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 .
No comments:
Post a Comment