Fàilte! (Welcome!)

Fàilte! (Welcome!)
This blog is the result of my ongoing research into the people, places and events that have shaped the Western Isles of Scotland and, in particular, the 'Siamese-twins' of Harris and Lewis.
My interest stems from the fact that my Grandfather was a Stornowegian and, until about four years ago, that was the sum total of my knowledge, both of him and of the land of his birth.
I cannot guarantee the accuracy of everything that I have written (not least because parts are, perhaps, pioneering) but I have done my best to check for any errors.
My family mainly lived along the shore of the Sound of Harris, from An-t-Ob and Srannda to Roghadal, but one family 'moved' to Direcleit in the Baighs...

©Copyright 2011 Peter Kerr All rights reserved

Thursday 6 May 2010

Hearachs in Lewis (& Vice-Versa)

I thought I'd have a look at migration between Harris & Lewis as evidenced by the census returns in the second-half of the 19thC. For each Parish in Lewis the first set of figures show the numbers of men and women from Harris residing there and those in parenthesis indicate migrations in the opposite direction. The order indicates the numbers from Harris in each census:

1851 – 7 (14)
Lochs –         2M 2F 4T   (0M 2F 2T)
Stornoway –  1M 1F 2T   (4M 3F 7T)
Barvas –        1M 0F 1T
Uig                                    (3M 2F 5T)

1861 – 40 (10)
Lochs –         9M 12F 21T
Stornoway –  8M 9F 17T   (3M 4F 7T)
Uig –              2M 0F 2T     (2M 1F 3T)
Barvas            0                   (0)

1871 – 45 (29)
Stornoway - 15M 19F 34T (3M 12F 15T)
Lochs –          4M 2F 6T     (1M 1F 2T)
Uig –              3M 2F 5T     (2M 6F 8T)
Barvas                                 (3M 1F 4T)

1881 – 15 (51)
Stornoway – 4M 9F 13T  (8M 16F 24T)
Lochs –          2M 0F 2T
Barvas                              (2M 3F 5T)
Uig                                  (11M 9F 20T)

1891 – 16 (27)
Stornoway - 6M 9F 15T   (9M 6F 15T)
Barvas –       0M 1F 1T     (1M 1F 2T)
Lochs                                (1M 0F 1T)
Uig                                    (1M 8F 9T)

1901 – 28 (43)
Stornoway –  5M 11F 16T  (6M 8F 14T)
Lochs –         5M 7F 12T     (1M 3F 4T)
Barvas                                  (2M 3F 5T)
Uig-                                      (3M 17F 20T)

If I was hoping to discern massive migrations I was disappointed. The most surprising thing was that overall some 151 from Harris were found in Lewis whilst 174 born in Lewis were found in Harris. I thought that the 'draw' of Stornoway might have reversed this result.

Stornoway does indeed dominate the lists from 1871 onwards during which time it is home to 78 from Harris and sends 68 there in return. Uig is unique in appearing as a net 'exporter' of people to Harris at the time of all these censuses.

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