Duncan Shaw

The first Factor appointed by the Dunmore's in 1834 was Duncan Shaw. In 1841 the 60 year-old is found on North Uist in a household comprising himself plus six women, two of whom were servants. I have been unable to find him in later censuses.

In 1841, John Lindsay was the Estate Officer at Rodel, where John Robson Macdonald was the Farmer, and Donald Stewart was the Farmer at Borve. Stewart, whom Shaw had succeeded as Factor prior to Macdonald's appointment in/by 1851, was supported in his campaign of Clearances by his predecessor.

The precise range of roles each of the trio had at specific periods is complex, and probably only to be unravelled by close consultation of the Dunmore papers, but a clear impression of them passing the baton with which to beat the islanders is emerging...