Thursday 6 August 2009

Exodus from the Outer Hebrides to Canada

Lucille H. Campey spoke at Stornoway Town Hall last night on the above subject. She took a novel angle on what is a central theme in the history of the Highlands and Islands, namely with a focus on Canada rather than Scotland. It is not easy to summarise a 60 minute discourse within the confines of a blog, but will go so far as to describe Ms Campey's stance as controversial.

The exodus to Canada from the Outer Hebrides as well as other parts of Scotland is well documented. Nova Scotia, Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island in the far east of Canada are littered with pointers to the settlement of people from western Scotland, in placenames, culture and traditions. The mechanism of this migration is the underlying issue, and focuses on the landlords and his tenants.

I'll focus on the town of Helmsdale in Sutherland to make my point. Two years ago, a statue was erected there to celebrate the achievements of the Highlanders in Canada. I'll be the last to deny that the Scottish diaspora has achieved great things in their new homelands, whether they be Canada, the USA, Australia or New Zealand - or wherever. Why weren't the people of the Highlands and Islands not put into a position where great things could be done at home?

Reference was made to the 1886 crofting reforms, prompted by overcrowding and poor soil (according to last night's speaker). Having read some of Lord Napier's reports, there was good soil to be had in the Highlands and Islands, access to which was denied to the tenants of the local lairds. Ms Campey denied that coercion played a major part in the drive to emigration, something that I do not believe will go down well with those that are intimately familiar with the history of this region - I do not claim to be. There are some who will say that government, rather than assist in the emigration, should have assisted people to remain. That was not the spirit of the time. If people were unable to afford their rent, set arbitrarily by lairds or his agents, they could be evicted. Conditions at the time, particularly after the potato famine of 1846, were undeniably dire for both tenants and landlords. But a landlord, committed to his tenants, would have worked with them - as was asserted as early as the 1880s, see the Napier report.

The focus in last night's discourse was on the opportunities afforded in Canada to those who emigrated there. A more egalitarian society, as opposed to the class society to be had in Great Britain. Start a new life in a wilderness, away from materialism and an unjust society. Many people did very well indeed, achieving a wealth that would not have been possible in Scotland. Others did not do very well at all. Some could not afford the crossing, and ended up owing the fare to the ship's captain. And when he came to claim his debt, the emigrants would once again be left with nothing.

I'll be the first to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of Scots overseas. But I'll also be the first to assert that a lot of emigration, even bearing in mind society in the 19th century, would not have been necessary.

6 comments:

  1. I watched the Who Do You Think You Are..David Mitchell, BBC last night. it dealt with with Sutherland and generations of Mitchells farming during/after the clearance time. Change of Landlord and rapid decline in sheep/wool prices thanks to New Zealand and Australian imports, led to Mitchells selling up and losing the benefits generations of hard graft. Life is sometimes a very weird thing to encounter.....right time right place comes to mind...also the phrase, winners and losers, although I am sure this is not always "fair". Respect and Justice for all...........RJG

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  2. I saw the programme too, RJG. It was interesting that the economic imperatives that led to the clearances also eventually led to the decline of sheep farming. Fancy that lovely house just being left to rot, too! What a waste. And the farm was absolutely massive in terms of acreage.

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  3. When we lived in Brora (Sutherland) in the late 1970s "the clearances" were still a hot topic; one of the Duke of Sutherland's agents, Patrick Sellar, was a particularly vicious character. One old lady's grandmother had been born in the graveyard of the kirk at Croik as that was where the refugees had taken shelter, the minister refused to allow them to use the kirk building.

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  4. Post and also comments, very interesting.

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  5. Was not Sellar responsible for the edict that the dispossessed could not even take the limpets from the shore line to supplement their starvation diet. Limpets for God's sake, have you ever eaten one, hardly a significant amount of nutrition. The point I found particularly interesting in the tv programme was the reference to the potato blight and subsequent famine in Scotland. Not to diminish the horrors of the Irish famine it is well to remember the effects on this side of St George's Channel. The emigration from the highlands and islands is well documented but we should also remember the urban drift which depopulated the lowlands at the same time. And as for the description of the landlords as"improvers" nuff said.

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  6. Was not Sellar responsible for the edict that the dispossessed could not even take the limpets from the shore line to supplement their starvation diet. Limpets for God's sake, have you ever eaten one, hardly a significant amount of nutrition. The point I found particularly interesting in the tv programme was the reference to the potato blight and subsequent famine in Scotland. Not to diminish the horrors of the Irish famine it is well to remember the effects on this side of St George's Channel. The emigration from the highlands and islands is well documented but it is well to remember the urban drift which depopulated the lowlands at the same time. And as for the description of the landlords as"improvers" nuff said.

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