Category: History (page 11)

The Loss of the Margaret

Scarp and Mealista Island

On Saturday, 12 March, 1932, a north westerly gale was blowing and a heavy Atlantic swell was running. When Angus MacKinnon, skipper of the lobster boat, Margaret, saw the inclement weather conditions, he woke his father, Cain, and requested his assistance as an extra hand on the boat. Though retired from fishing, Cain agreed. Angus’s younger brother Calum was also a crew member, but his father decided that he should not accompany them.

At daybreak on that fateful morning, two Brenish boats were launched at Molinish. Strong arms and robust backs were required to haul the boats down the shingle beach and out into the Atlantic swell. With their sails unfurled, one boat headed for the lobster pots they had set opposite Brenish while the Margaret headed in the opposite direction to their pots behind Eilean Mealista.

The Margaret was seen dipping in the heavy swell and about to round Eilean Mealista but was never seen intact again. Paradoxically, the bad weather only lasted for a couple of hours and the rest of the day was calm.

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Letter from Rev Alexander Macleod to his Benefactress

A rather long letter from Rev Alexander Macleod, Baile na Cille, to his “benefactress” Lady Hood, Mrs Stewart Mackenzie, written some six months after his arrival in Uig.

 Manse of Uig

 

30th November 1824

 

Honourable and Dear Madam,

 

It is time that I should acknowledge your very friendly letter from Brighton dated on the 18th July which I duly received a Cromarty.  As I do not apprehend that you have for once supposed that my long silence arose from ingratitude to so generous a benefactress and a valuable friend it would be doing us both a degree of injustice to offer any apology for my long silence on that score.  My being so closely engaged in the exercise of my Parochial and Sacramental duties since I came to the country have necessarily taken up so much of my time that I was obliged to limit the extent of my correspondence to pressing duties and urgent necessity.

 

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Òran Màiri Dhall (Och nan och, tha mi fo mhulad)

Màiri, born 1841, was a daughter of Murdo Maciver and Mary nee Morrison, of Pabbay, 11 Kneep and later 25 Valtos.  She emigrated to the United States and while there suffered greatly with homesickness and composed the song Och nan och, tha mi fo mhulad.  According to tradition she lost her sight with the associated weeping but it is more likely that her blindness was caused by some substance used in her daily work in a laundry.   Màiri did eventually return home to Uig.  Her grandfather Norman Morrison was also blind, a consequence of his service in Egypt with the Ross-shire Buffs (78th).

Does anyone know more verses than these nine?

Nuair a rinn mi airson fàgail
Fhuair mi beannachd mo chàirdean
Ghabh mi ’n t-aiseag air a’ bhàt’
Gu ruig’ sàil nam beann mòr.

Och nan och, tha mi fo mhulad
Dhomhsa tha mo chòmhradh duilich
’S cruaidh an càs ach ’s fheudar fhulang
’S mi fuireach ann an coille mhòir.

Nuair a thàinig mi air fòrladh
A dh’Amearagaidh a chòmhnaidh
Chunnaic mi a’ sin luchd eòlais
Anns gach dòigh sa robh iad ann

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Bean Aonghais Bhig, or How Angus Beag Got his Wife

Brenish

 

As told by Rev Donald Macaulay.  English text follows the Gaelic.  Photo of Brenish by Chris Murray.

 

Bha an cogadh a dol bliadhnaichean agus am màrbhadh eadar Clann ‘ic Leòid, Clann Choinnich agus na Moireasdanaich agus an deidh dha Clann Choinnich an t-eilean fhaiginn mu dheireadh dhaibh b’fhèin agus thàinig siothladh de shìth anns an eilean an uairsin.  Ach cha tugadh fìr Ùig gèill do chlann Choinnich idir gu h-àraidh am fear a bh’air an ceann – Dòmhnall Cam.  Cha b’e Sìthphort a bh’ann ach MacCoinnich eile – bha Sìthphort airson sìth anns an eilean.  Bha Oighreachd mhòr aige air a’mfor-thìr agus ‘s e a’siamarlan a bh’airge air a mhor-thìr duine uasal eile ris an canadh iad Alasdair MacCoinnich, Achilty de theaghlach uasal.  ‘S e daoine de’n seòrsa sin gle thric a bha nan siamarlan, gu h’araidh anns na h-oighreachdan mòra.  Bha Sìthphort agus clan Amhlaigh air a bhith cogadh cho fada agus mu dheireadh thainig e gun cho-dhùnadh nach dèanadh iad rèit a chaoidh.  Thug e a nall Alasdair MacCoinnich gus an tigeadh e gu Dòmhnall Cam airon Cùmhnant sìth a dhèanamh ris.

 

‘S e an cumhnant a bha e a’dol a dhèanamh ri Dòmhnall Cam gum faigheadh a h-uile duine a bh’ann an Ùig an talamh mar a bha iad roimhe sea bho Mhacleòid agus nach cuireadh duine dragh orra a chaoidh fhad’s a dheanamh iad síth ri Clann Choinnich.  A thilleadh air a sin, gu’n toireadh Achilty a nighean aige do mhac Dòmhnaill Chaim airson a pòsadh.  ‘S i seo Anna.

 

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