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- I am just in from the meeting of the school Literary Society. They had a Gaelic debate: “Has emigration been beneficial to the Highlands?” They went into it with great vim and seemed to enjoy it greatly. Several times it resolved itself into little duels in which there seemed to be excellent bits which brought down the house, and retort would follow retort to everybody’s delight… The affirmative won by 35 votes to 14; some did not vote… Stornoway, 28th Feb. 1917
- There have been some fine catches of herring this last week, one day 5000 crans. The Minch has been getting “swept” and the mail-boat is running regularly. Oatmeal scarce; we have had to fall back temporarily on Quaker oats… Stornoway 22nd Feb 1917
- This week’s letter highlights a difficult truth which is very pertinent, given that it is Black History Month. In the course of transcribing the letters we occasionally encounter racist language which is extremely offensive and considered abhorrent today. The fact that a highly educated woman like Mrs Gibson would use this particularly horrible word in such a context reflects the racist ideas prevalent in Britain at this time. We thought carefully about whether to publish this letter on the blog, but we feel it is important not to cover up the past and that we should bring it out into the open, as the attitudes of people in the past are an important part of the historical record. In another sentence of the letter there is a reference to insanity in a particular family. We have not revealed the family’s identity in case this causes distress to any descendants.
- I had letters this week from Wm. B. Macdonald, who is with a battery in France and has had one or two narrow escapes, from J. W. Matheson, in Salonika, and from Alick Thomson, in the training camp at Gailes. He is enjoying the change from the trench-mud. Did I mention that Simon Mackenzie, who has been on a minesweeper off the west coast of Ireland, is now home, discharged on account of his health?… Stornoway, 15th Feb. 1917
- He told us of a mule who had a spite against a man and waited patiently for an opportunity to pay him out [get revenge]. One day the man was grooming the third mule from his enemy. The watchful one saw his chance and laid the man out with a kick delivered below the bellies of the two intervening mules. What do you think of that? E. says they never forget anybody who has beaten them…Stornoway, 9th Feb. 1917
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Monthly Archives: June 2014
Poor Law records: applications
The Poor Law (Scotland) Act of 1845 saw a complete reworking of the approach to managing and elevating poverty in Scotland. Parochial Boards, and later Parish Councils, were established to manage the poor in their areas. Serious record keeping began, … Continue reading
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Tagged Parochial Boards, poor law, poverty, Pparish Councils, sailors, Stornoway
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Friday photo: Poor Law Magazine
These handsome volumes are “The Poor Law and Parochial Board Magazine” held by Stornoway Library. These yearly publications run from 1857-1930 when the poor law system was formally abolished and were aimed at the members of the Parochial Boards and later … Continue reading
Friday photo: Milling around the grounds
In 1816, the Stewart-Mackenzies built a new water mill in the Castle Grounds in Stornoway for the grinding of corn. The mill features in a detail of this hand-drawn map of the Burgh of Stornoway made in 1850. On the … Continue reading
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Tagged Castle Grounds, mill, Stornoway, water mill
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