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- Two girls aged about 16 have just been in asking for Testimonials. They are going to Canada in April. A ship is to come to Sy. for about 400 young men and women. It makes it attractive to them to be picked up here. These lassies struck me as young, young to be starting life on their own. An agent from the Canadian Govt. is here picking them up … Stornoway 8th Feb. 1923
- You will be sorry to hear that dear old Barrie died on Friday morning. We told you that some kind of paralysis had affected one of his forelegs … On Friday morning when Mamma came down she found him dead … We are missing him a good deal about the house. He was a good old fellow. We make it that he has been fifteen years with us … Stornoway 23rd Feb. 1919
- One day last week Papa had six teachers off sick. Flu is bad in Sy. again and there have been several deaths. Poor little Jack Ross is very ill indeed, and he has such a narrow margin of strength… Stornoway Feb. 20th 1919
- On Friday afternoon we went for a walk as far as the Market Hill to see the new sanatorium. It is being put up in the new method – the roof first on a wooden frame, then the wall built up double of thin concrete slabs set on edge… Stornoway 16th Feb. 1919
- Mamma is re-reading “The Little Minister.” Her previous book was Gissing’s “The New Grub Street.” I have been re-reading “Coriolanus” and “Hamlet” and marvelling anew at the greatness of the latter. Have you yet fallen under the fascination of Shakespeare?…Stornoway 13th Feb. 1919
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Monthly Archives: October 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Rook and Mr. Harper left on Thursday night. They go straight through to Plymouth and stay there with Elsie for a short time to do shopping for their new home and then on to Penzance…Mr. Murray is still all right – has been three weeks at a signalling course in France and has now re-joined his battalion… Stornoway, 4th March. 1917
In Mrs Gibson’s letter this week, she sends words of encouragement to Jean concerning her upcoming exams, she confirms that some of the teachers from the Nicolson have been called up to serve, and she also reports on a local … Continue reading
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Comments Off on Mr. and Mrs. Rook and Mr. Harper left on Thursday night. They go straight through to Plymouth and stay there with Elsie for a short time to do shopping for their new home and then on to Penzance…Mr. Murray is still all right – has been three weeks at a signalling course in France and has now re-joined his battalion… Stornoway, 4th March. 1917
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
This week, Mr Gibson reports on the hotly debated topic at the Literary Society: “Has emigration been beneficial to the Highlands?”. He also notes his concern for the school at the possibility of losing more teachers to the war effort, … Continue reading
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Comments Off on 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
In this week’s letter Mr Gibson remarks on the unusually calm spell of weather they have had with hardly any wind or rain in January and February. He also mentions some fine catches of herring, but a shortage of oatmeal. … Continue reading
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Comments Off on 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.
Nicolson Institute, Stornoway, Feb 18th 1917 Dear Sheann, Your letter was up to time this week and Papa read it to me at breakfast yesterday. Sorry the Roman History was so horrid but we cannot always be in good exam. … Continue reading
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Comments Off on 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
In his letter this week, Mr Gibson is full of praise for the Dramatic Evening at the Literary meeting, he reports on a large, local funeral, and gives Jean the latest news from two local boys serving in France and … Continue reading
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Comments Off on 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