Evictions in Berriedale.

This article written by Alexander Gunn was published in the Northern Ensign on 27 March 1884

Since his statement to the Commission, the next correspondence I have from Alexander Gunn is the letter below re evictions. I have already published this letter way back on 20 November 2013 but to keep continuity with Gunn’s letters I will publish it again without comment and refer readers back to the 20 November 2013 blog for more details. 

EVICTIONS IN BERRIEDALE BY SIR JOHN SINCLAIR

To the Editor of the Northern Ensign

Sir John Sinclair in Thurso

SIR, - Allow me through your valuable columns, to give a detailed account of the evictions in Berriedale, both by Sir John Sinclair and by Mr James Horne, his successor. The account of the matter by your correspondent, “Old Man Narrator,” is not altogether correct. Sir John Sinclair, who was considered the greatest agriculturist in the country, and who was a real or honorary member of almost every agricultural society in the three kingdoms, as well as of several societies on the continent of Europe, was the first to introduce what were called the “big sheep” to Caithness. The small sheep or “Kerry,” was the only breed in the country before that time. To make room for his sheep, Sir John evicted 61 families from the Berriedale straths, and laid the whole under sheep.

The townships on the Millary or Berriedale straths were these, viz., Glut,1 tenant; Eskbin,1; Eskmaealmag,1; Haborgue,1; Esknabing,1; Upper Millary,1; Lower Millary,1; Ardachigh,1; Toreshey,1; Duin 3; Taigh-an-Duin,1; Dalgheamich,2; Knock Feune,1; Ellaw-an Duinag,1; Upper Borgue,2 – in all 19.

From the Langwell Strath there were evicted from the township of Inver,5; Knocktorinrectan,1; Elonluisg,1;  Capernach,1;  Taigh-an-Asary,1;  Ruharigy,1; Turnal,1 (held by George Gunn who had seven sons, the equal of whom were not in the country); Taighnault,1;  Bardnachie,1;  Struan,1; Bualnahaoden,1;  Bualtarach,1;  Garvary,1;  Brainaheaglash,1;  Auldnabeath,1;  Uag More 1; Uag Bhaig,1;  Borgue, Langwell,1 (where my great-grandfather, who came from Cattag, lived during the proprietorship of Sutherland of Langwell); Corrag,1;  in all 23.

From the Ousdale district there were evicted from the township of Ousdale, 9 families: Borgue of Ousdale, 2;  Struie, 8; in all 19; giving a grand total of 61.

It is singular that after Sir John had turned out these 61 families, and occupied their places with his sheep, he began to break up large tracks of ground on the hill-side to the west of Berriedale, at a place called Carterfield, and got it under cultivation, having taken several crops of oats off it. Also at Borgue, Langwell, he brought in a large park, the first turf of which was cut by Lady Janet, and was known ever after as Park-na-Bainthighearn, or “Her Ladyship’s Park.” There was also broken up a large square piece of moor, or moss, to the west of Carterfield. It was planted with curly greens about Christmas, and, as might be expected, the frosts of winter destroyed every plant of them. These fields which were broken up and put under crop for a year or two, instead of being given to the tenants evicted from the straths, were allowed to fall out of cultivation into grazings for sheep, and a few years saw them covered with their original heather.

The singular thing is that while by all accounts the Ulbster family have been the most extensive evictors in the country, as appears from the recent correspondence in your spirited paper, they were yet looked up to and esteemed by the whole community. No doubt there were some good traits in their character, but these were sullied and tarnished by their treatment of those respectable and happy families that were so ruthlessly driven out of their comfortable holdings. As stated in some of my previous communications, when Sir John got his regiment of Fencibles embodied, he got 60 men from Berriedale, said to be the finest men in the regiment, and yet this was the treatment they received at his hands.

Your correspondent is also at fault in saying that James Horne evicted none at Berriedale. Horne evicted 13 families in the township of Auchencraig. Three families were evicted by him from the Cairn, 4 from Rinsary, and 6 from Badbea. True, some of these as your correspondent says, got miserable patches elsewhere on the estate, but so did some of those evicted by Sir John; but I consider they were entitled to be numbered among the evicted nevertheless, as they were driven from their comfortable homes without justice or reason, and the plots on which they were allowed to settle down were not entitled to the name of land, being bare rocks or black moss, whilst the arable land they were driven from was given over for sheep grazings.

The Ulster family may well pray to be saved from their friends, since Mr Logan, who shows great zeal on their behalf , has been the means of bringing to light matters that had been entirely forgotten, and which would never appeared before the public but for Mr Logan’s zeal without knowledge. I would venture to give him a bit of advice for his guidance in the future, and that is let sleeping dogs lie. – Yours &c.,

Alex Gunn. Glasgow

Successful Berriedale Boys - Article XIII - Rambling Recollections of Berriedale, Badbea & Neighbourhood – Part D

Article XIII written by Alexander Gunn aka A Native of Badbea was printed in the Northern Ensign on 4 March 1880 – Part D

Successful Berrriedale Boys

"Berriedale has among her sons those who, by dint of steady perseverance, rose to positions of honour and respect; and having referred to natives of Badbea and Auchencraig who attained to an honourable position in society, it would be ungenerous and unfair to pass by the Berriedale boys."

• John Grant

"The first that I have any recollection of was John Grant, son of William Grant, Rinsary. By dint of perseverance and hard work he qualified himself for the office of schoolmaster. He taught for a short time in the district school at Auchencraig where I received my first lesson. But John struggled on, attended college, and was licensed as a minister of the gospel - one of the highest and most honourable positions that any man can covet. It took no small amount of courage and perseverance for a young lad, without friends or means to work himself up to such a position, especially in those days."

• James Sutherland

"James Sutherland, a Berriedale lad, occupies a high and responsible and honourable position in a banking house in the metropolis of the nation." 

• James Anderson

"James Anderson, a widow's son, also a Berriedale lad, left his native country to push his fortune in a distant colony. He emigrated to New Zealand, and by steady, patient perseverance became the owner and master of a fine barque, with which he traded in the Southern Seas for many years." 

• George Polson

"Another Berriedale man, we may say, was George Polson. He was born in Auchencraig, which he left when a child, and was reared in Berriedale. He also emigrated to New Zealand, and was successful in his adopted country. He became the possessor of 100 acres of land in the neighbourhood of Dunedin, where he lived comfortably and happily for many years."

• James Rutherford

"Another Berriedale man James Rutherford, is carrying on a flourishing business of his own in Dundee."

• And others...

"There may be others equally successful as those I have referred to whose positions I am not conversant with, owing to my long absence from the locality, and if any such are omitted the reason will be understood from the explanation I have given."

"I believe that natives of Berriedale and neighbourhood have gained to themselves positions in society, according to their circumstances, as honourable as are to be found anywhere; and if we trace their descendants, we find them following the example of their fathers."

 My Comments:

•  John Grant "Trollie"

In a later article, Alexander Gunn recalls John Grant’s days as a school teacher at Auchencraig. He is pleasingly frank:

‘”…and after him came John Grant from Rinsary, Berriedale, who possessed some measure of qualification for his office.  He was but young and inexperienced, and was considered to have a “sclate loose” on the upper story, and was known by the sobriquet of “Trollie” meaning silly; but he had a fair smattering of education, and was not so cruel and unmerciful as his predecessor. He also had some ambition, and prosecuted his education, and came out for the ministry.

• Everywhere

Despite such challenges as the ‘Disruption’ in the church and the Clearances undermining the parish schools, families worked very hard to ensure their children were educated. The result was a generation of people who were well educated, hard working, determined and 'everywhere'.

The Miller of Berriedale - George Fraser - A Supplementary Chapter – Part A

The article The Miller of Berriedale was written by “Onlooker” in reply to Mills and Millers by “A Native of Badbea”. As it gives such an interesting description of George Fraser (who was still alive at the time of writing) and a little bit about his wife Bell, I have decided to include it in this series of Rambling Recollections of Berriedale, Badbea and Neighbourhood.

It was printed in the Northern Ensign on 4 March 1880. The letter is so long I will blog it in Part A and Part B.

To The Editor of the Northern Ensign

SIR: - I last week’s Ensign “A Native of Badbea” gives a brief sketch of George Fraser, the miller of Berriedale. Natives of the dear old place – famous for its natural grandeur, and the Swiss-like beauty of its scenery – who are readers of the Northern Ensign, cannot fail to be deeply interested in the graphic, historical, geographical, and pleasing biographical “Recollections” which have graced its pages of late, from the fertile pen of this ancient “Badbeaite.” For my own part I have to say that I have been exceedingly interested in these articles. They have, moreover, to a large degree been very instructive. The writer’s chaste reference to a near relative of my own showed me that he can compress many facts in a few well-chosen sentences. But to write the history of the “Miller of Berriedale” and not to introduce any reference to Bell, the miller’s wife does seem matter for grave astonishment, and a seeming want of gallantry on the part of the “historian.” I hope it may not appear invidious if I should, in the following brief notice, seek to supplement what has already been given of the miller’s history, with a few personal recollections of the man, and a kindly word or two about his wife Bell.

Through forty years of faithful service, of unswerving honesty, and almost, I may add, of stern integrity, has George Fraser reigned a little king in his sphere at Berriedale – a man of great physical proportions, possessed of strong mental qualities, stout-hearted enough at times when he “opened-fire” on some poor unfortunate soul who, by laziness, or perhaps through the unpardonable sin of whispering in the Gaelic tongue to a fellow workman, had thereby excited his ire – and nothing opened the floodgates of his wrathful indignation more than when he came upon any of his workmen indulging in idleness, smoking, or, above and beyond all else, chatting in Gaelic. Nothing seemed to be more obnoxious to his notions of “good manners” and “honesty” than for his men to drop the English and begin to speak in what, to him, was the unknown tongue. Then was the time to “stand by for squalls.” The Miller’s invectives, at such a supreme moment, were none of the choicest. They were sufficiently pungent to make the hairs stand on end upon the head of everybody within earshot, and liable to be affected by strong expressions. During one of these vocal storms at the mill, I have seen the truant youths of old Berriedale flying in all directions, like chaff from the thrashing floor. These volleys came forth spontaneously, roundly, and in successive detonations loud enough to be heard above the grinding stones of the mill, or the hissing saw as it cuts its way through the beech log on the bench.

Bishops Lydeard Mill - Meal Floor	Bishops Lydeard Mill - Spur Wheel and Wallower

Nevertheless, George Fraser, on the whole, was a kind-hearted man. His wrathful moods were shortlived, and burned quickly out in their unique fierceness. Beneath a rough surface was a large, warm heart that glowed with kindness and encouragement, especially to the young and rising generation around him. “His bark was aye waur than his bite.” George was neither a smoker nor a snuffer. I well remember, though it is many years ago, of often looking up the portentous inscription on the lintel of his work-shop and mill doors – “No smoking allowed here,” and woe-betide the luckless wight who dared to infringe on the stern orders by lighting his “cutty” within reading distance. His only safety and peace of mind lay in his heels. Although an abstainer from tobacco and snuff, George was by no means a good Templar: on the contrary, he had all his life long a strong predilection for the “national beverage,” and the hearty style with which he was wont to toss over his glass at the old inn table was one of the incidents of his life to be ever remembered by those who have witnessed such a customary event, followed by a smack of relish and a loud “guffaw” of laughter bursting up from his broad, open chest, which made roof and rafter ring, and might be re-echoed by hill and valley.

To Be Continued.




My Comments:

• There is some query about this mill being a meal mill and/or a saw mill but I wonder if the comments about the noise of the grinding stones and the hissing saw suggest that it was used as both – is this possible? The old maps call it a ‘Corn and Saw Mill.’

Old mill stones at the Golspie Mill

• The No Smoking Rules seem to me to possibly be associated with safety as much as anything else. I have included a couple of photos of the workings of other mills and it is clear that a great deal of the ‘machinery’ was wooden. A fire in the interior of a mill would have been disastrous for anyone inside. Sparks in the dry chaff would also be very dangerous.
• Noting the wooden working parts, floors and walls of the mill explains also why George’s skill as a joiner (he calls himself a carpenter in the 1861 census) were so useful.
• George Fraser married Isabella Wink of Elgin in Latheron on 28 November 1832. Correction: In my previous blog I quoted Roydhouse who wrote that George Fraser married Isabella Wink in Moray – that seems to be incorrect. The marriage record says they were married in Latheron.
• There were two daughters of the marriage. Margaret married Andrew Logan and they migrated to New Zealand c.1865. Betty married James Sinclair, master-mason of Berriedale. James Sinclair was the informant at the deaths of both George and Bell.

Berriedale

Map showing Berriedale, Langwell and Badbea.
Source: http.maps.nls.uk/geo/roy/

Source: www.electricscotland.com/history/gazetteer/vol1page150.htm 

Ed: Francis Groome (1892-6)

Living within close proximity to each other, the 18^th and 19^th century residents of Badbea and Berriedale were all well known to each other and often worked together in the thriving fishing industry. 

Sheltered from the North Sea, the Berriedale village is on the northern east coast of Caithness between Helmsdale and Lybster. The village, now only one street, is a great deal smaller now than it was when the fishing industry was thriving. At Berriedale two rivers known as the Berriedale and Langwell Waters meet at the end of a wooded valley. Wild deer are sometimes still seen grazing in this area. Old fishing houses, now restored, line the shore. The beach is stony but sheltered by an outcrop of rock with the ruined medieval castle nearby. Not far from Berriedale are two towers that were built to assist ships at sea known as the Duke’s Candlesticks – after the Duke of Portland.

The modern estate of Langwell was formerly known as Berriedale, and was possessed by two families of Sutherlands. Those of the first family, descended from John Begg, son of Nicolas, Earl of Sutherland, were styled "Sutherlands of Berriedale" and the other family, whose immediate progenitors were the Sutherlands of Forse, descended from Kenneth, a younger brother of John Begg, were known as the "Sutherlands of Langwell".   

 Source: www.fionamsinclair.co.uk/genealogy/Caithness/Langwell.htm

The attractive stony beach where the peaty Waters of Langwell and Berriedale flow into the crystal clear sea water. Source:www.geograph.org.uk Glen Breaden ND1222

 Many graveyards in Northern Scotland overlook the sea or a loch. 

This one at Berriedale cuts a square out of the free flowering gorse known as whins here.

  Source:: www.geograph.org.nz Stuart Logan ND1222