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

Sir John Sinclair and his Schemes, Article VIII, Northern Ensign 04/12/1879 - Rambling Recollections of Berriedale, Badbea & Neighbourhood - Part A

Article VIII written by Alexander Gunn aka A Native of Badbea was printed in the Northern Ensign on 4 December 1879 – Part A

Sir John Sinclair and his Schemes – Other Berriedale Lairds – A Field for Land Reclamations – Beautiful Scenery – Primitive Ploughs

Sir John Sinclair by Henry Raeburn
Public Domain via Wikimedia Common

"Sir John Sinclair had a large park reaching from the Borgue of Langwell, on the lower side of the turnpike road, extending nearly half-a-mile in length, and down to the edge of the wood on the riverside. This was called Lady Janet’s Park or more familiarly park-na-ban-tighearn, her lady-ship having cut the first sod. Further west he caused a large plot of boggy ground to be ploughed up and planted with cabbage and greens in the middle of winter, but, as might be expected they never yielded any returns. The drills were still visible when I used to roam over the ground herding the town’s cattle."

Shetland Kale or Cabbage	Looking toward Berriedale from Inver Hill

Borgue of Langwell	Grounds at Langwell

"We need not, however, follow the enterprising baronet much longer in his career as an agriculturist. He had his “faults and his fares” like other men, and while he did not improve the agricultural interest on his estate of Berriedale, but acted contrary to the best interests of farming there, he was greatly missed after Berriedale passed into other hands."



"Sir John was succeeded in Berriedale by Mr James Horne. He was a stern man, and easily irritated, and when in this frame of mind he was not very refined in his manner of speech. There was a man of the name of George Grant, “Pagoch,” who lived in Auchencraig, whom I introduced to your readers in a former article. He had some business one day with the laird, who lost his temper and “opened up” on him with much strong language. George had told his neighbours how vehement the laird had been, and he was asked, “And what did you do?’ “I just swore at him,” was the reply. “But were you not afraid to swear at the laird?” “Och, no,” said George, “For I was across the bridge before I did it.” The old gentleman died in Inverness, where he had gone to attend the wool market, and I remember sitting at the roadside waiting to see the hearse which conveyed his remains to Auchastle."





"Mr Donald Horne was not long in making a change on the estate. He turned out the people of Auchencraig, The Cairn, and Rinsary. Some of those turned out had miserable places given them along the edge of the rocks at Newport, where they had to struggle night and day for a bare existence, perched on the edge of an almost perpendicular rock, where one false step would be certain destruction."

"Nor has there been much improvement since Donald Horne’s time. Now this is a great pity, as a spirited proprietor, like the Duke of Sutherland, having ample means, which the present proprietor has, could effect a wonderful improvement on the estates, where hundreds of happy families could live in comfort, if not in affluence, and where a very considerable quantity of all kinds of farm produce could be sent to market. In place of this what have we? Where formerly there used to be sheep and shepherd, the very sheep are banished, and deer occupy their places, and watchers all over the ground watching and warning away intruders with as much zeal and perseverance as if every person who passed through the grounds were thieves and robbers."

	Gamekeeper and his dog. Northumberland 2010

Evictions begin in Langwell, Berriedale and Ausdale

Badbea had long supported the family of William Sutherland but by the early 19^th Century he must have been scratching his head to figure out how more families could survive here.

The Highland Clearances are well documented on-line so I won’t explain the complex reasons the land use was changing. I have added three of my personal favourite Clearances websites to my website page.

Three specific historical characters associated with the clearance of people to Badbea worth mentioning are:

First, Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster who lived in Thurso.

A statue of Sir John Sinclair in Thurso

Sir John was an enterprising man who was very interested in improving agricultural methods.

Sir John Sinclair and his wife purchased the Langwell estate in 1788. In 1792, five hundred Cheviot Ewes were brought to Langwell to see if they would thrive. They were large framed hardy sheep that produced good wool and meat. Sir John was said to be well meaning and humane in consideration of his tenants but ‘improvements’ soon turned to ‘evictions.’ Sheep and small scale tenants were incompatible. Soon part of the plan to farm sheep on Langwell was to move the tenants from the Berriedale Strath and the Langwell settlements to coastal settlements, the nearest being Badbea.

The first removal from Langwell to Badbea was one Alexander Gunn in 1793. By 1802 evictions in Berriedale saw the whole Strath cleared out. Sir John provided free passage from Glasgow to America for those who wanted it but most of those who went to Glasgow on seeing the conditions of the ships wouldn’t board and stayed in Glasgow in poverty.

Second James Anderson.

The house built by James Anderson in 1804 at Ausdale.
Source:  http://her.highland.gov.uk/

In 1804 Ausdale was let out as a sheep farm to James Anderson. Eight families were removed immediately. Some made their way to Badbea without any shelter to go to while James Anderson built a very fine house for himself and his family. This house is still used by the head shepherd of Ausdale. This sheep farm did not do well and Anderson left in disgust after a few years. In the Obituary of John Badbea Sutherland we learn that his family  - mother, Kathrin a widow with five, possibly six children - was evicted from their home which was stone’s throw from where James Anderson built his substantial house. Kathrin and her children had no dwelling to go to at Badbea and would have had to build one in a hurry from stones available on-site. Kathrin Sutherland was a sister to William Sutherland of Badbea so it is likely that William and his sons helped her family gather materials and build a house.

Ausdale Farmhouse 2012

Ousdale 1934. The tree to the right of the Anderson house would have been about the exact location of the home of Widow Sutherland who with her 5 or 6 children was evicted to make room for the new house. 

Third, James Horne is mentioned in the letter below but he needs to have a separate blog to tell all the stories associated with him. James Horne was a proprietor of Langwell after Sir John Sinclair. 

Of the families mentioned below probably about twelve families settled permanently in Badbea on tiny little plots of land on which they could scarcely survive and on which they still had to pay rent in ‘cash or kind’ doing such obligatory jobs as helping with harvesting on the Laird’s property.

The Badbea destination of the evicted. 

In a letter to the Northern Ensign in 1884 Alexander Gunn (not the same Alexander Gunn evicted as above)  has this to say:

EVICTIONS IN BERRIEDALE BY SIR JOHN SINCLAIR

To the Editor of the Northern Ensign

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

Cheviot ewes and lambs on the Ousdale side of the Badbea stone wall

Ancient Ausdale

Ausdale aka Ousdale

To set the scene for some Badbea history there are a few nearby locations that it is helpful to know something about. The first of these, several small hamlets and a farm, called Ausdale in early citations, but changed to Ousdale in later times. Ausdale, in the Latheron Parish, Caithness, Scotland, has been a place of habitation for thousands of years.
There is still a well-preserved Iron Age broch from the 2^nd – 3^rd centuries there. 

Ousdale broch showing the main entrance.

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/7409/details/ousdale+burn/  

Photo: Duncan Kennedy

Ausdale appears (centre top) on the Roy Military Survey 

of Scotland, 1747-55.  maps.nls.uk

Ausdale was noted in the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland 1892-6.

httpwww.electricscotland.comhistorygazetteervol1page92htm

 Ed Francis Groome (1892-6)

Note the close proximity of Ousdale to Badbea. 

OS six inch to mile maps 1840s to 1880s maps.nls.uk 

This map includes the Grey Hen’s Well showing the proximity

 to Badbea. Ousdale is just off the bottom left of the map. 

Ousdale farm is still a well farmed property today. The old stone houses are long gone. Google earth shows the Ousdale farm near the A9 between Helmsdale and Berriedale. The farm has been productive for at least several hundred years but those who have lived off it have changed significantly.

Ousdale farm in 2009 from the A9

 Zooming in on Google Earth it is possible to see the old 

stone remains of enclosures and dwellings probably

 late eighteenth century if not earlier. 

NB: The straight lines are modern transmission lines. 

The birth records for the Latheron Parish show births to Sutherland families and others at Ausdale from 1760 although it was well settled before the keeping of the parish records.

Ausdale was part of the Langwell Estate which had belonged to the Caithness family of Sutherlands since the seventeenth century. At that time Ausdale had a meal mill, an inn, a busy whisky distillery and a productive farm with ample living for the eight families, which included some Sutherlands and McLeods. Some members of these families became leaders in the Badbea settlement after they were cleared from Ausdale. Stories of their struggle for survival will follow.

The Bishop takes breakfast at Ausdale

Bishop Pococke accompanied by the Rev. George Innes visited Caithness during 1761 and wrote a general view of life and conditions then prevailing at Ausdale:

‘…when we came to the top of the Ord, how much were we surprised to see it all flat country before us, there being not one mountain or hill in all Caithness…We came to Ausdale an Inn, and the first house you came to in Caithness. ‘Good Morning Landlady’, said Mr Innes, ‘We have a good mind to take breakfast here if you can give us tea?’

She answered, very briskly, ‘Pray Sir, what kind of tea do you desire?’ Looking about to me he winked, and said ‘That’s so far good and promises well.’ Turning again to the Landlady, ‘Well good woman, what kind of tea can you give us?’ ‘Why Sir,’ she replied, ‘I can give you green tea, Bohea tea or coffee.’ ’Upon my word that is good sense truly,’ said Mr Innes, ‘Come, let us alight and get a good breakfast even in the wilds of Caithness.’

We then called for a sight of both kinds of tea and the green looked so well we made a choice of it, and very good it proved. We could not have had better in all the city of Edinburgh. We asked if we could have good milk…

‘You shall have plenty of that, Gentlemen,’ said the Landlady. Accordingly she had the servant fetch us a large cog of milk, and set it upon the table with a large spoon, and then said, ‘Here is the milk, Gentlemen, and skim off ye cream for yourselves.’

And indeed, it was the very best of milk, fresh and cool, clean and in good order; and never was there better fresh and powdered butter than she regaled us with, which spread upon good oatcakes made a noble repast. Till the tea kettle got ready I stepped out the door to look about me and see what I could spy, when, behold, I saw two women moving towards the house in a most leisurely way, step by step, each having a large vessel or broad cog of milk between her hands taken instantly from the cows. This induced me to return immediately to the house and ask if they had any farm here?

‘Yes Sir,’ said the Landlady, ‘We have a farm for which we pay six hundred merks Scots a year.’ (About £35 sterling). This makes a very large farm in Caithness of wide extended bounds….’

Source: Roydhouse, A. 1977. ‘Background to Badbea’, John O’ Groat Journal 

The Sutherland Lairds of Langwell as proprietors of Ausdale engaged a tacksman or leaseholder to manage the property and secure the rent from the crofters for the owners. Ausdale was well managed. But Robert Sutherland fifth Laird of Langwell, eccentric and a heavy drinker, was divorced by his wife and  forced to sell the Langwell estate in 1775 to a William Gray recently from Jamaica.  In 1788 Lady Diana Sinclair the wife of Sir John Sinclair the agriculturalist and statistician acquired the Langwell estate. Sir John Sinclair was an enterprising man who was very interested in agricultural improvements. He was also considered to be well meaning and humane in his consideration of his numerous tenants. But it was not long after the Sinclairs acquired Langwell that the news of improvements turned to ‘evictions’. The nearby tiny coastal settlement of Badbea, perched on treacherous cliff tops high above the sea, was soon to become one of the most notorious locations to receive dispossessed and evicted Highlanders from nearby villages including Ousdale. Farming improvements were not perceived compatible with the traditional small scale crofters. The way of life at Ousdale, described by Bishop Pococke was coming to a miserable end. The days of relative plenitude were fast vanishing, at least from the hearths of nearby tenantry.

The Highland Family, by Sir David Wilkie, 1824