About the Hebrides No VII

'At the inn here we met again with one of the commercial gentlemen whom we had encountered at the different markets coming north. He was a travelling agent of the Singer's Sewing Machine Company; and in proof of how general is becoming the adoption of these useful instruments everywhere, he told me that since leaving Barra he had sold ten machines in the Long Island; and, after paying all his own travelling expenses, had remitted over £70 to headquarters, in payment or part payment of machines sold by him on his last journey in these parts. He added that now-a-days it is quite common, in what we should call little Highland tailors' shops, to find two machines going in full swing. We had had no idea previous to this time of the amount of business generally done by southern firms with the people of the Outer Hebrides, and therefore might well be surprised by one fact, among others, told us by this same gentleman – namely, that a well-known tea merchant hailing from Edinburgh, who regularly makes exhaustive journeys through the Long Island on his own account, will take home with him as the “collection” of one such visit about £1000. True, he has the great advantage of being thoroughly au-fait in the language of the natives, and he supplies numerous private customers as well as the merchants; but still – the statement surprised us.'

Before examining this account, I should like to look a little at the inn's location which was in '...Tigharry, a township not far from Griminish Point...' on North Uist where the '...somewhat humble but snug hostelry...' was kept by 'Mr Roderick Macaulay and his most capable and willing help-meet...'.

In 1841, the innkeeper at Tigh a' Gerraidh (Tigharry) was 40 year-old Donald Macaulay who remained there in 1851 & 1861 but with the inclusion of 'Farmer of 16 acres' & then 'Farmer of 14 acres' as additional occupations.

In fact some 33 households are shown with the address of 'Tigheary Inn' in 1861, the Enumerator presumably considering this it to be the appropriate means of identifying the settlement as a whole?

Unfortunately the censuses of 1871 & 1881 return no clear indication of those (if there were indeed any?) living at, or keeping, the inn but the location can easily be seen on the 1881 OS 6-inch map.

In 1891 a Roderick Macaulay aged 54 was a Farmer in the township but, once again, the inn is not mentioned so whether he is the same person who nine years earlier had been the inn-keeper I cannot say.

Returning to the article itself, it is the information to be gleaned from the agent of the Singer Sewing Machine Company that demands our attention.

Firstly, a sum of £70 in 1882 equates to at least £5200 today (and quite possibly a lot more), the figure representing a combination of full and part payments for machines and after all the agent's own expenses had been deducted from the sales. Small wonder that he had returned for another tour! I cannot find a price for a Singer sewing machine in 1882 but a close rival was on the market for about £4, equating to around £300 today.

Secondly, the image of a couple of Singer sewing machines 'going in full swing' in many 'little Highland tailor's shops' is, at one and the same time, both reassuringly 'cosy' and also a pleasing antidote to the more-usual portrayal of island folk as automatically rejecting all such innovations.

Finally, the “collection” of £1000 by the Edinburgh tea merchant perhaps comes as no particular surprise until you update it to about £75,000 in today's money. That's a lot of tea (although precisely how much I cannot say) and the wily mainland merchant maximised his return by selling directly to his thirsty 'Long Island' customers as well as to the local merchants.

There we shall have to leave these travellers for now, enjoying their refreshments in Roderick Macaulay's inn, but perhaps we'll meet them again soon for they have many more interesting insights to provide us with into late 19thC life on the Long Island...

Source: Glasgow Herald September 1882

'...one pound sterling a-head...'

On the 2^nd of September, 1841, the Caledonian Mercury reported:

EMIGRATION. - There are three ships at Lochmaddy, North Uist, taking in emigrants from the neighbouring parishes of Harris and South Uist, for Cape Breton. The Earl of Dunmore gives one pound sterling a-head to the most destitute families from his property.

(Sourced from Inverness Reference Library via Am Baile's newspaper archive search facility)

The Scots To Canada Web Site lists three ships, the Banffshire, the George and the Tay, leaving Lochmaddy in August 1841 'taking 1300 emigrants from N Uist to Cape Breton. " of the poorest class".' so I think that we can be reasonably confident that these are the same vessels that appeared in the newspaper's article.

The 6th Earl of Dunmore, Alexander Edward Murray, , had inherited Harris upon the death of his father on the 11^th of November 1836 and would in turn be succeeded by his son, Charles Adolphus, following the 6^th Earl's death on the 14th of July 1845 . Thus the Earl was about halfway through his proprietorship of the island when he was providing a pound per person for those electing to leave.

But what does that 'one pound sterling a-head' of 1841 represent 170 years later?

To try to discover an answer I will examine three options, starting with the excellent  Measuring Worth site and see what values it provides us with:

In 2009, the relative worth of £1 0s 0d from 1841 is:

£72.10	using the Retail Price Index (RPI)
£105.00	using the GDP Deflator
£766.00	using the Average Earnings
£1,160.00	using the Per-Capita GDP
£2,690.00	using the Share of GDP

Faced by these five options, ranging from mere £72 to a more substantial £2700, it is important that we choose the correct comparison. The RPI is rather narrow and a better indication of the buying power of £1 in 1841 is given by the £105 of the GDP Deflator.

The remaining three indicators, including that of 'Average Earnings' (which might appear particularly attractive) are actually not appropriate in the current context.

Using the the National Archives tool for the same calculation will show you that £1 in 1840 would only buy £44.10 worth of goods today so my choice of the figure of £105 might appear, if anything, slightly over-generous?

Our third option is to look at what the Reverend John Macivor had to say about wages on Harris in The New Statistical Account of 1845*:

'Farm-servants receive from L.3 to L.3, 10s. in the half-year...' so our £1 would represent between perhaps 1/7^th & 1/6^th (14-17%) of such a man's annual income. We may also wish to note that the annual value of all the Produce of the island is given by the Reverend as 'L. 11,900' and that over 10% of that, 'L. 1300', even as late as 1845, was still coming from Kelp.

So, depending upon how you choose to compare it, the Earl's £1 per person was equivalent to either a miserly £44 in today's money, or even as much as two-months wages for an agricultural labourer of the time!

Perhaps, though, to attempt to place any monetary value upon the Earl's inducement is rather to miss the point:

People were being 'required' to leave because so many had been forced to live crowded-together upon the meanest of land to make way for the ever-expanding sheep farms which, the Reverend helpfully informs us, were bringing in a an income of some £2800, or almost a quarter of Harris's total income from Produce at that time.

The population of the Parish of Harris in 1841 was 3,056** according to the census earlier that year.

Even if every person had elected to emigrate, the 'one pound sterling a-head' would only have amounted to three-quarters of one year's income from Kelp & Sheep combined...

(Note: I appreciate that not all of the income from Produce went to the proprietor himself, but consider the comparison to be justified in demonstrating the affordability of his scheme with respect to the economy.)

Sources:

*New Statistical Account of Scotland, Vol XIV, p157

**Enumeration Abstract, Scotland, 1841, p40

A Small Boy in Aberdeen

The 1911 Census marks a significant point in my researches because it is the first to include my Dad. There is something slightly strange about seeing one's father listed as a 4 year-old boy and especially so as all my grandparents were already dead by the time I myself was 4 and hence, although I have 'met' them in the censuses, they exist only as shadows in my mind.

I do not intend to dwell upon the details of the household at 56 St Swithin Street (save to say that my dad's two aunts were both Teachers and that the Boarder at his grandmother's house taught Science at Gordon's College), but look instead at the occupations of the neighbours at numbers 52 to 54:

We have an employer in the form of the Manager of a 'Coal & Lime Importers, Oil Refiners & Grain Merchants Limited Company'; another employer who was a House Painter; a third employer who was a 'Motor Car Agent' and whose daughter was a 'Clerk & Typist' in the Motor Trade; and finally a 'Retired Gilder & Picture Framer' whose daughter was a self-employed Piano Teacher and whose two sons were employed as a 'Dentists Mechanic' and a 'House Painter'.

So this was the neighbourhood that my Stornowegian grandfather found himself inhabiting 90 years after his own grandfather had been born in a house on the shore at Direcleit, a house that the sea was known to enter at particularly high tides.

I say 'inhabiting' but in fact he wasn't there on the night of the census and, as the index at ScotlandsPeople does NOT include a field for the place of birth, I am not going to trawl through all the 36 year-old John Kerrs (at £1.17 each) in the hope of chancing upon him!

What is more disappointing is that, had he been there, I am sure that he would have continued his practice from the previous Census and inserted 'G&E' in the otherwise blank column recording Gaelic speakers...

A Singular Occurrence

In 1911, living on his own in a house at Rodil despite his being married, we find the 60 year-old Gaelic & English speaking Donald MacCrimmon. Deciphering his name initially proved a tad difficult but it was his unusual occupation that both drew my attention and proved the key to identifying him:

Dunvegan-born Donald gives his occupation as 'Formerly: Book binder & Printer' in 'General Publishing'. Armed with his forename, age and the fact that he was born on Skye, I located him in the three previous censuses:

1901

Donald McCrimmon, 47, Book Binder, 144 Stirling Rd, Glasgow, b. Skye, Invernessshire

Mary McCrimmon, 40, Wife, b. Bernad(?), Invernessshire

Duncan McCrimmon, 21, Son, Book Binder, b. Glasgow

William McCrimmon, 19, Son, Goods Checker, b. Glasgow

Elizabeth McCrimmon, 15, Daughter, Envelope Packer, b. Glasgow

Euphemia Mcdonald, 16, Daughter-in-Law, Domestic Servant, b. Barnars(?), Invernessshire

1891

Donald Crimmon, 40, Bookbinder, 85, North Wallace St, Glasgow, b. Dunvegan, Inverness Shire

Duncan Crimmon, 13, Son, Scholar, b. Glasgow

William C Crimmon, 9, Son, Scholar, b. Glasgow

1881

Donald McCrimmon, 30, Bookbinder, 133 Springburn Rd, Glasgow, b. Dunvegan, Invernessshire

Elizabeth McCrimmon, 30, Wife, b. Huntly, Aberdeenshire

Duncan McCrimmon, 2, Son, b. Glasgow

John Caldwell, 25, Brother-in-Law, Iron Turner, b. England

Alexander Caldwell, 19, Brother-in-Law, Iron Turner, b. Dalmellington, Ayrshire

Barbara Stark, 13, Niece, Scholar, b. Glasgow

There are three or four possible candidates for Donald in 1871 but I don't intend pursuing this.

However, these three returns alone have a things to tell us:

Firstly, Donald's first wife appears to have been Elizabeth Caldwell from Huntly and she quite possibly died prior to 1891 which is when we see their son William having 'C', quite probably for 'Caldwell', added to his name. I have found the Caldwell's in 1871 when they were living in Springburn, Lanarkshire and Eliza was employed as a Silk worker. A decade earlier they had been in Sowerby, Yorkshire, which explains her brother John having been born in England. Their father, William Caldwell, was employing 2 men and a boy in his work manufacturing Drainage Pipes.

Secondly, Donald married a second wife, Mary, but was it she who gave him a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1884? I have searched for the girl in 1891 to no avail and have also had no success in finding either wife in that particular year.

However, both Mary, and Donald's 'Daughter-in-Law' Euphemia Macdonald, appear to have been born in Bernera in Inverness-shire which could either be the village of that name on Skye or the island of Berneray itself and if the latter might go some way in explaining why Donald the retired Bookbinder was living 'next door' to Lexy Kerr in Rodil in 1911!

A Rare Find!

As is usual, I happened upon this whilst searching for something altogether different (which makes it all the better!)

On this page there are 31 images of portraits by the artist Kenneth MacLeay including one of two Hearachs.

Image 26 shows the Boatmen Kenneth MacSween of Strond and Donald MacAulay of Fincastle.
The 'Sitters Details' (scroll to 18) inform us that Kenneth (Who appears in 1871 in my Boatmen of Harris piece) ferried cattle to the Mainland and Skye from Strond whilst Donald was a boatman at the recently completed Fincastle.

The portrait was displayed at an exhibition in 1870 and the eagle-eyed will have noted that, by the time of the 1871 Census, Kenneth (who is described as unmarried in the Sitters' notes) has married and is living in Strond with his wife Christy and their 1 year-old daughter, Ann.

It is a real privilege for me to see an image of someone who appears in a record from 140 years ago and who is included in one of my little lists - and a rare find indeed!

EILEAN AN FHRAOICH -1937 Film

The Scottish Screen Archive has details of this film which may be viewed in its entirety here.

The film, made by Dr Peter John Macleod in aid of the Lewis Hospital, Stornoway, shows many communal aspects of pre-war island life and is, perhaps, all the better for being silent...

Enjoy!

Ciobairean Mara - Sea Shepherds

If you watched this BBC programme about the Sea Shepherds then you might be interested in these pieces from my blog about the Cattle Men and Cow Herds of Harris , the Papar Project , some of the circumstances pertaining when Pabaigh (Pabbay) was sold to the  Mr Stewart who is mentioned in the programme and, finally, the only two Hand Loom Weavers (HLW) recorded there prior to the Clearance of Pabaigh in the 1840s...

Three Tenants of Strond

In 1861, 12 of the 32 families in Strond (ED7) recorded their Head of Household as a 'Tenant'.

There were no Tenants' in the 26 households of 'Oab' (ED6), the 5 of 'Borisdale' (ED7) nor the 5 of Rodel (ED7) thus these 12 were the only Tenants along the Sound of Harris between Rodel and An-t-Ob.

The whole of Harris at that time had 64 'Tenant' households, which can be compared to the total of 233 Crofter households of Harris none of whom were amongst the 68 households in this region.

I am particularly interested in three of these Tenant families:

Angus Kerr, 70, Tenant, b. Harris (my great,great,great granduncle)

Marion Kerr, 61, Wife, b. Harris

Malcolm Kerr, 30, Farmer's Shepherd, Son, b. Harris (marries Isabella Maclean, daughter of one of the 18 Tenants in Strond of 1841)

Effy Kerr, 26, Daughter, b. Harris (spinster)

Roderick Kerr, 22, Post, Son, b. Harris (bachelor)

Mary Kerr, 20, Daughter, b. Harris (see below)

Angus & Marion's other three children:

Marion b. 1821, fate not yet discovered;

Angus (Rodel Farm Grieve & Coachman) b. 1829 married, on the 5^th of April 1870, Lexy Morrison daughter of Kyles Scalpay's Schoolmaster;

William b. 1826, a Fisherman who drowned, unmarried, in1862

Mary Kerr would, on the 12^th of February 1867, marry Angus Macsween the Tenant, who was a son of John Macsween the Weaver and his wife Anne Campbell:

Angus Macsween, 34, Tenant, b. Harris

Lexy Macsween, 36, Ag Lab, Sister, b. Harris

Malcolm Macsween, 26, Sailor (Merchant Service), Brother, b. Harris

Kenneth Macsween, 24, Sailor (Merchant Service), Brother, b. Harris

Jessie Campbell, 22, General Servant, Cousin, b. Harris

John Gillies, 9, Nephew, b. Harris

John Gillies aged 9 is the son of Kenneth Gillies the Tenant and his wife who was born Marion Macsween. It would appear that she was the sister of Angus Macsween, hence John Gillies being his nephew.

Kenneth Gillies, 50, Tenant, b. Harris

Marion Gillies, 43, Wife, b. Harris

Donald Gillies, 20, Son, b. Harris

Ann Gillies, 17, Daughter, b. Harris

William Gillies, 13, Son, b. Harris

Catherine Gillies, 6, Daughter, b. Harris

Allan Gillies, 48, Brother, b. Harris

Mary McDearmid, 20, Pauper, Friend, b. Harris

John Gillies would, on the 14^th of April 1891, marry Flora Morrison, the daughter of William Morrison & Christian Kerr, she herself being a daughter of Angus Kerr the Tenant. William, a Fisherman, drowned off Thurso on the 25^th of December 1890. John Gillies, a Sailor, was one of small and somewhat mysterious group calling themselves 'Yacht's Man' in 1891.

William Morrison, 30, Fisherman, b. Harris

Christy Morrison, 29, Wife, b. Harris

Flora Morrison, 4, Daughter, b. Harris

Angus Morrison, 2, son, b. Harris

Christy Morrison, 2 months, Daughter, b. Harris

All four of these families lived along the Sound of Harris between Borrisdale, Strond and An-t-Ob ,but it was only when looking at Angus Kerr's fellow Tenants in Strond in 1861 that I realised the 'Tenant' connection and its possible significance within this part of the island at this time.

There were no Crofters anywhere between Rodel and An-t-Ob, just these dozen Tenants in Strond who represent more than a third of the households in that place and nearly a fifth of those in the region.

The 5 households at Rodel were the Factor's, those of three Farmer's Shepherds and finally that of an Agricultural Labourer. The 5 in Borrisdale were those of a Tailor, a Retired Weaver, a Retired Tenant, a Retired Herd and finally that of a Pauper who had previously been a General Servant.

The pattern is clear: at Rodel Farm are those working directly for the Dunmore's on what might be described as the 'Home Farm'. Over the hill at the Eastern end of the Sound were retired employees with one economically active Tailor. It is only when we get to the Farm of Strond that we find other activity taking place in the form of our dozen Tenants and their neighbouring households:

One Mason, a Gardener, three Fishermen, the Ground Officer's widow, two Shoemaker's Widows (one with her shoemaking son) an Agricultural Labourer, the Public Shepherd, a 'Seaman Packet' and three Sailors, a County Constable, the Retired Factor's Clerk, two Retired Tenants, a Weaveress, a very elderly Weaver and a Retired Weaveress who is now a Pauper.

In these 20 non-Tenant households we can see something of the 'flavour' of the area and, although it would take a complete analysis of each of the 179 individual's occupation to be more precise, I am prepared to say that this mixture of Fishers, Sailors, Weavers and 'Officials' employed by the proprietor is reasonably representative. Thus Strond in 1861 was the site of a group of tenants tending the farmland who were accompanied by men who made their living from the sea and others who were providing support to the owners. It is not until we get to An-t-Ob that this dominance that stretches from Rodel through Borrisdale and Strond is broken.

These demographics, in combination with the family connections as outlined above, appear to me to give credence to my growing conviction that my (distant) uncle Angus's family was one of those whose status/standing/class (I am struggling to find the appropriate term!) meant that they escaped the (ill)treatment that the Factor, John Robson Macdonald, was notoriously inflicting on so many less fortunate souls.

Angus was one of the 28 Tenants in An-t-Ob and Strond in 1841 but one of the only 12 remaining in that same area by 1861. His children worked in trusted positions in the households, or on the land, of the Factor and Farmers of Harris and married into similar families whose offspring were similarly employed - Isabella Maclean, for example, worked at Rodel in the home of a Fish Curer who later became a Farmer and then was employed by Kenneth Macdonald the Sheep Farmer at Big Borve before marrying Malcolm the Shepherd.

This process eventually resulted in one of Angus's granddaughters, Marion, becoming a Farmer's Wife.

She married the eldest son of the Fish-Curer-turned-Farmer whom her Aunt Isabella once worked for. Marion Kerr, the daughter of Angus Kerr the Farm Grieve, set-up home on Rodel Farm as Mrs John Campbell, her husband and his father being the two Farmers resident in Rodel.

I have touched upon this before and elsewhere in this blog, too, but had not previously examined the way the pattern that Angus the Tenant's descendants wove fitted into the larger picture of the area.

I think one could quite reasonably claim that they were 'comfortably woven into the fabric of society'...

Update: This view from the 1857 Chart of the Sound of Harris , surveyed 'Under the Direction of Capt. HC Otter', shows the ribbon of houses that were Strond. I believe Borrisdale referred to the cluster of 5 houses just below the clearly marked 'Stone Wall or Dyke' although what the strange rectilinear space that straddles the track in their midst remains a mystery.

Spinning Wheel Makers of Stornoway

I mentioned in the previous piece on the 'Turner' men of Stornoway that there were two occurrences of 'Spinning Wheelmakers' in the censuses.

James McRae,who was born to the Turner & Wheelwright John McRae and his wife Ann in about 1845 became a Spinning-Wheel Maker by 1901.

His is not the earliest record however because in the census of 1891 we find 68 year-old Donald Macdonald, a 'Spinning Wheelmaker' living with his wife & family at 25 Bayhead St in Stornoway:

1891

Donald Macdonald, 68, Spinning Wheel Maker, 25 Bayhead St, b. Stornoway

Margaret Macdonald, 64, Wife, b. Stornoway

Bell Macdonald, 36, General Servant, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Murdo Macdonald, 34, Cooper, Son, b. Greenock, Renfrew

Aulay Macdonald, 27, Baker, Son, b. Stornoway

Donald Macdonald, 44(?), Apprentice Clerk, Grandson, b. Glasgow

Obviously I wanted to discover more about Donald and his family and this single record already provides additional information beyond names and approximate years of birth::

At some time around 1857 (and perhaps for a protracted period between 1855 and 1864) the Macdonald's, or at least Mrs Margaret Macdonald, were in Greenock where their son Murdo had been born.

One of the children had moved to Glasgow and produced Donald the Grandson but this Donald's age appears likely to be incorrectly recorded?

1881

Donald Macdonald, 57, Wheelwright, 19 Bayhead St, b. Stornoway

Margaret Macdonald, 55, Wife, b. Stornoway

Bella Macdonald, 25, General Servant (Domestic), Daughter, Stornoway

Murdo Macdonald, 24, Cooper, Son, b. Greenock, Renfrew

Colin Macdonald, 19, Wheelwright, Son, b. Stornoway

Aulay Macdonald, 17, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

So a decade earlier they were a few houses nearer to the centre of Stornoway with both Donald and a son who we hadn't met before, Colin, working as Wheelwrights. Murdo was already Coopering.

1871

Donald Mcdonald, 48, Ship Carpenter, 18 Bayhead St, b. Stornoway

Margaret Mcdonald, 43, Wife, b. Stornoway

Isabella Mcdonald, 18, General Servant, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Donald Mcdonald, 18, Apprentice Turner, Son, b Stornoway

Murdo Mcdonald, 14, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Catherine Mcdonald, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Colin John Macdonald, 9, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Aulay Mcdonald, 7, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

So from this we learn of an older son, Donald, who was an Apprentice Turner whilst his father was working as a Ship Carpenter.

Isabella hadn't yet adopted the diminutive forms of her name, Bella & Bell, but we now know that she wasn't for example, an 'Annabella' and Colin was originally Colin John. Two small details but of the kind that can prove useful clues sometimes!

Note also that in this record, Murdo is erroneously shown as having been born in Stornoway and hence if I had been looking for Murdo Macdonald's born in Greenock around 1857 he would have slipped through the net.

1861

Donald Mcdonald, 37, Carpenter, 11, Bayhead St, b. Stornoway

Margaret Mcdonald, 33, wife, b. Stornoway

William Macdonald, 14, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

John Mcdonald, 12, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Bella Mcdonald, 9, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Donald Mcdonald, 7, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Murdo Mcdonald, 4, Son, b. Greenock, Renfrewshire

Ann Mcdonald, 2, Daughter, b. Greenock, Renfrewshire

Colin John Mcdonald, 3 months, b. Stornoway

The family are even closer to town and, coincidentally, are in the house that my grandfather was born in some 14 years later. We see William and Ann for the first time and Greenock-born Ann lends credence to the whole family having spent at least a couple of years in Greenock around the year 1858.

1851

Donald Mcdonald, 28, Joiner, Bayhead, b. Stornoway

Margaret Mcdonald, 24, Wife, b. Stornoway

William Mcdonald, 4, son, b. Stornoway

John Mcdonald, 2, Son, b. Stornoway

Here we see the family in its infancy but in the street that they would live in for at least another 40 years.

1841

Isabella McDonald, 45, Mill St, b. Ross and Cromarty

Donald MacDonald, 19, Carpenter's Apprentice, b. Ross & Cromarty

John MacDonald, 17, b. Ross & Cromarty

Colin MacDonald, 12, b. Ross & Cromarty

William Macdonald, 12, b. Ross & Cromarty

I cannot be sure that this is the correct family but, in addition to the young man Donald's occupation we also have the names of his mother (presumably) and brothers, names that he would give to his own children and which are a hugely valuable indication that Donald Mcdonald, who became one of only two of Stornoway's 'Spinning Wheel Makers' and spent his entire working life in Bayhead, began learning his craft when at the family home in Mill Street, that offshoot of Bayhead that I discussed in the piece on Stornoway's Millers.

I am not attempting to track the whole family and, for example, there's still the mystery of the Glaswegian grandson, but for the sake of completeness here's what I have found for 1901:

It appears that Donald and Margaret had either passed-away or moved away from Stornoway.

Of the four children who had been with them in 1891, I have discovered the following:

Isabella/Bella/Bell Mcdonald isn't to be found. There is one who at first sight appears to fit for she is living with her brother Murdo, but when we discover that their mother is a Christina Macdonald we can exclude them both. Bell may have married, moved or died young.

There is a Murdo Mcdonald who is a Cooper of the correct age living at 3 Laxdale, Stornoway with his wife Donaldina and their 1 year-old daughter Margaret. He is shown as a Stornowegian but there are none of his name who were Greenock-born to be found.

Aulay the Baker, now aged 37, we find visiting the Blacksmith's House in Garrabost which is home to the Blacksmith William Mcdonald and his wife Sarah. I think it is reasonable to conjecture that Aulay has led us to his oldest brother who we last met as a Scholar back in 1861.

This is not by any means the whole story of this family but merely a beginning that I hope is of interest both for what it tells us about them whilst also demonstrating something of the higgledy-piggledy manner by which I meander along the genealogical way...

Update: I have found five more occurrences of this specialised craft:
1901 Archibald McRae, 48, Joiner & Spinning Wheel-Maker, 14 Helen St, Kintail, b. Kintail, Rossshire

1881 Magnus Anderson, 59, Spinning Wheel Maker, Braeside House, North Yell, Shetland, b. North Yell

1861 Robert Graham, 36, Turner & Spinning Wheel Maker, Knocknafenaig, Argyll, b. Kilfinichen, Argyll
1861 William Mcpherson, 62, Crofter & Spinning Wheel Maker, Glenmick, Aberdeen, b. Strathdon
1861 John Mcpherson, 58, Crofter & Spinning Wheel Maker, Brother, Glenmuick...

There could well be a family connection between Archibald McRae of Kintail and his island namesakes but what interests me as much is what led each of these men at these particular times in different parts of Scotland to specify their craft so precisely. Perhaps it has something to tell us about the story of spinning and associated hand-crafts but, with the exception of Robert Graham, what strikes me is that these men were all 'middle-aged' to 'elderly' at the time (48-68 years old) which might indicate both the skilled nature of the work and, perhaps, that it was something more suited to someone in their advanced years?

Update2: 68 seconds of craftsmanship - http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=2192

Update3: Clothing in the highlands & Islands in the 19thC - http://www.scran.ac.uk/packs/exhibitions/learning_materials/webs/55/dealbhmor_aodach_Beurla.html

Update4: 18thC Spinning Wheel from Harris - http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/starobject.html?oid=176285

Three Turners of Stornoway

Pigot's 1837 Directory lists three Turners in the town:

Donald McRae, Bayhead St

John McRae, Bayhead St

James Young, Keith St

I couldn't find James Young again in Stornoway, but Donald & John McRae each appear in the 1871 census where they describe their occupation as 'Turner' and from those two entries I was able to compile the following information about them and their families:

Notes:

Entries in bold indicate a man who appears at least once as a 'Turner' in the census records.

The figures in brackets are there as an aid to tracking individuals down to the third generation.

1841

Donald McRae, 35, Joiner, Bayhead St, b. Ross & Cromarty (1)

Margaret McRae, 25

Jane McRae, 5

Mary McRae, 3

Catherine McRae, 6 months

John McRae, 25, Joiner (2)

1851

Donald McRae, 50, Joiner, Bayhead St, b. Barvas (1)

Peggy McRae, 38, Wife, b. Stornoway

Jane McRae, 14, Scholar, Daughter, b. Bayhead, Stornoway

Mary McRae, 13. Scholar, Daughter, b. Bayhead, Stornoway

Catherine McRae, 10, Scholar, Daughter, b. Bayhead, Stornoway

John McRae, 8, Scholar, Son, b. Bayhead, Stornoway

Helen McRae, 6, Scholar Daughter, b. Bayhead, Stornoway

Margaret McRae, Daughter, b. Bayhead, Stornoway

Kenneth Cameron, 30, Joiner (Journeyman), Boarder, b. Fodderty, Ross

John McRae, 54, Wheelwright, Keith St, b. Stornoway (2)

Archibald McRae, 20, Wheelwright, Son, b. Stornoway (2a)

Mary McRae, 18, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Donald McRae, 16, Son, b. Stornoway

Roderick McRae , 14, Son, b. Stornoway

Jane McRae, 12, Daughter, b. Stornoway

John McRae, 10, Son, b. Stornoway

James McRae, 6, Son, b. Stornoway (2b)

Hector McRae, 2, Son, b. Stornoway (2c)

1861

John McRae, 60, Wheelwright, 51 Keith St, b. Stornoway (2)

Ann McRae, 55, Wife, b. Stornoway

Donald McRae, 26, Baker, Son, b. Stornoway

Roderick McRae, 23, Joiner, Son, b. Stornoway

John McRae, 29, Baker, Son, b. Stornoway

Jane McRae, 21, Dressmaker, Daughter, b. Stornoway

James McRae, 16, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway (2b)

Hector McRae, 13, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway (2c)

Ann Morrison, 82, Crofter's Widow, Mother-in-Law, b. Stornoway

Isabella Finlayson, 82, Seaman's Widow, Lodger, b. Stornoway

1871

Donald McRae, 70, Joiner, 38 Bayhead St, b. Barvas (1)

Margaret McRae, 57, Wife, b. Stornoway

Catherine McRae, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Margaret McRae, 22, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Isabella McRae, 14, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Donald McRae, 17, Joiner, Son

Isabella MacKinnon, 2, Grand-daughter

John McRae, 71, Turner, 51 Keith St, b. Stornoway (2)

Ann McRae, 67, Wife, b. Stornoway

John McRae, 28, Baker, Son, b. Stornoway

James McRae, 27, Joiner, Son, b. Stornoway (2b)

Hector McRae, 22, Turner, Son, b. Stornoway (2c)

Christina Smith, Domestic Servant, 23, b. Uig, Ross-shire

John McLean, 78, Visitor, b. Lochs, Ross-shire

Archibald McRae, 40, 51 Keith St, Turner & Blockmaker, b. Stornoway (2a)

Annabella McRae, 27, Wife, b. Stornoway

Mary Ann McRae, 4, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Mary McRae, 2, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Annabella McRae, 4 months, Daughter, b. Stornoway

1881

Archibald McRae, 50, Joiner & Blockmaker, 51 Keith St, b. Stornoway (2a)

Annabella McRae, 37, General Servant, Wife, b. Stornoway

Mary McRae, 12, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Annabella McRae, 8, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Hector McRae, 6, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Ann McRae, 4, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Alexander McRae, 3, Son, b. Stornoway

Christina McRae, 10 months, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Christina Murray, 16, General Servant, b. Stornoway

James McRae, 36, Joiner, 51 ½ Keith St, b. Stornoway (2b)

Mary Jane McRae, 29, Dressmaker, Wife, b. Stornoway

John McRae, 6, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Jessie Ann McRae, 4, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Hector McRae, 3, Son, b. Stornoway

William McRae, 1, Son, b. Stornoway

1891

Archibald McRae, 60, Joiner & Turner, 65 Keith St, b. Stornoway (2a)

Annabella McRae, 47, Wife, b. Stornoway

Annie McRae, 14, Monitor, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Alexander McRae, 13, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Linna McRae, 10, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Archibald McRae, 9, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Jeanie McRae, 7, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

James McRae, 43, Turner, Keith St, b. Stornoway (2b)

Mary McRae, 39, Wife, b. Stornoway

John McRae, 16, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Jessie A McRae, 14, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Hector McRae, 13, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

William McRae, 12, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Roderick McRae, 10, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Kenneth D McRae, 9, Scholar, Son, B. Stornoway

Ann J McRae, 4, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

James McRae, 3, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

1901

Archibald McRae, 70, Joiner & Turner, 65 Keith St, b. Stornoway (2a)

Annabella McRae, 57, Wife, b. Stornoway

Annie McRae, 24, daughter, b. Stornoway

Lina McRae, 20, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Archibald McRae, 18, Son, Apprentice Joiner & Turner, b. Stornoway (2a1)

Jeanie McRae, 17, Daughter, b. Stornoway

James McRae, 54, Spinning Wheel Maker, 62 Kenneth St, b. Stornoway (2b)

Mary I McRae, 48, Wife, b. Stornoway

Hector McRae, 23, House Carpenter, Son, b. Stornoway

William McRae, 21, Carter, Son, b. Stornoway

Kenneth McRae, 19, Butcher, Son, b. Stornoway

Annie I McRae, 14, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

It is not too surprising that a 'Turner' of 1837 would, at various times, describe themselves as a 'Joiner' or a 'Wheelwright' but James McRae's move into specialising as a 'Spinning Wheel Maker' (he is one of only two such people that I have discovered) came as a pleasant surprise!

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...

33 Keith Street, Stornoway

I have been intending compiling this list of those residing at number 33, and its associated parts, for some time because these records from five consecutive censuses provide us with a typical portrait of the people of the town of Stornoway in the 19thC:

1861

Murdo Montgomery, 65, Sawyer, 33 Keith St, b. Stornoway

Ann Montgomery, 55, Wife, b. Stornoway

Dugald Mcgillivray, 27, Carter, Boarder, b. Invernessshire

Murdo Macleod, 21, Apprentice Joiner, Boarder, b. Lochs

Norman Montgomery, 16, Apprentice Miller, b. Lochs

Margaret Thomson, 29, Domestic Servant, b. Barvas

Donald Macleod, 27, Tailor(poss Sailor?), Lodger, b. Barvas

Kenneth Macleod, 18, Cartwright, 33 Keith St, b. Inverness-shire

http://direcleit.blogspot.com/2010/08/cartwrights-wheelwrights-coachwright-of.html

Malcolm Kerr, 36, Seaman, 33 Keith St, b. Invernessshire

Mary Kerr, 38, Wife, b. Lochs

Catherine Kerr, 11, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Ann Kerr, 8, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Alexander John Kerr, 5, Son, b. Stornoway

Malcolm Kerr, 3, son, b. Stornoway

Margaret Kerr, Daughter, 4 months, b. Stornoway

Multiple-occupancy is quite usual for the time as are households comprising people from a variety of families originating from across the isles and in a range of occupations.

The second family is obviously why I first came upon 33 Keith Street but other occupants over time have also appeared in the particular entries on occupations that I have provided links for.

1871

George Mackenzie, 69, Grocer & Spirit Dealer, 33 Keith St, b. Stornoway

Isabella Mackenzie, 56, Grocer & Spirit Dealer, Wife, b. Stornoway

Alexander Mackenzie, 34, Joiner, Son, b. Stornoway

Isabella Lees, 28, Ship Carpenter's Wife, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Mary Mackenzie, 22, Domestic Servant, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Elizabeth Mackenzie, 20, Domestic Servant, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Isabella B Cooper, 8, Scholar, Granddaughter, b. Portmahomack, Ross-shire

Mary Lees, 6 months, Granddaughter, b. Stornoway

http://direcleit.blogspot.com/2010/03/ship-builders-of-stornoway.html

Catherine Mackenzie, 71, Pauper, 33 ½ Keith St, b. Lochs

Maggie Mackenzie, 63, Pauper, 33 ½ Keith St, b. Uist, Invernessshire

Marion Mackenzie, 28, General Servant, Daughter

Barbara Mackenzie, 24, General Servant, Daughter

The first thing to note is the use of '33 ½' to identify a dwelling. The next Census suggests that this was probably the 'Back Court' of number 33 and the use of '½', which we might liken to '33a', is found all over the town. The presence of two Pauper households here is a sad reminder that poverty existed within the town as well as in the rural areas of the islands.

The other feature is that the main house appears now to be one household and we learn that George and Isabella were both in trade and that their daughter Isabella has married a Mr Lees and gave birth to a daughter in Stornoway six months before the census. Unfortunately we do not know which daughter was responsible for granddaughter Isabella B Cooper.

1881

George Mackenzie, 79, Builder, Head, 33 Keith St, b. Stornoway

Isabella Mackenzie, 67, Wife, b. Stornoway

Alexander Mackenzie, 43, House Carpenter, Son, b. Stornoway

Margaret Mackenzie, 34, House Keeper, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Mary Macdonald, 32, Seaman's Wife, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Isabella Lees, 7, Scholar, Granddaughter, b. Govan, Lanarkshire

Mary Macdonald, 2, Granddaughter, b. Stornoway

Alexander Macdonald, 9 months, Grandson, b. Stornoway

Kenneth Macsween, 18, Carter, Servant, b. Lochs

Isabella Cooper, 18, Granddaughter, b. Tarbert, Ross-shire

http://direcleit.blogspot.com/2010/05/builders-of-stornoway.html

William Maclean, 46, General Labourer, 33 Keith St Back Court, b. Lochs

Ann Maclean, 39, Wife, b. Lochs

Neil Morrison, 40, Carter, 33, Keith St Back Court, b. Lochs

Catherine Morrison, 35, Wife, b. Lochs

Murdo Smith, 18, Tailor (Apprentice), Boarder, b. Lochs

Kenneth Morrison, 18, Shoemaker (Apprentice), Boarder, b. Uig, Ross-shire

Alexander Macdonald, 18, Cooper (Apprentice), Boarder, b. Lochs

Malcolm Maclean, 18, Tailor (Apprentice), Boarder, b. Lochs

http://direcleit.blogspot.com/2010/04/coopers-of-stornoway.html

The Mackenzie family are still the sole family occupying number 33 but a dramatic change of occupation has seen George become a builder possibly a reflection of his son Alexander being a Joiner/House Carpenter or had the Temperance movement played a part, too? Daughter Mary has married a Mr Macdonald and added two more Stornowegians to the population during the past couple of years and we can see that her sister Isabella Lees was in Govan giving birth to a daughter seven years ago.

The 'Back Court' is now home to two households with that of the Morrisons playing host to four young apprentices from Lochs and Uig.

1891

Malcolm Maciver, 32, Tailor & Clothier, 33 Keith Street, b. Uig, Ross-shire

Annie Maciver, 24, Wife, b. Stornoway

Malcolm Maciver, 3, Son, b. Stornoway

Kate Maciver, 1, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Maggie Macleod, 20, Domestic Servant, b. Stornoway

Alexander Macleod, 26, Naval Reserve Man, Boarder, b. Stornoway

John Mackay, 25, Naval Reserve Man, Boarder, b. Stornoway

John Macaulay, 28, Naval Reserve Man, Boarder, b. Stornoway

Donald Macaulay, 25, Naval Reserve Man, Boarder, b. Stornoway

William Macleod, 30, Naval Reserve Man, Boarder, b. Stornoway

Malcolm Macleod, , 32, Fisherman, 33 Keith Street, b. Lochs

Catherine Macleod, 32, Wife, b. Lochs

Roderick Macleod, 5, son, b. Lochs

Maggie Macleod, 1, Daughter, b. Stornoway

John A Macleod, 6 months, Son, b. Stornoway

Murdo Macleod, 35, Sailor, Visitor, b. Lochs

Isabella Macleod, 28, Visitor, b. Lochs

We appear now to have two large households at number 33 and no reference to the 'Back Court'.

I do not know if the sixteen residents and one visitor were indeed squeezed together under one roof, reflecting the fifteen people at the address in 1861, but the presence of five who gave their occupation as 'Naval Reserve Man' is interesting. Did they have other occupations at this time or were they unemployed, for being in the Naval Reserve is not in itself a job. Possibly they were engaged in Naval duties at this time in which case it would be interesting to know if being billeted on families was typical. Yet more puzzles to be solved!

1901

Angus Maciver, 42, Spirit Dealer, 33 Keith St, b. Uig, Ross-shire

Mary Maciver, 42, Wife, b. Uig, Ross-shire

John Maciver, 14, Scholar, Son, b. Uig

Christina Maciver, 12, Scholar, Daughter, b. Uig

Catherine Ann Maciver, 3, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Margaret Mary Maciver, 1 month, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Finlay Smith, 32, Crofter, Brother, b. Barvas

Alexander Maclean, 42, Cooper, 33 Keith St, b. Stornoway

Mary Maclean, 42, Wife, b. Stornoway

Catherine Maclean, 9, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Maryann Maclean, 7, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

Alexander Duncan Maclean, 4, Scholar, Son, b. Stornoway

Flora Maclean, 3 months, Daughter, b. Stornoway

http://direcleit.blogspot.com/2010/04/coopers-of-stornoway.html

Mary Graham, 66, Head, 33 Keith St, b. Stornoway

Donald Nicolson, 42, Fisherman, Brother, b. Barvas

Angus Morrison, 43, Fisherman, Brother, b. Barvas

Norman Macdonald, 21, Fisherman, Brother, b. Barvas

Donald Macdonald, 28, Fisherman, Brother, b. Barvas

Our final list shows a return to the Spirit Dealing of 30 years previously. The Maciver family appear to have moved to the town from Uig at least three years earlier. I don't know if Finlay Smith was Mary Maclean's brother but it is interesting that one of the Uig-born Macivers had a Barvas-born brother.

On the subject of brothers, I would suggest that the four fishermen, with three different surnames, living at Mary Graham's were not in fact all brothers of hers, unless she had a particularly convoluted family history!

In conclusion, I hope that this rather long list of those associated with 33 Keith Street during a forty-year period has served, as suggested at the start, as an illustration several aspects of Stornoway and its people.

Oh, and if anyone can tell me what became of number 33 and 33 ½/Back Court I would love to know because as far as I can tell they have disappeared!

Stornoway's Only Other Millwright

Having looked at John Mclennan who was the Miller & Millwright at Stornoway Mill Stornoway Mill from 1851 until the mill burned down in 1890, I am now turning my attention to the second Millwright of Stornoway.

1851
John Munro, 29, Millwright, Nursery, Bayhead St, b. Pittenweem, Rossshire
Ann Munro, 30, Wife, b. Farr, Sutherland
Betty Munro, 3, Daughter, b. Stornoway
Jane Munro, 2, Daughter, b. Stornoway
Jane Mcpherson, 16, House Servant, b. Harris

1861
John Munro, 40, Millwright, South Beach Street, b. Parish of ?, Rossshire
Ann Munro, 44, Wife, b. Reay,  County of Sutherland
Betsy Munro, 13, Daughter, b. Stornoway
Jane Munro, 11, Daughter, b. Stornoway
Jemima Munro, 9, Daughter, b. Stornoway
Alexanderina Munro, 7, Daughter, b. Stornoway
Johanna Munro, 2, Daughter, b. Stornoway

1871
John Munro, 40, Millwright, Goathill Cottage and Farm House, b. Kitton, Ross-shire
Ann Munro, 50, Keeper at Dairy, Wife, b. Tongue, Sutherland
Jane Munro, 20, Assistant Dairy, Daughter, b. Stornoway
Alexanderia Munro, 16, Assists at Dairy, Daughter, b. Stornoway
Johanna Munro, 11, Scholar, Daughter, b. Stornoway

1881
John Munro, 59, Mill Wright, 18 South Beach St, b. Kiltearn, Ross-shire
Ann Munro, 60, Wife, b. Lairg, Sutherlandshire
Alexina Munro, 26, General Servant, b. Stornoway
Thomas Hardee, 31, Bank Accountant, Lodger, b. Glencoe, Argyllshire

The first question that arises has to be which Mill was John Munro associated with during this time? Stornoway only had the one grain mill and we know that John Mclennan was the Miller and Millwright there. However, the New Statistical Account informs us that the town also had a Carding Mill and a Saw Mill so perhaps it was at one, or even both, of these that Munro worked?

Looking at his addresses we see that in 1851 it was the Nursery, Bayhead, then South Beach Street in 1861, Goathill Cottage & Farm House in 1871 and finally 18 South Beach Street in 1881. Unfortunately this flitting around the town does nothing to aid us in identifying where these other two mills were located but perhaps they supply some clues although what follows is extremely tentative:

The 'Nursery, Bayhead' might refer to what later became 'Nursery Cottage', home to the Gardener & Forester in 1871? If so, I think it may place John Munro within the Castle grounds in 1851.
The move to South Beach Street could well reflect the need both for a larger house (the Munro's had 4 daughters by then) and to remain within easy reach of the Castle grounds?
'Goathill Cottage' is clearly shown on the 1st Edition OS 1" map of 1858 (as is the Mill on the Bayhead River which the later 6" map helpfully identifies as a Corn mill) and the family's move out of town and diversification into Dairy Farming is perhaps indicative that Millwrighting alone was insufficient to maintain them?
Finally, the return to South Beach Street by 1881 following, presumably, three of the daughters being married or working elsewhere, suggests that the Dairy Farm was probably insufficiently profitable to continue.

All things considered I think John Munro was probably more likely to have been associated with the Grain Mill at Gress Farm, or the later one at North Dell in Barvas, although in 1881 there was a Miller whose address 'Miller's House, Barvas Road, Stornoway' which is yet another mystery to be solved!

In 1841 there were some 195 people living in Mill Street, Stornoway including one of the town's seven Sawyers and six of the Parish's Hand Loom Weavers, including almost all of those who were resident in the town itself. Is it possible that the single waterwheel was used to power all three of the mills, or was it the case that in-between the writing of the New Statistical Account in the 1833 and either the 1841 Census, or certainly by the time that the 1858 map was being surveyed, the other two mills had ceased to function?

If all three were powered by the one wheel then the catastrophe of 28th February 1890 would explain why, with the exception of John Mclennan who in 1891 stayed-on at Mill House, we see no further records of any Millwrights in the town?

Update: Please see: http://direcleit.blogspot.com/2011/01/stornoway-harbour-surveyed-1846-by.html for an indication as to where and what John Munro was milling.

Stornoway Mill & Millers

The earliest reference I have is in Pigot's 1837 Directory where we are informed that 'If we except two rope-works, a distillery and a corn-mill, Stornoway derives no prosperity from manufactures...' and that the Millwright was William Latta of Stornoway mill.

1841
William Latta, 60, Miller, Mill St, b. Scotland
(Magaret Latta, 40, and a few servants are listed)

1851
John Mclennan, 30, Miller & Millwright, Stornoway Mill, Mid Glen, b. Contin, Ross
Mary Maclennan, 40, Wife, b. Lochwinnoch, Renfrew
Margaret Latta, 50, Aunt, b. Lochwinnoch, Renfrew
Roderick Morrison, 58, Mill Servant, b. Stornoway
Margaret Morrison, 30, House Servant, b. Barvas

1861 I can find neither John Mclennan, nor anyone else, at Stornoway Mill!

1871
John Mclennan, 49, Miller & Small Farmer, Mill House, b. Contin, Ross-shire
Mary Mclennan, 59, Wife, b. Lochwinnich, Renfrewshire
Mary Houston, 30, Housekeeper, Niece, b. Lochwinnoch
Ann Mcdonald, 12, Scholar, Niece, b. Contin, Ross-shire
Roderick Mckenzie, 31, Assistant Miller, b. Gairloch, Ross-shire
Donald Ross, 17, Farm Servant, b. Stornoway
William Mcdonald, 14, Cowherd, b. Stornoway
Barbara Kenzie, 26, General Servant, b. Stornoway

1881
John Mclennan, 59, Meal Miller & Farmer (15 acres arable land), Mill House, b. Contin, Ross-shire
Mary Mclennan, Wife, b. Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire
Annie Macdonald, 23, Niece, b. Contin
Peggy Finlayson, 20, General Servant (Domestic), b. Stornoway
John Macdonald, 19, Ploughman, b. Stornoway
Murdo MacPhail, 14, Herdboy, b. Lochs

1890 - mill destroyed by fire on 28th February

1891
John Maclennan, 70, Mill Wright Farmer, Mill house, b. Contin
Mary Campbell, 78, Wife, b. Lochwinnoch
Mary Maclennan, 78, Wife, b. Lochwinnoch
Angus Maclean, 17, Farm Servant, b. Uig, Ross
Jessie Mackenzie, 30, Domestic Servant, b. Gairloch, Ross

1901
(John Matheson, 39, Farmer, Mill House, b. Dingwall, Rossshire, his Wife and 4 children plus)
(John Maclennan, 80, Retired Miller, Uncle, b. Dingwall)

I think we can be confident that for at least the period 1851-1891 the Miller was John Mclennan from Contin, a Nephew of Margaret Latta, the Wife of our first Miller, William Latta. In retirement, John was still resident at the Mill House, the Head of the Household being his own Nephew, John Matheson from Dingwall.

More information on Stornoway Mill, including a project to restore the Waterwheel, can be seen here: http://www.stornowayamenitytrust.co.uk/waterwheel_home.asp

Servants, Tradesmen, Wages, etc

There are a set of country regulations framed in the baron-bailie court, (the only court of justice in the parish) by which the wages of a single male servant, (here called scalag) employed in the business of the farm, were, some time ago, fixed at 21. a year, with four pair of shoes; and of women servants employed in the same work, at 6 merks Scotch, with two pair shoes, and other small perquisites or gratuities, as they may merit at the hands of the employer.

Grieves, herdsmen, grass-keepers, dairywomen, and chambermaids, may have double or triple these wages, according to the extent of their respective charges. However, these regulations have gradually fallen into disuse, and the wages of servants of every denomination have been on the rife for some years past. Some of the gentlemen's grieves have from 51. to 61. and upwards, with perquisites ; and the single scalags will not engage themselves in service farther than for three quarters of the year, desirous to be free in the summer quarter to undertake kelp manufacture, or any job which chance may put in their way, so that their annual earnings, besides seeding themselves, may be rated at something more than 3l. at an average.

In summer the gentlemen employ some hands as day-labourers, when any piece of work is to be carried on separate from the ordinary work of the farm, such as building houses or making dykes. In such ease, a common barrow man, or common dyker, has, without victuals, from 8 d. to 9 d. per day, and a more able hand 10 d.

There is only one bred mason in the country, (and he not a native) who has 1s. 6d. in the long day, and 1 s. when he works in winter. All other tradesmen, such as brogue-makers, taylors, carpenters, are fed by the employer in his house; notwithstanding which, their charges are as high as they ought reasonably to be, even though they fed themselves. Weavers are paid in meal for their work.

The parish blacksmith has a salary rated at a pecks meal, or 1s. in money from every farthing land, and is besides fed when employed. There are four other blacksmiths in the country, who contrive to make out a poor livelyhood by chance employ.

There is one bred shoemaker who serves the gentlemen's families. The country leather is poorly tanned with the juice of the tormentile root, and made into brogues for the servants and low tenantry.

There are now 6 sloops (some time ago there were 9) employed in the kelp trade, fishing, and other merchandise; for these hands are occasionally procured in the country. As their insular situation renders the sea in a manner their element, all the inhabitants on the sea-cost are, in some degree, mariners. There is one cooper in constant employ with an apprentice. Of those who are occasionally employed as house or boat carpenters, the number exceeds 20, but most of them are also farmers.

Of spinsters and weavers, the number is almost equal to that of householders, among the lower class of people, whose wives and daughters both spin and weave their wool into coarse cloths for the use of the family, and a few blankets for sale. There are besides 8 bred weavers who depend on employ from the gentlemen's families.

All the gentlemen have gardens, producing cabbages, sallads, parsnips, carrots, &c. Turnips and onions rarely thrive, owing to a worm, generated in the hot sandy soil, which corrodes them in their progress towards maturity. These gardens are managed under the inspection of the owner, by some of the farm servants. They begin to raise a few small fruits.

Reverend Mr John Macleod describing Harris in 'The Statistical Account of Scotland' 1794 (which can be read here )

The account given is so complete as to render a commentary superfluous so I have limited myself to merely providiing the following notes that may assist the reader in interpreting the (thankfully few!) more obscure references:

Notes: A merk, after 1681, was 14 shillings (having previously been 2/3rds of a pound I.e. 13s 4d ) so '6 merks Scotch' was 84 shillings or £4 4shillings. This is more than twice what the men were being paid (2£), and even after taking into account the men receiving twice as many pairs of shoes appears somewhat surprising?

Scottish Money

1 pistole	=	12 pounds
1 half pistole	=	6 pounds
1 dollar	=	4 merks
	=	56 shillings
1 pound / £	=	20 shillings
1 merk	=	14 shillings
1 half merk	=	7 shillings
1 quarter merk	=	3 shillings, 6 pence
1 shilling / s.	=	12 pence
1 bawbee	=	6 pence
1 turner or bodle	=	2 pence
1 pence / d.

'Tormentile' is probably Common Tormentil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Tormentil (Potentilla erecta syn. Tormentilla erecta, Potentilla tormentilla) which dyes leather Red.

I am unsure of the meaning of 'bred' in the context of the mason, shoemaker and weavers who are so-described but wonder if it was a shortened form of 'well-bred'?