Women of Uig Victorious
From the Scottish Highlander, 4 September 1885. The main island in question was Pabbay and the tacksman who claimed it was James Mackenzie, Linshader. This was one of several instances of revolt in Uig in the 1880; see also the 1884 episode:
The Women of Uig Victorious in a Sea Fight. Nearly the whole male population of Lewis being absent from home at the fishings on the East Coast and Shetland, the Uig tacksmen arranged to take repossession of the disputed Uig islands which the crofters maintain to be theirs. Accordingly, there was a general gathering of tacksmen, ground officers, gillies, and shepherds from surrounding districts last week for this purpose. The crofters wives and daughters having been made aware of this invasion, held a council of war, and determined to resist the invaders at all hazards by both sea and land. A large fleet of sailing boats was accordingly got ready, and when the tacksmen hove in sight the women were read for action, each woman being well armed with a stout stick and a lapful of stones. A sea fight commenced about a mile from land, which lasted for fully four hours, and after a hot and well-contested battle the women came off victorious, and drove the tacksmen off without being permitted to land their sheep, and only five head of cattle were landed out of several score. The women then held a council of war and determined to keep sentry on the islands until the return of the men from the fishings. Several of the women were wounded, though not seriously. Great excitement prevails in the district of Uig of late.