About the Hebrides No VIII

'Tarbert in Harris, to which the Clansman conveyed us from Loch Maddy in North Uist, was described to us by a residenter of the place, though not a native, as consisting of 26 dwelling-houses and 13 shops – he begged pardon, business premises of “merchants”. This is possibly a rather rough-and-ready summing-up, but it is correct enough in so far as indicating that the number of the latter is distinctly out of proportion to the number and requirements of the former.

The village stands at the head of East Loch Tarbert, that indentation of the sea that cuts into the land from the Minch to about a quarter of a mile from the head of West Loch Tarbert, similarly indenting it from the Atlantic, the so close approach of the two all but constituting the southern portion of Harris an island. As it is, the march between the two districts is here, the proprietor of North Harris being Sir Edward H Scott, Bart., and of South Harris the Earl of Dunmore.

The houses are all on the north or right hand side as you enter by the steamer, ust where the loch or bay becomes a creek of 300 or 400 yards in length, and narrowing to less than 50 yards at the top. The first structure to catch the eye is the Free Church, a plain enough building, erected on the summit of an eminence jutting into the sea immediately eastward of the pier. Close at hand, but standing a little lower, is the manse, a comfortable-looking, white-washed house, with a neatly-kept kitchen garden in front and sheltered so far from the wind and spray by some trees – the latter not of any dimensions, truly, but still forming a show of “wood” surpassing what we had seen as yet in working up the Long Island. Then comes the wooden pier, up from which, by a path that winds round to westward, you pass the schoolhouse (the of teacher which is also the registrar for the district, &c.), and get onto the main road or street, on the right of which stand the houses and stores of which, as above mentioned, the village consists. To right and left respectively of the pierhead is a row of eight or ten of these, some slated and others roofed with zinc, and all of one storey only.

Beyond these, going on to the head of the loch, there is a hiatus, to which succeeds a row of about a dozen newer-looking houses, two or or three of which are of two storeys and “semi-detached” from their neighbours. At the very head of the bay is the old Tarbert Inn , now disused as such; and across the road from this, almost down on the shore, the modern post and telegraph office. Following the road westwards two minutes' walk brings you to the new Tarbert Hotel, in the very centre of the isthmus, and 30 or 40 yards further on is the house of the medical man of the district, Dr Stewart, which commands the view away down West Loch Tarbert.'

This is a gem of a description of Tarbert from 130 years ago and I only wish that I could name the author! However, we can identify '...Dr Stewart...' as James Stewart for this young 'Physician and Surgeon' from Perthshire is found living in Kintulavig in 1881 and at 15 West Tarbert a decade later

Similary, we can be sure that the teacher who was '...also the registrar for the district, &c.' was the Glaswegian Donald Bethune, he being the Schoolteacher in Tarbert in 1881 & 1891 , and that the Minister in the Manse was Roderick Mackenzie from Assynt in Sutherland who a few months after the publication of this article was giving his evidence to the Napier Commission where he makes particular reference to the work of Fanny Thomas .

We are especially fortunate in having the 1882 6-inch Ordnance Survey map (surveyed in 1878) on which to follow in the footsteps of our unknown author and then we should perhaps refresh ourselves at the '...new Tarbert Hotel ...' before returning later to examine the remainder of his piece...

Source: Glasgow Herald 16^th September 1882 p3

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wWZEAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H7IMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1082%2C5453754

Captain FWL Thomas & Malcolm Gillies

'At the time that he was based in the area he had a friend, Malcolm Gillies, who had been born in Skye and later became a schoolmaster in Harris and in North Uist. Malcolm Gillies had a son whom he named Frederick Thomas. This Frederick Thomas gillies was later a merchant in Lochboisdale. The former Head of the BBC's Gaelic Department, Fred Macaulay, is named after this relative. So the name of Captain Thomas lives on in the islands.'

'Captain Otter & Captain Thomas' by Gillian Maclean and Finlay Macleod p120 'Togail Tir'

This is one of my favourite essays in Togail Tir and, whilst reading it in advance of much of my earlier work on the two Captain's might have saved me quite a few hours of 'toil', in some ways it is even nicer to find published confirmation of one's own endeavours.

What follows are the records from the censuses, charting what I believe to have been Malcolm.s journey from his home on his father's farm, via a period as a merchant, to his vocation in education.

(I have attempted to make it easier to track individuals by using various combinations of bold and italics and I trust that readers find this so.)

1841 – Bracadale

Murdoch Gillies, 80, Farmer

Mary, 60

Malcolm, 35

Norman, 15

Marion, 25

1851 – Cladach Carinish , North Uist

Malcolm Gillies, 40, Tea Dealer in Retail, b. Kilmuir, Skye, Inverness

1861 – North Uist

Malcolm Gillies, 50, Gaelic Teacher, b. County Bracadale, Inverness-shire

Ann, 32, b. Trumisgary , Inverness-shire

Marion, 7, b. Trumisgary – as were her 4 siblings below

Mary, 6

Murdoch, 4

Ewen, 2

John, 11 months

1871 – Kendram, Kilmuir

Malcolm Gillies, 61, Gaelic Teacher, b. Brackadle, Inverness-shire

Ann, 38,

Marion, 14

Murdoch, 13

Ewan, 11

John, 9

Archie, 7, b. North Uist

Roderick, 5, b. Harris

Mary, 3, b. Harris

Malcolm, 1, b. Kilmuir

1881 – North Uist

Malcolm Gillies, 76, Missionary Teacher

Anne, 51

Marion, 27, Sewing Mistress

Mary A, 13

Ewen, 22, Arts Student

John, 20, Teacher

Roderick N, 15

Malcolm, 10

Frederick, 7, b. North Uist

Marion Ann Macleod, 1, Granddaughter, b. North Uist

1891 – North Uist

Ann Gillies, 60, Dressmaker

Ewan, 32, Student of Theology

John, 30, Ag Lab

Malcolm, 21, Ex Pupil Teacher, b. Skye

Frederick, 14, b. Harris(?)

Mary Ann Gillies Macleod, 11, Granddaughter

And finally:

1901 – Mc Dougall's House, Boisdale, South Uist

Frederick T Gillies, 26, Shopkeeper Grocer, b. Harris

It is evident that at least two of the Gillies's children, Roderick b.1866 and Mary b. 1868, were born in Harris suggesting that Malcolm may have spent at least these three years teaching on the island.

The next birth, that of Malcolm in 1870, took place in Kilmuir which suggests that was the latest date that he was still teaching on Harris before teaching in Kilmuir prior to returning to North Uist.

All the earlier children are indicated as having been born on North Uist and the same is said of the final child, Frederick Thomas, if we are to believe the census of 1881. However, in the next two censuses he is clearly shown as having been born in Harris.

I am happy to confirm that his birth was registered in Harris and that he was born in 1873.

Fred Thomas must have been delighted to have the lad named after him and I would love to discover whether the two of them met before Fred's death in 1885.

Harris Parochial School 1836/7

I have happened upon a source relating to the school at Rodel:

'The Sessional Papers printed by Order of the House of Lords or presented by Royal Command in the Session 4 and 5 Victoriae, Volume III – Education Returns, Scotland Part II, page 173' pub 1841

These were answers given by Schoolmasters to a list of questions that had been submitted to them in 1836. The report even 'names & shames' those Schoolmasters who had failed to make a return!

From it we may glean that the school had been established at an uncertain date and was benefiting from no private endowment, which may go some way to explaining why there was no regular school-house for the teacher.

There were 25 boys and 5 girls attending the school in 1836 and 1837 and they started when aged between 4 and 8 and only finished school when they were 15.

The schoolmaster, A. Macdougall, who took-up the post in 1829, appears to have been educated in Perth and to have received a salary of £22. A price list of 1s 6d, 2s, 2s 6d & 3s for scholars is given but which additional subjects were attracting the higher three rates is not specified.

There was an annual report made to the Presbytery and a list of the texts used is provided:

English – Dr Thomson's books

Greek – Collectanea Minora and Xenophon, etc

Latin – Caesar, Sallust, Virgil, etc

Mathematics – Euclid

Arithmetic – Gray's and Morrison's

Geography – Stewart's

History – Simpson's Histories

Religious – Scriptures

Catechism – Assembly's Shorter Catechism, and Williason's

The school hours were from 9 to 12 and then from 2 to 6 with an annual break of generally about 4 weeks, presumably to allow the children to assist with harvest.

Note: Unfortunately I have not been able to discover the original questions and hence have restricted this account to those where a description is given in the answer.

(The only exception is where it is clear that the question asked if there was a private endowment)

The nature of the questions where no expansion is provided from Harris might be guessed-at from answers given elsewhere but I have elected to wait until the original questions are found.

Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1892-96)

A friend alerted me to this publication that can be read on Electric Scotland or on A Gazetteer of Scotland.
Some readers may prefer one version to the other, but I leave that to your own choice!

The entry for Harris is full of information but one area of interest will suffice:

'Eleven schools - Bernara, Denishader, Finsbay, Kyles Scalpa, Kyles Stocknish, Manish, Obe, Scalpa, Scarp, Scarista and Tarbert - all of them Public, with total accommodation for 913 children, have an average attendance of about 580, and grants amounting to nearly £800.'

Firstly, note the spellings - I have transcribed them from the original page.
Secondly, in my pieces on Education in Harris in 1891 & 1901 I listed the teachers according to where they lived and, as these are those listed 5 years either side of the publication of the Gazetteer, it seems reasonable to attempt to link each teacher to one of these 11 listed schools which I shall endeavour to do later.

For now, what strikes me is that the Gazetteer informs us that there were places for 913 children yet attendance averaged at a mere 580. In 1891 there were 18 teachers listed and some 1200 'scholars' and by 1901 there were 28 teachers educating the same number of children.

So the capacity of the schools was only sufficient to accommodate three-quarters of the children and average attendance was just below 50%? Several factors suggest themselves, not least the fact that even with 11 schools the 'school run' was a long walk on unmade tracks in all weathers for many 'scholars'so the fact that nearly half attended is in itself rather remarkable! The apparent shortage of school places, some 24 years after the passing of the Education Act, may be real or it is possible that those 1200 'scholars' actually includes a large number of infants of pre-school age? I shall investigate further, but hopefully have given a flavour of how useful a single sentence from a source such as the Gazetteer can be!

(With thanks to SC of Islay for finding the Gazetteer!)

SPCK School at Scarista

As can be seen from this list , a school was erected at by the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge at Scarista on October the 11th 1732.

At the time that the list was compiled in 1748 there were 13 boys and 9 girls attending the school.

The other three schools in the Presbytery of Uist were on the islands of St Kilda and Benbecula and at 'Borbh' which I presume to refer to the Borve on North Uist?

The 22 scholars of Scarista are the earliest that I have discovered thus far.

The Inn at Tarbert

I have previously examined Inn at An-t-Ob and the Harris Hotel and now turn my attention to the Inn at Tarbert as marked on the 1857 Chart of East Loch Tarbert.

This zoomed view shows the Inn clearly in the space that, by 1865, was occupied by the newly-built Harris Hotel.

The chart also appears to identify the school of 1851 as the squat single-storey building shown in the centre of this Streetview image. but I have not seen any reference supporting this assertion and would welcome any additional information. The long building on the left, between the 'school' and the Harris Hotel, is also shown on the chart but is not identified. Again, any further information would be most welcome!

To return to the Inn, we have two sets of census records listing its residents:

1851 Tarbert Inn

FAMILY

Malcolm MacAnby (Macaulay?), 42, Inn Keeper and Crofter (Employing 5 men), b. Harris

Margaret, 37, Wife, b. Fortingall, Perth

Peter, 10, Scholar at Home, Son, b. Harris

Marion A, 8, Scholar at Home, Daughter, b. Harris

Jessie M, 6, Scholar at Home, Daughter, b. Harris

Bessie M, 4, Scholar at Home, Daughter, b. Harris

Catherine, 2, Scholar, Daughter, b. Harris

Frederick J MacAnby, 8, Scholar, Nephew, b. Lochs

John Macdougal, 35, Free Church Student, Brother-in-Law, b. Fortingall, Perth

Ann Macdougal, 22, House Keeper, Sister-in-Law, b. Harris

Emmeline E Maxwell, 22, Teacher, Cousin, b. Edinburgh

EMPLOYEES

Murdoch Morrison, 18, Waiter, Servant, b. Harris

Catherine Macleod, 23, House Servant, b. Harris

Murdoch Macdonald, 29, Ag Lab, Servant, b. Harris

Norman Macleod, 24, Ag Lab, Servant, b. Harris

Angus Mackillop, 18, Herd, Servant, b. Harris

GUESTS

Donald Macdermid, 17, Road Labourer, Lodger, b. Harris

John Macphail, 48, Seaman, Lodger, b. North Shields, Northumberland

Catherine Macphail, 41, Seaman's Wife, Lodger, b. Greenock, Renfrew

Elizabeth Fordeson, 6, Seaman's Daughter, Lodger, b. Greenock, Renfrew

I am almost reaching the point where a familiar name appears in a different context and I'm thinking, 'Oh, that's so-and-so who's the thingamabob from where-do-you-call-it and is such-and-such's relative...' and that is the case with some of the folk in Tarbert Inn.

The teacher Emmeline E Maxwell appears here but I am now wondering if she was teaching the children of the innkeeper rather than at the school down the road? Angus Mackillop the 'Herd' was one of those I did not itemise here because I was uncertain if he was dealing with cattle but he was certainly one of the three agricultural employees that the Inn required. Of the four folk lodging at the hostelry, we recognise Donald Macdermid as one of the roadworkers building the road to Stornoway that was completed three years later but I appear to have missed John Macphail off this earlier list Englishmen and women 'abroad' in Harris.

1861 East Tarbert

FAMILY

John Morrison, 21, Inn Keeper, b. Harris

Betsy, 24, Waiter, Sister, b. Harris

Alexander, 19, Assistant, Brother, b. Harris

Kennethina, 10, Scholar, Sister, b. Harris

EMPLOYEES

Murdo Macdonald, 38, Ag Lab, Servant, b. Harris

John Mclellan, 24, Ag Lab, Servant, b. Harris

Isabella Frazer, 29, Domestic Servant, b. Kintail

GUESTS

William Ferrier, 31, Pedlar, Traveller, b. Ireland

Alexander Bain, 44, Ship Agent, Traveller, b. England

James Shearer, 45, Ship builder, Traveller, b. Dunoon, Ayrshire

Effy Morrison, 20, Domestic Servant, Traveller, b. Uig, Rossshire

Donald Clark, 24, Domestic Servant, Traveller, b. Uig, Rossshire

I presume that the 'Ag Lab' Murdo Macdonald is the same man (Murdoch Macdonald) from ten years earlier but if so he is the only constant from that earlier time. The Morrison family are running the inn and amongst their five guests are Alexander Bain who did make the list Englishmen and women 'abroad' but, because he wasn't from the island, the Ship Builder Shearer is not in my list of Harris Boat Builders .

I think these two households are quite revealing and I am always particularly interested to note those staying at an inn or a hotel as they provide insight into another element of the past; but in fact the thing that is most intriguing me is whether I have correctly identified the school building in Tarbert from1857, for that is where many of my relatives would have trudged the two-miles to each day from Direcleit and that, for me, is rather a nice thought...

Education in Harris in 1794

"There is a parochial school at Rowdill, now attended by 30 poor children, the whole emoluments of which to the schoolmaster may be about 20L per annum.
There is a new school soon to be set up in another district, on the establishment of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge. 
The same benevolent and patriotic society have already erected at Rowdilll a seminary of female industry."
Rev Mr John Macleod, The Statistical Account of Scotland 1794, p380


Three short sentences that are rich with information. We have the location of the Parish school in 'Rowdill', serving a mere 30 children from a population of over two-and-a-half thousand people, and in which nearly 50 years later we find Donald Murray teaching. The Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge's intention to start a new school 'in another district' the precise location of which I believe had yet to be decided upon. Finally, half a century before the discovery of the 'Paisley Sisters', a 'seminary of female industry' had already been established by the Society at 'Rowdill', - a precursor to the Embroidery School, the development of the Stocking Knitting industry, and the 'Industrial School', all found in or around An-t-Ob from the 1850s by virtue of the vision of the Countess of Dunmore & Mrs Frances Thomas.


Ref: The Statistical Account of Scotland 1791-99 - Harris (Please click on 'Browse scanned pages')

Schooling along the Sound of Harris

For the third of this series looking at education and educators during the 19thC I am grouping considering what we can glean about the then populous South coast.

From the 1^st Edition OS 1-inch map (1885) of the area, we see two locations for schools:

An-t-Ob NG025863 (Details & Photo ) and Strond NG032841. The 6-inch map also informs us that in each case the school was for 'Boys & Girls'. I think a double-fronted bungalow at this location may be the school.

1841

Donald Murray, 40, P Schoolmaster, Rodil, b. Scotland

1851

Isabella Mackinnon, 31, School Mistress, Wife, Obe, ED3, b. Harris

(Donald Mackinnon, 39, Catechist & Farmer, b. Harris plus 5 children ages 1 to 10 and a female 'House Servant')

1861

James Stewart, 40, ParishSchoolmaster, Oab, ED6, b. South Uist

(Margaret Stewart, 34, Wife, b. Harris plus 7 children ages 5 months to 12 years and a female 'General Servant')

1871

Mary Mcaulay, 21, School Mistress, Industrial School, ED6 b. Stornoway

Anne Mcaualy, 23, Sister, b. Stornoway

Christina Mcaulay, 13, Scholar, Sister, b. Stornoway

1872 – Education Act

1881

Kenneth J Mackenzie, 27, Teacher, Strond, b. Ullapool

Christina Macleod, 29, housekeeper, b. Harris

1891 – None Listed

1901

John Whiteford, 46, Certificated Teacher Elementary, Obbe, ED2, b. Kilbirnie, Ayrshire

Mary Whiteford, 43, Wife, b. Kilbirnie, Ayrshire

Agnes Mary Laird Whiteford, 14, Monitor (Teacher), Obbe, ED2, b. Glasgow

Margaret Whiteford, Scholar, 12, Daughter, b. New Cumnock, Ayrshire

(Peter McCaul, 66, Retired Teacher, Obbe, ED2, b. Killin, Perthshire)

The presence in 1841 of Schoolmaster Donald Murray in 'Rodil' reminds us that it was the Church, and other Societies, that provided education at this time. Although Rodel does not feature on the list of schools provided by the 'Society for the Support of Gaelic Schools' in 1821 this does not mean that 20 years later it was not they who were responsible. However thinking about the 6^th Earl of Dunmore's recent acquisition of the island and his rebuilding of St Clement's Church at Rodel tends to point in favour of Donald Murray having been a Parish Schoolmaster at this time.

The situation in 1851 is much clearer for now we have the household of Catechist & Farmer, John Mackinnon, living in 'Obe' and including his teaching Wife. If the school on 'Obbe Road' had been built by this date then I am confident that the family with their servant were its residents.

Their place appears to have been taken by 1861 by James Stewart and his family. Stewart was the teacher in Borve in 1851 and would no longer have been required there following the second Clearance which took place in 1853 to benefit the Sheep Farmer Kenneth Macdonald. In 1871 James Stewart was an Inspector of Poor in Strond and by1881 had become a School Board Clerk still living in Strond.

The only teacher in the area in 1871 is Mary Mcaulay and the only reason that I can place her here is because my relative Roderick Kerr was one of those living at 'Obe Shop' which was within Enumeration District 6. Mary's address is intriguing for it is the only reference to an 'Industrial School' in the area that I know of. However, we do know that first an Embroidery School and then some form for educating Stocking Knitters had been introduced by the Countess of Dunmore & Mrs Thomas and it seems likley that Mary, coming from Stornoway where she may have been educated at the Female Industrial School , merely imported this slightly grandiose term to add weight to her role in Harris. She was, after all, only 21 and apparently solely supporting her two sisters at the time.

In 1881 the schools at An-t-Ob, whether industrial, parochial or Public, do not feature but we do see our one and only record of a teacher in Strond in the shape of Kenneth J Mackenzie. It seems likely that the school at Strond originated as a result of the 1872 Education Act but I cannot be certain. The situation in 1891 is even worse for there are no teachers recorded that I can place with confidence in the area, although it may be that the Retired Teacher, Peter McCaul who we find in Obbe in 1901 had previously served that school. In the same year it is John Whiteford, assisted in her 'Monitor (Teacher)' role by his 14 year-old daughter Agnes Mary Laird Whiteford, who is found teaching in Obbe.

In conclusion, I am confident that the school on 'Obbe Road' provided education for the second-half of the 19thC and that, at times, it was accompanied by a Public School in Strond and by some degree of 'Industrial' education. Let us not forget Captain Alexander Macleod's 18thC educational provision in the upper reaches of his 'Mill' in Rodel that John Knox remarked upon, either!

From Donald Stewart, Esq. J. P., Factor, Harris Edinburgh 13th January 1824

As I am just now in this city for a few days, I cannot leave it without expressing to you, and through you to the Directors of the Gaelic School Society, my unqualified approbation of the conduct of your teachers in the Island of Harris.

It is now about five years since your first teachers got a proper footing in Harris they had many prejudices to encounter, but these were at last happily overcome, and through your bounty we have now seven of your schools in the parish of Harris, attended by nearly five hundred scholars besides one school belonging to the Education Society!

You are probably aware, that the parish and island of Harris is about forty-five miles long by twenty-five broad, exclusive of many extensive Islands; population exceeding four thousand souls, only one parish minister, and one missionary on the royal bounty, and one parochial teacher. Before the introduction of your schools, the Island of Harris was in a most deplorable state in regard to the means of religious instruction. I shall mention a few facts. I had a concern in a very extensive sheep farm in the island of Lewis, bordering on Harris, and I generally calculated, that about four hundred sheep were stolen each year. Cursing and swearing prevailed to an alarming extent throughout the island, and the disputes among the people on the Sabbath, particularly among those who could not go to the parish church on account of its distance from them, was so general, that much of my time was taken up as a Justice of the Peace in settling these disputes. The case is now altered, for the last three years very few depredations indeed have been committed in stealing sheep, cursing and swearing, and profaning the Lord's day are now at an end, and hardly any disputes occur among the people to occasion my interference in settling them. This very desirable change in the conduct and morals of the people, under the blessing of God, I attribute solely to the effects of your Gaelic Schools.

Your school in the island of Scarp is now removed to Ranigadle. The poor people in that island have derived much benefit from the labours of your teacher, and they have now employed James Fraser to carry on their education both in Gaelic and English. They are very poor and have no money ; but they have agreed to give this teacher a little of the produce of their small farms to support him and his family. If you could give him a small donation of encouragement to assist him it would be well bestowed. The people, including a farm opposite the island on the main land of Harris, are about one hundred and thirty, and attend pretty regularly, notwithstanding the access is difficult on account of the dangerous Round of Scarp. It is distant above thirty miles from the parish church, and I do not suppose they have heard above three sermons for the last ten years.

With every good wish for the prosperity of the Gaelic School Society,

I remain, &c

Letter in 'The Tenth Annual Report of the Society for the Support of Gaelic Schools 1821'

Let us start with the facts that Stewart provides regarding schools in Harris: There were 7 of the Gaelic Society's schools educating nearly 500 children plus one 'Education Society' school. The Gaelic schools had grown in number since gaining a 'proper footing' in about 1819. These are useful an interesting facts.

Stewart then continues by painting an, in my opinion, wholly fictitious account of the people of Lochs, Lewis who had suffered his reign of tyranny before he transferred himself to applying the lessons he had learnt to amass his personal fortune at the expense of the people of Harris. He claims that some 400 sheep were stolen each year and puts the reduction in this, and in other aspects of the peoples behaviour, solely down to the influence of the new schools. It should be remembered that nearly all other commentators on the people of the Long Island, portray them as being especially moral and upstanding, long before either Stewart or the Society gained their footings, whether 'proper' or improper, on the isles.

Stewart then concludes with a request for the Gaelic Society to regarding James Fraser who the people of Scarp have employed as a teacher 'to give him a small donation of encouragement'. All that preceded this request, from one of the wealthiest men in the Western Isles, is a preamble.

One other piece of information is tucked away in the book, for it lists all the Society's schools and also those schoolmasters who were in place 'at the commencement of 1821':

Tarbert, Angus Macleod

Island Ensay

Caolisscalpa (Kyles Scalpay)

Caolisstockinish (Kyles Stockinish)

Manish

Scarista

Scarp

Taransay

Bernera, James Fraser

Kyles Scalpay (Caolas Scalpaigh) School

For my second foray into identifying the teachers in individual Harris schools I have selected to look at this school which was situated in Steinish adjacent to Kyles Scalpay at Grid Reference NG205982*

1841

(Donald Morrison, 42, Teacher, Tarbert, b. Inverness )

(Together with his Wife and 8 children)

1851

Donald Morrison, 60, Schoolmaster, Kyles Scalpay, Father, b. Harris)

(Neil Morrison, 15, Scholar, Head, b. Harris)

(Jessie Morrison, 17, Scholar, Daughter, b. Harris)

(Christina Morrison, 60, Schoolmaster's Wife, Tarbert, b. Harris)

(Together with Daughter, Granddaughter and Servant)

1861

(Donald Morrison, 70, Retired Schoolmaster, East Tarbert, b. Harris)

(Wife, Daughter and 4 Grandchildren)

1871

Susan Mcleod, 37, Teacher, Wife, House at Kyles Scalpay, b. Harris

(Alexander Macleod, 40, Head, Crofter, b. Harris)

(6 children ages 1 to 16 all born in Harris)

1872 Education Act

1875 – Public School Building takes place but Kyles Scalpay not identified as one of these.

1881

Mary Campbell, 21, School Mistress, Kyles Scalpay 48, b. Ardchattan, Argyllshire

1891

Jessie C McLaren, 23, Teacher of Elementary School, School house, Kyles Scalpay, b. Dull, Perth

(Annie Keir, 10, Scholar, Cousin, b. Dunfermline, Fife Shire)

1901

John Macleod, 35, Teacher (English), Kyles Scalpay School, b. Barvas, Ross-shire

(Ann Macleod, 29, General Servant (Domestic), Sister, b. Barvas, Ross-shire)

Pupil Numbers

1919 68

1929 49

1938 43

1950 22

1958 06

1960 CLOSED

The first teacher that we have clearly living and working in Kyles Scalpay was Donald Morrison. He and his wife, Christina Mackinnon are known to me because their youngest daughter, Lexy Morrison (1835-1921) married my '1st Cousin 4 times removed' Angus Kerr (1826-1910) both of whom were employed by the Factor John Robson Macdonald at Rodel.

Donald was in Kyles in 1851 but I cannot say who, if anyone, was teaching there in 1841 and 1861.

However, in 1871 Crofter's wife and mother of 6, Susan McLeod ,was teaching in Kyles to be followed in 1881 by Mary Campbell, in 1891 by Jessie C McLaren and in 1901 John Macleod.

We can see that, despite the healthy school roll of 1919, numbers fell into decline and the school finally closed in 1960 ending at least 110 years of educational provision in Kyles Scalpay.

Note: *Many thanks to ADB44 for identifying the site of the school.

Canmore School List

Performing an 'Advanced Search' on http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/ for schools in Harris returned the following list.

Most of these results relate to schools that were marked on the OS 1^st Edition 6-inch Map of 1881/2 thus saving me the task of poring over images of those maps online!

(NB - The Six-figure references may not always refer to the precise site of the school)

NORTH (3)

Scarp NG987136

Scalpay NG215965

Steinish (Kyles Scalpay) NG206982

(Tarbert Primary School 1896)

BAYS (7)

Drinishader NG173947

Scadaby NG173926

Collam NG152914

Kyles Stockinish NG13?91?

Geocrab NG115909

Manish NG104892

Finsbay NG073867

WEST COAST (1)

Borve NG030940

SOUTH (2)

Obbe (Now Roineabhal House, formerly the School) NG025862

Strond NG030842

The majority of these schools were designed by the architect Alexander Ross in the 1870s but the feature that strikes my eye is the concentration of schools in the Bays including, for example, Drinishader, Scadabay and Collam that are only 5 (Golden!) road miles apart. It would be quite possible to make an estimate based upon the 1881 Census records of how many Scholars each of these schools would have contained, but that is one task too far for me to undertake, unfortunately.

Schooling in Finsbay

Having compiled various lists and other material relating to education in Harris, I thought I would make a start on looking at individual schools and have decided to begin with Finsbay in the Bays of Harris:

1851

Donald Maclean, 24, Schoolmaster, Finsbay, b. North Uist

John Maclean, 22, Farm Labourer, Brother, b. North Uist

Ann Maclean, 20, House Servant, Sister, b. North Uist

Christy Maclean, 16, House Servant, Sister, b. North Uist

1861

William Dingwall, 26, Schoolmaster, General Assembly, Finsbay, b. Ross-shire

1871 – None found in the 11 households containing 66 people in Finsbay

1872 Education (Scotland) Act

1876 School Built - See http://theoldschoolhousefinsbay.com/about

1881 Finsbay is not identified but if it lay in ED4 at this time then my instinct suggests:

Thomas M Brunton, 37, Teacher 'Elementary School' MA, School House, South Harris ED4, b. Glasgow (Wife Jessie, 32, was the Sewing Mistress at 'Elm School')

1891

Donald J MacRae, 40, Public School Teacher, Finsbay, b. Applecross, Ross-shire

Margaret MacRae, 39, Sewing Mistress, Wife, b. Uig, Lewis, Ross-shire

Marjorie M MacRae, 3, Daughter, b. Harris

Neitina(?) M MacRae, 1, Daughter, b. Harris

Christy MacDonald, 17, General Servant Domestice, b. North Uist

1901

Donald J Macrae, 50, Public School Teacher, Finsbay School House, b. Applecross, Ross-shire

Margaret Macrae, 48, Sewing Mistress, Wife, b. Lewis

Marjorie M Macrae, Scholar, Daughter, b. Harris

Kilbina M Macrae, Scholar, Daughter, b. Harris

No of Children (from Pupil Number Data)

1919 - 58 pupils

1929 – 39 pupils

1938 – 24 pupils

1950 – 32 pupils

1958 – 24 pupils

1969 - closed

We can say with certainty that in 1851 and 1861 there was a schoolmaster residing in Finsbay but as to the location of the school itself and which church employed them I cannot say. No teacher is found in Finsbay itself in 1871 and this is followed by the 1872 Education Act and the consequent building of the Public School in 1876. Unfortunately Finsbay is not identified on the 1881 Census but there were three Schoolmasters in South Harris that might be candidates for the the post and of these I have opted for Thomas Brunton for he is the only one with a Sewing Mistress Wife and we can see that to have also been the case when Donald Macrae took over the role, possibly by 1888 for his eldest daughter was born in Harris in that year.

Finally, we have the figures showing the declining pupil numbers from the end of WWI until the school's closure in 1969, just 7 short years away from being able to celebrate a century of schooling for the children of Finsbay and the surrounding area in this part of the Bays of Harris.

Education in Harris in 1901

These are the teachers (arranged approximately from North to South in the NORTH and BAYS sections) that I've managed to locate in the Census:

NORTH (12)

Donald Macleod, 17, Scholar Teacher, No 12 Meavig, b. Harris

William Macleod, 16, Pupil Teacher, No 7 Carrigrich, b. Harris

John Macleod, 35, Teacher (English), Kyles Scalpay School, b. Barvas, Ross-shire

Lexy Morrison, 19, Pupil Teacher, No 51 Kyles Scalpay, b. Harris

James Falconer, 31, Schoolmaster, No 9 North Harris ED5, b. Coalbridge, Lanark

Marion Macdonald, 18, Pupil Teacher, No 10 North Harris ED5, b. Harris

Catherine McQueen, 20, School teacher, No 52 North Harris ED5, b. Harris

Mary A Paul, 34, Board School Teacher, Lodger, No53 North Harris ED5, b. Alves, Elgin

Annie Morrison, 21, Assistant Teacher (English), No 58 North Harris ED5, b. Harris

Catherine Kennedy, 25, Assistant Teacher, No 62 North Harris ED5, b. Lochs

Julia Maclean, 25, Teacher, Boarder, 5 North Harris ED6, b. Flelmine, Inverness

Peter Chisholm, 17, Pupil Teacher, School house, North Harris ED6, b. Lochs

SCARP (1)

Donald Craig, 59, Schoolmaster, No 32 Scarp, b. Wick, Caithness

(William S Duncan, 67, Retired Schoolmaster, No 31 Scarp, b. Aberdeen)

SCALPAY (2)

Elen McTier, 39, Teacher, No 37 Scalpay, b. Barvas

John Macleod, 17, Pupil Teacher, No 18 Scalpay, b. Harris

BAYS (7)

John Simpson, 42, School Master, School House, Drinishader, b. Glasgow

John Maclennan, 15, Pupil Teacher, 1 Drinishader, b. Harris

John Brown, 52, Certificated Teacher, School House, Stockinish, b. Kirkmichael, Ayrshire

Maggie Gillanders, 25, Teacher, Geocrab Pvt House, b. Harris

William Cook, 45, Certificated Teacher, Manish Schoolhouse, b. Rutherglen, Lanark

Donald J Macrae, 50, Public School Teacher, Finsbay School House, b. Applecross, Ross-shire

Murdo Martin, 32, Pupil Teacher, North Bayhead Crofter's House, b. Harris

(Please see Bayhead & North Bayhead for more on this location)

WEST COAST (1)

Charles Maclennan, 18, Pupil Teacher, Big Borve, b. Harris

SOUTH (5)

John Mackinnon, 16, School Teacher, Shepherd's House, South Harris ED1, b. Lews

Angus Maclean, 24, Assistant Teacher (English), School House, South Harris ED7, b. Harris

John Whiteford, 46, Certificated Teacher Elementary, Obbe, b. Kilbirnie, Ayrshire

Agnes Mary Laird Whiteford, Monitor (Teacher), Obbe, b. Glasgow

Peter McCaul, 66, Retired Teacher, Obbe, b. Killin, Perthshire

Phew! 28 teachers and just under 1200 'Scholars' to be educated. Although the majority of the educators are from the mainand we are beginning to see the emergence of home-grown teachers and a huge explosion in the number of 'Pupil Teachers', although the presence of 32 year-old Murdo Martin performing that role in 'North Bayhead' appears to poor ice-cold water on my previous conjecture?

There is still plenty to occupy me (or anyone else who fancies doing some research?!) regarding schooling on Harris 1841-1901 but the past two days labours have hopefully made things a little clearer than my initial piece of the 16^th of February had left them!

Education in Harris in 1891

These are the educators as found in the Census records:

NORTH (7)

Donald J Maclennan, No 1 Govig, North Harris, b. Harris

Duncan Macaskill, 26, Sub School Master, 9 Renigidil, North Harris ED10, b. Harris

Jessie C McLaren, 23, Teacher of Elementary School, School house, Kyles Scalpay, b. Dull, Perth

Donald Bethune, 54, Public School Teacher, No 28 East Tarbert, b. Glasgow

William L Duncan, 57, Pub Sch Teacher, Public School, North Harris ED7, b. Aberdeen

Donald Macdonald, 16, Teacher, 3 North Harris, b. Harris

Kenneth Murray, Substitute Teacher, No 4 Luachies, North Harris ED6, b. Lewis

(Cirsty Campbell, 65, Formerly Teacher, No 23 East Tarbert, b. Harris)

BAYS (4)

Kenneth Mcdonald, 14, Pupil Teacher, No 5 Grosebay, b. Harris

Maggie Gillanders, 16, Pupil Teacher, Private House, Geocrab, b. Harris

(Annabella Gillanders, 52, Bible Woman, b. Trindon, Ross)

William Cook, 33, Certificated Teacher, School House, Ardslave, b. Rutherglen, Lanarks.

(Malcolm Morrison, 23, Teacher, Visitor, Crofter's house, Manish, b. Harris)

Donald J MacRae, 40, Public School Teacher, Finsbay, b. Applecross

WEST COAST (1)

Roderick Matheson, 55, Public School Teacher, Hamlets Scaristavore, b. Lochalsh

SOUTH (1)

John Macaskill, 22, Teacher (English), Private House, South Harris ED7, b. Harris

BERNERAY (1)

Donald Johnson, 40, Teacher, Borve, Bernera, b. North Uist

Annie Macaskill, 20, Assistant Teacher, Borve, Bernera, b. North Uist

As the 20^th anniversary of the 1872 Act approached, and 8 years after the sitting of the 'Napier Commission' this was the state of, well, State Education on the island. It will come as no surprise to readers who have read my earlier pieces charting the increasing dominance of Tarbert to see the number of teachers now residing in North Harris. The Bays area appears to have spawned several schools and, notably, a pair of 'Pupil Teachers' aged 14 and 16 who I am guessing were a form of Teaching Assistant recruited from within the ranks of the older students in a school? The need for such support can more easily be understood from the simple fact that in this year there were just a few less than 1200 'Scholars' recorded in the Census.

Education in Harris in 1881

By the time of this next Census the 1872 Education Act (Scotland) had been in operation for nearly 9 years and we can see a snapshop of what it meant for Harris in our next list:

NORTH (4)

Donald Bethune, 44, Schoolmaster, East Tarbert 21, b. Glasgow

Mary Campbell, 21, School Mistress, Kyles Scalpay 48, b. Ardchattan, Argyllshire

John Abercrombie, 62, Teacher (English), School House, North Harris ED1, b. Polmont, Stirling

Malcolm Morrison, 17, Substitute Teacher, Ladies School, North Harris ED10, b. Lochs

BAYS (1)

Agness Ashley, 24, Teacher Certificated (English), Drinishader, b. Edinburgh

WEST COAST (1)

Elizabeth G McKintosh, 23, Schoolmistress, Scaristavore, b. Kirkmichael, Banffshire

SOUTH (5)

Thomas M Brunton, 37, Teacher 'Elementary School' MA, School House, South Harris ED4, b. Glasgow (Wife Jessie, 32, was the Sewing Mistress at 'Elm School')

Kenneth J Mackenzie, 27, Teacher, Strond, b. Ullapool

Roderick Matheson, 44, Teacher Pub. School, South Harris ED3, b. Lochalsh

John Gillanders, 74, School Master, Crofter's Dwelling House, South Harris ED4, b. Kishorn, Ross-shire

Angus Morrison, 18, Teacher (Nonconformist), South Harris ED7, b. Harris

SCALPAY (1)

John Mann, 31, Teacher, Island of Scalpay, b. Aberdeen

VISITOR (1)

(Donald Macleod, 21, Schoolmaster, Visitor, Carragray 56, b. Back, Ross-shire)

The first thing that strikes me is not the increase in the number of teachers but where they have come from. The 1872 Act imposed teaching in English rather than in Gaelic and we can see that this was achieved by importing teachers born, raised and trained on the mainland. The Churches teachers, whether Free of Established, have almost ceased to appear apart from in the form of the Noncomformist Angus Morrison living somewhere in Enumeration District 7 of South Harris.

The Census records over 1000 'Scholars' at this time so, unless the dozen teachers listed faced huge numbers of children each day, I suspect that something altogether more complicated than the picture presented here was actually taking place. We know, for example that the school at Kyles Scalpay, designed by Alexander Ross, was built in 1875 yet where were its teachers?

Oh, and the 'Substitute Teacher' Malcolm Morrison was living at the 'Ladies School' in North Harris with an older 'General Servant' and entertaining a young lady Visitor so precisely what and where in ED10 this establishment was is yet another mystery to be explored...

Education in Harris in 1871

Here are Harris's teachers of 1871:

NORTH (1)

Susan Mcleod, 37, Teacher, Wife, House at Kyles Scalpay, b. Harris

BAYS (1)

John Gillanders, 54, Gaelic School Teacher, Geocrab

UNKNOWN (5)

Murdo Mckenzie, 23, Schoolmaster Free Church,ED3, b. Lochs

John McDonald, 23, Schoolmaster,ED17,  b. Harris

Farquhar Mckay, 23, Schoolmaster, Schoolhouse,ED12,  b. Harris

Mary Mcaulay, 21, School Mistress, Industrial School, ED6, b. Stornoway

Margaret McDonald, 26, Teacher, Established Church School,ED15,  b. Harris

VISITORS (4)

John Mclean, 26, Teacher, Visitor, House at Oban, b. North Uist

(Norman Mcleod, 30, Fisherman, b. Harris)

Murdo Morrison, 23, Schoolmaster, Visitor, Ardourlie Castle, b. Carloway

(Donald Morrison, 40, Shepherd, b. Harris)

William Dingwall, 33, Schoolmaster, Visitor, Shipowner's House, b. Gairloch

(Malcolm Campbell, 32, Shipowner, Mealmonger & C, b. Harris and

the 'uncle of the husband of my 2^nd cousin 3 times removed', apparently!)

William Sutherland, Lately Teacher, Visitor, b. Kildonan, Sutherland

RETIRED (1)

(Donald Morrison, 81, Retired Teacher, West Tarbert, b. Harris)

The number of 'Scholars' had risen to 499 by this time and yet we can only be sure of there having been 7 teachers regularly providing them with their education in 1871.

It is impossible to locate all but two of these educators, those being in Kyles Scalpay and, interestingly, Geocrab. I find this interesting because there was a school started at some point in time at nearby Kyles Stockinish but this is a long walk from Geocrab. However, it is a short boat trip across Loch Stockinish so, whilst I have no evidence, I am wondering if John Gillanders commuted to work by boat each day? Something to investigate further...

At this point it is probably worth reminding readers of a track taken by children to the school at Kyles Stockinish that I have referred to previously and the details of which can be seen here .

Education in Harris in 1861

Here are the few teachers found in the 1861 Census:

NORTH (1)

Catherine Mcleod, 21, Teacher, East Tarbert, b. Fodderty, Ross

Duncan Morrison, 56, Schoolmaster, Visitor, Ranigadle, b. Barvas, Ross

(Roderick Mckay, 50, Tenant, Head, b. Harris)

(Donald Morrison, 70, Retired Schoolmaster, East Tarbert, b. Harris)

SCALPAY (1)

Christina Campbell, 30, Schoolmistress, Scalpa Island, b. Harris

BAYS (1)

William Dingwall, 26, Schoolmaster, General Assembly, Finsbay, b. Rossshire

SOUTH (1)

James Stewart, 40, Parish Schoolmaster, Oab, b. South Uist

BERNERAY (1)

Donald Mackay, 45, Schoolmaster, Bernera, b. Halkirk, Caithness

There were some 471 'Scholars' in the records yet these are the only teachers that I can find.

If this is a true representation then children would have had to trudge the unmade tracks from their homes in the Bays to either Tarbert in the North or Finsbay in the South, those living along the Sound (and any left in the southern parts of the West coast) to the school in An-t-Ob. In all weathers and throughout the year. I wonder how many of those 'Scholars' by name received a proper education in practice despite the best efforts of the handful of teachers?

Education in Harris in 1851

Here are the teaching men and women as found in the 1851 Census. I have provided the Head of each household in parenthesis where appropriate.

The use of (?) indicates a word, place or phrase that is clearly incorrect but whose correct version currently eludes me!

NORTH (4)

Emmiline E Maxwell, 22, Teacher, Cousin, Tarbert Inn, Tarbert, b. Edinburgh

(Malcolm Macauly, 42, Inn Keeper & Crofter Crofter (Empl. 5 Lab), b. Harris)

Margaret A Campbell, 24, Schoolmistress, Tarbert, b. Harris

(Christina Morrison, 60, Schoolmaster's Wife, Tarbert, b. Harris)

Donald Morrison, 60, Schoolmaster, Kyles Scalpay, Father, b. Harris)

(Neil Morrison, 15, Scholar, Head, b. Harris)

Duncan Morrison, 42, Gaelic Teacher, Rainingdale, b. Barons, Ross

BAYS (2)

Malcolm Morrison, 30, Teacher of the General Assembly CE(?), Visitor, Lecklie, b. Harris

(Mary Macleodd, 30, Retired Merchant (Empl 3 Servants), b. Harris)

Donald Maclean, 24, Schoolmaster, Finsbay, b. North Uist

WEST COAST (1)

James Stewart, 28, Parishead(?) schoolmaster of Harris, Borve, b. South Uist

SOUTH (1)

Isabella Mackinnon, 31, School Mistress, Wife, Obe, b. Harris

BERNERAY (2)

John Mcaskill, 22, Teacher, Visitor, Island of Bernera, b. North Usit

(Mary Mcgillvray, Female Teacher, b. Uig, Ross)

Donald Mckay, 28, Teacher of General Bleancher(?) of Education, Island of Bernera, b. Stalkilek(?), Caithness

These 10 teachers had some 279 'Scholars' between them according to the Census returns which sounds like a pretty reasonable pupil-teacher ratio?

I am quite surprised to find such an early concentration of teachers in the North but even more surprised to see Donald Morrison living in Kyles Scalpay away from his Wife in Tarbert and giving his 15 year-old scholarly Son the role of Head of household!

Elsewhere, we see a teacher in the recently resettled Borve although he, along with most of the people, would be Cleared from that fertile place within a couple of years...

In the Bays we notice a teacher in Leac a Li but as he is a 'Visitor' it is only in Finsbay that we can be confident of there having been any educational provision at this time.

The only school in the crowded South appears to have been that in An-t-Ob so Mrs Mackinnon probably had quite a large number of children across a wide range of ages in her establishment.

On the island of Berneray across the Sound of Harris we have not only the two resident teachers but a third one making a visit.

So those are my findings from 1851, the first census year that provides us with an indication of the number of 'Scholars' as well as listing all the inhabitants occupations.

For completeness, here are the educators of 1841:

NORTH

Donald Morrison, 42, Teacher, Tarbert, b. Inverness

SOUTH

Donald Murray, 40, P Schoolmaster, Rodil, b. Scotland

BERNERAY

Armager(?) Nicolson, 60, Schoolmaster, Rusgary, b. Inverness

There's not a lot to be said about this apart from the apparent paucity of educational provision if this represents the true picture. I am surprised to find Donald Murray in Rodil rather than at An-t-Ob but his place of residence is only a guide as to the area in which he taught rather than a record of where his school was actually located.

It is unfortunate that this is the only information that I have available before the formation of the Free Church in the 'Disruption' of 1843 because it would have been nice to have had a more solid baseline from which to gauge the subsequent influence of the church upon education prior to the 1872 Act.

19thC Teachers don't fit 1920s Schools...

From the 1960 Parliamentary Answer that I had used to create a list and map of Harris Schools between 1919-1959 it is possible to extract those that were not in existence in 1919-20 leaving us with these 8 schools on Harris and three more on neighbouring islands:

Drinishader

Finsbay

Kyles Scalpay

Kyles Stockinish

Manish

Northton

Obbe

Tarbert, Sir E Scott

Scalpay

Scarp

Bernera

From the Census records we have the following list of places where teachers were living:

(NB Previously when conducting these very same searches I had no returns for 1871 & 1881 but, for reasons unknown, some teachers have now appeared in each of those censuses!)

1841 Tarbert, Rodil

1851 Tarbert, Kyles Scalpay, Finsbay, Leaclea, Obbe, Rhenigingdale, Bernera, Borve

1861Tarbert, Direcleit, Finsbay, Bernera, Obbe, Rhenigingdale

1871 Geocrab, Kyles Scalpay

1881 North Harris, Drinishader, South Harris, Strond, Scalpay

1891 Ardsleigh, Borve, Carrigrich, Drinishader, E Tarbert, Finsbay, Geocrab, Grosebay, Kyles Scalpay, Luachies, Manish, Meavig, Rushgary, Scalpay, Scaristavore, N Harris, S Harris

1901Big Borve, Drinishader, Finsbay, Geocrab, Kyles Scalpay, Manish, North Bayhead, Obbe, Scalpay, Stockinish, N Harris, S Harris

So whilst one could attempt to 'fit' some of these teachers into some of the schools, I think it a rather dubious strategy (not least because the earliest census took place some 80 years earlier than the suggested list of 1920s schools) that wouldn't produce a true picture of educational provision across the island through the years.

I shall have to think of an alternative way forward but meanwhile I feel a little progress has been made.

Note: I have incorporated the new findings for 1871 & 1881 into a revised Harris Schooleachers .

Map of Harris Schools 1919-1959

This map shows the distribution of the 22 schools that existed in the 1919-59 Academic year.
(The reason that there are only 21 markers is that 'Obbe' & 'Leverburgh' schools were both in An-t-Ob)


View Harris Schools 1920 in a larger map