The Uig Landscape Project (Durham University) is looking at sites around Crowlista, including the old settlement of Bereiro at the head of Traigh na Sruban. The last inhabitant of Bereiro was Donald Matheson, born about 1794, who was a Hudson’s Bay man, returned to Uig, and emigrated again in 1834.

The Hudson’s Bay Company was founded in 1670 by King Charles to exploit the natural resources of the North American Colonies, notably around Hudson’s Bay in northern Canada (as it was to become).  Orkney is famously a source of HBC men but Lewis too sent many sons to spend a few years, or a lifetime, in the challenging conditions.  An article in the Stornoway Gazette in the 1940s reports that “they preferred to recruit men for their service in the Isle of Lewis, as Lewismen [ » read more ]

The following was written by Maggie Smith for Hebridean Connections.  The genealogies of all the known inhabitants of the island of Vuia – uninhabited since 1841 – can be found here. Life on the island of Vuia Mhòr was hard, with little fertile land and no safe anchorage. The peats were cut and harvested in Drovinish and taken home by rowing boat or sail. Boats had to be beached after each fishing trip. Amongst the inhabitants were the family of Neil Macleod, who had found [ » read more ]

Further to the previous item about WJ Maclean of Gisla, who was a Chief Trader with the Hudson’s Bay Company:  an account of the one Christmas he and his family spent at Fort Pitt before it was burned to the ground in April 1885.  This is from an article by W Bleasdell Cameron in The Beaver, December 1945. Christmas was coming to old Fort Pitt on the North Saskatchewan, still in that year of 1884 an outpost of the white man’s civilisation, and preparations were [ » read more ]

We’ve mentioned before the story of William “Big Bear” Maclean, who was born in Scaliscro in 1837 and, after his family moved to Gisla, went on to an eventful career with the Hudson’s Bay Company in Canada.  His HBC record has recently come to light (thanks to Donald Macaulay, Stornoway) and it gives much more detail of his positions and stations. 1859        Sailed for York Factory on the Prince of Wales 1859-61  Apprentice Clerk, York Factory, York District 1861-63  Apprentice Clerk, Lower [ » read more ]

Fearchar (Farquhar) Macdonald, son of Angus, was about born about 1809 at Capadal, roughly on the site of 3 Ardroil. In 1832 he joined the Hudson’s Bay Company, as a “slooper” – a crewman on HBC decked vessels.  According to the Company’s personal records, he boarded the Prince Rupert IV on 23 June 1832 for a passage from London to York Factory, on the west shore of the bay, where he arrived on 24 August.  He worked at York until 1834, travelled overland to Fort [ » read more ]

O an strì ann an tìr a phailteis, O am fallas, o am fuachd, Cha robh cùisean mar bha dùil seo idir Le olc is aingidheachd is cruas. – Tìr a Phailteis, Calum Martin The Megantic Outlaw, Donald Morrison, is a folk hero in Quebec and Uig alike and his story is well-known on both sides of the Atlantic. The ruins of his grandfather’s blackhouse can still be seen in Kneep, on the hillside behind the machair and Loch nan Cuilc, but the family left [ » read more ]

The National Film Board of Canada has just launched an extraordinary website with hundreds of clips from 90 years of film-making in Canada. So far I’m not finding anything specifically Hebridean, but here’s a full-length dramatisation of the settling of the prairies, featuring a family from Montreal that takes a new farm in Saskatchewan in 1907 and encounters (every last one of) the misfortunes that no doubt hit Hebridean settlers there as well. Spot the dodgy Scottish accent, and one real one. Dir. Don Haldane, [ » read more ]

Family home from Canada for a visit to Geshader. Dolina (or Ina), #3, married Duncan Macleod from Embo, Sutherland in Toronto in 1921 and lived in Vancouver; they came home for good after WW2.  Ina, Christina and Catriona were three of the five daughters of Effie and Angus. Back: 1. Christina Morrison (nee Macritchie) with Murdo, 1 Ungeshader (wife of Calum Sunndach, Ungeshader) 2. Catriona Macritchie 9 Geshader 3. Dolina Macleod (nee Macritchie), back from Vancouver Middle: 4. Effie Macritchie 9 Geshader (born 1859) with grandson Angus Morrison, 1 Ungeshader 5. Angus Macritchie 9 [ » read more ]

Donald Maciver was born in Crowlista in 1857, son of John Maciver, the Gaelic schoolmaster and missionary, and they lived in Ness and then South Lochs.  Donald also became a teacher, at Lemreway (see the school log), Breasclete and latterly Bayble. The family had come from Carnish, just across the sands, which had been cleared in the early 1850s.  Donald would spend a lot of time in Crowlista with his maiden aunts, Mary, Ann and Effie, who were very enterprising.  Effie used to take a [ » read more ]

In 1851, at least six emigrant ships took Lewismen to Canada:  the Marquis of Stafford (500 passengers), the Barlow (287), the Wolfeville (69), the Prince George (203), the Islay (68) and the Urgent (370).  In 1852, the Blanche (453) and the Melissa (330) followed.  The first port of call after crossing the sea was usually Quebec City and many proceeded from there to the Eastern Townships of Quebec, but some continued on to Upper Canada and settled in Bruce County on the shores of Lake [ » read more ]

By Peggy Eiric Maciver, Kneep; an elegy for Iain Morrison, son of Angus Morrison of 13 Reef who was a policeman in London. Iain emigrated to Canada and was killed in a mining accident in 1970. Marbhrann air Iain Moireasdan, Uig agus Lunnainn, a chaochail an Canada. Iain ‘s mòr an àmhghair rinn do bhàs a chur mu’n cuairt ‘Nuair thig guth a’ bhàis chan ‘eil càil a bheir air buaidh Dha do bhràthair ‘s do phàrantan bha am buille cràiteach cruaidh ‘Na d’òige leis [ » read more ]

A further entry from the 1851 Diary of John Munro Mackenzie, enumerating his difficulties in getting the emigrants away.  They sailed first for Troon, and thence for Quebec.  It seems the Marquis of Stafford that took them to Canada was a steamer, unless the reference here refers to another boat that transfered them to Troon first (although when she first arrived in Loch Roag, Mackenzie records being on board the Marquis.) Tuesday 20 May Arrived at the Port of Ness at 3am having had rather a [ » read more ]

On TB Day, 18 June 1929, TB Macaulay of the Sun Life Assurance Company, Montreal, visited Valtos and was presented with an illuminated address by Rev Malcolm Maclennan, on behalf of the people of Uig.  Rev Maclennan gave a speech, and TB followed, as reported by the Gazette: Mr Macaulay, acknowledging the presentations, said it was not an easy thing to reply to such an address as he had been listening to, and to express his thanks for such as welcome as they had been kind [ » read more ]

Pic: some of the worthies of Uig and Stornoway at the ceremony. TB Macaulay, president of the Sun Life Assurance Company of Montreal and descendent of the Macaulays of Uig, visited Lewis in the summer of 1929 to open the new Municipal Buildings in Stornoway (replacing those destroyed in the fire of 1918) and to continue various development projects he had already begun, including the co-operative Macaulay Farm at Arnish. They arrived on 15 June and stayed at Lews Castle as guests of the community, [ » read more ]