I’d hand them happiness on a plate,
If only the fools would co-operate . . .
But blind with Celtic mist and phlegm
They cannot see what is good for them.
All that remained at Lever’s death, the poet decided, ‘Was a waste of money and a waste of breath:
Far below in the Western Seas
The moors were quiet in the Hebrides,
The crofters gossiped in Gaelic speech
And the waves crept over the lonely beach.62
Louis MacNeice drew and publicised his conclusion – which was actually little more than an idle common prejudice left undisturbed by his brief visit – that nothing had altered in the islands because its inhabitants were dogmatically averse to change. His journey through Harris had taken him up the west coast, past Borve Lodge and the great sands of Scarista. He noted there with amusement young bare-foot children running out of ramshackle houses to wave at his passage.
MacNeice was incapable of noting that just fifteen years earlier such a sight would have been impossible, for between Luskentyre and Northton there had been no houses other than the estate lodge, and no children other than those on holiday with the proprietor. The Board of Agriculture first settled families from the east coast onto the machair at Scaristavore in 1928. Following insistent raiding it repeated the process at neigh-bouring Scaristabeg and further north at Luskentyre, and eventually at Borve itself. It was to the thankful incoming families from Bays not so much an emigration as a retrieval. They were returning home.
There is an attraction in Ozymandian monuments. The half-hearted industrial shells at Obbe/Leverburgh and the abandoned whaling station at Bunavoneader in North Harris stand as some kind of requiem in stone to Leverhulme’s vain ambitions for the northern Hebrides. But so in all justice, whether he intended it or not, does the continued benevolent presence of the Stornoway Trust as a Sargasso of calm and accountability in the forbidding and unstable ocean of private Highland estates.
The people who welcomed him with caustic eyes, who greeted his good ideas and opposed his foolishness, knew exactly what they wanted to leave behind. The well-populated crofting townships which swarm over the landscape from Tong to Coll to Back to Gress and Tolsta became home, throughout the twentieth century and into the third millennium, to a huge proportion of the population of Lewis. The clusters of white crofthouses on the greensward now harbour inscribed plaques and sculptures which pay tribute to the land raiders who came back from the First World War. They are modest remembrances of the fathers of these enduring townships, but they are more than was ever anticipated. Such people neither wished nor expected their ambitions to be eulogised in stone. The ex-servicemen, as Lord Leverhulme acknowledged in his final address to the people of Lewis, were looking for no testimonial and had in prospect no reward other than this: the security of their children’s children at peace on the soil of their island.
NOTES
1 The History of Unilever, Vol I, Charles Wilson
2 ibid
3 ibid
4 The Second Disruption, James Lachlan Macleod
5 ibid
6 My Life, Angus Watson
7 Tales and Traditions of the Lews, Donald MacDonald
8 Men of Stress, Dr Harley Williams
9 The History of Unilever, Vol I, Charles Wilson
10 Lord Leverhulme, W. P. Jolly
11 Land For The People?, Ewen A. Cameron
12 ibid
13 The Crofters’War, I. M.M. MacPhail
14 Land For The People?, Ewen A. Cameron
15 Around the Peat-fire, Calum Smith
16 Lewis – A History of the Island, Donald Macdonald
17 TwentyYears of Hebridean Memories, Emily MacDonald
18 TheWestern Isles, A. A. MacGregor
19 TwentyYears of Hebridean Memories, Emily Macdonald
20 Viscount Leverhulme, William Hulme Lever (the first Viscount Leverhulme’s son)
21 ibid
22 Around the Peat-fire, Calum Smith
23 Call na h-Iolaire, Tormod Calum Domhnallach
24 ibid
25 Donald MacPhail recorded by BBC Radio in 1959
26 Around the Peat-fire, Calum Smith
27 Highland Journey, Colin Macdonald
28 Land for the People?, Ewen A. Cameron
29 The History of Unilever, Vol I, Charles Wilson
30 Highland Journey, Colin Macdonald
31 The Lewis Land Struggle, Joni Buchanan
32 Highland Journey, Colin Macdonald
33 Fit For Heroes, Leah Leneman
34 Lord of the Isles, Nigel Nicolson
35 TwentyYears of Hebridean Memories, Emily Macdonald
36 A History of Lodge Fortrose No. 108 Stornoway, George Clavey
37 The Making of the Crofting Community, James Hunter
38 Arches of the Years, Halliday Sutherland
39 The Isle of Lewis and Harris, Arthur Geddes
40 I Crossed the Minch, Louis MacNeice
41 The Sea Fisheries of Scotland, James R. Coull
42 The History of Unilever, Vol 1, Charles Wilson
43 ibid
44 ibid
45 Highland Memories, Colin MacDonald
46 The Lewis Land Struggle, Joni Buchanan
47 ibid
48 Arches of the Years, Halliday Sutherland
49 TwentyYears of Hebridean Memories, Emily Macdonald
50 Land for the People?, Ewen A. Cameron
51 Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, 1923
52 Lord Leverhulme, W. P. Jolly
53 Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, 1923
54 Around the Peat-fire, Calum Smith
55 Metagama, Jim Wilkie
56 Men of Stress, Dr Harley Williams
57 Lord of the Isles, Nigel Nicolson
58 ibid
59 Highland Memories, Colin Macdonald
60 Hebridean Journey, Halliday Sutherland
61 Fit For Heroes?, Leah Leneman
62 I Crossed the Minch, Louis MacNeice
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Buchanan, Joni, The Lewis Land Struggle (1996)
Cameron, A. D., Go Listen to the Crofters (1986)
Cameron, Ewen A., Land for the People? (1996)
Cooper, Derek, The Road to Mingulay (1985)
Coull, James R., The Sea Fisheries of Scotland (1996)
Darling, Frank Fraser, West Highland Survey (1955)
Domhnallach, Tormod Calum, Call na h-Iolaire (1978)
Gaelic Society of Inverness, Proceedings, 1923 (1927)
Geddes, Arthur, The Isle of Lewis and Harris (1955)
Grant, James Shaw, Stornoway and The Lews (1985)
Harman, Mary, An Isle Called Hirte (1997)
Hunter, James, The Making of the Crofting Community (1976)
Jolly, W. P., Lord Leverhulme (1976)
Leneman, Leah, Fit For Heroes? (1989)
Leverhulme, 2nd Viscount, Lord Leverhulme (1927)
MacDonald, Colin, Highland Journey (1943)
MacDonald, Colin, Highland Memories (1949)
Macdonald, Donald, Lewis, A History of the Island (1978)
Macdonald, Donald, Tales and Traditions of the Lews (1967)
Macdonald, Emily, TwentyYears of Hebridean Memories (1939)
MacGregor, Alasdair Alpin, TheWestern Isles (1949)
MacKenzie, W. C., History of the Outer Hebrides (1903)
MacKenzie, W. C., The Book of the Lews (1919)
MacLeod, James Lachlan, The Second Disruption (2000)
MacNeice, Louis, I Crossed The Minch (1938)
MacPhail, I. M.M., The Crofters’War (1989)
Milne, Sir David, The Scottish Office (1957)
Morris, Edward (ed.), The Making of the Lady Lever Art Gallery (1992)
Nicolson, Nigel, Lord of the Isles (1960)
Pakenham, Thomas, The Scramble for Africa (1991)
Smith, Calum, Around the Peat-fire (2001)
Su
therland, Halliday, Hebridean Journey (1939)
Sutherland, Halliday, The Arches of the Years (1933)
Thomas, John, The Skye Railway (1977)
Watson, Angus, My Life (1937)
Wilkie, Jim, Metagama (1987)
Williams, Harley, Men of Stress (1948)
Wilson, Charles, The History of Unilever, Volume 1 (1954)
The author would also like to acknowledge the help given by the archives of various periodicals. William Grant’s Stornoway Gazette arrived in Lewis shortly before Lord Leverhulme, and was an enthusiastic chronicler of his activities. The West Highland Free Press appeared a little later, but has been anxious to recover lost ground.
The Invergordon Times, The Scotsman, The Manchester Guardian and The Glasgow Herald also offered useful and various insights into postbellum Lewis.
INDEX
Adamson, William 217
Aignish 37,
raid on 43–46, 59, 60, 207
Albert, Prince Consort 2
Amhuinnsuidhe Castle 144, 145, 147, 220, 225
Anderson, John Norrie (Provost) 79, 81, 83, 86, 110, 111
Back 21, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 134, 135, 165, 169, 199, 204, 206, 208, 210, 213, 214, 216, 217, 227
Balallan 38, 39, 40, 45, 164, 193
Baldwin, Stanley 181, 182, 184
Barra, island of 77, 115, 157, 188, 226
Barvas Moor 12, 20, 64, 93, 99, 118, 131, 155, 203, 205
Bays of Harris 146, 172, 175, 177, 227
Benbecula, island of 115, 118
Bernera 12, 66
Birkenhead 2, 3, 27, 57
Board of Agriculture 60, 61, 62, 96, 98, 99, 113, 115, 116, 118, 122, 123, 129, 132, 133, 135, 149, 152, 165, 167, 168, 174, 177, 178, 183, 192, 198, 200, 204, 207, 209, 212, 225, 226, 227
Bonar Law, Andrew 182, 187, 191
Borve Lodge 170, 224, 226
Bromborough 1, 2, 25, 46, 85, Bruce, G J 75, 76, 77, 78
Cameron, Donald (of Lochiel) 32, 34
Cameron, James 41, 43
Campbell, Lachlan 146
Carloway 12, 93, 108, 215, 246
Cheesebay 177, 178
Clisham, the 14, 144, 149, 169
Coll 60, 117, 118, 119, 121, 122, 131, 133, 144, 151, 152, 153, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 188, 210, 214, 216, 227
Congo 48, 52, 53, 54. 55, 224
Conservative Party 35, 36, 42, 60, 77, 78, 96, 101, 181, 182, 183, 184
Cotts, Sir William Dingwall Mitchell 78, 101, 109, 177, 181, 182, 183, 184, 193, 217
Crofters Act, 1886 36, 38, 63, 176, 194, 206, 207, 208, 226
Croick 178
Dalbeg 60
Dingwall 33, 45, 65, 77, 107
Edinburgh 42, 43, 45, 61, 63, 66, 70, 79, 137, 152, 196, 210, 212, 215
Finsbay 170, 172, 175, 176
Fleetwood 114, 159
Fraser, Alexander (Sheriff) 39, 42, 44
Fraser-Macintosh, Charles 34
Free Church of Scotland 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 90, 101, 151, 195, 196, 217, 222
Gaelic Society of Inverness 185, 186, 187, 188, 190, 191, 194
Galson 37, 43, 44, 46, 60, 61, 113, 133, 166, 198, 203, 214
Geddes, Arthur 155, 156, 158, 159
George V, King 57
Gladstone, William 2, 19, 27, 29, 31, 32, 36, 37, 42, 101, 207
Graham, Murdo 167
Grant, James Shaw 157, 207
Grant, William 65, 70, 71, 74, 75, 78, 107, 182, 191, 194, 207
Greig, Sir Robert 198
Gress 60, 61, 113, 117, 118, 119, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 129, 131, 132, 133, 135, 139, 144, 151, 152, 153, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 179, 188, 195, 203, 204, 210, 216, 227
Harcourt, Sir William 17, 32
Hardy, Dr M E 155
Harris, island of 4, 11, 12, 38, 63, 65, 76, 77, 87, 91, 93, 102, 103, 105, 106, 118
Leverhulme’s purchase of 144–149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 155, 163
Leverhulme’s ownership of 169–179, 181, 185, 188, 189, 190, 192, 193, 195, 198
Leverhulme’s swansong in 219–221, 224, 225, 226, 227
Hooley, Ernest Terah 50
House of Commons 35, 50, 102, 115, 116, 117, 119, 133, 183
Inverness 20, 46, 65, 80, 105, 169, 173, 177, 185, 187, 188, 191, 193, 194
Iolaire, HMY 103, 104, 105, 107, 108, 109, 146, 223
Ireland 7, 31, 36
Kennedy-Fraser, Marjory 138, 139, 151
Killegray, island of 177, 178
Knight, Frank and Rutley 67, 215
Kyle of Lochalsh 80, 103, 104, 107, 122, 219, 224
Labour Party 75, 77, 78, 97, 101, 181, 183, 184, 207, 217
Land Court 60, 61, 62, 192
Land League (Highland and Lewis) 19, 31, 32, 33, 35, 39, 46, 74, 75, 76, 77, 97
Lauder, Sir Harry 137, 138, 139, 151, 171, 186
Laxay 38, 39, 40
Leopold II, King 52
Leurbost 86, 105, 193
Lever, Eliza Hesketh (mother) 5
Lever, Elizabeth Ellen (Baroness Leverhulme) 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 15, 22, 29
death of 56, 58
Lever, James (father) 5, 6
Lever, William Hulme 56, 57, 69, 98
Leverburgh see Obbe Leverville 53, 54, 56, 224
Lewis District Committee 74, 79, 110, 111, 112, 203, 204, 208, 209, 210, 212, 213, 214, 215, 222
Lews Castle 12, 67, 79, 80, 109, 119, 134, 136, 137, 139, 185, 198, 216, 224, 246
Liberal Party 2, 17, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 36, 47, 50, 61, 77, 78, 96, 97, 98, 101, 149, 181, 182, 183, 184, 217
Lingerabay 172, 175, 176
Livingstone, Alexander MacKenzie 183, 184, 217
Lloyd George, David 68, 77, 96, 101, 117, 184, 185
Lochs, districts of 20, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 45, 46, 60, 61, 62, 75, 86, 105, 113, 130, 151, 196, 203, 204, 208, 215, 217
MacCallum, Reverend Donald 75, 76, 86, 102
Macdonald, Colin 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 139, 140, 142, 143, 165, 225
MacDonald, Dr Roderick 34, 35, 102
MacDonald, James 104, 105
Macdonald, John 172, 175, 176
MacEachern, Reverend Charles 46
MacFisheries 114, 115, 155, 159
MacGregor, Alasdair Alpin 70
MacIver, Rev. Angus 19
MacKay, William (founder of Gaelic Society of Inverness) 185
MacKay, William (Matheson Estate factor) 20
Mackenzie, John (Provost) 86
Mackenzie, John (Tarbert) 195, 219
MacKenzie, Kenneth (Provost) 110, 193, 210, 215
MacKenzie, Sir Kenneth 32
Maclean, Murdo (Provost) 79, 81, 87, 108, 159, 195, 197, 204, 210, 211, 213, 214, 222
MacLeod, Donald (Breasclete) 212
MacLeod, George (Aignish) 207, 208
MacLeod, John (Vatisker) 121, 122, 127, 128, 131
MacLeod, John Finlay 105
MacLeod, Pipe-Major Donald 137, 166, 167
MacNeice, Louis 226, 227
MacPherson, Ian 182
MacRae, Donald 39, 41, 43, 45
MacRae, Murdo 40
MacRae, PC James 176
Manchester Guardian 90, 96
Mangersta 59, 60
Martin, Alan 125, 126
Martin, Donald (Back) 21
Martin, Donald (Tolsta) 21
Matheson, Colonel Duncan 59, 61, 67, 68, 87
Matheson, Donald 59
Matheson, Lady Jane 13, 19, 35, 39, 59
Matheson, Sir Alexander (of Lochalsh) 33
Matheson, Sir James 12, 20, 32, 33, 67, 216
Mawson, Thomas Hayton 90, 93, 94, 95, 96, 155
McCowan, Hugh 78, 101
Mealista 12
Melbost 43, 44, 46
Metagama, SS 193, 195, 196, 197
Morgan, Sir Herbert 118
Morrison, Alexander (Lewis Crofters’ Association) 74
Morrison, Alexander (Lewis Land League) 19, 21
Morrison, Donald 105
Morrison, Murdo 205
Morsgail 60, 144, 149, 215
Munro, Robert (Scottish Secretary) 96, 99, 101, 108, 116, 117, 118, 133, 149, 150, 151, 152, 166, 167, 168, 181, 195, 198, 202
Munro-Ferguson, Ronald Crauford (Viscount Novar) 33, 35, 39, 181, 198, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 217
Murray, Charles Adolphus (Earl of Dunmore) 145, 148
Murray, Dr Donald 77, 78, 97, 101, 102, 115, 116, 181, 183
Napier Commission 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 31, 32, 34, 37, 38, 146, 152, 185
Napoleon Bonaparte 26, 49, 72, 94
Ness, parish of 11, 13, 37, 43, 46, 62, 64, 88, 91, 104, 105, 113, 133, 134, 136, 153, 193, 196, 213, 217
Newhall, Samuel 46
Nicolson, Alexander 185, 186, 187, 188, 190, 191, 193
Nicolson Institute 65, 89, 207, 216, 224
Niger Company 160, 161, 162, 188
North Uist, island of 77, 115, 145, 174, 177, 178
Northton 145, 227
Obbe (Leverburgh) 145, 146, 153, 172, 173, 175, 176, 177, 187, 220, 225, 226, 227
Orkney Islands 22
Orrock, Charles 74, 75, 79, 99, 110
Owen, Robert 2
Park, district of 18, 33
deer forest raid 37–43, 44, 45, 46, 60, 65, 146, 151, 215
Paul, Emily 68, 69, 79, 87, 135, 169, 170
Perceval, Frances Maryon 35
Perceval, Spencer 35
Platt, Jessie 39, 40, 41, 215
Platt, Joseph 39, 42
Point (Eye Peninsula, Rudha) 12, 43, 44, 46, 196, 203, 208, 216
Port Sunlight – building of 1–4, 25, 26, 28, 29, 48, 49, 50, 53, 55, 56, 57, 66, 73, 132, 159, 166, 191, 224
Portnalong 178
prohibition in Lewis 136, 169
Reform Act (Third) 19, 33, 181
Robertson, Norman 172, 173, 174, 176
Rodel 145, 174
Ross-shire 20, 33, 34, 61, 65, 77, 96, 122, 149, 169, 174, 181, 182, 184, 211
Royal Naval Reserve 64, 103, 104
Salt, Titus 2
Sanders, Sir Edgar 198
Scalpay, island of 220
Scarp, island of 220, 221
Scotsman, The 34, 35, 41, 70, 71, 122
Scott, Samuel 146, 147
Scott, Sir Edward 145
Scottish Office 45, 132, 155, 158, 165, 168, 174, 189, 194, 195, 198, 201, 202
Shawbost 60, 63, 64, 89, 93, 106, 107, 143, 213
Sheila, SS 63, 79, 80, 103, 104, 107, 122, 137, 200, 224
Simpson, Jonathan 5, 8, 9, 22, 79, 169
Skye, island of 17, 34, 35, 103, 116, 118, 177, 178, 183, 186, 192, 220