16871: Emigration From Calbost

from the Angus Macleod Archive, Kershader: by Angus “Ease” Macleod.

Voluntary redundancy became very popular in Lochs towards the end of the 19^th and particularly during the early years of the 20^th Century. Employment with the Hudson Bay company of Canada was popular earlier on. John Macleod “Iain Sheok”, 8 Calbost 1842-1924 was there for some years before he got married in 1867.

Large numbers of Lochs men went to the sheep farms of South America in the early years of the 20th Century. Rev.Donald MacCallum, the parish minister of Keose at the time, was a recruiting agent for emigrants to South America. Other popular destinations for emigrants were South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and USA.

No doubt the impact of education played a major part in the desire of the young people to travel. It is said that some parents were afraid that education would probably give wings to their children. It seems that was a correct assessment. The voluntary schools of the 19th Century, both Gaelic and English, influenced people’s outlook on life in many ways in Lewis but it was compulsory education which came about with the 1872 Act, followed up by the opening of the five public schools in the district of Pairc about 1880, that opened up the full potential of the people. These educational opportunities coincided with the restlessness and the determination on the part of the young people to seek opportunities to improve their lot in the world.

Also the independent way of life of the crofting community as crofter/fishermen encouraged enterprise and initiative. They built and owned their own homes and boats and they always worked in teams under an appointed leader such as a skipper or village grazing constable and later on a grazing committee. By the end of the 19^th Century they were fully bi-lingual and reasonably well educated and therefore the whole world was their oyster. Their character was shaped by their religion and their independent way of life. The following is a list of Calbost people who emigrated to various countries.

Croft	Name	Born	Father	Destination
1	Kenny Dan Macleod	1915	John	Australia
1	Duncan Macleod	1917	John	Australia
2	Alexander Kennedy	1863	Roderick	South America
2	Margaret Kennedy	1896	John	USA
2	Cathie Kennedy	1900	John	USA
2	John Angus Kennedy	1900	Donald	USA
2	Chrissie Kennedy	1902	Donald	USA
2	Margaret Kennedy	1904	Donald	USA
2	Dolina Kennedy	1908	Donald	USA
3	Murdo Kennedy	1891	Murdo	South Africa
3	Kenneth Macleod	1880	John	South America
3	Johnnie Macleod	1883	John	South America
3	Norman Macleod	1885	John	South America
3	Kirsty Macleod	1956	Neil	USA
3	Catriona Macleod	1961	Neil	USA
4	Donald “Ruadh” Mackenzie	1856	Norman	USA
4	Donald Mackenzie	1872	Calum	South Africa
4	Allan Mackenzie	1876	Calum	Rhodesia
4	Duncan Mackenzie	1878	Calum	South Africa
4	Norman Mackenzie	1881	Calum	USA
4	Johnnie Mackenzie	1886	Calum	South America
4	Matilda Mackenzie	1888	Calum	USA
4	Roderick Mackenzie	1876	Roderick	USA
4	Johnnie Mackenzie	1878	Roderick	South Africa
5	Roderick Smith	1902	Angus	Canada
6	Marion Macleod	1837	Norman	North America
6	Johnnie Macleod	1892	Kenneth	USA
6	Bella Macleod	1892	Kenneth	USA
6	Donald Macleod	1896	Kenneth	Australia
6	Hector Macleod	1876	John	USA
6	Donald Macleod	1877	John	USA
6	Allan Macleod	19	Johnnie	Australia
6	Mary Bell Macleod	19	Johnnie	Australia
6	Kate Macleod	19	Johnnie	USA
6	Donald Macleod	1903	Angus no.8	New Zealand
6	‘Son’ John Macleod	19	Johnnie	Australia
6	‘Son’ Donald A. Macleod	19	Donald	Australia
7	Peter Mackay	1879	Calum	South America
7	John Angus Mackay	1917	Kenneth	Australia
8	Iain Macleod	1842	Jock	Canada
8	Neil Macleod	1876	Iain	Canada
8	Murdo Macleod	1876	Kenneth	Canada
8	Donald Macleod	1892	John	USA
8	James Macleod	1900	John	USA
8	Jock Macleod	1906	John	USA
8	Neil Macleod	19	Donald	Australia
8	Donald A. Macleod	19	Donald	Australia
9	John Murdo Morrison	1898	Iain	Australia
9	Murdo Morrison	1888	Neil	USA
9	Angus Morrison	1892	Neil	USA
9	Anna Morrison	1892	Neil	USA
9	Angus Morrison	1884	Angus	South America
9	Chirsty Morrison	1910	Murdo	New Zealand
10	Donald Finlayson	1890	Alastair	Australia
11	Johnnie Nicholson	1901	Murdo	USA
11	Iain Nicolson	1906	Murdo	USA
11	Anna Nicolson	1939	Angus	USA
12	Roderick Mackenzie	1881	Donald	USA
12	Catriona Mackenzie	1886	Donald	USA
12	Peggy Mackenzie	1896	Donald	USA
12	Anna Mackenzie	1896	Donald	USA
12	Annabella Mackenzie	1905	Alastair	USA
12	Katie Mary Mackenzie	1911	Alastair	USA
12	Dolina Mackenzie	1922	Alastair	USA
13	Neil Macleod	1905	Norman	Australia
13	James Macleod	1885	Donald	Canada
West End	Donald Mackenzie	1930	John	USA
Buala	Peggy Ann Morrison	19	Angus

A few of these returned but most of them never returned, not even for a holiday. Some of them made good but not all of them and the same can be said about their friends and relatives that stayed in Britain.

Details

Record Type:: Story, Report or Tradition

Type Of Story Report Tradition:: Story

Record Maintained by:: CEP