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NOTE A. (See Page 115.)
The following pertinent observations
appeared in the Dundee Advertiser, of 10th January, 1914. They are from
the pen of a notable Dundee lawyer, Mr. John Walker, who has made a
special study of the legal aspects of the Highland Clearances At the
time of Patrick Sellar's trial the ruthless evictions carried out by the
Stafford family had been so long in process of execution that no one had
the slightest doubt of the facts of these taking place. The question
tried was not whether they took place, but whether they were carried
out, in one particular instance, in such a way as to directly cause the
death of Donald M'Beath and Janet M'Kay, two helpless, old, bedridden
people. The trial took place at Inverness. Of the 15 jurors 8 were
landed proprietors, and the rest were mostly either factors or those
interested in factors. The most of the witnesses for the prosecution
were evidently terrified to say one word against the accused. When
Sellar was arrested, he emitted a declaration which was put in evidence
at the trial, and, to be strictly fair, I shall confine myself to that.
The gist of it is as follows:—In December, 1813, the crofting lands were
advertised to let, and at the set, where apparently the lands were
disposed of to sheep farmers, a paper was read that the removed tenants
would get allotments "in the lower part of the county." "That Lord and
Lady Stafford directed the declarant (Sellar) to offer at the set for
any farm he chose a few pounds beyond the highest offerer; and they
directed Mr. Young on his so offering to prefer him." That thus Sellar
got possession of the farms of Rhiloisk and Rossal. That in April, 1814,
decrees of removing were got against all the tenants on these farms.
That the ejections were carried out in June, 1814, and " that his
directions to the officers were that they should lawfully eject the
tenants, and that after ejecting . . they should remove the roof of
every house in Rhimsdale excepting those occupied by families, wherein
sickness was mentioned to have been." That he was present at the first
part of the ejections (of the towns of Garvault, Ravigill, Rhiphail, and
Rhiloisk), but after they had ejected from a few houses and had unroofed
these the tenants of the others " in the neighbourhood yielded obedience
to the warrant, and removed themselves." "Interrogated. If the
declarant's orders to the officer and party were not to throw down the
couples and timber of the different dwelling-houses, barns, kilns, and
sheep cots? Declares that the declarant directed the officers . . . to
remove the tenants' property and effects from the premises ; and
thereafter to unroof the huts to prevent them from retaking possession
after the declarant should leave that part of the county." Sellar
himself admitted burning only in one case. The proceedings from a
judicial aspect were largely a farce, as can be judged from the fact
that the first evidence adduced for the defence consisted of written
certificates from three landed proprietors, who did not appear, as to
"Mr. Sellar's character for humanity," and that these certificates,
although not evidence, were founded on in Lord Pitmilly's charge to the
jury. But the important thing is that Sellar's declaration implicates
Lord and Lady Stafford as being by their own instructions the direct
instruments of putting this tyrannical under-factor in the position of
rendering homeless some hundreds of their helpless tenants. The little
crofts were made into large sheep farms, which were advertised to let to
the highest offerer, and the exposure was a farce, because the
Sutherland family had personally arranged that Sellar was to be allowed
to cap the highest offer. One would require a double-power microscope to
see the noble philanthropy of that transaction! I have extracted the
above summary from the report of the trial, which was prepared and
circulated by Sellar's own junior counsel.
On the other hand, the
stories yet told in Sutherland represent a much harsher state of
matters. I personally have talked with men whose fathers were as young
children turned out on the hillside to see their little cottages burned
to the ground, and I have had pointed out to me the sites of these same
cottages and crofts, where now there is nothing but miles and miles of
dreary waste ; and this did not happen in one or two instances, but in
the whole of Strathnaver, Strathbrora, and many other places in all
parts of the county.
NOTE B. (See Page 218.)
The following interesting letter has been
handed to the Editor by Mr. J. Stewart Bannatyne, solicitor, Glasgow:
"CASTLEBAY, BARRA.
"September 21St, 1912.
"Dear Sir,
"In reply to your letter of the 6th inst.,
and after consulting the older inhabitants, I beg to inform you that it
was John Bannatyne who rescued Mrs. J. M'Kinnon, her sister and another
woman, from compulsory emigration, but it was John Crawford who rescued
John M'Lean. I know the women and M'Lean as well as I know my two
fingers, and heard the whole story from their own lips different times.
"Both my father and mother were
eye-witnesses of people being chased like wild cattle over the hills,
not in Barra, but in North and South Uists. People can hardly believe
now what took place then, and what my mother, who died in my arms at the
fall of last year, told me it would be enough to make the devil himself
desperate, if I am not using too strong an expression.
"There is a man still living at Mallaig,
Inverness-shire, named Ewen M'Dugald, who sailed with John Bannatyne.
"People nowadays are trying to deny that
such brutalities were carried out by landlords, but they need not
attempt such nonsense. I have no doubt but the descendants of the
perpetrators of those acts are ashamed of the deeds—and no wonder.
Yours faithfully,
"DON. M`AULAY."
JOHN STEWART BANNATYNE, Esq.,
"Solicitor, Glasgow."
NOTE C. (See page 234.)
In the Inverness Courier for 11th
October,1837, appears the following :-
A large body of emigrants sailed from
Tobermory, on the 27th September, for New South Wales. The vessel was
the "Brilliant," and its size and splendid fittings were greatly
admired. "The people to be conveyed by this vessel are decidedly the
most valuable that have ever left the shores of Great Britain. They are
of excellent moral character, and, from their knowledge of agriculture,
and management of sheep and cattle, must prove a most valuable
acquisition to a colony like New South Wales." The Rev. Mr. Macpherson,
of Tobermory, preached a farewell sermon before the party sailed. The
total number of emigrants was 322, made up as follows:-- From
Ardnamurchan and Strontian, 105; from Coll and Tiree, 104; from Mull and
Iona, 56; from Morven, 25; and from Dunoon, 28. There were two teachers
and two surgeons. A visitor from New South Wales presented as many of
the party as he met with letters of introduction, and expressed himself
highly gratified with the prospect of having so valuable an addition to
the colony. A Government agent superintended the embarkation. |
