according to the Government Census of 1821, was 10,612; in 1841,
10,064. In 1871, we find it reduced to 6441, and by the Census of 1881,
now before us, it is stated at 5624, or a fraction more than half the
number that inhabited the Island in 1821.
TOBERMORY, we are told, “has been for some time the resort of the
greater part of the small crofters and cottars, _ejected_ from their
holdings and houses on the surrounding estates, and thus there has been
a great accumulation of distress.” Then we are told that “severe as
the destitution has been in the rural districts, we think it has been
still more so in Tobermory and other villages”--a telling comment on,
and reply to, those who would now have us believe that the evictors of
those days and of our own were acting the character of wise benefactors
when they ejected the people from the inland and rural districts of
the various counties to wretched villages, and rocky hamlets on the
sea-shore.
ULVA.--The population of the Island of Ulva in 1849 was 360 souls. The
reporters state that a “large portion” of it “has lately been converted
into a sheep farm, and consequently a number of small crofters and
cottars have been warned away” by Mr. Clark. “Some of these will find
great difficulty in settling themselves anywhere, and all of them have
little prospect of employment.... Whatever may be the ultimate effect
to the landowners of the conversion of a number of small crofts into
large farms, we need scarcely say that this process is causing much
poverty and misery among the crofters.” How Mr. Clark carried out his
intention of evicting the tenantry of Ulva may be seen from the fact
that the population of 360 souls, in 1849, was reduced to 51 in 1881.
KILFINICHEN.--In this district we are told that “The crofters and
cottars having been warned off, 26 individuals emigrated to America,
at their own expense and one at that of the Parochial Board; a good
many removed to Kinloch, where they are now in great poverty, and those
who remained were not allowed to cultivate any ground for crop or even
garden stuffs. The stock and other effects of a number of crofters
on Kinloch last year (1848), whose rents averaged from £5 to £15 per
annum, having been sequestrated and sold, these parties are now reduced
to a state of pauperism, having no employment or means of subsistence
whatever.” As to the cottars, it is said that “the great mass of them
are now in a very deplorable state.” On the estate of
GRIBUN, Colonel Macdonald of Inchkenneth, the proprietor, gave the
people plenty of work, by which they were quite independent of relief
from any quarter, and the character which he gives to the deputation
of the people generally is most refreshing, when we compare it with
the baseless charges usually made against them by the majority of
his class. The reporters state that “Colonel Macdonald spoke in high
terms of the honesty of the people and of their great patience and
forbearance under their severe privations.” It is gratifying to be able
to record this simple act of justice, not only as the people’s due, but
specially to the credit of Colonel Macdonald’s memory and goodness of
heart.
BUNESSAN.--Respecting this district, belonging to the Duke of Argyll,
our authority says:--“It will be recollected that the [Relief]
Committee, some time ago, advanced £128 to assist in procuring
provisions for a number of emigrants from the Duke of Argyll’s estate,
in the Ross of Mull and Iona, in all 243 persons--125 adults and 118
children. When there, we made inquiry into the matter, and were
informed [by those, as it proved, quite ignorant of the facts] that
the emigration had been productive of much good, as the parties who
emigrated could not find the means of subsistence in this country,
and had every _prospect_ of doing so in Canada, where all of them
had relations; and also because the land occupied by some of these
emigrants had been given to increase the crofts of others. Since
our return home, however, we have received the very melancholy and
distressing intelligence, that many of these emigrants had been seized
with cholera on their arrival in Canada; that not a few of them had
fallen victims to it; and that the survivors had suffered great
privations.” Compare the “prospect,” of much good, predicted for these
poor creatures, with the sad reality of having been forced away to die
a terrible death immediately on their arrival on a foreign shore!
IONA, at this time, contained a population of 500, reduced in 1881 to
243. It also is the property of the Duke of Argyll, as well as
THE ISLAND OF TIREE, the population of which is given in the report
as follows:--In 1755, it was 1509, increasing in 1777, to 1681;
in 1801, to 2416; in 1821, to 4181; and in 1841 to 4687. In 1849,
“after considerable emigrations,” it was 3903; while in 1881, it was
reduced to 2733. The deputation recommended emigration from Tiree
as imperatively necessary, but they “call especial attention to the
necessity of emigration being conducted on proper principles, or, ‘on
a system calculated to promote the permanent benefit of those who
emigrate, and of those who remain,’ because we have reason to fear that
not a few parties in these districts are anxious to get rid of the
small crofters and cottars at all hazard, and without making sufficient
provision for their future comfort and settlement elsewhere; and
because we have seen the very distressing account of the privations and
sufferings of the poor people who emigrated from Tiree and the Ross of
Mull to Canada this year (1849), and would spare no pains to prevent
a recurrence of such deplorable circumstances. As we were informed
that the Duke of Argyll had expended nearly £1200 on account of the
emigrants (in all 247 souls) from Tiree; as the Committee advanced
£131 15s. to purchase provisions for them; and as funds were remitted
to Montreal to carry them up the country, we sincerely trust that
the account we have seen of their sufferings in Canada is somewhat
over-charged, and that it is not at all events to be ascribed to want
of due provision being made for them, ere they left this country, to
carry them to their destination. Be this as it may, however, we trust
that no emigration will in future be promoted by proprietors or others,
which will not secure, as far as human effort can, _the benefit of
those who emigrate_, as well as of those who are left at home.... Being
aware of the poverty of the great majority of the inhabitants of this
island, and of the many difficulties with which they have to contend,
we were agreeably surprised to find their dwellings remarkably neat and
clean--very superior indeed, both externally and internally, to those
of the other islands; nay, more, such as would bear comparison with
cottages in any part of the kingdom. The inhabitants, too, we believe,
are active and enterprising, and, if once put in a fair way of doing
so, would soon raise themselves to comfort and independence.” Very
good, indeed, Tiree!
THE ISLAND OF COLL, which is separated from Tiree by a channel only two
miles in width, had a population, in 1755, of 1193; in 1771, of 1200;
in 1801, of 1162; in 1821, of 1264. In 1841 it reached 1409. At the
time of the visit of the deputation, from whose report we quote, the
population of the Island was down to 1235; while in 1881 it had fallen
to 643. The deputation report that during the destitution the work
done by the Coll people “approximates, if it does exceed, the supplies
given;” they are “hard working and industrious.... We saw considerable
tracts of ground which we were assured might be reclaimed and
cultivated with profit, and are satisfied that fishing is a resource
capable of great improvement, and at which, therefore, many of the
people might be employed to advantage; we are disposed to think that,
by a little attention and prudent outlay of capital, the condition
of the people here might ere long be greatly improved. The grand
difficulty in the way, however, is the want of capital. Mr. Maclean,
the principal proprietor, always acted most liberally when he had it in
his power to do so, but, unfortunately, he has no longer the ability,
and the other two proprietors are also under trust.” Notwithstanding
these possibilities the population is undergoing a constant process of
diminution.
We shall now return to the mainland portion of the County, and take a
glance at the parish of