 6 1901 . — — 178 3 11 61 1 3 32 5 106 3 2 1,086 12 2 33 2 5 1,629 12 5 765 10 291 17 9 409 11 * These sums were both paid out of the residne under Sec. 2 (A) (iiiUrf-the Probate Djitifis (Scotland and Ireland) Act, 1888— the first, in respect of Pauper Lunatics, being P^I^QwZ&Cl^^V^mf^@&Bn^^ respect of cost of management, etc., being paid in 1889-90. The Grant was only given »r one year. -' fThe first annual grant was issued subsequent to close of local year 1892-3, the second prior to close of 1893-4. 10 APPENDIX B.— continued. (III.) PARISH OF STORNOWAY. Name of Grant. Towards Year ended 16th May. ReHef of Rates (Highlands). Cost of Management of Parochial Boards, Pauper Lunatics, &c. Towards Maintenance of Pauper Lunatics. Poor Law Medical Relief. Relief of Rates (^50,000). ReHef of Rates on Agricultural Occupiers. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ 8. d. £ s. d. 1889 . 898 4 3 *63 9 5 — — — — 1890 . 912 14 7 *34 3 5 — — — — 1891 . — — 160 10 2 114 15 — — 1892 . — — 175 113 10 — — 1893 . — — 220 9 7 108 15 — — 1894 . • — — 241 18 1 104 5 ft92 16 2 \ 93 10/ 1 — 1895 . — — 263 13 2 102 5 92 10 1 — ^ 1896 . — — 275 2 5 98 15 92 11 9 — 1897 — — 244 13 9 98 19 5 93 2 5 — 1898 . — — 246 7 1 95 13 8 93 12 143 4 1 1899 . — — 199 6 7 95 14 3 93 9 8 142 16 9 1900 . — — 174 104 1 8 94 10 2 160 17 4 1901 . — — 173 19 9 98 10 11 93 2 5 156 12 8 1,810 18 10 97 12 10 2,375 7 1,135 4 11 839 11 9 603 10 10 (IV.) PAEIS m OF UIG , 1889 . 301 13 •0 1 1 — — — 1890 . 301 13 *15 12 9 — — — — 1891 . — — 33 3 2 74 2 2 — — 1892 . — — 33 12 70 18 9 — — 1893 . — — 68 9 4 77 9 8 — 1894 . — — 84 12 9 78 3 9 f t34 13 7 34 10 2 — 1895 . — — 85 16 4 77 2 3 34 8 8 — 1896 . — — 101 6 8 74 9 6 33 16 9 — . 1897 . — — 107 1 8 73 6 3 33 2 11 1898 . — — 116 13 4 71 5 3 32 13 8 139 16 8 1899 — — 110 9 2 70 10 6 32 12 5 139 9 4 1900 . — — 124 4 4 69 15 6 32 8 1 157 1 5 1901 — — 144 10 5 76 18 1 32 5 10 152 18 10 603 6 15 13 10 1,009 19 2 814 1 7 300 12 1 589 6 3 * These sums were both paid out of the residue under Sec. 2 (A) (iii) of the Probate Duties (Scotland and Ireland) Act 1 8SS t»,« ^e^^Vpairr/^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ -P-t of cost Of Jn^^^!!!'^!, t The first annual grant wa.s issued subsequent to close of local year 1892-3, the second prior to close of 1893-4. 11 APPENDIX T).— continued. (2) STATEMENT FURNISHED BY THE SCOTTISH OFFICE SHOWING GRANTS PAID FROM THE LOCAL TAXATION (SCOTLAND) ACCOUNT TO THE County OF Ross AND Oromaety DURING THE YEAES 1888-1901. (The figures in italics, where given, show the propm-tion of the County Or ant effeiring to the Lews District.) 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 Name of Gkant. Relief of Rates (Highlands). £ s. * d. f 1,859 6 3\ \ 1,859 6 3] 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 1,859 6 3 Maintenance of Roads. £ s. d. 1,084 14 4 126 1 3 534 19 10 55 6 527 Oil U 19 1 568 10 6 76 11 11 658 19 9 H U 2 695 14 1 139 1:2 8 612 7 105 10 2 679 13 10 125 6 9 641 7 2 93 12 4 663 19 8 86 7 11 711 4 5 IJfi 9 7 668 13 1 123 3 10 756 2 7 lU 11 7 Police Pay and Clothing. 1,996 1,796 ,617 $857 723 1,250 359 1,238 350 1,229 318 1,266 325 1,267 290 1,273 517 1,262 473 1,310 d. 1 6 7 15 2 0] 1 5 I 2 91 \ 3 11 \ \ 19 1 1 f 10 2\ 12 81 10 / 10 71 0/ Sanitary Officers' Grant. s. d, 368 15 8 402 18 5 414 9 3 406 3 9 398 2 6 400 8 391 16 4 402 12 11 387 5 5 374 8 3 Residue Grant. £ s. d. 530 3 10 645 10 4 592 10 6 583 4 10 415 18 5 400 18 2 482 10 9 556 10 1 669 15 5 796 4 5 Equivalent Grant. £ s. d. 1,213 14 6 t- 1,391 1 1,487 2 10 1,313 13 1,812 8 1,686 15 7 1,921 2 2,130 14 1,937 19 10 Agricultural Rates. 1,259 19 5 1,256 14 1 1,415 6 5 1,378 2 2 22,311 15 8,803 9 1,326 7 S 19,720 13 3.947 6 5,673 6 9 14,894 10 9 5,310 2 1 (3) STATEMENT FURNISHED BY THE SCOTTISH OFFICE SHOWING GRANTS PAID FROM THE LOCAL TAXATION (SCOTLAND) ACCOUNT TO THE Burgh OF Stoenoway during THE YEARS 1888-1901. • Name of Grant. Year ended 15th May. Maintenance Sanitary Officers' "Rpsirliip" (rrant " Equivalent " of Roads. Grant. Grant. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1889 .... 30 12 1 — — — 1890 22 12 3 — — — 1891 18 13 9 — — — 1892 24 8 8 15 8 10 25 8 5 58 4 1893 21 7 2- 14 18 6 31 11 3 t— 1894 16 14 6 15 10 8 31 16 7 71 7 2 1895 19 13 9 17 11 9 33 8 10 78 7 1896 19 2 4 17 1 3 22 13 11 67 15 6 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 21 13 11 26 6 6 15 10 8 18 9 8 13 13 10 16 16. 16 16 11 L6 16 11 16 9 11 20 1 5 22 5 2 29 9 36 12 11 44 8 8 58 12 94 3 90 8 10 106 13 2 118 12 5 112 11 268 19 1 167 12 2 335 18 6 798 2 1 * Highland Grant was paid to Parochial Boards m 1888-89 and 1889-90. (See page 1). + The first annual grant described as "Equivalent" was provided by vote of Parliament m 1891-2, the amount being necessarily distributed before Slst March 1892— the last day of the Government financial year. The second grant was payable out of the monies mid into the Local Taxation (Scotland) Account in respect of the Government financial year 1892-3, but the exact amount of these monies and consequently of the "Equiy^ni" OWu.tfn-- 'M yearftv43»4Ji.a«(»ck,ifl^ll June 1893, so that the second annual grant was not received by local authorities tiUVufe >. oal j^a^ iS93-i. ivii\ji \jsj\jiL\.^ ' +The system of paying an instalment on account of the Pohce Grant in the month of May annually, and the balance about November began in 1893-4. The first instalment on account was paid to Rosa just after 15th May 1893, and the instalment on account of next annual grant just hefore 15th May 1894— so that three payments fell in 1893-4.. 12 APPENDIX E. TABLE SHOWING AMOUNTS ANNUALLY RECEIVED BY THE PARISHES OF BARVAS, LOCHS, STORNOWAY, AND UIG (1) FROM POOR-RATE ASSESSMENT, (2) BY GRANTS IN RESPECT OF MEDICAL RELIEF, MAINTENANCE OF PAUPER LUNATICS, &c., (3) AMOUNTS RECEIYED FROM OTHER SOURCES, (4) THE GROSS RECEIPTS, AND (5) THE ORDINARY EXPENDITURE— FROM 1880 TO 1900 INCLUSIVE. (1) PARISH OF BARVAS. RECEIPTS. Year. From From Grants, for Medical From other TrtJ-"! Total Ordinary Expenditure.* Assessment. Relief, sources. 10 VOiU Lunatics, •> >- Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 13 APPENDIX E.-^continued. (3) PAEISH OF STOENOWAY. RECEIPTS. Total C Expen Year. From Town Grants for Medical From other rr« j__ 1 rdinary diture.* Assessment. Relief, Sources. lotai. Lunatics, ifec. r s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1880-1881, 1,630 12 9 166 18 4 . 1,797 11 1 1,725 11 lOJ 1881-1882, 1,817 19 3 173 11 3 . 1,991 10 6 1,791 18 11 1882-1883, 1,443 3 264 16 3 21 " ii 1,729 7 6 1,557 4 8 1883-1884, 1,456 262 28 1,746 1,714 1884-1885, 1,027 267 26 1,320 1,704 1885-1886, 1,082 306 114 1,502 1,863 9 1886-1887, 1,394 290 44 1,728 1,980 1887-1888, 1,489 283 29 1,801 2,125 1888-1889, 2,070 1,255 49 3,374 2,172 1889-1890, 907 1,213 19 2,139 2,100 1890-1891, 1,035 290 13 1,338 2,135 1891-1892, 1,151 305 23 6 1,479 2,389 1892-1893, 2,164 372 75 2,611 2,442 1893-1894, 2,232 475 37 2,744 2,829 1894-1895, 2,168 500 47 2,715 2,642 1895-1896, 2,373 504 17 2,894 2,736 1896-1897, 2,368 474 15 2,857 3,143 1897-1898, 2,672 580 17 3,269 3,156 1898-1 iL 99, 2,597 532 56 3,185 3,231 1899-1900, 2,758 538 18 3,314 3,332 (4) PARISH OF UIG. 1880-1881, 824 18 11 55 15 5 880 14 4 689 15 7 1881-1882, 615 6 6 62 17 10 678 4 4 585 8 1882-1883, 567 14 5 116 12 3 , . 684 6 8 611 2 6 1883-1884, 607 121 2 730 620 1884-1885, 472 112 4 588 658 1885-1886, 451 107 4 562 691 1886-1887, 578 103 3 684 726 1887-1888, 512 111 1 624 674 1888-1889, 713 100 2 815 789 1889-1890, 531 130 1 662 749 1890-1891, 433 107 1 541 709 1891-1892, 796 105 1 902 953 1892-1893, 887 145 , , 1,032 956 1893-1894, 798 232 1 1,031 982 1894-1895, 641 197 75 913 1,082 1895-1896, 238 209 83 530 1,019 ' 1896-1897, 1,663 213 111 1,987 1,201 1897-1898, 708 316 78 1,102 1,170 . 1898-1899, 112 311 82 505 1,291 1899-1900, 1,477 336 81 1,894 1,450 * The amounts in this column include maintenance of Registered and Casual Poor, Medical Relief, Management, &c., but does not include expenditure on Buildings down to 1892-1893. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 14 APPENDIX F.— PAUPER LUNACY. (1) MBMORAJSDUM FOR THE CROFTERS COMMISSION BY THE GENERAL BOAR OF LUNACY REGARDING THE GROWTH AND COST OF PAUPER LUNACY IN LEWIS. The points upon which information is asked with regard to Pauper Lunacy in Lewis are as follows : — 1. The total number of pauper lunatics in each of the parishes of Stornoway, Lochs, Uig, and Barvas, in the Island of Lewis, and County of Ross and Cromarty, in each year from 1880 to 1900 inclusive, with details first as to (a) sex, (&) number of outdoor patients, and (c) number of inmates in Lunatic Asylums chargeable to the said parishes. 2. Cost of lunacy administration, including maintenance of lunatics to the said four parishes, in each year of said period. 3. Amount of public grants in connection with lunacy administration to each of said parishes in each year of said period ; and also the amounts received from local rates. 4. Is lunacy increasing in the Island of Lewis, and if so at what rate per cent ? o. Any other matters to which the Lunacy Board deem it right to call attention. For information upon these points the following Tables are submitted : — Table I. Showing the number of pauper lunatics of each sex chargeable at 1st January of each year from 1880 to 1901 to each of the parishes in Lewis, and the manner of their disposal. Table II. Showing in quinquennial periods from 1881 to 1901 the number and disposal of the pauper lunatics in each parish in Lewis, and the population of each parish. Table III. Showing for the quinquennial periods in Table No. 2 the proportion to population of pauper lunatics, in asylums and private dwellings respectively, in each parish in Lewis, and the like proportions in all Scotland. Table IV. Showing the expenditure by Parish Councils in Lewis (so far as information is possessed by the General Board of Lunacy) on the maintenance of pauper lunatics in asylums and private dwellings during the years ending 15th May 1880 to 1901, including medical certificates, cost of Transport, &c. Table V. Showing the sources from which the expenditure on pauper lunatics by Parish Councils in Lewis was derived in the years ended 15th May 1880 to 1901, and the amount derived from each source. Table VI. Showing at quinquennial periods from 1881 to 1901 the total expenditure (including outlay recovered from the grant-in-aid) by Parish Councils in Lewis on pauper lunatics, the gross rental in each year given of each parish, and the rate of expenditure by each on pauper lunatics per .£10 of rental ; and also like figures for all Scotland. It will be observed from Section 5 of Table I. that as regards sex the total number of patients IS almost equally divided. A considerable preponderance is shown among males in the number pro- vided for in asylums, and of females in the number provided for in private dwellings. In Scotland generally the number of female pauper lunatics both in asylums and private dwellings is larger than the number of males ; but in all Scotland, as in Lewis, the proportion of females found suitable for being kept under private care is, as might be expected, larger than the proportion of males With regard to the increase of numbers shown by Table I., it will be more convenient to examine the results as stated m the condensed form of Table II., and as still more truly shown by Table III It will be seen from these Tables that the actual number of registered pauper lunatics chargeable to the four parishes has increased during the past twenty years from 35 to 97. Calculated per 10 000 of population, this represents an increase from 137 to 38-5, or 145 per cent. The number of pauper lunatics from the four parishes provided for in asylums has risen from 17 to 42 and in private dwellings from 18 to 55. In proportion to 10,000 of population this represents a rise of from 6-7 to 14-£) of asylum patients and from 7-0 to 19-0 of patients in private dwellings, an increase during the past twenty years of 116 and 171 per cent, respectively. A further examination of the figures will show that those relating to Stornoway difier greatly from those referring to the other three parishes. The increase in Stornoway during twenty years has been 38 per cent, only, and the increase is due altogether to the larger number receiving relief under private care, the proportion of Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 15 those in asylums to population having fallen from 10'6 in 1881 to 8-5 in 1901. The increases shown by Lochs, Uig, and Barvas have, on the other hand, been very great. The actual increase in Barvas, for instance, has been from 3 to 24—1 to 8 of asylum patients and 2 to 16 of patients in private dwellings. In proportion to population the number of registered insane poor was thus in Barvas seven times greater in 1901 than in 1881, the number being about equally contributed by patients in asylums and in private dwellings. Increases little less remarkable are shown by the figures relating to Lochs and Uig. These increases are at first sight startling, but if the figures of Lochs, Uig, and Barvas are compared with those for all Scotland it will be seen that they merely trace the course in the case of these parishes of a rapid approximation within the last few years to standards which have for long been common in Scotland. Barvas, in which the increase has been specially great, has at the present time only a proportion, per 10,000 of population, of lunatics provided for in asylums of 11-9 as compared with 24-6 so provided for in all Scotland. Only in the parish of Uig has the proportion (267) risen within the last few years beyond that of pauper patients in asylums in Scotland as a whole. This, as well as the high proportion shown also in Lochs (23-2), is in all likelihood due to an accumulation of patients in the Inverness District Asylum which possibly might to some extent have been prevented by energetic parochial management, seeing that the results sho\vn by the parish of Stornoway (8-5 per 10,000 of population) are so very different. The proportion to population of pauper lunatics in the parishes of Lochs, Uig, and Barvas provided for in private dwellings is four times as high as the like proportion for all Scotland. This is in accordance with the general truth that when the number of lunatics receiving relief in their own homes is large in any area the standard of wealth in that area will be found to be low. In other words, the presence of a large number of such patients within a locality is not a proof that insanity is unusually prevalent in it, but merely that it is poor. Were the income of the inhabitants of these Lewis parishes doubled or trebled the pauper lunatics in private dwellings would disappear, so far as the official register is concerned. The same things cannot, however, be said of patients in asylums. In aU parts of Scotland, no less than in Lewis, removal to an asylum means pauperism even to the most highly paid artisan. In very few parts of Scotland will there be found more than 10 per cent, of the population able to obtain asylum treatment otherwise than through application to the Parish Council. The only effect upon the number of pauper lunatics in asylums coming from poor as compared with rich localities is that the numbers sent from poor localities, with a rental perhaps so low as to be sensitive to the charge of even a single lunatic in an asylum, are apt to be restricted, owing to reasons of economy which in richer districts are not so pressing. The high proportion of asylum patients attained by Lochs and Uig is, however, a matter which deserves the attention of the authorities of these parishes. The proportion of all patients on the pauper lunatic roll per 10,000 of population is for Stornoway 20-0, for Lochs 507, for Uig 51-1, and for Barvas 35'6 ; with which may be compared the similar figures for all Scotland 30-8, for Eoss (as a whole) 51-6, for Sutherland 487, for Caithness 56-1, for Orkney 397, and for Shetland 39-4. Of patients in asylums the proportions are for Stornoway 8'5, Lochs 23"2, Uig 267, Barvas 11-9; with which may be compared the similar figures for all Scotland 24'6, Ross 29"0, Sutherland 31-1, Caithness 22-2, Orkney 25-8, and Shetland 22-0. Table IV. deals with the expenditure by the Parish Councils of Lewis on pauper lunatics. It is regretted that the details of this expenditure are not in possession of the Board for the years 1890-94 and 1896-97, but the totals are given for each year, and the details given for the remaining years vrill perhaps be i-egarded as a sufficient indication of the progress of each main head of expenditure up to the present time. The expenditure on patients in asylums does not include the cost of accommodation, as that expense does not fall upon the Parish Councils but on the County Councils and Burghs. The amount of assessment in connection vnth the Inverness District Asylum levied upon the Inverness Lunacy District (Inverness. Ross, Sutherland, and Nairn) was £5,400 in the present year (1901), and of this sum about £200 would fall to be levied on the county rate- payers of Lewis, and appears nowhere in the Tables submitted. The present rate charged to parishes for the maintenance of patients in the Inverness District Asylum is £26 per annum. The cost of taking patients to and from the asylum, with their necessary attendants, forms a heavy additional item of expenditure. The outlay for patients in private dwellings, who are in most cases under the care of relatives, includes aliment, clothing, medical visits, &c. The alimentary allow- ance seldom exceeds 3s. 6d. a week, and is often a mere contribution towards the cost of maintenance of Is. 6d. or 2s. a week. The total cost of such patients is much less than half the cost to Parish Councils of those in the asylum. The increase of expenditure has in the main been due to the increase of numbers ; but there has been in these parishes, as in others similarly circumstanced, an increased rate of aliment given for pauper lunatics under private care. It should be noted that in many cases persons placed on the roll of pauper lunatics were already, when so placed, in receipt of relief as ordinary paupers. The increased cost of pauper lunacy is therefore to some extent merely a transference to the lunatic poor of expenditure which had hitherto been classed as expenditure on the ordinary poor, though in most cases of the kind the transference would probably be accompanied by an increase of aliment, which would be the more readily given in view of the fact that half of the whole outlay would be recoverable from the Pauper Lunatic Grant. Table No. V. gives the amount of expenditure derived from the Poor-rate, from the Lunacy Grant, and from other sources (mainly contributions from relatives). The cost of medical attend- ance, medical certification, expenses of transport, &c., is not permitted to be included in the expenditure to which the Grant applies. It will be seen from the Table that in many years the Grant has been nearly equal to the sum raised by the local rates and in some special cases even in excess of it ; but in the last year included in the Table, the contribution from the Grant was little more than one-third of the total cost qf pauper lunacy in the four parishes. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 16 Table No. VI. is given to illustrate the heavy financial burden which pauper lunacy causes, when, as in the case of all these parishes, except Stornoway, the number of pauper lunatics, and especially the number of pauper lunatics in asylums, has risen greatly, while the rental, always low, has fallen yet lower. Stornoway with a substantial and growing rental, and a number of pauper lunatics in asylums which is low and has rather fallen than risen during the past twenty years, was in 1881 expending on its pauper lunatics 4s. S^d. per £10 of rental. It is now only expending 3s. 9Jd. On the other hand Lochs which in 1881 was expending on its lunatics per .£10 of rental 5s. 10|d. is now expending £1 4s. 4|d., and Barvas which twenty years ago was expending 3s. lid. is now expending £1 4s. l|d. With these figures may be contrasted those for all Scotland given in the last column, which show an expenditure on pauper lunacy per JlO of rental rising from Is. 9|d. in 1881 to 2s. 5d. in 1901. With regard to the question, " Is lunacy increasing in the Island of Lewis, and if so at what " rate per cent. ? " it will, perhaps, have been inferred from some things already said that a careful distinction must be drawn between the amount of insanity which may be prevalent in a community and the amount of such insanity which happens to be placed on the official register. It is often, however, assumed that figures such as those quoted above prove a growing prevalence of mental defect among the communities of isolated localities such as Lewis. This assumption is naturally followed by speculation as to the causes of such growth, and among the most plausible of these may be mentioned the following : — 1. The evil efiects of intermarriage. 2. The fact that the healthiest and most active members of the community migrate, leaving behind them the imbecile, who thus appear as the product of the population which remains, but are really the product of a potentially larger population. 3. The leaving of the production of a future population to those who have not migrated, who are assumed to be of inferior mental and bodily physique. 4. Poor food and clothing, unhealthy houses, deficient education, and the assumed mental stagnation due to a retired life and remoteness from centres of mental activity. It is not believed that there is any reason to attribute weight in the case of Lewis to the class of suggested causes last named. The condition of the population of Lewis in respect to most, if not all, of these matters, has in all probability improved and not deteriorated during the past twenty years. At all events that is the case judging from the reports on the condition of the insane in the island. With regard to the efiects of intermarriage, it must be kept in view that intermarriage must have been at least as common hundreds of years ago in Lewis as it is to-day. It cannot, therefore, be reasonably supposed that such evil effects as may be due to it should have first manifested them- selves between the year 1881 and the year 1901, as must be assumed, if it is sought in that way to- account for the difference between the figures of these years. With respect to the leaving behind of the mentally incapable during a process of migration, there is undoubtedly a truth in this which applies to all the country districts of Scotland. But in this respect Lewis presents a peculiarity not common to other rural districts of Scotland, which as a rule show a falling-off" in population notwithstanding a sustained birth-rate. In other parts of rural and insular Scotland in which no such remarkable increase in registered pauper lunacy is recorded^ the migration during the past twenty years has been so great as to reduce the population materially. In Lewis also it would appear that during that period between 4000 and 5000 persons have left the island ; but the Census Eeturns show that in Lewis, notwithstanding the considerable migration which has taken place, the population has increased during the twenty years by 3462. The fact that the population of Lewis has been increasing throughout the last twenty years shows that argu- ments founded upon migration apply with less force to it than to most rural and insular parts of Scotland, where, notwithstanding a high birth-rate and a falling population due to migration, no such marked increase has occurred in the proportion to population of the registered insane. The same consideration comes into force with regard to the suggestion that the propagation of the population is left to those least likely to produce a healthy stock. It is no doubt true that the young men and women who leave Lewis are likely to be, as a rule, among the most healthy and intelligent of the community, but it would be quite unsafe to conclude that the bulk of those left behind are not healthy and intelligent. There is no reason to think that the crofter's son who remains at home to carry on the croft is, as a rule, less intelligent and capable of producing healthy and intelligent children than his brothers who enter the Army or join the Glasgow police. But in any case as the rising population shows that the amount of migration taking place from Lewis is much below what is occurring in other insular and rural districts of Scotland, arguments founded upon migration do not adequately account for the exceptional rise during the last twenty years in the number of registered pauper lunatics belonging to that island. It is not possible to say whether the mass of imbecility and other forms of mental unsoundness has increased or decreased in Lewis during the past twenty years, but it has been shown above that there is an inherent improbability that all the causes of mental deterioration alluded to should have withheld their effects in Lewis from time immemorial until 1881, and have from that time onwards manifested themselves in a great and growing wave of insanity. There is, in fact, no reason to doubt that the insane (as distinguished from the registered insane) in Lewis were as numerous in proportion to population in 1881 as in 1901. The increase shown in the Tables submitted is believed to be sufficiently accounted for by the reasonable supposition that a great many persons ^vere recognised as lunatics and sent to the asylum for treatment in 1900 who- Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 17 would not have been so recognised and treated in 1881. This change, though much less recent in most places than in Lewis, is common to all Scotland, and is believed by the Board to account for the general growth of pauper lunacy in Scotland. It has its chief source primarily in (a) the more widely-spread and strong desire — often eagerness — to look to the parish as bound to provide for the mentally defective members of a family ; and (b) the increased willingness of Parish Councils to recognise claims for assistance founded upon mental defect. These causes would probably have operated had there been no Pauper Lvinatic Grant ; but there can be no doubt that the Grant, especially in the poorer areas of the country, has greatly stimulated both causes. An examination of the Board's registers shows that in the parishes of Lewis persons were often formally certified and intimated as pauper lunatics in batches at one date. Many of these were already in receipt of relief as ordinary paupers ; many both of paupers and non-paupei-s were at the time of formal certifica- tion as lunatics old or middle-aged persons who had been imbecile from birth. Such things as a change of Inspector of Poor in Highland parishes has often resulted in the sudden appearance of a large number of pauper lunatics in a parish which up to that time had presented a comparatively clean register. The gradual change in views and circumstances which has led to an increase in the number of registered lunatics throughout Scotland has been, as might be expected, longer in taking efiect in Lewis and similar outlying districts, and the effect in such districts has been more marked than in the wealthier parts of the country because the great bulk of the people are poor, and claims to relief on account of mental defect are therefore general and difficult to resist. It will be seen from the figures relating to the growth of registered lunacy in the Parish of Stornoway, as compared with the gi-owth in the three other parishes of Lewis, that even in Lewis itself the increase of registered pauper lunacy is much less marked where the standard of wealth and other social conditions approaches more nearly the standard prevailing in other parts of Scotland. It further cannot be asserted on the authority of the figures given that imbecility and other forms of mental unsoundness are at the present time more prevalent in Lewis than elsewhere in Scotland ; because neither in Lewis nor elsewhere in Scotland have the Board any trustworthy guide as to the extent "of mental defect in the community. The mere fact of a low standard of wealth in any area is certain of itself to bring eventually on the register a larger number of pauper lunatics than would be so brought in a richer area. Had this memorandum been written twenty years ago, it will be seen by comparing the figures in Sections 5 and 6 of Table III. that the figures referring to 1881 might have been used to prove that insanity was much less prevalent in Lewis than in Scotland generally, though the figures relating to subsequent years show that any such conclusion would have been quite unjustified. It may be that ia Lewis or in some parts of Lewis there is a greater prevalence of mental defect than elsewhere in Scotland, but the figures given do not of themselves prove that such is the case. The Census returns in any form hitherto published throw no trustworthy light on the subject, and there is no other source of information. T. W. L. SPENCE. General Board of Ltojacy, Edinbukgh, 6th December 1901. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 18 o O o o 00 CO O !>( M o o S 9 CQ -" P3 ^^ ^^ w ^ X! w w EH — . ^ 9 ;2; Ph of o 1— 1 o ^ S H ;<^ !2i 'A 1— 1 B 02 w 02 h-l &! rt t> - t^ CO '- 00 00 I— ( I-. 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Stornoway. £ s 1,640 d. 1898. Portness Breakwater, . Barvas, . 4,481 16 1898. Portness Harbour, Barvas, . 1,050 1899. Skigersta Pier, Barvas, . 397 8 8 1898-1901. Valtos Pier, . ... Uig, 1,800 1899. Shader Landing Place, Stornoway, 270 1901. Oarloway Road, Uig, 1,985 1898-1899. Vallasay Bridge, Uig, 111 1898. Gravir-Cromore Road, Lochs, 2,700 1901. Besides these grants the Board has undertaken liability amounting to £60 10s. per annum for four Telegraph Of&ces and seven Money Order Offices. They have also distributed £777 worth of potato and oat seeds ; and in the experiment in vegetable and turnip cultivation, including hurdles and fencing, they have expended £86. The potato spraying experiments in Lewis and Harris have cost, up to this date, £397, of which much the larger part is applicable to Lewis. In Home Industries, the Committee, presided over by Sheriff Campbell, have expended £305. The Board have paid £170 in aid of premium for stallions. They have also spent £55 in con- nection with the inspection and report on cattle diseases in the island. Sixteen bulls and three rams have been sent to the island, but it is impossible to give their cost, as these animals are bought at auction in lots. The price, however, was probably about £350. The Board made a general grant for roads in Lewis, other than the Gravir-Cromore Road, .amounting to £362 6s. 8d. These grants do not include the costs of visits of supervision and inspection to the island. It is impossible to give these, as they are mixed up with many accounts of travelling, etc., charges. To summarise, the Board have made, in all, the following grants to the Island of Lewis : ■ Marine Works, .... Roads and Paths, ... Seeds, Stock, etc., Home Industries, ...... Maximum liability of Board for Telegraph and Money Order Offices, I am. Sir, £9,639 4 8 5,158 6 8 1.835 305 60 10 £16,998 1 4 Your obedient Servant, R R. MACGREGOR, Secretary. 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(2.)— STATEMENT SHOWING THE AMOUNT PAID ANNUALLY IN RESPECT OF THE UNDERMENTIONED TELEGRAPH OFFICES IN LEWIS, AND BY WHOM THE OFFICES WERE GUARANTEED. Name of Office. Year ended. Amount paid (if any). By whom Guaranteed. Remarks. £ a. d. Portnaguran and Back 2nd October 1889 135 15 10 Fishery Board for Offices maintained by the (formerly called Grass), Scotland. Post Office without guarantee since 1895. 1890 132 9 8 1891 124 11 1 1892 66 14 1893 63 11 1894 64 1 2 1895 60 12 10 Balallan, . 3rd August 1887 10 3 6 J.A.Piatt, Eishken Lodge, Storno- way. Office maintained by the Post Office without guarantee since 1893. Barvas, nth June 1890 17 10 5 Fishery Board for Scotland. Office maintained by the Post Office without guarantee since 1896. 1891 14 9 2 1892 — — Surplus £5 5s. 9d. „ 1893 4 12 10 1894 14 8 6 1895 15 5 3 1896 .15 8 6 Callanish, . Extension paid for out of Western Highlands and Islands Vote for 1891-2. Office maintained by Post Office without guarantee. Carloway, — — Do. Miavaig, — — — Do. Crossbost, — — — Do. (Vote for 1896-7.) Garrabost, nth June 1890 7 14 8 Fishery Board for Scotland. Office maintained by the Post Office without guarantee since 1896. 1891 5 12 3 1892 1 9 10 1893 4 5 9 1894 3 8 4 1895 1 19 5 1896 3 8 7 Keose, 1 Gravir, J — — Lochs Parish Offices have not yet been Council. open a year. Port of Ne.ss, 2nd October 1889 217 5 9 Fishery Board for Scotland and Lloyd's. Maintained by the Post Office without guarantee since 1895. 1890 209 3 7 1891 184 10 8 1892 no 7 7 1893 113 9 4 1894 55 6 10 1895 102 13 6 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 33 APPENDIX K. STATISTICS FURNISHED BY THE FISHERY BOARD FOR SCOTLAND. (1.)— STATEMENT SHOWING THE GRANTS OR OTHER PAYMENTS MADE BY THE FISHERY BOARD FOR SCOTLAND TO PLACES IN THE PARISHES OF STORNO- WAY AND BARVAS, LEWIS. I. Harbours assisted by the Fishery Board for Scotland. Port of Ness — Barvas Parish. Expenditure in 1883-86, Do. 1891-94, £4,363 3 8 3,709 2 11 £8,072 6 7 n. Telegraphic Extensions for which the Fishery Board for Scotland Guaranteed and Paid the Deficit (i.e. the difference between the Receipts at the respective Offices and the Working Expenses). Parish. Place. When Telegraph Established. Years during which Board paid Deficit. Total Amount Paid. Barvas, Do., Stomoway, Do., Ness, . . Barvas, Garrabost, Portnaguran and Back, 2nd October, 1888, nth June, 1889, nth June, 1889, 2nd October, 1888, 1889-95, 1890-96, 1890-96, 1889-95, Total, £852 17 3* 81 14 8 27 18 10 647 15 7 Xl,610 6 4 * N'ofe. — The Committee of Lloyd's contributed ^£140 (.£20 per annum) towards the upkeep of the Telegraph at Ness in the years 1889-95, in addition to the above sum. Edinburgh, 3rd December 1901. 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ALEXANDER HUNTER, W.S., EDINBURGH, REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF THE FAILURE OF THE KELP INDUSTRY IN THE WESTERN ISLANDS. On 10th April 1827 Mr. Alexander Hunter, W.S., Edinburgh, was examined before a Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament, appointed to inquire into the question of emigration from the United Kingdom. The following excerpt from Mr. Hunter's evidence has reference to certain islands- of the Hebrides. Lord Binning, who presided, examined the witness with regard to the excess of population in some parts of Scotland. Mr. HuNTEE replied: — To give the Committee an idea of the population in some of the islands, I shall mention the Island of Tiree, belonging to the Duke of Argyll. _ The island contains about 15,000 English acres, including lakes, rocks, &c. The population is about 6000. There are 431 tenants, or crofters, whose rents are from £1 Os. 8d. to £40, averaging £7 5s. 6d., and there are four large tenants whose rents are from £102 to £150, averaging £123, and under these large tenants are a great number of small crofters. In this island there is a good deal of kelp made ; about 350 tons. The Duke is bound by the leases to take the kelp from the tenants at £7 per ton, by giving credit for which sum the rental of the small tenants is discharged ; in fact it is paid in full ; what they promise to pay as rent he receives in kelp, and they pay no rent. This year, I believe, he got about £4 per ton for the kelp, so I under- stood. If you take the average .of each family, they average very high in the Highlands ; but if you take them at seven, it will give 3045 souls, living on crofts, and paying rent, that is, including children ; but then one-half of the people have no crofts at all, they are living upon the bounty of their friends. — Q. 2961. Do they fish ? A. Very little ; there are about 10 boats, five men to each. — Q. 2962. Then one-half of the population is a burthen on the other half? A. Yes, or upon the proprietor ultimately. — Q. 2963. Are there many horses? A. I believe there were about 2000 horses at one time, but they are very greatly reduced. The system in the Highlands is very much like the Irish. The son or the daughter of one of the crofters marries, and the father allows him to build a hut at the end of his hut, and gives them a cow, &c. ; he is not a tenant or a crofter at all ; he is living on the bounty of others. — Q. 2964. Do you think that money might be well expended in removing this population ? A. I think it might very well indeed ; I don't know that it would put much money into the landlord's pocket to be at the expense, because the farms would then become much larger, and any person who had money to stock a large farm would expect to live a little better ; he would eat up the spare produce, and indulge in a few luxuries. — Q. 2965. Don't you think the increased rent that would be derived from the land would more than pay the interest of the money required ? A. I mentioned that the rent would not increase much, because there would be introduced a different class of tenants, who would have a little capital, and who would live on luxuries compared with the present crofters, who live on potatoes and a little oatmeal. — Q. 2966. Is there any other estate you can mention ? A. There is Macdonald of Clanronald, the Islands of South Uist and Benbicula. This is a large island : I do not know the extent of it. The population is about 6000. There are 489 small tenants or crofters, who pay rents from £1 to £21, averaging £6 17s. 4d. ; fourteen large tenants, who pay rents from £32 to £400 ; there is one man pays £400 ; these average £86 15s. Under these fourteen large tenants there are 207 sub-tenants. There are annually manufactured about 1200 tons of kelp on Clanronald's estate at Uist. — Q. 2967. In this island ? A. Yes, of Uist, which belongs principally to Clanronald ; the kelp does not belong to the tenants, as in the Duke of Argyll's case, for the manufacturing of which they receive from 50s. to 60s. per ton, which as nearly as possible discharges their rent. On this estate about one-third of the population possess no lands. — Q. 2968. Are the people upon this property of Clanronald's, and upon the estate of the Island of Tiree, are they many of them in a state of apparent misery and destitution ? A. Very great indeed. — Q. 2969. Have they shown any disposition to emigrate ? A. They would be highly delighted to emigrate. — Q. 2970. Has that disposition been encouraged or discouraged by the great tenants and the proprietors ? A. They have been encouraged very much of late. — Q. 2971. Has any emigration taken place from either of these islands ? A. None, at least to a very limited extent ; merely a voluntary emigration ; it has not been paid for by the proprietors, but at their own expense. — Q. 2972. Are the number of people diminishing or increasing in those islands ? A. They are increasing ; in the island of Tiree I fancy the population is trebled in the last 40 years. — Q. 2973. In the circumstances in which these people are placed, are they ever exposed to great suffering, from the want of provisions ? A. Very frequently. I can state with regard to that, the sums of money that have been expended by the proprietors in several years for keeping them alive. In 1 8 1 2 Clanronald expended £3353 7s. in purchasing meal for these poor people ; in 1815, £111 lis. 3d. ; in 1816, £242 8s. 3d.; in 1817, £4565 18s. 5d. ; in 1818, £1136 19s. 8d.— Q. 2974. And received no rent or kelp in exchange ? A. Of course the kelp belonged to him at that time ; the kelp Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 37 always belonged to the proprietor, except when there was a bargain to the contrary. — Q. 2975. Then this expenditure does not appear to have been lost to the proprietor ? A. There was a diminution of the rental to that extent. — Q. 2976. Then do you see no chance of any industry arising in these islands, which is to prevent a recurrence of those periods of difficulty when the assistance of the landlord is necessary, if the people are allowed to continue there in the same number as they are now in ? A. Certainly not. — Q. 2977.' Do you find that marriages are less pre- valent among the people when they get very poor ? A. During the war they all married very early, in order to have the number of children requisite to exempt them from the militia ; boys of 16 and 17 married, which is the cause of the great increase in the population. — Q. 2978. Do you think since • the peace it has become so prevalent ? A. I think it has not. — Q. 2979. Do you think the habits of the people have become deteriorated as their numbers have increased ? A. No, they are a very good class of people, very well behaved in general, perfectly so. — Q. 2980. Have they no employ- ment, the greater part of them ? A. One-half — at all evento, one-third — have not employment. — Q. 2981. Can you give any account of any of the other islands ? A. The island of Coll I can. The Island of Coll contains about 15,000 English acres ; the soil very sandy, and a very consideirable portion of rock and moss ; the land more adapted for pasturage than cropping ; the population about 1300, possessed by the tenants as follows — six tenants who pay rents from £43 10s. to £250, averaging £100 9s. 8d. each; 71 crofters, who pay rents from £5 to £17 10s., averaging £9 18s. 9d.; 24 crofters, who pay rents from £2 to £3, averaging 50s. ; and about 60 families who have no lands at all. About 80 tons of kelp annually manufactured on the island, principally belonging to the tenants themselves. — Q. 2982. Do the same circumstances of difficulty attend the population of Coll as the Islands of Tiree and Uist ? A. Certainly not ; because the proprietor of Coll, having lived very much upon the island, has kept down the population. I believe at one time, about forty years ago, that the population of Coll and Tiree were very nearly the same. — Q. 2983. Has the population of Coll materially diminished by emigration ? A. Not materially. — Q. 2984. Why has the popula- tion of Coll not increased in proportion to other islands ? A. The proprietor has lived upon the island and saw the difficulties from an increasing population, and therefore used every means in his power to keep the population down. The means that he used were, that he would not allow a young man, a son of one of the crofters, to be married without his consent. He said, " If you marry without my consent you must leave the island." Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 38 APPENDIX M.— LEWIS HOUSES. (1) EXTRACT FROM RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE LEWIS ESTATE, ISSUED IN 1879. " Every tenant who, before the tei-m of Martinmas, 1881, shall execute in whole or in part, improvements upon his lands in terms of Article 1 hereof; and shall also erect a dwelling-house and offices on his lot, or make alterations on his present premises, in accordance with Article 2 hereof ; and who shall further observe the other Rules and Regulations hereinafter specified, shall, on the completion of such house and offices to the satisfaction of the proprietor or his factor, receive a lease of his present possession to endure until Martinmas, 1893, without any increase of rent. "1. For waste land, thoroughly improved by trenching and draining, and brought into a proper state of cultivation, and for sufficient stone fences, enclosing a croft or lot, meliorations will be allowed the tenant at the end of the lease in manner as follows : — In order to fix the amount of the meliorations, a certificate will be granted by the factor at the end of each year, in a book to be retained by the tenant, of the nature of the improvements executed by him during the preceding year, showing the date and extent of the same, and the estimated value thereof at the time, and at the end of the lease five per cent, will be deducted from the amount for each year the tenant shall have possessed the lands after the dates of the outlays made by him. Should the tenant be removed from his occupancy before the end of the lease, on account of any contravention of these Articles, or from any other cause, he shall be allowed meliorations in the above proportion at the date of his removal. "2. The dwelling-houses to be erected by the tenants on their respective possessions shall be built of stone and lime, or of stone and clay pinned and harled with lime, or with stone on the outside face, and turf or sod on the inside, and roofed with slates, tiles, or straw, or heather with divots, which heather and divots the tenants shall have liberty to take for this purpose from such places only as shall be pointed out to them by the ground officer of the district ; each house to have at least two apartments, with a glazed window in the wall of each, and a closet or small room^ with chimneys in the gables, or other opening for the smoke in the roof; the thatch or covering not to be stripped off' or removed for manure ; the byre to be built at the end or the back of the dwelling- house, as the site may admit, and to have a separate entrance. In the byre a gutter to be formed for the manure, which shall be regularly removed to a dungheap outside. " Any tenant, whether possessing a lease or not, who shall build such a house to the satisfaction of the proprietor or his factor, shall, in the event of his being removed, or otherwise quitting the croft, be allowed meliorations for the same by the proprietor or incoming tenant, at the valuation of parties to be mutually chosen." (2) INTERLOCUTOR OF SHERIFF-SUBSTITUTE CAMPBELL ORDAINING STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS ON A LEWIS CROFTER'S HOUSE. Interlocutor in Petition William Mackenzie, Chief Sanitary Inspector of the Lewis District of the County of Ross and Cromarty, against John Macleod, crofter, 19 Tolsta Chulish, in the Parish of Uig. Stornoway, 6th March 1895. — The Sheriff-Substitute having heard parties, ordains the said John Macleod to discontinue and remove the said nuisance within three calendar months from this date ; and further for that purpose ordains the said John Macleod to execute the following structural works on his dwelling-house and on the byre attached thereto, namely : — First, To erect a gable of stone or brick with suitable mortar, and of not less than nine inches in thickness, between the dwelling-house and bjTe so as to leave no internal communication between the dwelling-house and byre — said gable to have a suitable fire-place in the face next the dwelling-house, with vent for same, and to be carried up clear of the roof so as to separate the roof of the byre from the roof of the dwelling-house, and finished with proper cope and chimney head ; Second, To open in front wall of kitchen a window not less than three feet high by two feet six inches wide, and to be fitted up with suitable frame and glass so as to open on hinges or with double sash ; and Third, To open a separate doorway and fit up same with suitable door for a separate entrance from outside to said byre— All of which works to be executed by the said John Macleod within said period of three calendar months from this date, to the satisfaction of the Petitioner ; and appoints the Petitioner to report on or before the 12th day of June next whether this judgment has been complied with Q.uoad ultra, continues the cause and reserves all further questions. (Signed) G. J. CAMPBELL. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 39 (3) " BLACK HOUSES " IN LEWIS, &c.— EXTRACT FROM THE SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD FOR SCOTLAND, 1896. " Our attention has been frequently drawn to the insanitary condition of the crofters' houses in the Western Highlands and Islands, and during the year we were urged by the Local Authorities of the Harris and North Uist Districts of Inverness and Lewis District of Ross-shire to approach the Government on behalf of the crofters within their districts for a grant in aid to enable them to rebuild their cottages. " The proposal of the Harris District Committee was to memorialise Government for a Special Grant for public health purposes for the district with the view of enabling the Local Authority compulsorily to destroy by fire all fever-infected or insanitary dwellings. It appeared to us that in considering so sweeping ,a proposal a distinction should be drawn between ' fever-stricken ' and ' insanitary ' dwellings, and we concurred in the proposals of the Committee to the extent that where a house was infected it might reasonably be destroyed. It was ascertained that some 30 houses were fever-infected, while as many as 285 were, from a variety of causes, in the opinion of the County Medical Officer of Inverness, insanitary and unfit for habitation. The same question was discussed by the County Medical Officer of Ross and Cromarty in his Annual Report for 1895 in connection with the Lews District. He was opposed to any violent and sudden destruction of the ' black houses ' or ' huts,' but recommended that these houses, when infected by diphtheria, typhoid, and especially typhus, fever, should be burned down at once as they became infected. " The Lews District Committee, in their memorial, confined themselves to a description of the poverty of the crofter class the sites and construction of the crofter houses ' planted in mossy flats, peat-banks, water-logged hollows, and rocky crevices, and packed and imbedded in one another, joined not only linearly but in closely adjacent layers alongside of one another with no interspace whatever,' and to the insanitary surroundings consequent on these conditions. "As you are aware, we gave the matter long and careful consideration, and after consultation with your Lordship we informed the various Local Authorities that no hope could be held out of a grant from Imperial funds for the reconstruction of crofters' houses. At the same time we suggested that application might be made to the respective County Councils to devote in the interests of the public health a part of the sum received from the Equivalent Grant to the improvement of insanitary dwellings within their district." (Page xxxiii.) (4) BYE-LAWS AS TO REGULATION OF BUILDINGS MADE BY THE LEWIS DISTRICT COMMITTEE. "The Lewis District Committee of the County Council of Ross and Cromarty being the Locai Authority for said District under the Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1897, do hereby, in virtue of powers conferred on them by Section 181 of said Act, make the following bye-laws for the whole of said District for regulatiag the building or rebuilding of houses or buildings, or the use for human habitation of any building not previously so used, or any alteration in the mode of occupancy of any existing house in such a manner as will increase the number of separate houses, viz. : — " 1. Any person desiring to build, or rebuild, within the said District any house or building, or to use for human habitation any building not previously so used, or to make any alteration in the mode of occupancy of any existing house in such a manner as will increase the number of separate houses shall — " (a) Cause intimation of his intention so to do to be given to the Local Authority in writing, at least thirty clear days before operations are commenced, and shall specify the nature of such operations and the manner in which he proposes to execute them. " (b) Cause that no such house or building be so used for human habitation unless and until the same be inspected and approved for that purpose by the Local Authority and certified accordingly. " (c) Cause the foundations of new buildings to be of stone, brick, or concrete, not less than six inches thick, and nine inches wider than the walls to be erected upon them. "{d) Cause the structure of all outer and party walls of new buildings to be of sufficient strength and stability, and to be built of such material as will render them proof against wind or water, and in the case of stone or brick walls, to be properly bedded and filled in with approved mortar. '•■ (e) Cause all outer walls of new buildings to be harled or pointed externally with lime or cement. " (f) Cause all internal walls, partitions, and ceilings of new buildings to be plastered with lime or cement, or to be lined with ploughed deal. " (g) Cause properly constructed fire-places with flues to be built in the walls of new buildings for conveying all smoke, and cause all such flues to have chimneys of strong durable material. " (h) " Cause the roofs of all new buildings to be of impervious material, so constructed as to ensure the dropping ofi" clear of walls of all water falling upon them. ^' (i) Cause drains to be constructed about all buildings to carry ofi" the water dropping from the roof. (j) Cause all floors to be constructed of ploughed deal, pavement, brick, tiles, cement, or other approved material. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 40 " Qc) Cause all rooms, lobbies, passages, and stairs to be properly ventilated and lighted by windows or roof lights, which shall open directly into the external air. " (I) Cause no such house or building to communicate directly with any building used for the housing of cattle or poultry, "(m) Cause a space of at least 12 feet to be left about buildings to secure a free circulation of air. " (n) Cause all water-closets to be so situated as to ventilate directly into the outside air, and all earth closets and privies, so as to be separated by a free space of not less than than 10 yards from any part of the walls of any house. " (o) Cause all cesspools to be so situated as to afford ready means of access for purposes of cleaning, and not within ten yards of any such house or building. " (p) Cause dungsteads to be sufficiently drained to prevent overflow of liquid manure, and not situated within twenty yards of any such house or building. " 2. Any person desiring to build, re-build, or make any alteration as aforesaid, shall afibrd free access to the site or premises, prior to and during progress of such operations, to the Local Authority or any officer appointed by them, and shall affijrd such Authority or officer all reasonable facilities for the inspection of such site or premises. " 3. Words and expressions used in these bye-laws shall have the same meanings as are assigned to similar words and expressions in the Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1897. " 4. Any person offending against any of these bye-laws shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding the sum of five pounds for each offence, and in case of a continuing offence, in a further penalty not exceeding forty shillings for each day after written notice of the offence from the Local Authority. By order of the Local Authority. Stornoway, 29th August, 1900. Approved by the County Council. Dingwall, 18th October, 1900. JNO. N. ANDEESON, \ Members of J. M. MOEISON, j District Committee. HUGH MILLER, Clerk. W. J. DUNCAN, County Cleric. Confirmed by the Local Government Board for Scotland. G. FALCONAR-STEWART, Secretary. 'Edinburgh, 6f/i December, 1900. Digitized by Microsoft® 41 APPENDIX N. STATISTICS OF OEIME IN THE ISLAND OF LEWIS. (1) Table showing (1) the Number of Offences against the Person, (2) the Number of Offences against Property, and (3) the Number of Miscellaneous Offences, in each Parish of the Island of Lewis and dealt with by the Police from 1880 to 1900 inclusive. Offences Offences Yeak. Parish. against the Person. against Property. Miscellaneous. Total. 1880 Barvas 7 .5 12 Lochs . 3 1 4 Stornowav 13 6 74 93 1881 Uig ... . Barvas . 4 1 3 1 2 9 27 15 76 118 4' 1 2 6 Lochs 2 : 3 5 Stornoway 7 13 58 78 1882 Uig . . . Barvas . 1 2 3 14 18 60 92 7 3 \ 10 Lochs .... 3 2 5 Stornoway 14 18 64 96 Uig ... . 2 1 1 4 26 24 65 115 1883 Barvas . 2 2 4 Lochs . 1 6 7 Stornoway 3 14 52 69 Uig . . 1 • 2 2 5 ■ 4 19 62 85 1884 Barvas .... 10 10 20 Lochs .... 5 5 10 Stornoway 4 19 136 159 t Uig . . . 1 2 4 7 5 36 155 196 * 1885 Barvas . 5 7 12 Lochs . 1 7 15 23 Stornoway 9 23 121 153 Uig . • 1 8 3 12 11 43 146 200 1886 Barvas . 1 6 9 16 Lochs . ... 11 19 30 Stornoway . . . 6 30 97 133 Uig ... . 1 8 9 7 48 133 188 42 APPENDIX 'R.~ continued. Year. Parish. Offences against the Person. Offences against Property. Miscellaneous. Total. 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 Barvas .... Lochs .... Stornoway Uig . . . Barvas Lochs Stornoway Uig - .■ . Barvas . Lochs .... Stornoway Uig . Barvas .... Lochs Stornoway Uig f . . . Barvas . Lochs .... Stornoway Uig . . . Barvas . Lochs . Stornoway Uig . Barvas .... Lochs .... Stornoway TJig . . . . Barvas . Lochs .... Stornoway Uig . . . 1 13 10 15 43 1 13 20 104 8 23 36 160 9 U 69 145 228 5 18 17 39 5 10 20 116 14 28 37 160 19 5 79 160 244 7 25 15 43 8 1 55 41 157 28 80 56 207 36 7 91 281 379 4 10 5 45 8 27 17 • 184 27 37 22 233 36 4 68 255 327 2 3 1 12 7 45 14 34 56 166 21 46 65 214 36 6 78 277 361 6 1 13 7 51 9 43 19 228 23 56 26 285 33 7 80 313 400 1 8 20 5 28 14 • 51 17 182 15 71 • 23 218 29 9 67 265 341 1 5 27 4 31 17 42 36 226 20 70 40 262 37 6 79 324 409 Digi tizea by M icrosott® 43 APPENDIX !!(.— continued. Offences Offences Yeak. Parish. against the Person. against Property. Miscellaneous. Total. 1895 Barvas . 13 37 60 Lochs . 4 8 12 Stornoway 4 23 207 234 Uig . . . 8 19 27 4 48 271 323 1896 Barvas .... 16 36 52 Lochs . 8 33 41 Stornoway 3 33 229 265 1897 Uig . Barvas . 11 33 44 3 68 331 • 402 8 49 57 Lochs . 6 10 16 Stornoway 2 28 197 227 1898 Uig . . . Barvas . 9 16 25 2 51 272 325 13 40 53 Lochs . . 17 43 60 Stomowav 3 38 230 271 1899 Uig . Barvas .... 10 40 50 3 78 353 434 14 20 34 Lochs . 13 20 33 Stornoway 3 42 219 264 1900 Uig ... Barvas .... •• 9 27 36 3 78 286 367 1 10 31 42 Lochs 1 13 18 32 Stornoway 5 49 306 360 Uig . . 8 16 24 7 80 371 458 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 44 APPENDIX ^.—continued. (2) Table showing the nature of the Miscellaneous Offences in each Parish of the Island of Lewis, dealt with by the Police, 1880-1900 (being the details applicable to the third column of the preceding Abstract, pages 41-3). Assaults, Breaches o\ Oonliraven- Year. Parish. the Peace, and Disorderly Conduct. tion of Education Acts. Contraven- tion of Police Act. Poaching. Various Minor Offences. Total. 1880 Barvas Lochs . . .' .!- Stornoway . 20 45 9 74 1881 Uig . Barvas 2 1 2 76 1 Lochs . Stornoway 28 22 "s 58 1882 Uig . Barvas • 1 1 60 Lochs .... Stornoway . 18 42 4 64 1883 Uig . . Barvas 1 2 1 65 9 Lochs .... 6 Stornoway . 26 23 3 52 1884 TJig Barvas 2 9 1 2 62 in Lochs .... 5 5 Stornoway . 72 56 ■ 8 136 1885 Uig . . . Barvas 4 7 4 155 7 15 121 Lochs . 15 Stornoway . 60 50 11 1886 Uig . Barvas 3 9 3 146 Lochs . 17 2 9 1 A Stornoway . Uig . . Barvas 61 7 13 28 8 1 19 97 8 133 1887 Lochs .... Stornoway . Uig . . . . 16 60 7 / by Mil 37 )rosomi 2 ) 2 7 1 13 20 104 8 145 45 APPENDIX K- continued. Assaults, Breaches of Contraven- Year. Parish. the Peace, and Disorderly Conduct. tion of Education Acts. Contraven- tion of Police Act-. Poaching. Vai'ious Minor OiFences. Total. 1888 Barvas 10 10 Lochs . 16 1 3 20 Stornoway 80 34 ■* 2 116 Uig . 10 4 14 160 1889 Bai'vas 10 44 1 55 Lochs . . . • 18 22 1 41 Stornoway . 71 33 43 10 157 Uig . . . . 16 11 1 28 281 1890 Barvas 11 16 27 Lochs .... 10 7 17 Stornoway . 100 39 36 1 8 184 Uig . 12 15 27 255 1891 Bai-vas 11 22 1 34 Lochs .... 7 12 3 34 56 Stornoway . 100 15 4i 10 166 Uig . . . . 12 8 1 21 277 1892 Bai-vas 3 29 11 43 Lochs .... 8 9 1 1 19 Stornoway . 118 18 68 1 23 228 Uig . . . . 7 13 2 ■ 1 23 313 1893 Barvas 12 39 51 Lochs . 5 9 2 1 17 Stornoway . 128 17 21 16 182 Uig . . . 11 ] 3 15 265 1894 Bai-vas 16 24 2 42 Lochs .... 8 20 2 6 36 Stornoway . 1.30 37 50 9 226 Uig . . . . 6 4 '2 8 20 324 1895 Barvas 9 23 5 37 Lochs. 6 1 1 8 Stornoway . 105 26 57 19 207 Uig . . . 13 1 ' * 1 4 19 271 L )iaitizec bv Mic ro5ioft(^. 46 APPENDIX 'S.— continued. Assaults, Breaches of Contraven- Contraven- Various Year. Parish. the Peace, and Disorderly Conduct. tion of Education Acts. tion of Police Act. Poaching. Minor Offences. Total. 1896 Barvas 13 19 4 36 Lochs . 8 24 1 33 Stornoway 113 32 54 30 229 1897 Uig Barvas 15 10 11 19 7 20 66 331 49 Lochs . 5 2 3 10 Stornoway 92 18 5\ 36 197 1898 Uig . Barvas 9 8 3 14 4 18 16 272 40 Lochs . 16 11 16 43 Stornoway 106 4 96 24 230 1899 Uig . Barvas 11 9 4 9 25 2 40 353 20 Lochs . 13 2 . . 5' 20 Stornoway 106 10 3i 72 219 1900 Uig . . Barvas 14 11 5 13 15 27 286 31 Lochs . 9 4 . . 5 18 Stornoway 118 40 55 . . 93 306 Uig 11 1 4 16 371 Digitized by Microsoft® 47 APPENDIX 0. (1) JUDICIAL RENTAL OF THE ISLAND OE LEWIS, TAKEN FOR THE FORFEITED ESTATES COMMISSIONERS IN 1718. Note. — The Tenants to whose names a * is prefixed could write and sign their names ; those to whose names a t is prefixed were represented by the Chamberlain, who signed for them. All the others deponed they could not write. The circumstances under which the rental was taken are explained, and specimens of the depositions given in the Report, page Ixiii. Xame of Tenast. 1. *Donald Mathewson . 2. *.Tohn Mackenzie 3. *Murdo Mackenzie 4. *John MoKenzie (for Alex McKenzie) ... 5. * Alexander M'Kenzie 6. tMr. Zachary M'Aulay Kenneth M'Kenzie) (for Name of Farm or Township. Raarnish . Leurbost . Laxay Ballallan . Hawbost . 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. )) 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. Donald M'Aulay *Malcolm M'Aulay . Malcolm Smith *Donald M'Aulay . *Rorie M'Lennane *Murdoch M'Lennane Do. (for John Macleod) •John M'Aulay. Rory M'Kenzie Janet Morison . Alex. Mathewson *Kenneth MacEiver . . i Island Slant Brenish . Carnish . Craulista . Waltos . Knip Haokelett Kirkbost . Bosta Arinish . Raarnish Kioss Hector Mackenzie . *John M'Kenzie (for IsobeU M'Lellan [M'Lennan], his mother) .... *DonaId M'Kenzie *Alex. M'Kenzie *John M'Aulay *Aulay M'Aulay (for Donald M'Aulay, his father) *Alex. M'Kenzie *George M'Kenzie * Angus M'Arday *Murdo M'Aulay tMr. Zachary M'Aulay, (Cham berlain for Widow M'Leod) Donald M'Kiver *Donald M'Aulay Do. (for Widow M'Aulay, his mother) .... Alex. M'Lennan •Kenneth M'Eiver . Do. (for the River of Ranold' Fishing) •John M'Eiver (for Mr. Evander M'Eiver, his father) •Mr. Kenneth M'Eiver •Kenneth M'KenzieJ. •John M'Aulay . •Donald M'Eiver •Murdo Morison fMr. Zacharias M'Aulay Rory Mathewson) . (for Parish or District. Waltos . Ballellan . Seafort . St. Columns Brienish . Adderawill Ballnakeill Pabbay . Boriw Arsader . Bosta Lein Shater Keanhulavick Little Bernera Caldeme9s(Call- (emish) J, • ' Tolsta . Upper Carlovay Dellmore . Bragir Brow Midborrow South Galson . Lochs Uigg Lochs Uigg Claddaoh Ness J Kenneth M'Kenzie deponed that he his mother dated in June 1709 qch he presented, Diuilized by Miuusofl® 3 "hSa a tack from ttfe late Earl of Seaforth [Willi; 1 5 3 If IS Butter. 2 - 2i - 14 - 2 _ 2 - 2 - 2 - 14 - n - 2 - 6 2 24 24 14 3 2 H 1 14 1 2 3 2 14 - 15 3 - 2 - 1 - 1 44 1 12 Meall. 1 1 3 3 1 6 2 1 2 1 2 2 - 1 2 Rent in Sterling Money. d. 8 6 8 9 14 10* 5 14 li 4 5 10 9 5 n 4 8 m 5 16 n 9 18 4 8 7 11 IH 7 Sit 3 7 5 3 7 5 14 16 11* 6 19 H 8 6 8 8 6 8 11 1 H 4 11 4i 4 5 10 3 6 8 18 10 4i 5 16 74 8 17 9i 5 5 1 6 12 1 8 7 1 2 4 10 Hi 6 19 li 5 17 6| 4 10 8 11 8 3 6 8 18 4 7 1 8 20 4 4 10 10 6 5* m 31 2 4 4 6| 3 19 2 illiara] yrin designed Marquis as having right from 48 APPENDIX 0.— continued. Name of Tenant. 40. *John Morison . 41. *John Morison 42. * Alexander M'Eiver . 43. Kenneth Fraser 44. tMr. Zachary M'Aulay (for Mr, Kenneth Morrison, Minister) 45. *Douald M'Lennan . ,, Do. (for Widow Morison) . 46. *Norman M'Leoid . ,, Do. (for Colin M'Kenzie) ,, Do. . . . for 47. *Donald M'Aulay . 48. *Kemieth M'Kenzie . 49. *Donald M'Eiver 50. * William M'Kenzie . 51. *Maloolm M'Aulay . 52. *Donald M'Eiver 53. *Angus Morison 54. tMr. Zachary M'Aulay (for Alex. Morison) 55. *Allan Morison ... 56. *Alex. M'Eiver . 56. Do. (for Rory M'Eiver, his son 57. *Rory M'Kenzie 58. * John M'Kenzie 59. Kenneth M'Kenzie . ,, *Donald Morison 60. *George M'Kenzie . 61. *Roi'y Morison, Stornoway 62. *Alex. Campbell 63. *Rory M'Kenzie 64. *Mr. Colin M'Kenzie of Kildin 65. Angus M'Eon „ Donald M'Coll ,, John M'Wurchie ,, Malcolm M'Wurchie ,, Murdoch M'Eon 66. John Murray . ,, Do. (forMargaretNeinTormoid) ,, Do. (for Norman M'Wurchie) 67. Neill M'Ean . ,, John M'Wurchie ,, John M'William ,, Malcolm M'Aulay . ,, Duncan M'Gilliphadrick . 68. Norman M'Ean ,, John M'Wurchie ,, John M'Connell ,, Angus M'Gillichallum Murdoch M'Gilliphadrick 69. John M'Gillichallum ,, Donald M'Gillichallum . „ Donald M'Gillichallum, younger ,, Murdoch M'Wurchie ,, Pinlay M'Wurchie . 70. Murdoch M'Gilliphadrick in Shawbost (for Gillmichaell M'Connell) . ,, Gilliphadrick M'Finlay . ,, Do. (for Donald M'Hutcheon) 71. Donald M'Ean Oylich ,, John M'Ean . ,, Angus M'Ean . ,, Donald M'Connell 72. Norman M 'Neill 73. John Bain ,, Angus M'Inish Name of Farm or Township. South Dell North Dell Grace Wat Skir Tong Garbost Upper-bible Breasclett Kiriwig Dalbeg Braygar Barvas Ulbust South Gallson Southdell North Tolsta South Tolsta Grace Easter Coll Tong Shadder . Nether Holm Mellboast and Eynaclett Shesader Nether-bible Parish or District. Ness Ey Claddach Ness Ey Shawbost Claddach ArnoU Netherbarvas S m Butter. 1 6 2 4 - 1 - 1 1 10 4i 14 Meall. 1 - 1 - 1 - - - 2 13 2 74 74 1 U 1 7i 1 n 1 5 _ 5 - 5 _ 5 _ 5 - 5 _ 5 - 5 _ 74 74 74 10 10 10 10 12 2 12 2 1 2 2 3 1- 3 1 2 3 12 Rent in Sterling Money. £ s. d. 8 4 8 12 13 4 8 6 8 6 18 4 10 11 III 3 6 8 3 6 8 6 18 10| 6 18 10| 9 6 9 2 11 6 2 11 6 3 8 8 2 5 5i 10 6 3i 14 2 8 7 12 51 2 (1 8 4 8 8 9 9 9^ 9 9 9| 8 6 8 8 16 8 3 6 8 3 6 8 4 12 10-? 5 13 li 11 13 4 4 8 10-1 6 15 4 17 17 17 9* 17 9J 17 9i 8 lOf 8 101 4 51 11 84 11 84 11 84 11 84 11 84 7 9| 7 9* .7 9ft 91 7 95 7 9| 7 9| 7 7 91 9ft 11 84 11 11 14 84 84 4 14 14 14 4 4 4 7 10 10 2 J Rental does not name the subjects rented, but presumably they were at Tong where Mr. Morrison resided. He was admitted minister of the parish prior to 1689, and died in 1720. § Colin Mackenzie of Kildin (or KUdTipj) ij^Mpinr^, tywoi^^^ff^ff^f^ffl^ name of which is not given in the Kental of 1718 The following extract from one of the navramigdr nrnMbbaM^s WEtttddriftgs'afttef Wsleft Sealpay for Lewis locaUses the place:— "Donald " told the Prince that he knew of a faithful and true friend to take care of him tai things should be got ready for the intended voyage. This " was the Lady Kildun at Arynish, to whose house Donald conducted the Prince and his two attendants " {l/i/on in Mourning, I., 167). Colin Mackenzie of Kildun was a grandson of George, the second Earl of Seaforth. 49 APPENDIX 0.— continued. 73. 74. 75. 79. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. Naisie of Tenant. John Murray . John M'Leigich, John M'Wurchie . Murdoch M'GiUichaUuni John More Donald Oig Patrick Gow . John M'luish . Finlay il'Conellvioinish Angus M'Gonell John M'Robb . Erick Neindonald Donald M'Neill Donald M'Inish John Roy . John M'Gillipatrick Do. (for Patrick JI 'Collier, his father) . Normand Bain . John M'Uinlay Murdoch M'Unley Donald M 'Gillichallum Knlay Bain Bory M'Gillichallmn John M'Kynioh Murdoch M' GiUichaUum John M'Gonell Donald M'GilUchaUum Gillipatrick M'Gonell Murdoch M'Gillichreist Murdoch M'Gormet (for his mother) . ,, John M'Kynich 80. Hugh M'Ean . „ GillichaUum M'Unlay „ Murdoch M'Gonell „ Donald Oig „ Ann Nienwirrichy . Normand M'Ean Donald M'Gonell . John M'Gonell John M'WUliam Donald M'Farquhar WiUiam Morison Patrick Murray Rory Morison . Donald M'Gilleich Gillichallum McAlister John M'Brebiter Donald M'Kinish Angus M'Oiloig John Oig . Normand M'Gonell . Normand M'Urchie . Alexander M'Ean . Gilleoallum M'Ean . John Oig and Normand ell (for Donald M'Ean) Do. (for Ronald M'Ean) Do. (for Donald M'Eanvic onell) „ Do. (for Murdoch M'Cinish) 86. ' Donald Smith, alias GowJ 87. ' Donald M'Gillimichaell. William M'Homas . Gillichallum M'Coiloig John M'Gonell LM' Gon Name of Farm or Township. Netherbarvas . Nether Nether- Shathar -bible Shawbost ArnoU Netherbarvas Nether Shadder Upper Shadder Five Penny, Borrow Digitized Parish or District. Gladdach Ey Gladdach ^ hj/"/\/7/rrH.Qn Butter. IS 10 10 74 n n 7i 7i 5 5 6i 6i 6i 6i H 3f 3| H 3| 7 12 12 12 12 12 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 15 15 15 15 15 Meall. 1 2 1 2 - 3 4 - 3 4 3-3 3-3 3 3 3 3 3i 3 3 3J 3i 3i 24 24 2 1 2 1 2 1 24 24 24 - 3 2 -32 -32 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 Rent in Sterling Money. £ s. d. 10 10 10 17 17 17 17 17 13 1 1 1 1 1 4 13 4 13 4 13 4 13 4 13 4 13 4 15 7i 15 7i 11 81 11 11 11 81 U 8i 7 91 7 94 7 9| 7 9f 7 9J 9 9^ 9 91 9 91 10 10 10 9J lOi lOi lOi lOi lOi 9 9 9 10 9 15 15 15 15 15 1 2 11 11 9i 94 4S 11 4| 11 4§ 11 4| 11 4§ 11 4g 11 4§ 5 84 1 15 15, 15 15 t Gow or Gobha is the Gaelic term for blacksmith. G 50 APPENDIX O.—Gontinued Name or Tenant. 89. 90. 91. 92. •93. 94. 95. 96. Donald M'Coil oig. Kenneth Lovely Donald M'Gillichrist Duncan M'ilichristvioCoilvic Cormoid Donald Keard . John Bain Alexr. M'Eanvickinish . Dugall M'Eanvane NeillM'Lean . Alexr. M'Swyn John M'Swyn . Do. (for Donald Bane) Angus M'Gillichallum . John M'Roryvjceanvan . Muldonich Keard . John M'Eau . James M'Ean van . William M'Roryvickeanvan Donald MAlister . Neill M'Lean for Donald Grahame Do. (for Ann MAlister vie Neill) .... *John PatersonJ 97. tMr Zachary M Aula (for James Kennedy's widow, Florence Dingwall) 98. Neill Keard . 99. Malcolm M'Ean vie vorohey 100. Angus M'William . „ Patrick M'Echan . ,, John M 'Cornish „ Malcolm M'Tormett 101. Donald M'Cleod „ Malcolm M'Leod . , Do. (for John Bane) , , Do. (for Christian Neininish) ,, Do. (for Janet Donaldson) ,. Do. (for Donald M'Ean) . „ Do. (for William M'Neill) , , Do. (for Angus Oig) . 102. Angus M'llmichaell „ Angus M'Neill „ John M'Callam 103. JohnM'Normand^forNormand M'Kynich, his father) . 104. JohnM'Conell ,, Malcolm M'Eanoig . „ Evan M'inishcunlay 105. *Evander Morison . 106. Rory M'Urchy „ John M'Conell „ Angus M'Conell „ John M'Cinish 107. Murdoch M'Ean ,, John M'Oilioean ,, Malcolm Oig . 108. RoryM'Kenzie „ Donald M'oilvicneillvicintagart ,, Donald M'Leod 109. Patrick Grahame . „ Do. (for Finlay Grahame, h: brother) 110. John Einlayson 111. Donald Munro 112. Alexander Ross Name of Farm or Township. Fivepenny Borrow Netherbarvas Back Storneway Upper Shadder Parish or District. Borrow Fivepenny land of Borrow. Galson Netherbarvas Back Storneway Claddach Ey Claddach Ness Claddach Ey Butter. 124 124 12| 10 5 16 16 16 16 16 Meall. Hi Hi Hi 7i 7i 74 74 74 7* 7| 74 15 15 15 20 74 74 74 12 12 12 12 4 4 4 12 12 12 4 2 3 1 1 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 - - 2 - 2 - - 2 2 3 1 - - 1 - - 1 - - - 2 34 34 ^ 2 3 Rent in Sterling Money. £ s. d. 12 12 12 10 10 10 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 8 2§ 2§ 2S 74 74 74 74 74 74 74 8J 7 94 1 15 15 15 15 10 10 10 10 14 10 10 10 10 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 5 5 5 17 17 17 5 5 9| 2* 54 A Off "l°'^'Vl'^*s''s°'i6 in Stornoway Makes OMi fiiat he pays Jfearly to ye Chamberlam on account of ye family of Seafort for, a piece land 20 merks Scots, and for houise maills in Stornoway 3 merks and no more, excepting 2 merks yearly for a cow's grass which does not always happen ; but as they have cows they pay. No arrears. Which is the truth as he shall answer to God. Jo: Pateraon, T)a,\id Bethune " § For " house maills " in Stornoway. 51 APPENDIX 0.— continued. Name of Tenant. 113. Donald M'Neil 114. *Donald M'Aulay . 115. John M'William 116. James M'Lean 117. Alexander M'Ritchie 118. John Martin . 119. *Rory M'Kenzie 120. *Donald M'Kenzie 121. *Alexander M'Kenzie 122. * Do. (for An nable M'Kenzie, his mother) 123. John M'Eanduy 124. Hector Monro . 12o. Wliliam Glass . 126. *Maloom M'Kenzie . 127. Hugh Muuro . 125. Janet DingwaU (for her husband, Donald M'Kenzie) 129. tMr. Zacharias M'Aulay (for James Morison) 130. John Kennedy 131. *Donald M'Aulay 132. *Rorie Morison . ,, *Do. (for Alexander Campbell) 133. John M'Culloch 134. *John M'Lenean (for a house, and cow's grass) . 135. tMr. Zacharias M'Aulay (for Murdoch Morison) 136. Murdoch M'Cormet 137. William M'KuUoeh 138. Ann Clerk 139. *Murdo M'Eiver 140. *John Morison . 141. Kenneth M'Kenzie . 142. Eory M'Kenzie 143. WiUiam M'Rob 144. Thomas Glass . 145. John Keard 146. Malcolm M'Eanvore 147. Rory M'Eanbuy 148. Kenneth M'Rob 149. *Colin M'Kenzie (Notary Public) 150. Alexander M'Leod . 151. John Lees 152. Katharin M'Cra (for James Munro, her husband) 153. *John Morison, Pylot 154. *Donald M'Lennan 155. *Murdoch M'Kenzie 156. Murdoch Kaird 157. Mary Neinkynich 158. Norman Dow . 159. Angus Murray . 160. John Baby 161. Angus Mathewson 162. Duncan Glass . 163. Murdoch M'Rob 164. John Down 165. Kenneth Stark 166. Angus M'Eanvickvirchie. 167. Christian M'Aulay (relict of Murdo "Matheson) . 168. Alexander Paterson, Officer 169. Angus M'Coilviceanvayne 170. Duncan Mathewson . 171. Einlay Forbes . Name of Farm or Township. Storneway. Parish or District. Ey Butter. Meall. §1 §1 Rent in Sterling Money. £ s. d. 1 IJ 8 10§ 12 9i 3 4 1 8 18 1 6 14 13 lOS 2 2§ 14 54 6 14 8 10§ 2 2g 1 8 13 4 2i 4 51 4 54 3 10§ 2 2g 3 lOf 1 ij 7 94 3 4 2 2§ 11 8 12 2f 1 41 1 8 1 8 3 4 2 2% 2 94 5 61 2 94 1 8 2 2S 1 8 8 0| 3 lOS 11 8 2 2S 3 10§ 3 4 1 1* 6 8 1 14 8 10§ 10 1 14 9 8g 3 lOS + Alexander Mackenzie deponed he paid " one stone tallow this year to ye Chamberlain as an innkeeper, but doe.s not pay this tallow but qn he retails liquors." ^ S " Paid a stone of tallow as a change keapBCJ.^:i:^_Jj[ u.. IiJlir^r-r\C'/~\fUB\ „ 11 Murdo M'Eiver deponed he pays " ayeTfJi\4Uit^^>m&WbyBeWi^\»t&S3AjnwW'f'. fFrom a rental of the Gordon Estates in 1600, published in Vol; IV. of the Spalding Club Miscellany, it appears that the rent of the "ailhous" was usually paid entirely in tallow. John Hill Burton, in hi.s " Scotch Legal Antiquities " (p. 48), say« "the reddendo for an ale- house and alehouse croft was often a quantity of taUow, the produce, perhaps, of the kitchin of the little inn,"] 52 APPENDIX O.— continued. Name of Tenant. 172. *Duncan M'Kenzie . . . . 173. John Morison (for Murdoch Morison) 174. Donald Morison 175. 176. 177. *I)iincan M'Kenzie . Gillioallum M'Eanvayne . Aliater M 'Andrew . Murdoch M'Eanvicneill . John Keard Alexander M'Wirchie John M'Conell John M'Ean . Donald Bane . Murdoch M'Coilvayne (for John Keoch .... 178. Finlay Brynach 179. Donald M'Cra 180. Andrew Munro 181. tMr. Zaoharias M'AuIay (for John M'lnish vie neill . 182. Kenneth M'Kenzie . 183. Alexander M'Kenzie 184. John M'Ean viounlay, Officer 185. James Joyner ... 186. Margaret Ross (for Henry Gray, her husband) . 187. Rory M'oilvieormett 188. Donald Gray . 189. Matthew Stirk 190. William Ross . ,, John Mathewson 191. 192. 193. 194. *Kenneth Morison (for Rory Morison, his father) *Mr. Evander Morison for Mr. Allan Morison, his father) Gilichallum M'Connell . Angus M'Ean . Do. (for Rory Bain) . Do. (for Donald M'Neill . 195. 196. 197. 198. 199. 200. 201. 202. Angus M'Inishkean Angus Bain Alexander M'Ean . John M'Cormett Murdoch M'oilvicoilvayne Murdoch M'Iphiper Angus M'oilvicoilvayne . Normand M'Urchey Angus M'Cormet Neill Murray . Murdoch M'Eaneir . Donald M'Inishvicean Do. (for Donald M'Conellroy John M'oilvickynich Finlay M'Inishbane John M'Oilvicunleyvicormet Murdoch M'Kiagan Normand M'Eanvicerquher John M'Inishvicean vioneill Donald M'Eanvicunley . John M'Unleykeaneir Angus M'Oilvrore Hugh M' William vicneill . John M'GilUchrist . Donald M'Ean viokynich . William Morison Angus M'Eaneir Name of Farm or Township. Stornoway Cross North Galsin Storneway Linoll Cross Habust . North Galsone Swaneboast Europie Fivepennymore Parish or District. By Ness Ey Ness Ness ^ lA Butter. -20H 20H 15 - 15 - 15 10 - 10 - 10 - 10 - 10 - 5 18}t 12i 12i 124 124 10 10 10 10 7i 74 74 74 74 224 224 Hi llj MeaU. 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 24 24 24 24 1 1 24 112 112 2 - 2 - 3 - 3 - Rent in Sterling Money. 1 11 9J§ 2 2| 2 6 5| 2 6 5| 15 15 15 10 10 10 10 10 5 6 14 2 94 3 4 1 14 3 4 7 94 10 0** 3 101 3 4 6g 3 4 16 8 3 6 8 3 6 8 2 2 34 5 11 14 12 6 12 6 12 6 12 6 10 10 10 10 7 6 7 6 7 6 7 6 7 6 1 10 10 10 2 10 2 10 15 15 15 5 6 8 1 § Duncan M'Kenzie in Stornoway makes oath that he shillin and four pence Scots for a piece of landJiut t^*vej ye Dept. hes got gratis. And furder (iepone£iyflEi&f?^gS^„,^„. „, , Kenneth, Earl of Seaforth, which is the truth as ft? shall answer t/bod, II One stone of tallow as a change-keeper. ** Possessed lauds of the yearly value of £4 Scots and house £2 Scots (or, in all, 10s. sterling) in respect of his services as officer, ' pays yearly to Mr. Zacharias Maeaulay, the Chamberlain, Four pounds one — -" -'= lamd is TTOrthmona^n qt he pays— thirteen pounds" Soots more, which -""ttp/eUBaffe^PekSinum. This possession was given to ve DBnt >,« Duncan M'Kenzie, David Bethune." ' ^^- "' 53 APPENDIX O.— continued Name of Tenant. 202. Donald iI'Eanvicinish\ncoil ,, Neil M'Urohyvan . ,, Finlay More „ Do. (for Angus M'Owll) . „ Do. (for Alexander M'Oilvic ormet .... ,, Donald M'Inishvan . „ John M'Ean . 203. John M'Inishmore . Gillichallum M'Eanvaj'ne ,, Florence Neineanvicgillechriat , , Angus M 'Gillirevich. ,, Donald M'Oilbuy . , , Christian Nintormett 204. *tWilliam Morison, Officer, for some waste lands in his division 205. JMurdoch Morison, another Officer, for si)me waste lands in his division . 206. tJohn Macaulay, an Officer, no waste land in his district 07. GiUichallum M'Keyran [M'l Leyran ? ] ,, Murdoch M'Leod „ Gillichallum M'Gilchrist . ,, Moir Niendonchay (widow) „ Tormoid M'William. , , Angus Banemaceanire 208. John M 'Aulay in Nomtaill (for Moir Neineanreich) 209. Donald M'Phaill . „ John M'Con . ,, Alexander Taylor . ,, William M'Inish ,, John M'Inish . ,, Mary Neindoilvicfinlay . 210. Murdoch Royraaceanvicfinlay 211. John M'Wirichie . ,, Hugh Ross ,, Do. (for Kenneth M'Eanvayne) ,, Murdoch M 'Coil vie Cormoit ,, John M'Eanoig ,, Donald M'Wiriohiebane . 212. *§Mr Zacharias M'Aulay, Cham bll for Garcroy , , §Do. (for a possession in) . „ §Do. (for the Miln) . ,, §Do. (for the Fishing of a small river) 213. Malcolm M'Leod of Raasay, of feu duty to the late Earle, as superior of his lands of Raasay and Unekil, in Trottemess Name of Farm or Township. Fivepennyraore. Swanibost Nomtaill Europie Fivepenny land of Ness Fivepennymore of Ness Stomeway Total, Parish or District. Ness 45 183i! Butter. 15 15 15 15 15 15 7i 173 14 Meall. 2 - 2 2 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 I 2 1 2 256 2 2 § 1 Rent in Sterling Money. £ s. d. 1 1 10 1 1 1 1 10 10 10 10 10 10 4 16 8 13 13 4 4 13 13 13 4 4 4 13 4 6 1 13 8 4 1 13 1 13 1 13 4 4 4 1 13 1 13 4 4 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 5 11 8 1 2 4 2§ 1 10 713 3 3xS J For his Deposition see page 54. \ For his Deposition with respect to these subjects see page 54. 1 Barrel Salmon. Digitized by Microsoft® 54 APPENDIX O.— continued. (2) DEPOSITIONS OF GROUND OFFICERS REGARDING WASTE LANDS IN THEIR DISTRICTS IN 1718. No. 204. — William Morison, officer, makes oath that there is waste in the division of the Lewes wherein he serves as officer. Some parcells of land which did pay of yearly rent when laboured Twenty-seven pounds Scots money and which further payed four bolls and a half of meall yearly, and this is the truth as he shall answer to God. (Signed) Willjam Morison. „ David Bethune. No. 205. — Murdoch Morison, another officer, makes oath that there is waste in the Division of the said Island of Lewes whereof he is officer some parcells of land which when laboured pays yearly fifty eight pounds Scots of money rent, four bolls, three pecks, two lipies meall. Three stones twelve pounds weight of butter, four muttons and a half and no more. And the said officer further depones that all the tennents within his division have deponed upon their rents either by themselves or by others in their names. All which he depones to be truth as he shall answer to God. (Signed) MuRDO Morison. „ David Bethune. No. 206. — John McCaulay, another officer, makes oath that there is no waste lands in the Division of the said Island whereof he is officer and that all the tennents within his Division have deponed upon their rents either by themselves or others in their names. Which is the truth as he shall answer to God and cannot write. (Signed) David Bethdne. (3) DEPOSITION OF MR. ZACHARY MACAULAY, CHAMBERLAIN OF LEWIS, REGARDING SUBJECTS OCCUPIED BY HIM. The said Mr. Zacharias Macaulay the Chamberlain makes oath that his Commission to be' Chamberlain of the Lews (which he presented and affirms to be his last Commission) is from Frances yrin designed Marchioness of Seaforth and that he has no other Commission only an order from Colonel Mackenzie and Assint to continew for ye years 1716 and 1717. And furder Depones he has a possession or Labouring called Garcroy which pays one hundred merks Scots yearly, and his possession in Town of Storneway might pay Five pounds Scots yearly but he getts it gratis. And Depones that to the best of his knowledge all the tenants on the Estate have been given up by the Deponent in list as before, and furder Depones that he has in his management ye miln of Storneway without any settled rent but some years it affords twenty merks p. annum : Idem he likewise has the fishings of a small river in ye same manner which produces yearly a Barrell .Salmond or thereby which is ye truth as he shall answer to God. (Signed) Zach : McAulay. David Bethune. Digitized by Microsoft® 55 APPENDIX P, PAETICULAES OF FARMS IN LEWIS. (1) Statement lodged with the Crofters Commission by the Estate Management in November 1888, showing Alteiations made on Farms in Lewis, Occupancy, and Rent of each, during the period from 1844 to 1888 :— (1) South Galson Farm. Sir James Matheson, Proprietor, from Whitsunday 1844 to Whitsunday 1848, at a rent of 1849. Hugh Macpherson, 1 year to Whitsunday, rent, ~ (including ^-year's rent for South Galson sub-tenants at X13 17s.), (including one year's rent for South Galson sub-tenants who were removed to New Galson), 1850. 1851. 1852. 1853. 1854. 1855. 1856. 1857. 1858. 1859. 1860. 1861. 1862. 1863. Do. Do. Do., Do. Do. Do., Do., Do., (including ^-year's rent of croft in (including rent of Borve), . . New Galson), i-year's rent to Martinmas 1857, .£139 16s. 9d. Alexander MacRae, 4 -year's rent to Whitsunday, Do., 1 do. do. Do., Do., i year's rent to Martinmas, Sir- James Matheson. ^-year's rent to Whitsunday, Do., 1 year's rent, Less, Mid Borve tenants who were tenants of the previous tacksmen, 1864 to 1869. Do., (including North Galson), at a rent of . . 1869. Andrew Smith, ^year's rent to Martinmas, 1870. Do., ' . . . . . . Less i-year's rent of moor grazings given to crofters, 1871. Andrew Smith, 1872. Do., 1873. Do., 1874. Do., 1875. Do., 1876. Do., ^-year's rent, 1877. Dundas Helm, ^-year's rent to Martinmas, 1878. Do., ' . . 1879. Do., 1880. Dundas Helm and J. P. Helm, . . 1881. Do. do., 1882 to 1888. Representatives of Dundas Helm and J. P. Helm, (2) NoETH Dell Mill and Lands. 1844 to 1848. Donald Munro, at a rent of 1849. Do. (Lands added and Mill improved) 18.50. Do., 1851, Do., 1852, Do., 1853, Alex. Macfarquhar, 1861, Do., 1868, llfurdo Macfarquhar, 1875 to 1886. Do., (Mrs. Watson's Farm, J30, added), 1887-88, Do., ^400 34 £400 50 (3) Arnish. 1845-46. Wm. MacGregor, at .£36 a year, 1847. Finlay MacRae, 1848, Do., 1851. Do., £22 6 67 17 9 130 181 10 8 182 2 9 191 18 256 3 266 3 278 13 279 13 200 400 400 200 200 366 436 200 350 302 19 4 308 3 301 5 315 9 315 9 157 14 157 14 315 9 315 315 315 315 ^16 52 54 12 60 10 62 12 7 45 58 58 88 72 £36 36 40 46 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 56 (3) Arnish — continued. 1852. Finlay Macrae, 1853. Do., 1854. Do., 1855 to 1864. John Hunter and David Mackintosh, 1865 to 1878. Sir James Matheson, 1879 to 1888. Lady Matheson, (4) Okobeg. 1845. 1850. 1851. 1852. St. Oolumb's Island, John Macdonald, Do., Do., Do., Do., 1853tol865. Do., 1866 to 1876. Donald Macdonald; 1876-77. Roderick Martin, 1883. Do., Stimervay and Orinsay and Shiant Isles added, 1886. Do., Deduction of .£12, and ^8 for the Island of Rossaidh, given up by him as the crofters were destroying his stock upon it. (This island was given to Grimhadder). 1888, ' Do., (5) Valtos and Island Torray. 1845 to 1849. Alex. Macleod, at a rent of 1850. Do., 1851. Do., 1870. Alex. MacRae, 1877. ) Do., (moor grazings added to Balallan), 1881. Dr. Roderick Ross, 1882. Do., 1885. John Mackay, rent of Torray deducted, this island having been given to the town ships of Calbost and Mairveg, 1888. Do., (6) Dalbeg- 1849-50. Donald Mackenzie, 1851. Do., 1853 to 1860. Donald and John Mackenzie (with Dalmore added) 1861 to 1865. 1866. 1869. 1875. 1878. 1879. 1887. 1888. Do., Do., Do., (with Island Campay), John Sinclair, Do., Do., Do.. Do. Ground added to South Shawbost and Oarloway, (7) AlGNISH. 1844-45. James Alexander, . . * 1850. Do., 1852. Do., . . . . 1870. George Macdonald, • . . 1875. Sir James Matheson (^-year), 1875. Samuel Newall, 1876. Do., 1885. B. M. Woodward and S. A. Newall, 1888. Do., (to uphold all fences). (8) Melbost. 1845. Wm. MacGregor, . . 1847. Sir James Matheson 1849. David Houston, 1851. Do., 1852 Do., 1853. Do., 1854. Do., 1868. Do., 1877. Mrs. Houi3ton, 1884. Thomas New.all, 1887. Do., 1888. Do., Links added to Melbost and Branahuie, £36 30 33 50 50 50 £21 28 16 30 15 31 9 25 56 9 74 50 130 \ 110 110 £54 6 70 6 2 71 15 10 85 45 45 47 4 30 30 £52 55 100 90 95 125 100 (> 101 14 5 102 90 90 0' £60 66 15 4 90 110 110 0' 120 100 0' 70 £30 30 160 180 6 3 184 6 4 185 187 3 8 165 165 165 100 100 Digitized by Microsoft® (9) Holm. 1845. 1846. 1849. 1850. 1851. 1852. 1854. 1857. 1859. 1861. 1867. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1883. 1888. 1845. 1846. 1849. 1854. 1857. 1861. 1867. 1874. 1888. 1845. 1850. 1S51. 1852. 1853. 1858. 1859. 1861. 1864. 1866. 1867. 1879. 1888. 1851. 1852. 1853. 1857. 1859. 1860. 1864. 1865. 1866. 1873. 1876. 1879. 1885. 1886. 1888. Adam Knox, John Scobie, Do., Do., Sir Jamfis Matheson, Do., James Houston (Holm and Sandwick Hill), James Helm, Dundas Helm, Do., Do., Do., Do., Do., with park at Saiadwick added at .£12, and portion of off and added to Holm and Sandwick Hill, Representatives of Dundas Helm, Do. do.. (10) Stoneyfield. Kenneth MacLennan, John Mackay, Robert Sheddon, . . David Mackintosh and John Hunter, Do. .... Sir James Matheson, Robert Gerrie, Do., Do., (11) GOATHILL. Murdo Mackenzie, William Gerrie, Do., Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do., (lands added), (lands added), (additional lands), (lands taken off), do., Lady Matheson (lands added to Manor Farm), Archibald MacdougaU, Do., (12) Manor Farm. Sir James Matheson, Do., Do., Do., Do. (lands addd). Do. do., Do. do., Do. do., Do. do., Do., Do., Lady Matheson, . . Do., Do. (lands taken off), Dugald MacLean, . . (13) Coll. 1845-46-47. Roderick Nicolson, 1848. Sir James Matheson, 1851. James Rigg, 1853. Do., 1858. Do., 1861. Do., 1872, John Hunter, 1885. Do., 1887. Do., 1?88. Do., i;32 32 62 7 3 73 1 7 74 6 8 50 125 ISO 115 116 126 the fa "m taken 142 144 18 9 146 12 6 146 12 6 146 12 6 £9 9 70 30 35 2 35 2 75 60 60 .£25 75 15 10 105 2 1 134 7 11 137 18 9 148 3 9 168 12 5 184 16 5 151 16 5 139 16 5 112 16 4 90 90 . £125 9 100 150 172 8 234 6 4 250 5 10 256 5 10 289 5 10 316 5 10 320 316 300 250 195 210 £92 10 92 10 110 120 130 160 150 130 117 117 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 58 (14) Gress. 1844 to 1848. Lewis Maclver (with Back as sub-tenants), 1849. James R. Maclver (without Back), 1852. Evander Maclver, 1855. Do., 1859. James R. Maclver, 1862. Sir James Matheson, 1863. Peter Liddle, mill .£40, and lands £130, 1866. Do., 1871. Do., 1878. Mrs. Janet Liddle, 1886. Do., 1888. Do., £235 105 90 105 105 105 170 180 187 3 187 3 167 3 167 3 (15) North Tolsta. 1854. Roderick Nicolson, 1858. Do., 1868. Bradley and JSTewall, ' . 1870. Samuel Newall, . . 1874. Do., 1878. Do., 1885. S. A. Newall, 1888. Do., £50 51 5 80 80 100 103 15 80 80 (16) TONG. 1854. Alexander Grant, . . 1868. 1869. 1878. 1887. 1888. Do. Do., Do., Do., Do., (lands added). (17) Mealista, Keannhushly, and Island Mealista. 1844-49. Alexander and John MacRae, 1850. Do. do., 1869. Do. do., 1870. John Mitchell, 1886 to 1887. Do. (lands taken off), 1888. Do. . . . ' . . £50 62 67 40 34 34 £90 105 120 130 85 85 (18) Mangursta. 1873. Donald and Malcolm Mackay, 1886. Do. do., 1888. Do. do., £132 95 95 (19) Ardroil. 1844-48. Donald Maaiulay, 1849. John and James Mackenzie, 1854. Do. do. (Garnish added), . 1857. Do. do. (with Timisgary, Erista, and Island Vacsey added), 1859. Do. go. (without Timisgary but with Island Vacsey), . . 1762. James MacRae, . . 1880. Alexander MacRae (with an additional island at £30 a year), 1887. Do., 1888. Do., £100 105 160 (• 270 187 255 285 245 245 (20) Timisgary and Island Vacsey. 1846 to 1850. Geo. Mitchell, . . 1851. Rev. David Watson, 1857-58. Added to Ardroil, . . 1859-60. James MacRae, 1860. Ken. and Angus Nicolson, 1867. James MacRae, (Erista added), 1877. John MacRae — (a portion of the farm added to thelJig glebe, 1888. Do., (21) LiNSHADDBE. 1844-48. Murdo Mackenzie, 1849. Do., 1852. Do. (with Ballygloom added), 1854. Do. (with Island Pabaidh added), £78 84 88 88 108 80 80 £250 250 8 4 262 2 8 297 2 8 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 59 (21) LiNSHADDER — continued. 1855. Murdo Mackenzie, 1863. Ewen MacRae, . . 1870. James Mackenzie. — (Laimshadder and Little Bernern), 1878. Do. (with Kirkibost taken off and Bosta added), 1884. Do. (Lands taken off and added to Grimersta), 1886. Do. (£10 taken otF for being deprived of Laimshadder), 327 1887. Do. 278 1888. Do. 278 (22) Oroik Cottage and Lands. From 1844, . . ^ £8 10 1880. Ci-ofteis' lands of Croir added to Ci'oir Cottage when crofters went to Hacklete Farm, . . . . . . . . . . 44 15 (» .£299 10 400 425 349 337 (2). HISTORY OF THE PENINSULA OF PARK, compiled feom Estate Records, and coxtkibutbd BY Mr. "William Mackay, the Chamberlain, for the information of Sheriff-Substitute Eraser and Mr. IMalcolm M'Neill, ix connection with their inquiry regarding the condition of Lewis Cottars in 1888. '• 1. The parish of Lochs appears to be the most recently inhabited parish in the Island of Lews. " At the time of the first Earl of Seaforth, the whole of what is now known as Park was a deer " forest, and the tenants or crofters of Uig used to graze tlieir cattle in summer or had their sheil- " ings there. Where the Park deer raiders encamped for the night is named Airidh Dhomhuill " Chaim. It has been said that there were crofters here, but Donald Cam resided in Uig, and " merely had a sheiling in Park. Early in the present century, a company of four gentlemen from " Skye took what was then known as the farm of Park ; one of the company was Lachlan Mackinnon " of Gorry. The manager of the farm was a Donald Stuart from Perthshire, who subsequently " became tenant, and after him his two brothers, Alexander and Archibald Stuart, who held the " farm till 1842, when it was let to Walter Scott, Hawick, at a rent of £587. His lease terminated " in 1857. Thereafter the farm was let to Mitchell Scobie, when the crofters in Stiemrevay, being in " the centre of the farm, were removed to Liemervay, which was then part of Park farm. Mr. Mitchell •• Scobie made over his lease to Mr. P. P. Sellar, whose occupancy terminated at Whitsunday, 1883. " The farm was then advertised, but a tenant could not be got for it. It was then advertised as a " deer forest, and let as such to Mr. Piatt in 1886. Of the lands held by Mr. Sellar, Seaforthhead ■" and Shieldinish, an area of about 5,000 acres has been let to six crofters at a rent of £51 ; and " Stiemrevay and Orinsay, containing about 3,000 acres, with the Shiant Isles, was let to Roderick ■ Martin, tenant of Crobeg. Island Ewhart, in Loch Shell, was given to the crofters of Liemrevay " without any additional rent being charged. " The whole area of the peninsula between Loch Erisort and Loch Seaforth is 68,000 acres, of " which 42,000 acres forms the deer forest of Park, and the remainder is under crofters, with the " exception of one tenant paying over £80 of rent. The furthest back rental of Park is that of " 1828, though, no doubt, there were crofters along the coast in Park previous to that date. In 1828 " there were 8 crofters in Shieldinish, 15 in Eishken. Orinsay was let to a Miss Maciver, who is " supposed to have had sub-tenants. Liemrevay and Stiemrevay were let to a Roderick Nicolson, " who was also supposed to have had sub-tenants ; and Park farm proper was held by Alexander " and Archibald Stuart at a rent of £326. The Stuarts had this farm for many years previous to " 1828. In 1831 there were 7 crofters in Shieldinish, 16 in Eishken, 17 in Orinsay, 20 in " Liemrevay, and 8 in Stiemrevay, and the Stuarts held the farm of Park. The crofters in Eishken " were removed in 1833 ; those in Orinsay and Shieldinish in 1838, and Liemrevay in 1841. In all, " 60 crofters -were removed ; but this took place previous to Sir James Matheson purchasing the " estate. It is thus impossible to give the destination of the crofters removed from Park, but a " number of them emigrated. Others were sent to Crossbost, in Lochs, 27 were sent to Crossbost, " which was previously a farm, and others were sent to Tong and Tolsta, in the parish of Stornoway." Digitized by Microsoft® 60 APPENDIX Q. OUTLAYS BY PROPEIETOE ON CROFTS, AND RENTS OF CROFTING TOWNSHIPS. Statement showing the "outlays by the proprietor on Orofts and other subjects in Lewis, now in the occupancy of Crofters," from 1848 to 1888, and the gross rents of all the Crofting Townships in the Island in 1901-2. (1). Parish op Barvas. Outlays by Rent for the Proprietor. year 1901-2. £ s. d. £ s. d. South Shawbost ...... 52 9 4 82 7 North Shawbost ... 102 7 New Shawbost ...... 3,216 17 53 9 South tJxagor .... 1 N«>rth Bragor ... J 70 16 9 107 19 72 12 Brue . . . ... 149 10 2 47 7 6 Arnol . ...... 61 13 7 86 4 Lower Barvas . . . 133 14 Barvas Park . - . 1,544 12 2* }0 13 6 Upper Barvas .... 45 19 Ballantrushal 232 5 3t 31 15 Upper Shadder . . . . (f^nce) 110 4 8 56 2 Lower Shadder . . . J 944 8 38 4 67 18 Fivepenny, Borve ... . . 21'4 7 5 75 12 Mid Borve ... ... 71 10 8 41 3 South Dell ... . . 45 7 90 6 North Dell . ... 145 3 10 60 10 Cross . . . .... 36 4 4 52 18 Swanibost . . . . 1,079 19 7 101 3 Habost . ....... 137 5 2 104 12 Eorodale . ....... 17 10 4 11 4 Lionel ....... 507 7 4 78 5 Adabrock ....... , 11 5 Eoropie ..... ... 70 18 Fivepenny, Ness . , . . . 40 8 Knockaird .... 41 10 Callicvol . ... 380 19 10 48 14 Skegirsta .... 108 7 5 32 1 Total, .£9,164 17 7 £1,758 16 * The Entry in the Estate Return is " Barvas Park and lands attached to Barvas Inn, £1,544 12s. 2d." !• The entry is " Shader and Ballantrushal." + The first sum is stated as against Shadder, the second against Bigingary, or Lower Shader. The whole amount for Shadder and Ballantrushal is thus £1,325 2s. Id. (2). Parish of Lochs. Grimshadder Barnish . Leurbost . Crossbost . Achmore . Cleascro Keose Laxay Balallan . Aribhruach Kershadder Garyvard Graver Calbost Mariveg Cromore Habost Limeravay Caversta . Seaforth Head Total, 17 1 5 19 6 5 15 4* £41 17 3 £32 1 77 2 100 19 6 43 2 40 14 4 35 7 68 10 130 2 17 5 22 19 20 7 63 19 23 5 31 1 53 14 27 5 58 8 11 10 51 £912 10 6 * The sum of £5 15s. 4d. is revay, which now forms part of a farm. 61 APPENDIX Q.— continued. (3). Parish of Stornoway. Broker Hill Portnagiuran Do. (New Lands) Portvoller Upper Aird Sheshadder Shulishadder Do. ("NTew) . Upper Bayble Lower Bayble Gai-rabost New Grarrabost Knock Swordale. Melbost . Branahuie Holm Sandwick. Do. (North Stre Sandwick Hill (East Street) Steinish . South Tolsta Glen Tolsta Back Vatisker . Coll Aird of Tong Tong . Newmarket New Valley Guershadder Laxdale Lane Laxdale . Coulregrein Laxdale and Goathill Road Outlays by Proprietor. £ s. d. eet) Total, 95 3 9 Rent for the year 1901-2. 41 11 8 107 1 3 116 12 6 269 3 5* 2 5 0* 579 19 1 1060 19 4 252 15 8 .462 1 3 43 15 1 194 12 4t 14 757 16 6 100 12 4 4 19 6 £4,090 2 8 £ s. d. 7 2 29 16 8 15 30 2 9 32 18 51 16 55 12 5 U> 97 8 6 98 1 122 9 1 29 15 6 67 17 43 6 60 2 50 19 18 16 33 17 34 3 29 6 47 1 132 19 5 10 126 93 15 109 17 67 16 37 12 60 5 21 5 21 10 9 3 25 6 2 19 12 30 7 1,715 15 6 * The entries in the Estate Return are " Shather, £269 3s. 5d. ; Shuilishadder, £2 5s.' t Expended on numbers 13 and 14. (4). Parish of Uig. Brenish . Islivick . Crowlista Aird Valtos Kneep . Oaryshadder Geshadder Ungshadder Enaclete . Earshadder Crolovick Lundale . Callanish . Breasclate Park Breasclate Tolstachaolish Doune Carloway Lochganvich Breaclate Tobson . Hacklate Kirkibost Kirivick . Upper Carloway Carloway Knock Carloway Borrowston Garinin . Gisla .£138 10 10 88 6 3 f 29 14 1 95 11 6* TotaL Digitized bv Microsoft® 5 14 8 17 4 202 1 6 127 1 5t 19 1 2,202 17 3i 260 8 1 14 10 £3192,13 2 57 16 21 59 6 25 14 138 15 50 2 21 18 25 6 10 16 20 6 12 12 19 8 36 84 13 8 93 4 75 16 70 13 23 6 43 17 99 19 6 4 6 85 19 84 1 29 4 74 12 10 7 50 10 48 17 48 15 20 £1,455 3 4 * This item is headed "Uig lots." t This item is for "Breasolete Mill and lands.'' J See Report, pages Ixxvii-viii. 62 APPENDIX R. RENT OF LEWIS ESTATE IN 1901-2. Statement showing gross Eents of Crofts and other subjects not exceeding £30, and rents of Farms and Sporting subjects in detail, all as appearing in the Valuation Roll for 1901-2. (1) Paeish of Baevas. (a) Rent of Croftiny Townships as set forth in App. Q., Other rents not exceeding J30 (10 subjects), .£1^758 16 106 11 £1,865 7 (6) Farms exceeding £30. South Galson, Dell, Dalbeg, Dalmore, and Island Campay, 165 13 6 58 50 2 6 273 16 (c) Sporting Subjects. Salmon fishings. Shootings — Barvas, . . Do. Galson, . . Do. Soval (Part of), Shooting Lodge — Galson, (2) Parish of Lochs. {a) Rent of Crofting Toimiships as set forth in App. Q., Other rents not exceeding £30 (2 subjects). 50 122 241 35 25 £912 10 6 16 473 ■£2,612 3 £928 10 6 (6) Fa/rms exceeding £30. Arnisli, Valtos, Orobeg, Stimervay, Orinsay, and Shiant Isles, £30 30 2 6 110 2 170 4 6 (c) Sporting Subjects. Park Deer Forest, £1,520 Eishken Shooting Lodge, . . . . . . . . 70 Aline Deer Forest and Shooting and Seaforth Island, 161 Aline Shooting Lodge, .. .. .. .. 2500 Soval Shootings (Part of), 155 Soval Shooting Lodge, . , . . . 25 (3) Parish of Stornoway. {a) Rent of Crofting Toivnships as set forth in App. Q., Other rents not exceeding £30 (32 subjects). [b) Farms exceeding £30. Aignish, Melbost, Holm, Stoneyfield, . . Goathill, Manor Farm, . ... Gress, . ... ToLsta, Cottage and Land, Laxdale, House and Land, Tong and Garryscore, Ijana. uoU, ..... £1,715 15 6 278 10 6 1,956 £70 100 12 3 132 60 6 95 170 125 60 () 35 38 80 £3,054 15 £1,994 6 £965 18 3 Garry forward,, £2,960 4 3 5,666 18 Digitized by Microsoft® 63 APPENDIX R.— continued. (c) Sporting Stt.bjects. Stornoway Castle and Grounds, Grass Parks, Shootings and Fishings, Servants Houses within PoHcies, Gress Shootings, Gress Lodge, Salmon Fishings, Brought forward. 1'2,960 4 3i;5,666 18 (4) Parish of Uig. (a) Eent of Croftiiiy Ton-ns/iips, as set forth in App. Q., Other rents not exceeding ^30 (11 subjects). (b) Farms e.vceeding ^SO. Mealista, Timsgary and Erista, . Garrynahine House and Faim, Linshader, Reef, .... Ardroil, Ardmore and Island. Croir and Croir Cottage, Mangersta Grazings, . (^c) Sporting Subjects. Shootings — TTig, Lodge — „ . ... Shootings and Deer Forest — Scaliscro, Lodge — ,. Shootings — Soval (Part of). Deer Forest — Morsgail, Fishings — „ ... Lodge— „ .... Shootings, Grazings, and Fishings, — Grimersta, Lodge — Grimersta, . . . . ,, Salmon Fishings — Kenrisort, Do. Carloway, Fishings — Blackwater, £270 80 450 56 250 30 18 1,154 .t'4,114 4 3 , i;i,455 3 95 7 £H5 45 45 50 70 190 2 40 70 £249 50 102 15 126 434 40 50 1,027 45 20 12 45 £1,550 10 10 595 2 2,215 Total Land and Sporting rental. Rental of Property forming part of the Lewis Estate, within Burgh of Stoinoway, Total Rental of the Lewis Estate, -£4,360 12 10 £14,141 15 1 732 12 9 £14,874 7 10 Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 6o APPENDIX S. Supplementary Statement by the Local Government Board for Scotland showing for the Parishes in the Lews and for the County of Eoss and Cromarty in each Year from 1880 to 1900, both inclusive, the Gross Rental as hi Valuation Roll, Parish Council Expenditure not defrayed out of Loans, Receipts by Parish Councils other than Assessments, Net Amount of Parish Council Expenditure to be met by Assessment, and Rate per £ of Gross Rental required to Raise such Assessment. 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1886 1880 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 GEOSS RENTAL AS IN VALUATION BOLL.* PABISII COUNCIL EXPENDITURE, IsOT DEFRAYED OUT OF LOANS. ISL-\ND OF Lewis. £ 3,157 3,109 3,617 3,212 8,216 3,212 8,101 3,041 3,182 3,115 2,489 (a)2,720 (a)2,898 2,906 2,994 2,913 (6)2,918 2,927 3,086 8,000 8,040 £ 4,713 4,670 4,673 4,671 4,160 4,125 4,148 4,988 4,835 4,748 4,369 (a)4,613 (a)3,648 3,611 3,623 8,575 8,474 3,781 8,441 3,402 3,427 £ 13,182 13,166 18,863 14,189 14,490 14,991 15,671 15,835 16,226 16,372 17,428 19,187 17,950 19,112 20,023 19,244 19,486 20,292 21,570 21,893 23,580 £ 4,554 4,627 4,641 6,280 5,071 6,325 5,308 5,140 4,827 4,403 4,768 (ffl)4,948 (a)6,280 5,766 5,669 5,665 5,174 4,649 4,232 4,253 4,115 £ 26,606 25,661 26,694 27,252 26,987 27,653 28,228 28,964 29,069 28,638 29,049 31,368 30,721 31,295 32,309 81,387 80,997 81,499 32,279 82,648 £ 261,479 266,816 266,861 265,849 266,606 266,602 203,950 269,476 810,496 297,915 299,084 306,846 808,12 808,012 807,672 307,400 306,862 300,731 297,249 802,188 Poor Rate. ISL.\ND OF Lewis. "S ai "o ^ S ? Aj:i |n 13 £ £ 621 834 486 878 657 850 538 763 636 979 640 1,036 686 1,057 658 1,080 670 1,019 766 1,066 812 1,179 763 1,244 778 1,171 1,038 1,093 1,095 1,162 940 1,146 (6)940 1,266 914 1,270 1,303 1,312 1,300 1,627 1,291 1,618 £ 1,654 2,079 2,308 1,409 1,684 1,723 1,880 2,004 2,103 2,101 2,126 2,161 2,400 2,471 2,829 2,642 2,786 3,143 8,160 3,281 8,832 £ 680 697 585 610 620 068 090 722 673 774 741 710 949 968 982 1,082 1,019 1,201 1,170 1,291 1,450 £ 3,089 4,139 4,300 8,395 8,919 4,057 4,313 4,464 4,465 4,707 4,868 4,868 5,293 5,566 6,058 6,809 5,901 0,528 6,941 7,349 7,591 K p 25,39; 25,866 26,927 26,908 26,881 27,850 29,091 29,61 30,586 31,094 School Rate. IsLASi) OF Lewis. '5-S £ 26,036 26,652 26,432 24,606 26,07 24,856 25,803 25,612 24,77.= 25,419 25,159 (c)U8 500 1,000 608 408 408 650 660 657 (c) 65 64 00 00 00 (Jj) 60 100 50 118 050 1,000 905 1,306 1,055 756 850 855 730 687 (c)108 (c)107 850 1,160 800 1,100 1,100 800 800 800 900 1,060 (c)700 (<;)360 460 460 450 80 (<0 - 84 80 150 700 700 1,100 1,200 1,200 670 1,000 650 568 008 708 650 668 478 360 (c)113 (c)116 70 150 200 260 (cl) ^ 606 375 370 150 2,670 4,150 2,963 3,.371 3,171 2,818 10,$50 12; 11,S72 w- 2,9,50 2,870 2,600 2,882 (c)l,034 (c) 638 041 738 788 400 844 1,446 1,726 1,676 1,648 12, 12, 12, 12,101 ll,p4 11,(32 10,927 (c) 9,f 99 5) 8,|o2 7,^48 7,l!18 8,li31 8,^89 9,:i53 9,|s7 10,057 10,724 10,708 Other rariih Rates. ISL-AND OF LKVVIS. 28 29 28 26 29 20 (i)29 25 84 89 Cm £ («)- 49 39 104 81 112 62 67 42 46 40 42 38 («)■ 47 115 104 106 600 406 364 209 222 132 120 132 133 121 119 144 180 201 180 206 115 («)- Total. ISL.\SD OF Lewis. o S Ms 13° §1 243 210 268 804 663 626 486 807 841 239 237 237 231 210 £ (e)- 1,186 1,462 1,214 1,202 1,041 1,471 1,424 1,220 1,264 1,103 1,100 1,202 1,211 1,073 64 307 44 312 45 335 41 319 216 1,295 232 i 1,360 1,374 2,112 2,116 1,950 1,517 1,194 974 1,075 1,216 1,866 1,349 1,085 1,182 968 860 864 1,121 1,183 1,029 (6)1,029 948 1,486 1,423 1,441 1,927 1,794 2,162 2,115 1,903 1,969 2,002 1,797 1,699 1,822 1,393 1,266 1,200 1,256 1,261 1,876 1,889 1,496 1,613 1,739 O c3 3,276 3,223 2,703 2,950 8,023 8,086 3,168 3,212 3,,S73 2,968 2,687 2,982 3,054 3,400 2,761 3,580 4,028 4,467 4,617 4,737 1,812 1,262 1,196 1,254 1,392 1,867 1,311 1,178 1,176 898 863 1,069 1,159 1,223 1,388 1,063 1,920 1,589 1,706 1,641 8,632 7,473 7,034 K% 7,533 7,788 7,820 7,272 7,430 6,131 6,743 6,171 6,634 7,062 6,424 7,087 8,280 8,978 9,859 9,658 MS 39,910 38,456 38,166 38,864 38,529 39,485 38,970 87,427 37,610 35,861 84,78' 35,016 36,966 87,115 40,852 43,426 43,762 PARISH COUNCIL RECEIPTS FROM Government Grants.^ ISL.\S0 OF Lfwis. £ 48 47 43 114 101 104 89 118 111 124 134 132 127 190 36,072 (<7)238 228 38,568 (6)228 114 41,681 (A)298 78 159 163 165 160 188 172 191 210 232 242 192 &)277 227 239 261 248 261 £ 130 134 154 282 281 256 295 278 268 (/)1,224 (/)1,190 276 289 829 (0) 440 469 467 487 436 388 378 46 56 65 116 121 112 108 102 111 100 130 107 105 145 (!7)232 197 209 213 221 214 226 298 806 880 621 616 686 652 686 662 1,639 1,670 747 763 856 ((7)1,182 1,111 1,143 1,015 1,203 1,090 4,082 £ 2,615 2,681 2,755 8,612 3,636 3,675 8,575 3,731 3,724 (/)8,612 19,069 3,569 3,540 4,218 (!;)6,666 4,762 4,820 4,699 4,838 4,684 4,666 Other Sources {exclusive of Assessment.) ISLAXD OF Lewis. ■S t j tt- u /\..a ,. .^f fiio Pmitirlon- Phtyi (a) At 15th May 1891 part of the Parish of Lochs was transferred to the Parishes of Barvas and Uig by Order of the Boundary Com- missioners. (c) Thfdec/e^sefn these flgures, as compared with the flgures for previous years, may be due to Probate Dnty Grants first paid in 1889 and increased in 1890. (el) School Rate not paid over to School Board during- the year. (e) Not ascertained. t From 1880 to 1893 these Grants consisted of (a) Contribution in respect of the Cost of Maintenance of Pauper Lunatics, and (6) Contri- bution towards Cost of Medical EeKef. Subsequent to the latter date they include in addition the Grant m Rehef of Ra(;es under Section 2 (4) of the Education and Local Taxation Account (Scotland) Act, 1892. The Agricultural Rates Grant, first paid m 1898, has not been included under this head, but under " Net Amount of Expenditure to be met by Assessment," in order that a proper comparison of Rates per £ of Gross Rental may be made. J These amounts are arrived at by deducting from the Total Expenditure the Parish Council Receipts exclusive of Assessment. § These do not represent the actual rates levied, but are arrived at by dividing the " Net Amount of Expenditure to be met by Assess- ment '' by the "Gross Rental as in Valuation Roll." (/) Includes special Gi ant paid to Highland and Island Parishes in 1888-89 and 1889-90. Ig) Includes contributions for two years in respect of Grant in Relief of Rates. (ft) Includes £100 of Pauper Lunacy Grant not paid in 1897. 6 4 6 3 4 7 4 11 4 11 4 11' 4 10' 4 5 3 11' 8 0' 8 1 8 6 3 6 3 6 3 8 3 8 4 6 4 8 4 10 4 10' Ph 'S s. d. 2 8-8 2 7-7 2 6-? 7-8 7-0 8-2 8-0 1-6 1 10-8 1 9-0 2 0-0 2 0-2 2 0-4 1 11-4 2 0-9 2 2-0 2 3-9 2 4-9 2 6-1 2 6-3 Local Goveknmeni Boabd, Edinbdkgh, I4ith February 1902. Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Spedal Reports on Educational Sulnjects. Issued by Board of Education I— School Gardens in Gbemany. P"'=® ^'^ Public Library AND Public EtBMENTARY SoHOOi. Ooiuoection between. Price 2Jd* Heuristic Method OF Teaching. Price Sd. MosERK Language Teaching in Belgium, Holland, and Germany. Price 6^d. Secondary Schools : — In Baden. Price 5Jd. Is Prussia. Price Is. University and Secondary Education in France. Price 4d. Intermediate Education in Wales, and the Organisation op Education in S-witzbrland. Price Is.- Id. Simpufication of French Syntax. Decree of French Minister for Public Instruction, 26 Feb., 1901. 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Digitized by IVIicrosoft® REPORT SECRETARY FOR SCOTLANB BY THE CROFTERS COMMISSION ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION OP THE PEOPLE OP LEWIS IN 1901, AS COMPARED WITH TWENTY YEARS AGO. prcaentet) to botb Ibouees of parliament bi? Commanb of Ibis nDajcet^. glas;gow: printed for his majesty's stationery office, Bt JAMES HEDDERWICK & SONS, At the "Citizen" Pbess, St. Vincent Place. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from OLIVER & BOYD, Edinburgh ; or EYRE & SPOTTISWQODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Stbbbt, E.C.; and 32 Abingdon Street, Westmihsteb, S.W. ; or ' E. PONSONBY, 116 Grafton Street, Di^lin. 1902, [Cd. 1327.1 Price Is. 5d. Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Digitized by IVIicrosoft® Digitized by IVIicrosoft®