64768: The devotional spirit of Kitty Smith

In his book Revivals in the Highlands and Islands, Rev A Macrae tells of the young Catherine or Kitty Smith, who possessed a "devotional spirit from earliest infancy." She was in the habit of prayer from a very young age and, though teased by her brothers, was deeply concerned with spiritual and even theological matters.

Rev Macrae relates that her parents had gone to hear Dr Macdonald of Ferintosh preach at Baile na Cille (June 1827, as he was en route to St Kilda). Evidently there were 7000 in attendance, far more than the population of Uig, as this was a period of great revivalism in the islands, and Uig was no exception under its evangelical minister, Alexander Macleod. The family was afterwards discussing Macdonald’s views against the old forms of prayer and in favour of spirituality and evangelism, and Kitty evidently embraced the idea, seeking to reform her own habit of prayer.

She died in December 1829 at the age of 7 or 8.