Pentland Road - 2

Chapter IX of the Crofter's Commission Report into the social conditions of the crofters of the Isle of Lewis, 1902, deals with fishery. It explains how commercial herring fishery was set up at Stornoway in the 17th century, with the encouragement of the Dutch.  In the reign of Charles I. strenuous efforts were made to establish a Hebridean fishing 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 [...] 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 fishermen in order to prosecute the fishing industry there. I...

The 1902 Report from the Crofters Commission touched something that tends to get overlooked: lunacy. The word lunacy has unpleasant connotations, but remains an inescapable fact of life in any community. I copy the relevant section from chapter 7, which touches on the care of the poor and of lunatics . The question of pauper lunacy next falls to be considered. The statistics with regard to this matter furnished by the General Board of Lunacy for Scotland at first present an alarming appearance, but on examination in the light of the change which has been gradually taking place in the treatment of the insane and imbecile within the last fifty years, it will be seen that the growth of lunacy is not in any degree disproportionate to the growth of population. Formerly the harmless lunatic and the imbecile were maintained among their relatives. Occasionally they wandered through the country and became objects of mirth’, or of compassion, according to the form their mental defects...

In 1901, another Commission visited the Isle of Lewis to ascertain the social condition of the crofters in the island. This was to serve as a comparison to what the Napier Commission had found "twenty" years [in point of fact 18 years] before. I have scanned the Report's nearly 100 pages, without Appendices. After an exercise in OCR (fairly easy), these pages will appear on a new site. The first chapter has been put up here . Others will follow over the next week or two.

Yesterday, I visited the small graveyard at Maraig, the North Harris village that nestles under the Clisham. You pass it on the road to Reinigeadal. Two wargraves can be found in the cemetery. One is for a local man, Neil Campbell, who lost his life on HM drifter Arkady on 18 June 1917. The other is in memory of Edward Samuel Cotmore, a stoker on HMS Racoon. I copy this information from northantrim.com H.M.S. Racoon was a Beagle class, three funnelled coal burning destroyer displacing some 950 tons - she was built and launched from the Cammell Laird shipyard in 1910.  Armaments included - one 4" Primary and three 12 lb secondary guns plus  two 18" centreline torpedo tubes -  she carried four torpedoes. Her official crew compliment was 96 but at the time of her loss she was carrying  91 seamen under the command of Lt. George Napier. During the early hours of January 9th, 1918  she was en route from Liverp...

  Lochmaddy, 16 October 1912. The Dewar Commission is sitting at the Court House in Lochmaddy, North Uist, and Dr Murdo Tolmie Mackenzie is being quizzed about the medical services in North Uist. The below exchange highlights the difficulties in communication, in early 20th century North Uist. 13,804. Are you pretty well off for telegraph offices here? —Too well off some times. 13,805 Are they telegraphs or telephones ? —Telegraphs. There is a telephone at Clachan, but the rest are telegraphs. 13,806. Would they allow you to speak over the telephones? —My nearest telegraph office is six miles away from me. I had to pay 9d. for porterage on a telegram until I told the people they would have to pay their own porterage. Dr Mackenzie later explains his comments about the island being "too well off"for telegraph offices by saying:  The opening up of telegraphic communication has practically quadrupled my work. The exertions of his work, and the alleged frivolities of ...

15 October 1912. The Dewar Commission is sitting at Tarbert, hearing evidence from Dr John Pringle Tolmie, the medical officer for the parish of South Harris. One of the problems being highlighted across much of the evidence, heard by the Commission, is the practice of cattle and people living under the one roof. It is a practice that meets with disapproval, and measures are being taken to put an end to it. Sir John Dewar is questioning Dr Tolmie, when the following exchange occurs.  13,537. Is there a house in Harris with cattle under the same roof as the people ? —Yes. 13,538. Where is this case ? —Down in Strond, near my own place I reported it twice to the District Committee and they took no notice of it. I was going to a house where somebody was sick, and I was met by a calf ; it was a calf that answered the door. 13,539. Was there a cow too ? —Yes. I reported the case twice, and the sanitary inspector reported it twice. 13,540. Is it still going on ? —No, there was ...