Whilst on the trail of Kinlochbervie forebears of my wife's, I noted details of an 1831 petition from the inhabitants of Eddrachillis to the Marquis of Stafford for which most of the text was provided in "A History of the Highland Clearances..." by Eric Richards. Hoping many personal names might be mentioned, I sent away to the Stafford Record Office for a copy of the original document. Unfortunately no personal names were given but the text itself is interesting and I provide a transcript below. I would be interested to hear from others on the list with an interest in this area. Peter Grant London / New Zealand _____________________________ Address: February 9th 1831 Edderachylles Petition to Marquis of Stafford (Trentham Hall, London) Text: Eddrachillis February 9th 1831 To the Most Noble the Marquis of Stafford The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Eddrachillis in the County of Sutherland. Humbly sheweth That your Petitioners have been urged by necessity to apply to your Lordship's Commissioner for a reduction of Rent, and not having received any satisfactory answer they are compelled as a last resource to apply to your Lordship. That more than two thirds of the Parish in which your Petitioners reside have been laid waste by the Sheep farming System, in consequence of which the part inhabited is over crowded with the surplus Population. That your Petitioners formerly paid their rents by rearing Cattle and by fishing, but now that ten families occupy the place formerly inhabited by one, the rearing of Cattle was rendered impracticable, and the fishing which at all times is precarious has this year in a great measure failed. That your Petitioners are prevented from improving the little land they Cultivate, not only by not having leases of it, but above all by being prohibited from using the Sea-ware [sic] on the Coast for manure. That in consequence of these hardships there are not in this parish nine families which can be Supported for nine months by the produce of their lands, that the young men of the Parish though much attached to their Superiors and to their country are compelled by these grievances to emigrate to Foreign lands, but before they reluctantly leave their native Soil they deem it their duty to make their case known to your Lordship. May your Lordship therefore be pleased to grant them such a redress to these grievances as may enable them still to continue in their native Parish, and your Petitioners will ever pray. P.S. your Lordship will be pleased to direct the answer to this Petition to the Session Clark [sic] of this Parish.