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 ]

Memories of the shieling and the village he left behind – written by Donald Maclennan, Dòmhnall Mhurchaidh Dhòmhnaill a Sguthair, 24 Valtos, who emigrated to America. A h-uile latha chì ‘s nach fhaic ‘S a h-uile latha chì sinn Deoch-slàinte mo chaileag nì mi òl A h-uile latha chì sinn Ag cuallach bhò air cùl nam beann Gu cridheil, bàidheil, sunndach Bha Sìne, ‘s Seonag ‘s Oighrig ann ‘S mo Mhàiri laghach bhòidheach. Bu shona bha mi là ‘s dh’oidhche Nam shìneadh ri gach nìghneag [ » read more ]

Photo by rojabro. This isn’t strictly an Uig tale, though one episode takes place on the Flannans, and there is a suggestion that Macpherson may be the grandfather of Kenneth Macpherson the catechist from Bayhead, who married Ann Smith from Strome and Valtos and lived in Ness.   It’s offered in the hope that someone may be able to shed some light on the story, identify the house of the Misses Crighton, confirm or (more likely) dismiss the connections to the Bayhead family, or identify the source, [ » read more ]

Sandy Smith 9 Kneep and Iain Mackenzie (mac Anna Dhòmhnaill ‘ain Shaighdear) 6 Kneep and USA, c1933.

A large number of Lewismen settled in Duluth, Minnesota in the 1870s and 1880s, many becoming prominent citizens in the town. The first was William L Maclennan (1834-1888), son of Donald Maclennan. This family seems to have originated in Kintail or Lochalsh; in 1841 Donald was a shepherd in Bunavoneadar, Harris, and soon thereafter became a small tenant at Kinlochresort, Uig. The family emigrated to Bruce County, Ontario in the 1850s. The following appeared in the Stornoway Gazette in the 1940s: It is uncertain who [ » read more ]