A letter from Hector Maclean of Crowlista, serving in the Transvaal, South Africa, to his sister Annie in Glasgow in 1902. Hector died in South Africa early in 1903 of fever – more of which shortly. SAC Station Draaifontein 278 20.9.02 My dear sister, Received your welcome Letter, glad to see you were well and also that you enjoyed yourself so well when on your holidays. Had a letter from home today and was glad to hear of Mother’s safe arrival and seems to have [ » read more ]

An further extract from the unpublished memoirs of Rev Col AJ Mackenzie, born Kinlochresort in 1887.  Here he tells of how the family came to be at Kinlochresort, and also how they left it for the gamekeeper’s house at Uig Lodge.  His account of the pleasures of Traigh Uig is here. My father was a gamekeeper who worked on the Gruinard Estate (Wester Ross). It happened he had made the acquaintance of two brothers named Paget who were impressed with his qualities both as a [ » read more ]

An extract from the unpublished memoirs of Rev Col AJ Mackenzie, son of the gamekeeper Roderick Mackenzie.  AJ was born in 1887 in Kinlochresort and moved with his family to the keeper’s house at Uig Lodge, where he began at Crowlista School. In May 1892 after the spring holidays, I began my formal education. I had never been at school before except for one day at Kinlochresort when my mother sent me with the other boys thinking I would be happier at school, than alone [ » read more ]

An account, from the Gaelic, by Christina MacDonald, 25 Crowlista, of her memories of packing the barrels at the herring industry.  The picture above is of unidentified Lewis girls at the herring in an unknown port. See the original Gaelic version here. When you went to the herring for the first time, you had to be signed on with a curer. The curer would give us one pound to secure our services that was called a pledge. The first place I went was the Island [ » read more ]

Seo mar a dh’innis Cairistiona Dhòmhnallach, 25 Crabhlastadh mar a bhiodh i a dol chun an iasgaich na h-oige. See the English translation here. Nuair a bhiodh sinn a dol a dh’fhalbh chun a Sgadain airson a’ chiad uair dh’fheumadh sinn an toiseach Màighstear a lorg. ‘S e clann-nighean eile a bhiodh a dèanamh sin dhuinn. Bha sinne deònach falbh nan gabhadh e sinn ach dh’fheumadh sinn innseadh nach robh sinn a muigh a riamh. Nan gabhadh e sinn a1 falbh le ainm an fhir [ » read more ]

Teacher:  Mrs Catherine Finlayson, Ardroil Back:  Donald Maciver 8 Crowlista Catherine Ann Macfarlane Balnacille Manse Rachael Mackay 4 Timsgarry Peter M Matheson 24 Crowlista Front: Agnes Macfarlane Bailenacille Manse Jessie Matheson 24 Crowlista Alex M Matheson 24 Crowlista Anna Finlayson 1 Ardroil Dinah Macfarlane Bailenacille Manse.

Late 1940s. Donald Alec Matheson 22 Crowlista Alexander Macleod 13 Crowlista Alex George Macleod 13 Crowlista Roderick Maclean 8 Timsgarry Murdo Nicolson 1 Crowlista Donald Maclean 15 Crowlista  

Dol’ol at the loom (photo by John Blair).  From an article for Uig News by Dave Roberts: After the First World War there were ex-servicemen who had lost a hand, and one of the reasons for introducing the Hattersley domestic semi-automatic treadle powered loom to the island, was to give them an opportunity to make a living for themselves.  Originally designed for the Balkans, Turkey and Greece, these looms eventually caught on for everyone in Lewis and Harris, because of the superior speed of cloth [ » read more ]

From the Stornoway Gazette, 16 March 1951; a report of a public meeting in Uig, ending with an indication of the state of the economy in 1951, compared to the ‘fat’ war years. Wool Scheme Opposed:– A meeting of West Uig crofters was held at Crowlista P School to discuss the wool marketing scheme.  It was the most representative gathering for years, and crofters from all the scattered hamlets of this wide district defied the elements and the darkness in order to be present and [ » 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 ]

After Rev Alexander Macleod and the entire congregation left the established Church in 1843 for the Free Church, the manse at Baile na Cille was vacant for nearly two years. In 1845, David Watson, a native of Croy, educated in Aberdeen, was received as a probationer and required to preach in Uig on 16 February 1845, although on account of the difficulty in obtaining a ferry from Callanish to Uig (the whole area being strongly “Free”) he preached on 4 March at the house of the [ » read more ]

More from John Blair – at the sheep, c1980.

Letter to the Gazette, 5 May 1921: Sir – I observed in your columns the other week an interesting article re the origin of the Clan Macaulay and Lord Macaulay’s ancestors. We have no definite historical proof that the Macaulays are of a Scandinavian origin. The name Macaulay is admittedly pure Norse, also their appearance favours their Norse origins. Some students of Macaulay History maintain they came from the north of Ireland, and settled in Uig, Lewis. Based, no doubt, on the assumption that in [ » read more ]

As we’re in Crowlista… thanks to Donald and Cathie Mary for the list of names. Teachers Miss Ann Macdonald Stornoway and Mrs Catherine Finlayson Ardroil. Back: 1. Iain Morrison Brenish (Dola) 2. Chris-Ann Maclean Brenish 3. Pat Matheson 4 Ardroil 4. Joan Maclean Brenish 5. Chrissie M Matheson 4 Ardroil 6. Jessie Margaret Maclean Brenish 7. Ann Macaulay Brenish 8. Catherine Campbell Mission House, Brenish 9. Margaret Ann Morrison 13 Mangersta 10. Malina Morrison Brenish Middle: 11. Margaret Joan Morrison Brenish 12. Malcolm Macaulay Brenish [ » read more ]

Mòran taing to John Blair for sending a superb collection of photos from Crowlista and the fanks – this is just a taster.