part-2 clans of shiskine 1936

8/14/2019 Part-2 Clans of Shiskine 1936

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Part 2 of CLANS OF SHISKINE

PAST AND PRESENT

Compiled and read byMr. Charles Robertson, Burncliff, Shiskine, to the

Natives of Arran in Glasgow, March, 1936.

Printed byTHE BUTEMAN, LTD., 10 and 12 Castle Street,

ROTHESAY

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SHAWS. One of Arrans most noteworthy literary men was a member ofthis clan, namely, the Rev. William Shaw, the author of the firstGaelic Dictionary that was ever written. He was born at Clachaig in1749, was a graduate of Glasgow University. He went to London, andthere met Dr. Johnson, the other literary lights. When he told Johnsonof his great scheme for making a collection of Gaelic words, the old

Doctor approved. Sir, said he, if you give the world a vocabulary ofthat language, while this Island stands, your name will be remembered.In 1780 his work appeared in two volumes. Owing to a great controversyraging in the Highlands on the authenticity of Ossian's poems, theauthor had to go to Ireland to finish his work. He died in England in1831. Another of that same family and name distinguished himself whilein the Navy. For an act of gallantry while in the West Indies with hisship, he was offered to be made a warrant officer on the spot, or gethis discharge with a pension and a home in Arran. He chose what isknown as Seafield Cottage at Blackwaterfoot, and remained there tillhe died. The name of William Shaw appears in the Arran Rent Roll of1830. My maternal grandmother's name was Janet Shaw, a sister of thelast named. There are no Shaws in Shiskine to-day. One of the Shiskine

Shaws became Piermaster at Lamlash. His son is Captain Donald Shaw,who married a Shiskine lady. I'm very sorry that Captain and Mrs Shawdid not call one of their sons William to perpetuate the memory ofthose two men who shed luster on the clan, both in scholarship andgallantry.

Time won't permit me going into details on the other families inthe district, such as the Sillars, Hamiltons, Craigs, M'Kelvies, andthose others who have died out, such as Crawfords, M'Gregors,M'Kinnons, etc. It may interest you to know the names that were in thevillage of Shedog 100 years ago-Wm. Nelson, D. Inglis, John Osborne,John Lee, Solomon Caldwell: another unusual name in the district wasJeremiah M'Bride. Miss M'Bride, in her address from the chair at the

Arran Re-Union several years ago, claimed that M'Brides were in Arransince the days of Bruce.

The Church was the centre of the people's life. The distancethey walked to church on the Sabbath Day was amazing. I remember thepeople coming across the moor a distance of six to eight miles. In thesummer time the young women used to come tripping through the dewyheather, with their bare feet, putting on shoes before entering thechurch. The service was conducted in Gaelic, and the singing was run-line. This was done to allow all the people to join in, many of themnot being able to read, or not having books. At the time I am


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referring to there were no seats in the churches. So the peoplebrought their own three-legged stools. Jenny Geddes found this type ofstool a handy missle when she threw it in St. Giles. The Session hadthe status of a Civil Court, and the elders the status of CivilMagistrates. They made many of the laws and administered the laws theymade and collected the fines. Culprits had to pay their finesgraduated according to the heinousness or frequency of the offence.Offenders stood at the repentance stool clad in a cloak of sackcloth,

which they might be obliged to buy, or make for themselves. These poorpersons went through the ordeal of facing the congregation andreceiving rebukes from the minister, and even on Communion Day thisterrible ordeal was gone through. Frequent cases occurred when, ratherthan face this trial, delinquents fled from the place. Offenders ofthe moral law had to take the oath of purgation before thecongregation (when charges could not be proved). The dread of thisoath wrung confession from many when nothing else would terrify theminto truth.

Many of the clans were Baron Lairds in Arran, the Fullartons,Brodick, being the only family to have retained their titles. TheCooks, M'Brides, and M'Kinnons were the others. There was a M'Kinnon

who lived at Brodick who was styled the Baron in my own day. There isno more interesting study than the derivation of family names. I wouldlike to throw out a hint to some of you young men before me to take upthis as a subject for an address before the Ceilidh here at no distantdate. Surnames only come into use in the twelfth century. Had youlived then you would perhaps be known by some physical deformity, orother characteristic, or by the occupation you followed. One of theearly kings of Scotland was known by his big head, Callum Canmore. Hadour Saviour lived at the present day he would have been called in theGaelic "Mac-an-t'saoir," or in plain English, Jesus M'Intyre. In the1719 Session records we find three of the SILLARS clan in the Session.First we have Patrick M'Nargid, Patrick Silver, and John M'Nargenach.Those of you who have the Gaelic will see that they all mean one and

the same thing, the worker or engraver in silver. (Now, at this stage,I would say to you young men, if you want a most interesting subjectfor the Ceilidh, take the derivation of Arran names.) The name in thecourse of its evolution appears as Sellar (Marchioness of Graham), nowis a Sillars, whether the evolution has ceased is open to conjecture.This clan was fairly numerous in 1830. We find four families of thatname in Banlikan, in Auchincar, one in Glaister, one in Tormore, andone in Torbeg.

THOMSONS. The Thomsons came to Arran from Argyllshire, farmed inAuchincar. There are no Thomsons in the district now. One cannotmention clans without associating certain christian names with thoseclans, for instance, you could not think of Bannatynes without

Ebenezers and Ronalds; M'Alisters without Hectors and Matthews;M'Kenzies without Gilberts and Angus; Robertsons, Archibalds andCharles; Sillars without Malcolms; and Curries without Johns andDonalds, and M'Brides without Peters. I was very surprised at findingso many Old Testament names among the christian names of the clans ofArran. Now, just listen-Adam, Abraham, Gershom, Moses, Joseph, Samuel,David, Solomon, Ebenezer, Ephraim, Jeremiah and Daniel. I think wefind here a solution to what happened to the lost tribes of Israel-they may have found sanctuary in Arran.

I will now come to what to some of you at least be more


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interesting-how these clans moved, lived and had their being in thosefar-off days. Before doing so I would like to read to you someextracts of the Kilmory Session records that will throw some light onthe customs and life of the people. At a meeting of Kirk Session atClachan, Shiskine, in 1719, the folowing gentlemen were present :--Dougald Bannatyne, minister; Elders-Patrick M'Nargid, Auchencarr;Patrick Silver, Sliddery; Robert Hendry, Peneoch; Patrick Hamilton ofCoutts; Andrew Wyllie, Kilpatrick; John M'Curry, Alexr. Bannatyne,

Alexr. Simm, Alexr. Grey, Ronald M'Master, Angus M'Allister, JohnM'Kelvie, Donald M'Graffan, John M'Cook, Alexr. M'Gregor, JohnHamilton, Neil M'Rob, Imacher, (Ruling elder) John M. M'Nargenach, andRonald M'Larty. Nearly all those families are still represented inArran. Session touched life at all points. Here are a few entriestaken at random. The first entry is dated in 1701. A woman atWhitefarland is inflicted with ex-communication for six fortnights.1719-Wm. M'Rob, Torbeg (my own ancestor) , severely rebuked before thecongregation for grinding corn on the Fast Day. 1719-Donald Shaw,Tormore, takes his wife, Janet Hamilton, before the Session forthrowing a pair of shears shears at him, and wounding him veryseverely in the arm. Asked why she did so, replied that her husbandwas bawling and swearing, was told she should have tried more peaceful

methods, and was severely censured by the Session, had to stand beforethe congregation to be rebuked publicly as a warning to other spousesin the district. 1715-Session pays Hector Bannatyne ?2 for teachingpoor children at Drumaghiner. Paid Wm. Russell 1/- for herding horsesat Communion time. 1724-Margaret Hamilton, Margaret and Isobel Stewartdid profane the Sabbath flyting and scolding while milking the ewesat the Bochan-Areadh, Ballygown, Shiskine, were publicly rebuked afterconfessing their sin. 1724-John Hamilton and Catherine did profane theSabbath one day in harvest in Upper Feorline, by flyting and scoldingabout a horse being in a field of corn, and gave offence to many, wereseverely rebuked. 1724-Alexr. M'Alister, Machray, lost his wife aftergiving birth to twins, did inform Session that he is unable to supportsame, prays the Session to allow him to "thig" the Parish. Session

views the petition with favour, allows him twelve months to thig theParish, gives him a line to Kilbride Session. This means going roundwith a bag collecting handfuls of corn. 1724-Twelve men called beforethe Session for going out to a ship in the Channel on the Sabbath Day.Said they thought the ship was signalling for a pilot. Asked why itneeded twelve men to go out, admitted that they took brandy ashore,confessed their fault, and sin, and were fined 5/- per man. Money tobe put in the poor box. 1710-Kilmory manse burned to the ground and?30 poor money lost. 1712-Paid 6/6 for Sandglass (Rutherford). 1718-All persons contemplating marriage be able to repeat the ShorterCatechism before the Session before the banns are put up. At the samemeeting a father was fined one dollar consignation money because hisdaughter resyled from marriage after the banns were put up. 1763-9/10

paid for repentance stool. 1723-Young married persons were allowed tothig the parish for one year after marriage. The people reckon this agreat burden. The Session enacts that this custom cease, exceptpersons over 60 years of age. 1718-Session sitting in judgement oneach other, each member in turn goes out while the others sit injudgement of their life and character. Minister judged in turn withothers. This happens periodically. 1764-Session instructs that onlySchoolmasters be appointed who are able to teach Latin, Gaelic,Navigation, Mathematics, book-keeping, and Church Music. Rev. AngusM'Millan, in his statistical account, says, "The people are generallytall, at least they are above the middle height, athletic and very


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well made. Their features are open and regular, and they lookremarkably well formed. The women are taller, handsomer, and betterlooking than in most other parts of the country. The remarks applygenerally to all parts of the parish." The power of the Church wasgreat and its arm was long. There are instances of it reaching peopleeven as far as Ireland. We may, in these enlightened days, smile attheir crude methods, but I'm sure we will all agree they carried outtheir duties conscientiously according to their lights. I only came

across one case of theft before the session, and that was not proven.They dealt very severely with those who strayed from the paths ofvirtue. Whether this harsh treatment had the desired effect is open to

conjecture.

I have gone through the Kilmory records very carefully seekingto find some reference to the stirring events that were shakingScotland to its foundations. Arran seems to have been undisturbed byseveral of the issues which elsewhere lead to the shedding of blood.We have no knowledge of sufferers for the Covenant in Arran, thoughthere were many in the neighbouring country of Ayrshire who werehunted like deer in the hills and moss hags of their native land. Nor

do we find any reference to the '45 which ended so disastrously atCulloden. The Session at Kilmory seems to have been undisturbed to anyextent. They seem at the time to be busily engaged trying to solve thefourth of Solomon's mysteries.

Now, cast back your minds and picture Shiskine four centuriesago-no hedges, no roads, just bridal tracks, no bridges. The houseswere not on their own ground as you see them to-day. They were allclustered into villages or townships, as they were called, somethingafter the style of Auchengallon. Should you with to leave the Islandyou walked to Brodick, had to ford all the streams on the way across,then cross to Saltcoats by sailing smack, and often storm and calmdelayed the vessel, sometimes all night in the Firth. We always went

from and came back by Brodick. What Joppa was so long to Jerusalem, soBrodick has been to us. We look on Brodick as the port of Shiskine.

I have already referred to the frequent raids by the clansmen ofKintyre. In the year 1444 to 1447, we have a melancholy record oflosses in the Island through devastation by what is termed "thosecursed raiders from Kintyre." The country at that time was in such anunsettled state there was no force in being that could be brought intoplay to prevent them taking place. Arran lay in such close proximityto the Argyllshire coast that it was fairly easy for the M'Alistersand M'Donalds to make frequent incursions that caused so much havocand loss to the people of Arran. There is a long list of abatement ofrents allowed as a result of these raids. The Arran people did not

seem to be able to repulse the invaders, nor do we know of anyreprisals taken against them. In order to protect their families andproperty they built forts or Camps which were used in time of danger.

The most noteworthy of these is at Drumadoon, splendidly situated onthe cliffs some 200 feet above sea level. The cliffs from the bottomto the top are almost perpendicular. The walls round the top were 12feet thick, enclosing a space of several acres. Its commandingposition, and its excellent defenses rendered it almost impregnable, asafe sheltering from the whole district. There were several of thoseforts serving other districts. None of them were so impressive as the


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one at Drumadoon. As late as the 15th century we read of the Arranlairds strengthening the defenses on account of the raids of theKintyre clans. It is unfortunate, owing to the stormy nature of thetimes and the absence of authentic records the full story cannot bewritten.

End of part 2

part-2 clans of shiskine 1936

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