George Gillies, residing at Grista [Erista], and John Maclean, residing at Fimisgarry [Timsgarry], in the parish of Uig and Island of Lewis, accused of having broken into the parish church of Uig, and stolen therefrom a waterproof coat, some carpenters’ tools, and a pane of glass, pleaded not guilty.
Read more →Donald Macdonald, Geshader and Timsgarry, was mentioned in Dispatches in March 1919 and awarded the Distinguished Service Medal as a result of an incident in the Channel.
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 →Colin Ian Maclean (Cailean Ruaraidh Phadraig) was born in 1927 in Crowlista and brought up at 8 Timsgarry. He was minister of the Church of Scotland charge of Trinidad, Port of Spain: Greyfriars and St Ann’s at the time of the laying of this foundation stone for this new building at Arouca.
Read more →The renowned naturalist William MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen in 1796 and studied and worked most of his life there or in Edinburgh, but he had a Harris connection through his father and spent much of his childhood at Northton in South Harris (where the MacGillivray Centre now bears his name). As a young man, [...]
Read more →[singlepic=637,,386] Many thanks to Donald J Macleod of Enaclete and Bridge of Don for his research into the fishing boats of Uig. He adds that these boats used lines and not trawls to catch white fish. It was the end of March and beginning of April that was known as the ‘Hungry month’ in Gaelic [...]
Read more →The pressmen get their snaps – Lewisfolk provide a little colour Stornoway Gazette, 21 Jan 1944 American press photographers visited the vicinity of St Pauls on Hogmanay to pick up a few colourful pictures of New Year celebrations in London. A group of Lewisfolk gave them their best ‘shots’ of the evening when Pipers Findlater [...]
Read more →[singlepic=1043,338] John Nicholson 3 Crowlista, Peter Angus Maclean 8 Timsgarry; and a Macdonald from 5 Crowlista. Can anyone identify the ladies, or where this is taken?
Read more →A village of 8 crofts in the central part of West Uig, overlooking Uig Sands. It adjoins the old (and now deserted) township of Erista and the church and glebe lands at Baile na Cille. It was cleared to extend the Glebe in the 1820s and also to create a farm: the farmhouse was Taigh [...]
Read more →Thanks to Roddy Maclean for the scans and Donald Maciver for the names. Those marked * are still living in 2009. To see the full size images, you need to enable javascript in your browser. Back Row: 1. Alexander Macleod Crowlista 2. *Malcolm J Macleod 8 Aird 3. John A Maciver 10 Crowlista (later 8 [...]
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 →The first two are evidently the same excursion, to Tiumpan Head. Thanks to Murdina for the photos and to Finlay and Katie Mary and others for the identification (click through for the detail) … still some gaps to fill. These and a few others have been added to the Excursions Gallery.
Read more →[singlepic=199,500,333] 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.
Read more →David Watson was ordained as minister of Uig in 1845 but as the congregation had mostly migrated to the Free Church, his Church remained largely empty. He was at odds with the people and the estate, as the following notes in the 1851 diary (published by Acair) of the Chamberlain John Munro Mackenzie attest: Thursday [...]
Read more →The Dewar Commission, charged with investigating the state of medical provision in the Highlands and Islands, interviewed, amongst others, John Macrae (Seonnaidh Mòr), the farmer at Timsgarry, on 12 October 1912 at Garynahine. The questions are put by the chairman, Sir John Dewar MP. You have three nurses in the parish, and the nuring is [...]
Read more →On the day in November 1913 when the Reef Raiders drove the stock from Reef Farm, the local Constable made the following report (the list doesn’t correspond exactly to the men identified in the photo): Charge, Breach of the Peace Police Station Miavaig, 28th November 1913 Sir, I beg to report to you that between [...]
Read more →Dolly Doctor, in Tales and Traditions, tells of the wreck of a ship at Carnish in 1775. In the picture Sgeir an Iaruinn is the small island in the middle of the picture, with Shielibhig in the distance on the far left. All night the people round Uig Bay had listened to the cries of woe [...]
Read more →Uig Community Shop has just opened a new extension; the picture shows the arrangements in August 1981, with Calum Ruadh at the manual pumps. Thanks to Carol Wallis (waiting by the car) for the photo.
Read more →The house at 1 Timsgarry, the oldest whitehouse (taigh geal) in Uig, was originally Ciosamul Schoolhouse (Taigh Sgoile Chiosamuil), and one of the first teachers ca.1796 was John Macaskill, a relation of Janet Macaskill, wife of Rev Hugh Munro. John later emigrated to Cape Breton. Subsequently it was Timsgarry Farmhouse, occupied by first Mitchells and then Macraes. In [...]
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