Mangersta, like most occupied townships in Lewis, was relotted in 1849, with 15 crofts laid out and tenancies and rents allocated. Here we give the full tenant list for 1849-50, with tenancy and family changes up to the (voluntary) clearing of the village in 1872, when the people went mostly to Doune Carloway.
Read more →The late 1840s were years of desperation in Lewis (as elsewhere), with much of the population near to starvation and dependent on ‘destitution meal’ from the Proprietor, Sir James Matheson, who according to the Poor Law Act of 1845 was obliged to do something about his famished tenants. Weakened, overcrowded and in many cases without [...]
Read more →Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School Mangersta School 1936 Share
Read more →This list from 1819 is the Carnish element of the “List of all persons from 12 years and upwards in the Parish of Uig, distinguishing such as have been educated, from the unlearned.” *A note indicates that Anne Gillies lives in a bothy. Carnish in 1819 Name Educated, 12+ years Uneducated, 12+ yrs [...]
Read more →Carnish was lotted in 1850 and several new crofts were established, some for tenants from the recently-cleared Erista. It was gradually cleared itself during the 1850s. The following table from the Estate papers gives the heads of families and their rent. No. Tenant Rent Remarks 1 Kenneth Buchanan, Erista £ 3.7.0 New land in the [...]
Read more →Carnish tenants with their rents and accumulated arrears in 1824; from Seaforth lists. Tenant Rent Arrears Widow Norman Macleod £ 8.8.0 £ 25.18.4 Donald Mackay £ 5.13.0 £ 16.19.1 Murdo Macleod £ 8.8.0 £ 22.18.9 Angus Macleod £ 5.12.9 £ 20.7.6 Murdo Morrison £ 8.8.0 £ 23.13.3 Kenneth Nicolson £ 5.12.9 £ 10.6.7 John Macarthur [...]
Read more →From a statement lodged with the Crofters Commission by the Estate management in November 1888, showing alterations made over farms in Lewis, with the occupancy and rent of each during the period 1844-1888. Mealista, Keannhusly and Island Mealista 1844-49 Alex and John MacRae £80.0.0 1850 do. £105.0.0 1860 do. £120.0.0 1870 John Mitchell £130.0.0 1886-87 [...]
Read more →[singlepic=1083,387] Abhainn Dearg, the new whisky from Uig, will not be whisky until 2011 but thanks to the intrepid Leodhaisiach Mike Donald and his colleagues, a small cask of the new spirit is lying cosseted in a cellar in Glasgow. MacSorley’s Music Bar on Jamaica Street will be the venue for a tasting of the [...]
Read more →[singlepic=586,327] From an article by Dave Roberts with Norman Macaulay, John Macdonald and Donald Maciver. In the Seaforth Muniments, there are letters in which various people had recognized the need for a safe anchorage for the larger boats in Camus Uig. Representations were made to the Fisheries Board, and a plan and specification were prepared in [...]
Read more →From Uig, A Hebridean Parish, by HA Moisley and the Geographical Field Group, 1960. The crofting population of Uig started the second half of the nineteenth century with far less land than had been occupied by their forebears fifty years before, and, although famine, clearance and emigration had slightly reduced the population between 1841 and [...]
Read more →From Sanais, 1988, with some additions.
The first school in the Western Isles was founded shortly after 1610, when the Seaforth Mackenzies gained possession of the island, and in 1680, a report by ‘Indweller’ says that the Seaforth school had done much good, not only for Lewis but also for the adjacent isles. Other schools followed.
Read more →A series of articles on the Old Soldiers of Uig appeared in the Comann Eachdraidh Uig publication, Sanais, in the 1980s, from which this is an extract. John Munro, Iain Mac a’ Mhinisteir, was the only son of the Rev Hugh Munro, minister at Bailenacille for fifty years; a son of the manse with a [...]
Read more →Thanks to Murdag, and to Finlay for the identification. Share
Read more →Many thanks once again to Robin Forrest for providing these wonderful, and previously unknown to us, pictures of Uig in 1964-65, taken by his father Sam Forrest on Land Court business. Some things have changed… some have not! Share
Read more →William Matheson, Mac Gille Chaluim, wrote extensively of his own family in Uig: Malcolm Matheson [a younger son of Donald Ruadh (or Ban) Matheson, of Kneep and Valtos] known as Calum Ruadh or Calum Mòr, was tenant in Carnish when John Nicolson was tacksman. In his time the population of the townlands of Uig was [...]
Read more →From an article in Uig News by Dave Roberts. It appears that shielings were constructed so that one airigh could easily be seen from another, but it is said that very often the girls from a number of shielings would sleep in one building for company. The ancient shieling grounds for Brenish, Islivig and Mangersta were [...]
Read more →This week the Comann Eachdraidh was pleased to welcome Mr and Mrs Jack Duncan from Michigan, USA, on their first visit to Uig. Jack is the great grandson of “An Irish”, Calum Macritchie, a well-known character in his day and one of the leaders of the Reef Raiders in 1913. Jack’s grandparents were Tarmod an Irish and [...]
Read more →Mac an Irish, a dance and pipe tune (click for more; music courtesy of Sven Axelsson) was evidently written about a son of “An Irish”, Calum Macritchie (b1845) of Carnish, Aird, Kneep and Reef, and the eldest of the Reef Raiders. He wasn’t Irish of course, but so called as he was always a rebel. We don’t know which son is the Mac [...]
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 [...]
Read more →All identified now, thanks to Dolly. Teacher Babag Smith, Carishader Back: 1. Neil Morrison Brenish 2. Dolly Norma Morrison 12 Ardroil 3. Kathleen Morrison Mangersta 4. Chrissie M Matheson Ardroil 5. Catherine Macdonald 3 Ardroil 6. Nan Matheson Ardroil 7. Angus M Montgomery Islivig (Monty) Front: 8. DJ Montgomery Islivig 9. Flora Shaw Carnish 10. Lena Matheson Ardroil 11. [...]
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