Isle Ornsay, Skye, 17 May 1883 - Malcolm Macpherson

MALCOLM MACPHERSON, Mason, Kilmore (45)—examined.

5113. The Chairman.
—Have you a croft ?
—My mother has a half croft.

5114. Do you also appear for Ferrindonald ?
—Yes.

5115. Have you been freely elected a delegate by the greater part of the people ?
—By all the township. The people of both townships were present,

5116. Have you any statement to submit on the part of the crofters ?
— Yes. '
Kilmore.
This township consists of six lots; two are held by one 1 tenant, two hold entire lots, and four subdivided lots. The same complaint of holdings being too little prevails, though not to the same extent. At present they hold a certain extent of hill pasture, but about eleven years ago they were deprived of a large piece. It was proposed and agreed to that Malcolm Macpherson be appointed a delegate from Kilmore.

Ferrindonald.
—This township consists of nine lots in all. The whole 1 was about sixteen years ago thrown into one farm, the occupants of which were removed to different townships. Fifteen families were so removed. Two lots of the nine are now held by four families, who complain that they have too little. Three of these families state that they, three years ago, were, contrary to their wishes, removed from the township of Carradale to their present holdings. It was proposed and agreed to that Donald Beaton and Alexander M'Gillivray be appointed delegates from Ferrindonald.

5117. Have you any additional statement to make, speaking first of Kilmore ?
—The smallness of our holdings. The Kilmore people complain of the scantiness of their land.

5118. You are to state things which, as much as possible, are not in the written memorandum ?
—I do not think we have anything to complain of other than what is written.

5119. Sheriff Nicolson.
—Where were the people who were occupants of Ferrindonald fifteen years ago removed to ?
—-Soine of them were sent to Stonefield, some others to Saasaig.

5120. Why were they removed?
—To make room for one of those who were sent to Ferrindonald. I am speaking about the two lots which the man got who was put in upon us.

5121. Was not Ferrindonald made into a farm then1?
—When Ferrindonald was cleared, one of its families was put into our township. Four families at least were removed out of Kilmore for that one family.

5122. Who got the farm of Ferrindonald ?
—Macpherson, who was then manager at Armadale,

5123. Who has it now?
—His sons.

5124. What rent do you pay yourself?
—£2, 12s. bare rent for half a croft.

5125. What is your summing ?
—Two cows; and one horse is allowed to the whole croft, and I keep that horse.

5126. Do you find it sufficient to feed the two cows?
—No.

5127. Have you any hill pasture ?
—Yes.

5128. Do you keep sheep ?
—Yes, a few—five; and some have more than that.

5129. What rent do the others pay ?
—They are all the same rent.

5130. £2, 12s. ?
—That is for a half lot,

5131. Are they better off with you or at Ferrindonald ?
—Well, I don't know.

5132. What is the general rent at Ferrindonald?
—£3, 6s. and £3, 5s. the half lot.

5133. Why were the lots at Kilmore divided?
—They were divided before I was born.

5134. Was your father there before you ?
—Yes.

5135. Had he only half a lot ?
—I think he had a whole lot, but he gave the half to his brother.

5136. Mr Fraser-Mackintosh.
—Do you know Donald Beaton, your co-delegate ?
—Yes.

5137. How long is it since he entered his croft?
—About three years.

5138. Who was there before him?
—The man who got the village after it was cleared was there before him.

5139. Was he a stranger ?
—Not that I am aware of. Donald was taken from Carradale to Ferrindonald.

5140. In whose place did he go to Ferrindonald?
—The tenant of Ferrindonald gave two lots to this man who came from Carradale. Three came from Carradale, and the three have two lots between them.

5141. But whose possession in Ferrindonald did Donald Beaton come into ?
—One of the township lots.

5142. Whose ?
—The ground officer had that croft before Macpherson

5143. I did not ask about Macpherson ; I asked about Beaton
—There was nobody in the lot before him when he came. One man had the township, and he gave up two lots to the township.

5144. Who gave up two lots ?
—Macpherson.

5145. Who was Macpherson ?
—The man who had Ferrindonald.

5146. Do you know that Donald Beaton paid any money when he entered into that croft ?
—No, not to get into that place; but he desired to tell that he was paying money for the croft which he had before he came to Ferrindonald. That was land he had in Carradale. His predecessor in the lot which he got in Carradale was £16 in arrears.

5147. And Beaton paid that to get in
—Yes ; he has now paid it all but a small sum, and he paid a little of it since he came to Ferrindonald.

5148. Was the person whose arrears he was paying up any relative ?
— I am not aware that he was. The party was a widow.

5149. Have you ever heard of any other case where the crofter has had to pay the arrears of his predecessor before getting in ?
—That was common. It was common to ask that.

5150. Will you instance one or two cases ?
—I know it was the rule, but I cannot very well mention cases. I know that the factor was demanding the arrears from the incoming tenant.

5151. How long ago did this occur with Beaton? Who was the factor?
—I think it was Tormore.

5152. That must have been within a few years ?
—I don't remember very well.

5153. Professor MacKinnon.
—I understand Ferrindonald was cleared entirely sixteen years ago. By whom ?
—By Corrie.

5154. Who got it ?
—Archibald Macpherson.

5155. Who was he ?
—He was Lord Macdonald's manager at that time.

5156. Was it cleared by the factor to make room for the manager
— Yes.

5157. And then, shortly afterwards, this manager cut off two crofts for the people sent away from Carradale?
—Yes.

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