|
THE MACNEILLS OF BARRA
AND ITS PEOPLE.
The modern
description of the estate of Barra as contained in the last
MacNeill's titles ran thus—
"All and whole my
lands and estate of Barra, comprehending the particular lands and
others following, viz., the Island of Barra comprehending the rooms
and lands of Skirsall, Oligarry, Kilibar, Neil, Vaslinclead, Grin,
Quire, Allistill, Balnacraig, Huron, Tangistill ; with the Islands
of Watersay, Passay, Mingilay, Sandray, Bernera, and Friday; also
haul other little islands thereto belonging, with rnilns, iniln
lands, multures and sequels thereof; and tiends, parsonage, and
vicarage of the said lands, so far as the proprietor had right
thereto, and with woods, fishings, grazings, sheillings, mosses,
muirs, meadows, and hail parts, pendicles, and pertinents of the
said lands vhatsomevcr, all lying within the parish of Barra and
Sheriffdom of Inverness."
This description may
be contrasted with an ancient one which ran thus, establishing that
the MacNeills at one time also possessed the southern part of South
Uist, viz.—
"All and whole the
lands of Barray, Watersay, Sandray, Phappy, Migillay, Berneray, the
Isles of Ferray and Killigilt, and hail remanant lands and islands
adjacent to the said Isle of Barray, called the Pennicle Isles of
Barray and all and whole the lands called Tirrung of Degastill,
lying in South Uist, and of old occupied by Macniel of Barray,
Tirrungs of Finday, Kilbarry, Niclein, Grangeburrow, the Tirrung of
Kelles and Hannugastill, with the Castle of Keismill; and all and
sundry other castles, towers, fortalices, manor places, mills,
woods, fishings, tofts, crofts, muirs, marshes, islands, lochs,
pasturages, parts, pendicles, annexis, connexis, and pertinents
thereof whatsomever, pertaining to the said Isles of Barray and
remanent isles above specified, or possessed by the said Macniel,
all lying within the Sheriffdom of Inverness, and now united,
annexed, and incorporated in ane haill and free barony called the
barony of Barray."
The MacNeill family
are of great antiquity, allowing largely for such ridiculous
exaggeration, such as that there were 33 Roderick MacNeills in
succession. The first known as having a charter was named Gilleonan,
found in 1427, but his father's name Roderick, and grandfather's
Murdoch, are also recorded. Besides making a good appearance in the
field as fighting men, the MacNeills were, as might be expected,
quite at home on the sea and a terror to all their neighbours. In
1745 the chief would have joined Prince Charles were he not led and
dominated by his superior, Sir Alexander Macdonald of Sleat. Barra's
sympathies however were so well known that he was kept in
confinement for some time in London. Sir Alexander's letter to the
effect that he had no wish Barra should commit himself, involving
forfeiture, is much to his credit, seeing that as superior the
estate might fall into his own hands.
This MacNeill, or his
son Roderick, was a Captain in the Fraser Highlanders and was killed
at Quebec in 1759.
The superiority of
Barra, some £40 Scots, still forms, I understand, part of the
Macdonald estates.
Sir Walter Scott in
one of his poems, referring to the Highland and Island chiefs,
couples the MacNeills with the Mackintoshes-
"Macneil of the
Islands, and Moy of the lake,
To honour, to justice, and vengeance awake."
The people, if the
land, including all the islands, extending to 22,000 acres, were
evenly distributed, are not in excess, but at present, were it not
for occasional good fishing seasons, many are ill off, and the east
coast fishermen who frequent Castlebay and other parts, carrying
with them as they do their labour and sustenance, spending little or
nothing, do not contribute to the well-being or prosperity of the
people. It may be hoped, however, that when a regular market all the
year over is opened by the Mallaig railway, the people by their
fishing, including lobsters, cockles, and other shell-fish, will be
permanently benefitted.
The MacNeills, like
the Clanranalds, were ruined by the supercession of kelp. The last
of them, who failed in almost every scheme he undertook while
proprietor, distinguished himself as a soldier after the sale, which
took place about 1838. He was, however, singularly kind to the
people, and his and his family's name are held in reverent respect
to this day. A good illustration of this has fallen under my
personal observation and deserves to be remembered. My devoted
friend and supporter, Mr Michael Buchanan, accepted my invitation to
London chiefly that he might with his own eyes see the house where
General MacNeill lived, and died in 1863.
A very interesting
account of the Barra family by that talented clergyman, the Rev. A.
Maclean Sinclair, of Prince Edward Island, shows that Roderick
MacNeill, residing at Vernon River in that island, a tall,
good-looking, and pleasant man, father of six sons, in good
circumstances, now represents Barra. He is a son of Lachlan, who
died in 1892, aged 73, son of Rory Og, who died in 1850, son of
Roderick, styled of Brevaig, which Roderick, then an old man,
emigrated in 1802. Brevaig was a son of Gilleonan, younger son of
that Roderick Macneill of Barra who obtained a Royal charter of
Barra in 1688.
I look back with
pleasure on my visits to Barra, and my intercourse with its
interesting people, not the least being a visit to Eoligarry and its
worthy occupants of the kith and kin of Clan Chattan.
I must now leave the
Isles and take a long stride to Badenoch, and Strathspey. |
