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 4 November 2010

Trip to the Hebrides - Glasgow Herald, Wednesday 20th October 1858

The article in this newspaper is another interesting read that is best read in full, but here's a sample:

'...There being no English service in the school-house, our landlord, Mr Norman Macleod, requested Mr McKie, the parish minister, to preach a sermon to us in English...The congregation was a mere handful - the Harris doctor, the first mate of the surveying cutter Woodlark, his spouse, and five or six men, three old wives, and four or five little boys and girls...'

Now, this nicely places the Woodlark in Tarbert in the Autumn of 1858 (although I believe it to have been under the command of FWL Thomas at this time so unfortunately it is not he and Fanny Thomas who are amongst this congregation) as well as giving us the names of the both the 'landlord' in the schoolhouse (perhaps the Merchant of that name?)  and the Minister, who I have not mentioned previously. Was the doctor still Robert Clark from Argyll or had he left by this time?

The next section includes a description of the current progress in building the Free Church in Tarbert, again another useful piece of information, it being complete bar the 'seating and finishing'.

Although the tone of the article is the depressingly familiar one in which 'lowland' prejudices predominate it is a valuable titbit that I hope you enjoy reading .

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