As soon as I arrived at Lerwick, a complaint was laid before
me in writing by the inhabitants of the Burra Islands, part of the
trust-estate of the family of Scott of Scalloway. These islands are
leased to Messrs. Hay & Co. for a tack duty nearly equal to the
gross rental paid to them by the sub-tenants. The tack duty is
paid by Messrs. Hay & Co. half-yearly, while they receive their
sub-rents at the annual settlement. The chief inducement to
Messrs. Hay to hold the lease of the island is that they may obtain
the fish of the inhabitants, who are bold and successful fishermen,
and are more favourably situated for the haaf fishing than any
other people in Shetland.
[W. Irvine, 3623.]
The complaint made by the men of Burra was simply that they
were not at liberty to cure their own fish and sell them in the
highest market. Fourteen years ago the late Mr. William Hay told
them that they must sell to him, and eight years ago a similar
intimation was made on the part of the present firm, who wished
the men to sign an obligation to deliver all their fish to them. The
following is the statement of Walter Williamson, who was the
chief spokesman of the Burra men who came to Lerwick:-
'790. Why do you not do it (<i.e.> cure and sell your own fish)?-
Because we would be ejected from the place if we were not to
deliver our fish to them.'
'791. What is your reason for supposing that?-Because we have
been told so.'
'792. Was it on the occasion you have mentioned, eight years ago,
that you were told so?-It was.'
'793. Have you been told since that you would be ejected if you
did not deliver your fish to Messrs. Hay & Co.?-I have never
since asked anything about it, so that I had no reason to be told
so.'
'794. Has any person been ejected for selling fish to other
merchants than Hay & Co., or for curing his own fish?-I think
there have been such cases in Burra. I believe John Leask was
ejected for not serving as a fisherman to Messrs. Hay & Co.'
'795. How long ago was that?-I think it would be about thirteen
years since, or close thereby.'
[W. Williamson, 764, 776; P. Smith, 980; T. Christie, 1064; C.
Sinclair, 1109; G. Goodlad, 1208.]
Liberty money was exacted by Messrs. Hay from some of the
Burra men some years ago, <i.e.> a payment of 20s., in respect of
a tenant or his sons having failed to deliver fish to the lessee.
[Peter Smith, 1012.] But in some cases, at least, it appears that
this money was repaid. Messrs. Hay & Co. explain that-
'Some years ago, after a time of bad crops and bad fishings,
when we had to give them large quantities of meal for their
support, and many of them were unable to pay rents, the islands
were indebted the best part of £1000. We made an attempt at that
time to get the young men to fish to us and assist their parents, and
I think in two cases we imposed fines of 20s.; but it had a contrary
effect to what we intended, and, so far as I remember, the money
was given back.'
And Mr. Irvine says in his examination, 'The object of the fine
was to compel the sons to assist the fathers.' The written
obligation itself has not been recovered, and neither Mr. Irvine,
of Hay & Co., nor other witnesses, have a very clear recollection of
its contents. I am inclined to believe, however, although Mr.
Irvine appears to have a different impression, that the obligation
it sought to impose was wide enough in its terms to include
the Faroe fishing, in which Messrs. Hay & Co. are engaged
very extensively. There is some evidence that constraint or
compulsion, or rather influence, such as a landlord can exercise
over his tenants, has been used in Burra and elsewhere, in order to
get [Page 8 rpt.] Faroe fishing-smacks well manned. But so far as
Burra is concerned, that influence seems not to have been applied
in late years, and it is not general elsewhere.
[W. Irvine, 3623, 3754 sqq.; Peter Smith, 1041; C. Sinclair, 1135,
1143; W. Irvine, 3920, W. Williamson, 923; Peter Smith, 1012,
1057; C. Sinclair, 1118; J.L. Pole, 9370.]