Pentland Road - 2

Rev Roderick Mackenzie was the Free Church minister at Tarbert, Harris at the time of the Napier Commission's visit. His place of birth is quoted as Assynt, Sutherland. Including himself, the minister's household comprises of 12 people in 1881. At that time, he was aged 43. His wife Marjory, aged 40, came from Kilmallie, Argyll. Her mother's name was Jessie Martin (66), who is living with her daughter. Roderick and Marjory have five children, Hugh (10), Alexander M (8), Mackintosh M (6), Martin D (4) and Annabella (2). Marjory's sister Mary (41) lives with the family and works as a governess. Other members of the household include cook Helen Macaskill (23), Peggy Morison (17), a nurse and Margaret Macleod, a 23-year old dairy-maid. By 1891, the Rev Mackenzie has moved to the Scottish mainland and is a Free Church minister living in Fodderty, a village between Dingwall and Strathpeffer in Easter Ross. By that time, his children (left at home) are Annabella (12), Nic...

Pabbay is located on the left of this map This is a transcript of part of the census return for the island of Pabbay, Harris, for 1841. Please do not confuse this Pabbay with the island off Broadford, Isle of Skye, which is under the parish of Strath. There is also a Pabay Mor off the coast of Uig, Isle of Lewis, and another Pabbay can be found among the Bishops Isles south of Barra. The population of Pabbay was cleared in 1846 to make way for sheep.  Further information can be found on this excellent page of the Papar project. Registered on Pabbay in 1841 Nora Mcleod 30 Ag Lab [agricultural labourer] Cathrine Mcleod 30 Hord Mcleod 12 Finla Mcleod 10 Niel Mcleod 7 Anne Mcleod 4 Margt Mcleod 70 John Morison 40 Ag Lab Mary Morison 40 Ag Lab Janet Morison 15 Anne Morison 15 Murdh Morison 13 Donald Morison 10 Effy Morison 8 John Morison 5 William Morison 2 Rodh Mcleod 30 Ag Lab John Mckay 13 Nord Mccaskill 40 Ag Lab Rachel Mccaskill...

Murdo Morrison is shown as a 50-year old crofter at 46 Kyles Scalpay in the 1881 census. He is shown as married to Lexy. John is their 1-year old son. Dolina Morrison (not certain if she is related) is a 21-year old servant. William Macleod is visiting, he is a fisherman. Twenty years before, we find a Murdo Morrison as a 32-year old tenant's son in Scalpa (Harris), son of Hector (63) and Margaret Morrison (62). His siblings were Ewen (26) and Mary (28). It is not useful to go back too far in the censuses, when looking for this man. Murdo Morrison clearly states in his evidence that the original people of Kyles Scalpay were cleared from their township, and replaced by those removed from Pabbay and Berneray. A census record from 1841 shows the population of Pabbay, Harris. It includes a Murdh Morrison, aged 13. His parents, both aged 40, are John and Mary, who have 7 children: Janet and Anne (15), Donald (10), Effy (8), John (5) and William (2) in addition to "Murdh"....

Boreray is a small island off the north coast of North Uist, which suffered a population decline during the 19th century. From 181 in 1841, down to 151 in 1851 it now has just 1 permanent inhabitant. More on the island's history on this page on the Boreray Island website . It features in the Napier Report , but Boreray is not distinguishable in any of the 19th century censuses, except for 1851. In that year, 29 families were recorded in Boreray. A number of visitors, mostly young children, as well as a Sheriff's Officer, are also on the listings. I give the breakdown below. All those mentioned were born in the parish of North Uist, except where indicated otherwise. (1) Evan Mcdagald junior (60) Head, Farmer of 8 acres Maron Mcdugald (47) Wife, Children: Euphemia (21), Christian (17), Catharine (12), Hector (10, Scholar), Maron (8) and Cein (6) Visitor: Archibald Mclean (37) Sheriff Officer (2) John Macdougald (64) Head, Farmer of 8 acres Children: Meron (28), ...

I have today received confirmation that Angus Mciver, 25 North Tolsta, does not qualify for status of Commonwealth War Graves Commission war dead. This would have required him to have met his end as the direct result of war action. Although Angus was discharged as medically unfit (having suffered a gunshot wound to the arm), he died of disease of heart or brain, which bore no direct relationship to his war injuries. However, Angus is remembered on the North Tolsta war memorial. He lies buried in a cemetery at Dunedin, New Zealand. A special thanks to Archives New Zealand , who did not charge me for digitising a second set of service records for an Angus Mciver, after the first lot turned out not to be for the man I was after.

John Mcdiarmid is 88 when he appears in front of Lord Napier in June 1883. Tracing someone with a surname like "Mcdiarmid" presents a few challenges. There are quite a few possible permutations in the spelling of that name, certainly on the census forms. What this piece of research also showed was the inconsistency in ages. Are the death certificates any more reliable than the census forms? However, reading the evidence yields a few clues, the most important one being that he spent a great deal of his lifetime around "Strain" (Strond?) in South Harris, and the census of 1841 does pick him up there. In 1841, John Mcdearmid is in Strond, Harris, aged 40. He lives with his wife Mary (35), who we will next encounter 40 years later. Their family consists of Marrion (20), Donald (15), Marrion (10), Christina (8), Mary (5) and Ann (2). In 1871, a John Mcdermid is quoted as a lodger in Strond, aged 70, living with a family of Shaws. I have my doubts about the 1871 ce...

John Mcleod was a fisherman at Ardhasaig at the time he was interviewed by Lord Napier in Tarbert. We find him in the 1881 census at 77 Ardhasaig, aged 62 by then. He is married to Christina (58), a wool weaver. Four adult children are mentioned at the same address, namely two sons who are seamen: Murdo (34) and John (32); and two daughters, both general servants: Christina (22) and Maggy (24). EDIT: Thanks to Direcleit for filling in the gaps before and after 1881:  1871 and the family were in Ardhasaig, John, Murdo & Donald were Fishermen whilst Christy was a Weaveress. Daughters Christy, 11 (Scholar)and Mary ,2 (Servant!) are there too. An 1861 family in Ardhasaig, comprising John & Chirsty with children Murdoch, John, Duncan, Donald and Chirsty Ann appears to be them. In 1851, John had been a Road Labourer in Ardhasaig and the boys Murdoch,5, John,2 & Duncan, 6 months, are shown. Following the Napier commission in 1883, we find John in 1891 as a Retir...

View Larger Map   Get Directions   View Bird's Eye Two very outlandish names to start a blogpost with, and the fact that these were townships, situated on the shores of Loch Resort will probably not surprise you. Neither are inhabited today. At the time of the 1891 census, they definitely were. Derisgil had 19 residents, Luachair 24. The RCAHMS Canmore record for Luachair describes: A farmstead comprising two unroofed buildings and four enclosures is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Harris 1881, sheet iii). Two unroofed buildings, two enclosures and a sheepfold are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1973). The RCAHMS Canmore record for Derisgal describes A small township comprising seven unroofed buildings, one of which is a long building, and two enclosures is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Isle of Harris 1881, sheet iii). Five unroofed buildings are shown on the curre...

Norman Macdonald was heard at Tarbert on 13 June 1883. He is quoted as being a 50-year old crofter from the island of Scarp, which lies just off the northwest coast of Harris. Unfortunately, none of the 19th century censuses for Scotland mention anyone as being specifically from this island. It appears to be grouped under North Harris. Looking for a nearby township on mainland Harris, Govig, shows this to be included in enumeration district 6. Only the 1901 census gives a break-down of the population of Scarp (172 people), and thus we can locate a Norman Macdonald who appears to match the description of the witness giving evidence to Lord Napier's Commission 18 years before. For reference, Scarp is listed as enumeration district 7 under registration district 111/1, with 200 residents. He is listed as a cottar at 3 Scarp, aged 72. Norman is married to Ann, aged 60 in 1901, with four children: two sons who are fishermen: Kenneth, (25) and Donald John (22); and two daughters, bot...

Duncan Morrison made a brief appearance in front of the Napier Commission. He was a 73-year old tailor from Finsbay, South Harris. In 1881 he is shown as living with his wife Christina, a few years his junior, and children Margaret (37), Christina (33), John (27, a Royal Naval Reservist), and Isabella (25). We also find three grand children, Marion Mclennan (11), John Mcdonald (7), Alexr Mckenzie (5) and Ann Mckenzie (3). Going back through the decades, we also find Catherin and Margret as an additional children to Duncan and Christina. By 1851, Duncan can be found at Quidinish, as a farmer of 7 acres employing no labourers. His account to Lord Napier mentions being cleared out of that township to go to Finsbay, which must have happened between 1851 and 1861. Although Duncan has three daughters, he only says to be supported by his son (whom we know to be John) who is in the RNR in Stornoway, borne out by the 1881 census data. In 1891, we meet Duncan for the last time, now at Strum...

Thomas Brydone had been in the job of factor for Lord Dunmore for only six months (i.e. since late 1882) when he was questioned by Lord Napier and his Royal Commission. I once more refer to Direcleit for an appreciation of his work in Harris, which appears to have lasted from 1882 until 1891-1897. It requires us therefore to look to censes after 1881 to get an idea of Mr Brydone's family history. In 1891, we find him as factor and farmer at Farmhouse Luskentyre, with the town mentioned as Leachilce. This sounds to me like a corruption of Leac-a-Li, which is a township on the eastern side of Harris. Thomas Brydone is quoted as being born at Dunblane, Perthshire and married to Isabella, a few years his junior. The Brydones have five children in 1891, James (8), Archibald (6), Thomas (4), Isabella (2) and Alexander (10 months). Christina Macleod and Catherine Macleod are listed as domestic and farm helpers. Upon tracing Thomas Brydone back through the years, we locate him in 1881...

Kenneth Macdonald was farmer at Scarista, and according to this article by Direcleit , had relinquished the factorship over South Harris by 1883. The fact that Kenneth was born in Applecross helped me to trace him on the census records. Kenneth Macdonald's wife is named as Mary Macrae by Direcleit, but the 1881 census record names her as Jane. The census transcript on Ancestry quotes Kenneth's occupation as "Farmer & Factor No Of Acres Unknown Employing". In 1881, we find Kenneth, aged 64, with his much younger wife Jane, aged 36, at Big Borve. They have 3 three children, Emilie P S (4), Alexander (2) and John (9 months). Kenneth's sister Catherine (50) is there, together with a handful of farm- and house servants: John Mckinnon, William Campbell, Marion Mckinnon, Marion MacCuspaiz [Maccusbic?] and Mary Mckinnon. A decade earlier, Kenneth is shown in the company of Rebecca Macrae, his sister-in-law, but his wife Margaret [edited] does not appear on any of t...

Hugh Morrison presented me with problems in researching his family history, as he does not appear in either the 1881 or 1891 census for the Bays area of Harris. Hugh is quoted in the Napier Report as coming from Finsbay, a couple of miles north of Rodel, enumeration district 4 in the 1881 census. However, the only Hugh Morrison that the 1881 census knows in that area is a 23-year old militiaman, whose parents are called John and Mary. The 1871 census however makes clear that this Hugh is from Ardvie, well north of Finsbay. Neither is there any death recorded for a Hugh Morrison in Harris between 1881 and 1891.

Roderick Ross , aged 63, is one of two witnesses from Geocrab in the Bays area of Harris. In the 1881 census, his address is merely given as "Crofters Dwelling House", without specific reference to any village. However, I have put in the search criteria as enumeration district 4, which encompasses Geocrab. His year of birth is given as 'about 1825', making him about 58 years of age - according to the census data. Roderick is a crofter. Roderick's household is a large one in 1881. He is married to Marion, aged 44 (also recorded as a crofter), and they have seven children. Archibald, aged 18, is a fisherman. Ann, aged 16, is a general servant domestic, but is in her parents' house at the time of the census. Mary (14), Mary Jessie (12), Margret (10), Rachel (8) and Jane (6) are all scholars. All members of this family are recorded as being born in Harris. The 1891 census shows the same family, minus Ann and Mary, as living at Geocrab, with Roderick now holding...

On 31 May 1883, two residents of the island of Berneray gave evidence to the Napier Commission at Obbe, now known as Leverburgh. The two men were Malcolm Mcleod and Lachlan Munro. At that time, Berneray (referred to as Bernera in the Napier report) was part of the parish of Harris. Nowadays, it is more closely associated with North Uist. Malcolm Mcleod , aged 42, was a fisherman, born in 1842 in Berneray. In the 1881 census, he is shown as married to Mary Mcleod, ten years his junior, with children Marion (8), Allan (6), Effy Kate (4), Roderick (2) and Malcolm (4 months). Malcolm senior is the son of Roderick and Chirsty Macleod of Ruishgarry, which is the farm at the northeastern end of Berneray. He is the second child, with Neil being the eldest brother (as shown in the 1871 census), and Allan (23), Mary Anne (17) and Peggy (14) the younger children. Peggy is shown as Margaret in the 1861 census. Roderick Mcleod can be traced (with some uncertainty) to a visit to Upper Sandwick ...

Rev. Alexander Davidson gave evidence at the Napier Commission's hearing in Obe [Leverburgh] on 31 May 1883. You can read his evidence by clicking on the link on his name. He is the Minister of the Free Church in Harris, and is aged 70 at the time of Lord Napier's visit to his parish. In his evidence, Rev Davidson says he has been in Harris since 1848, so we can trace him on the census registers. In 1851, he turns up for the first time as a Free Church Probationer in Moy, Inverness-shire, the 38-year old son of William and Margaret Davidson, farmers at Fornbeg, near Moy. Alexander has a sister, Eliza, who is 8 years his senior and a brother, William, who is 10 years younger. In 1861, Rev Davidson is in the Free Church Manse at Manish, in the Bays area of Harris. He has a young family, Malcom (6), John (2) and Janna Arah (1) with Margaret as a baby of 3 months. A number of domestic and farm helpers also appear at the Manse. A decade later, we find Catherine, Anne and Janet,...

This village, now derelict, lies 6 miles east of Tarbert, on the shores of Loch Trollamaraig, a mile or two southwest of Reinigeadal. Its last permanent residents left around 1963, leaving two intact homesteads and seven ruins in the valley of the shingley beach by the heathery headland - the translation of Molinginish's proper name. This post seeks to trace the residents of Molinginish between 1841 and 1891, using census returns. The censes of 1871 and 1901 did not make direct reference to the village. In the other censes, the spelling of its name varied, requiring a bit of lateral thinking and minor detective work. In 1841, we find the largest number of people in the village, 56. There are two families of Campbells, with Catherine and Roderick having 9 children, and Donald and Marion having 5. Other family names are Mcdonald, Mcinnes, Mckinnon, Mclead [Mcleod?], Mclennan, Mcvay and Morrison. There appear to be 9 houses, or groups of people mentioned together at least. We fi...

This physician, who practiced in the Isle of Lewis from 1845 until 1906, came to my attention as a result of transcribing the Napier Commission's report from Lewis. He submitted a substantial piece of evidence to the Commission in his capacity of public health officer, which can be read here . Stornoway Historical Society have an article on Dr Macrae on a page dedicated to the early medical men of Lewis.  He was referred to as the Grand Old Man of Lewis in the dedication page of The History of the Outer Hebrides, by W. C. Mackenzie, which can be read here . Dr Macrae was married to Anabella Jane Mackenzie on 8 June 1855, and had two sons, William Alexander (1856), who went to Portland, Oregon; and Alexander William (1858), who went to India.  We find the last reference to Dr Macrae in the 1901 census, when he is 82. He is at Barvas Lodge with his wife Annabella J, daughter Annabella,  and grandchildren Charles, Dorothy and Kenneth, aged 7, 5 and 1 respectively. Th...

I am continuing my little series about vessels in port around the Isle of Lewis at the time of the 1901 census. I was quite surprised to find 68 names in the census return for men on board vessels at Carloway. This village on the west coast of Lewis, has a pier and is a fishing port. Nowadays, there is not much going on around the pier there. 110 years ago, it was a veritable hive of activity. Or appeared to be. The census enumerators, who wrote up the returns, made a breathtaking mess of the east coast fishermen at Carloway. The total number of names is actually 35, meaning that with one exception, they are all written up twice. I shall endeavour to disentangle the web of confusion. On that night of March 31st / April 1st, 1901, there are four fishing vessels at Carloway. These are: White Queen, Consolation, Johanna Petrie Glenalva The confusion starts when the men are counted more than once in any of the following locations 1. On board their vessel 2. At the quay in Carl...

This vessel is proving enigmatic for me. She was in Stornoway harbour at the time of the 1901 census, during the night of 31st March / 1st April. Only three men are quoted on board, namely: John Bain, master, aged 34, Stornoway Allan Mcleod, mate, aged 32, Stornoway D Mcdonald, ordinary seaman, aged 20, Stornoway Although there was a Royal Navy ship, HMS Rambler , in service around 1901, it was in port in Malta on the night of the census. HMS Rambler was built in 1879, and saw service in China, the Boer War and the Mediterranean, finally to be sold in 1907. The nature of the Rambler in Stornoway is presently a mystery. Any further info of course welcome.

A vessel of that name was in Stornoway harbour at the time of the 1901 Census, on the night of 31st March / 1st April. She was probably the Macbrayne ferry plying between Kyle of Lochalsh and Stornoway. An image of the vessel docked at Kyle can be viewed on this page on the Am Baile website. There is also an extensive history of the ship on the same page, to which I refer. On that night in 1901, there were 27 members of crew on board. When going back through the previous censes, it is noticeable that several crewmembers had shorebound occupations before going to sea. One was a carpenter, another was a tailor. As they originated outside the Outer Hebrides, further perusal of this subject lies outwith the remit of this blog. John Allan 58, fireman, Glasgow John Mackinlay 27, 2nd officer, Glasgow Theodore Sobenson 49, chief engineer, Norwegian Neil MacCaig 21, 2nd engineer, Glasgow Archd Macculloch 43, AB seaman, South Knapdale, Argyll Robert Urquhart 50, AB seaman, Gairlo...

Fellow researcher Direcleit has looked extensively into the census forms for Lewis and Harris, and I am quite happy to refer you to his blog for some of his work with the census returns. I have done a little bit for my research into WW1 and its impact on the Lewis contingent. This evening I came across the census record for Stornoway, under the heading of Vessels. The address is given as Stornoway Outer Harbour. There are several vessels in port, with their name used for an enumeration district. One of them was the John Coverdale . I shall highlight others in days to come. The SS John Coverdale was operated by Coverdale & Co of West Hartlepool (Sunderland) from 1899 until 1911. In that year, the steamer was sold to Maclay & Mcintyre of Glasgow for £14,500. They operated the vessel as SS Kassanga. She was torpedoed in the Irish Sea on 20 March 1918 by U-103, at position 52.27N, 05.26W, between Wexford in Ireland and Aberystwyth in Wales. The Kassanga had been en-route f...

The date is 11 April 1917, and the war diary of the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders gives a precise and dispassionate account of an attack on the Hyderabad Redoubt near Fampoux, northern France. Heavy machine gun fire resulted in losses amounting to 364 out of a total strength of 432. Six out of the 364 were from Lewis, and are mentioned on this page .

I have completed the transcriptions for 1916 from the war diaries of the 2nd battalion Seaforth Highlanders, and the last few entries were quite revealing as to conditions on the ground. What was also quite striking was the lack of progress on the ground. From July 1st until December, the battalion moved in the area between Beaumont-Hamel and Sailly-Saillisel, a distance of about 10 miles. The accounts also mention the mud and the atrocious state of the trenches, sometimes not affording any cover at all. One day, 14 men were lost when they were filling in old trenches, because they hit live ammunition in the ground.

I have just transcribed the war diary from the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, who fought at the battle of the Somme. They were engaged near Beaumont-Hamel, and made no real progress that first day. Their losses were substantial, more than 70 men and officers. Reading the war diary, it strikes me how the emphasis lies with the officers, not so much with the men. Although those that merited a distinction (a medal) are singled out. Twenty men from Lewis were lost on that first day, 1 July 1916, fifteen of whom served with the 2nd Seaforths. Losses among all British forces stacked up to 60,000. And what did it achieve? No more than 7 miles of terrain gained.

That was the heading for a page in the war diary for the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders. Upon reading it, I was horrified. I mean, I understand the necessity for keeping track of the manpower of a military unit, and how it increases or decreases. To refer to it as wastage rankles a bit with these 21st century eyes. But that is of course not correct either; my attitude towards history is to view it through the eyes of the time. And during the Great War, a man's life was not worth much. Wastage for Month of November 1915 Officers Other ranks Decrease Increase Decrease Increase Killed + missing - - 4 - To Hospital, sick 3 - 100 - To Hospital, wounded - - 14 (1 died) 40 From Hospital - 1 - 40 Reinforcements - - - 14 ...

I have tracked down a third WW1 casualty from Lewis who is not recognised by CWGC but should be. My contact with the IFCP (In From the Cold Project) sounded very enthusiastic when I flagged this up, and I shall be ordering a death certificate or the man's service record for confirmation. This has to come from New Zealand, but thanks to the Internet that is no problem whatsoever. Although the process takes several months, I am looking forward to announcing that the man, described below, will be coming in from the cold as well. Lance Corporal ANGUS MACIVER Aonghas, Mac Aoinghais Mhic Ruairidh Mhic Mhurchaidh Oig Last address in Lewis: 25 North Tolsta, Service unit: New Zealanders Service number: 49644 Date of death: 1916 at the age of 36 Local memorial: North Tolsta Served in Gallipoli. Invalided to New Zealand and died there

Over the four years that I have been working on the listings of Lewis-born casualties from the Great War, I have reached the conclusion that Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour 1914-1918 is a valuable document; but not as reliable as made out by some. Another example emerged today, in the shape of the information on Robert Stewart, late of 4 Scotland Street, Stornoway. His date of death is listed as 16 February 1915; but all the available information points to a Robert Stewart who died of wounds on 24 November 1914. I could publish a list of discrepancies between the Roll of Honour and my findings, but that would not serve much useful purpose. Neither am I claiming that my publication, Faces from the Lewis War Memorial , is devoid of errors. I would like to think though that I am working to eliminate as many errors as possible using whatever sources come to hand. Private ROBERT STEWART Last address in Lewis: 4 Scotland Street, Stornoway Brother of Mrs. Annie MacKay, of 82, North Watson St....

I am compiling a new site , dedicated to the memory of those Lewismen who fell whilst serving with the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders during the First World War. It will follow the progress of the unit right through the war, and consists of transcripts from the War Diary for the 2nd Seaforths supplemented by maps and tributes to the Fallen. The first casualty, Angus Paterson , was only 18 when he died on 15 September 1914, caught out in the open during an artillery bombardment on the positions east of Soissons. Although he is listed at 5 Upper Barvas, his family connections point to the Mission House at Geshader in Uig. I hope to devote a separate post to that.

Cheddar Villa cemetery, later renamed Seaforth Cemetery, was the scene of heavy fighting in April 1915, during the battle for St Julien [St Juliaan] northeast of Ieper / Ypres. Here are 16 burials for men from the Isle of Lewis, who were all killed between April 23rd and April 27th, 1915. They were all in the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, of whom more than 100 are buried at Seaforth Cemetery. The names of the Lewis casualties are: 3/7329 Pte Alex Don Graham (19), 34 Benside Grave B. 1. (Headstone "A" 21). 3/7218 Pte Donald Maciver , 13 Vatisker Grave B. 1. (Headstone "A" 29). 104 Cpl Alex Dan Macleod (22), 38 Point Street, Stornoway, son of Donald and Isabella Grave B. 1. (Headstone "A" 32). 3/6755 Pte John Macaulay (23), 4 Hacklet, Great Bernera, son of John and C. Macaulay, Grave B. 1. (Headstone "A" 38). 3/6411 Pte Donald Macgregor (35), 12B Tolsta Chaolais, son of Murdo and Annie Grave B. 1. (Headstone "A" 39) 3/710...

Rosières-en-Santerre was (once more) the location of heavy fighting in August 1918, according to CWGC's record for this location. All three Lewismen buried in the Communal Cemetery extension were serving with the 2nd Canadian Division and died on 9th, 10th and 11th August 1918, i.e. in the same battle. They had all joined the Canadian forces from British Columbia, two of them voluntarily, one under the military draft. 2137501 Pte Angus Norman Murray (aged 34), 17 South Dell, husband of Edith Murray 29th Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment) Enlisted at Victoria BC in October 1917; resident of Portland, Oregon, USA Date of death: 9 August 1918 Grave I. C. 10 2021278 Pte John Macphail , (aged 30), 11 North Bragar, son of Angus and Annie Macphail 72nd Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment) Drafted in at Trail BC in January 1918 Date of death: 10 August 1918 Grave III. A. 26 77635 Sgt Alex John Morrison (aged 30), 13 East Street, Sandwick, son of John and ...

Houplines is a small town east of Armentières on the border between France and Belgium. Three of the burials at the Communal Cemetery extension are for Lewismen from the 2nd battalion Seaforth Highlanders who fell when the town was first taken in October 1914. They are all buried in section II. D.: 6401 Sgt Norman Campbell (aged 35), 37 Gelir, died 20 October 1914, grave 10 6533 Pte Donald Macdonald (aged 38), 13 Habost (Ness), Son of Angus and Catherine, died 22 October 1914, grave 21. 6946 Pte Aulay Macaulay (aged 32), 32 Breasclete, died 20 October 1914, grave 5.

I reported in a posting last December that Finlay Mclean, late of 4 North Street, Sandwick, was accepted for entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission register. His last resting place was not known, but I received news today that his grave is located in the Lambhill Cemetery in Glasgow. A CWGC gravestone will now, in due course, be erected over his grave. Up to now, his name was going to be entered on a memorial in southern England for all those whose grave is unknown. It is much better that a commemorative stone will be placed over Finlay's actual grave, in Glasgow.

1 March 1916 - Groningen, Holland The 1,500 men of the Royal Naval Division have been interned in this city in the north of Holland since late 1914. Among the 100 men from the Isle of Lewis is Donald Macleod. He was born in the village of Gearrannan near Carloway in December 1891. Donald was in the 1st Royal Naval Division, Benbow Battallion. His former schoolmaster at the Nicolson Institute, Mr Gibson, wrote him a Christmas card at the camp in December 1915. Donald replied on 2nd January 1916, extending best wishes to teachers and pupils at his school. He also expressed the wish that Holland would go to war, which would release his companions in Benbow Battallion and himself back into service for Great Britain. On 1 March 1916, Donald was lying ill with pleurisy in the University Hospital in Groningen. He would not last the day. A collection was held among the burghers of Groningen to buy a huge Celtic cross, out of sympathy with this lad of only 24, who died so far a...