My sentiments also. How I would love to go back then just for a couple of weeks to meet the folks! I would need to be certain my time machine worked real well though - would not want to stay!! Christine -----Original Message----- From: Robin Van Belleghem [mailto:robinvb@home.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 9:08 PM To: SCT-SUTHERLAND-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: The Crofting Commission Hi Everyone I used to wish I had lived in those days, but when I see all the trouble's that our ancestor's had to face each day, I have to Thank God that I was born now instead. But I still think those generations were interesting even though I'm certain my ancestor's would think I'm off my rocker. Robin -----Original Message----- From: Christine Stokes <chris@northants26.freeserve.co.uk> To: SCT-SUTHERLAND-L@rootsweb.com <SCT-SUTHERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 1:50 PM Subject: The Crofting Commission >Hello >Thought you would all like to read this. Shows just what a hard time our >ancestors had! > >After the Crofting Act of 1884 was passed, the new Crofter's Commission, had >a meeting in Sutherland in 1886, to fix fair rents for local tenants. Among >those giving evidence were Robert Gordon, Clashmugach near Clashmore, >Dornoch, and his son and heir, John Gordon. John Gordon, tenant of 46 >Clashmugach gave evidence to the Commission. He said the croft at >Clashmugach was not enough to keep him and his family, and that he went >labouring at a daily wage of two shillings. He succeeded to his father's >lease on the croft, and according to that lease, he was obliged to >"straighten the burns on the land, and also to keep shut a gate on the road >leading into the Clashbuie wood". He was unable to do this, as there was no >gate to keep shut, but the landlord, Mr Sutherland, wanted to evict him for >failure to comply. > >Mr Sutherland said the heir of Robert Gordon, whoever he might be, was a >servant because he was a tenant on his estate, and therefore he must obey Mr >Sutherland. John Gordon said the nearest gate was 200 or 300 yards distant >from his house. It led to the highroad. He was glad to keep it shut for >his own good, to keep his own stock in, but Mr Sutherland said that this was >not the gare named in the lease. The Court upheld John Gordon and reduced >his rent by one shilling. > >John's father, Robert, 37 Clashmugach, aged 62, said he had seven and a half >acres of arable land, two and a half acres of pasture for grazing. His >father, grandfather and great grandfather had held the croft. He now paid >£6.7shilling and 6pence in rent, but his father had paid only £1.10shilling >and sixpence. In 1876 he had a lease from Mr Sutherland, but before that, >he had put up the steading himself, also the barn and the byre, and in 1884 >he roofed the house. He trenched two acres of land, and his father trenced >one acre. In 1876 a piece of pasture was taken from him, where he had >previously kept three or four beasts. The land yielded poor crops, which >were greatly destroyed by game, especially deer. The destruction was now >worse than in 1876, so that he could not take the rent out of the place, but >paid it from his earnings as a labourer. > >Mr Sutherland questioned him, saying "You were entitled to keep a certain >amount of stock, so why did you not do this?" Robert replied "Because the >land won't keep them; what is the use of having stock when the place will >not keep them?" After many questions on the subject of whether or not >Robert had kept more than three sheep the questioning turned again to game. >Robert again said there was now more game; a lot of damage caused by hares, >rabbits and deer. He goes on to say "The deer come down on the place now, >and they did not do that in 1876. I was a servant to Mr Dempster in Skibo >for 14 years, and I recollect Mr Dempster bring deer to Skibo, and he put >them in the wood. I never saw them in the parks at Skibo. In winter during >Mr Dempster's time, turnips were carted into the wood for the game. My >crops are now destroyed by fallow deer. Mr Sutherland put two wires on top >of the dyke to prevent the deer getting over, and charged me interest for >the expense. Mr Sutherland denied that it was his deer causing the damage. >He could not help it if the deer crossed over from the Duke of Sutherland's >grounds. Robert had a ten year lease granted in 1876 by which he was bound >to maintain the buldings, but he was not obliged to erect buildings. The >court decided his rent should remain the same. > >By the new law, crofters were allowed to shoot rabbits and hares if in the >act of destroying crops, but such was the power of the big landlords that if >they did shoot anything, they were imprisoned in jail in Dingwall. The >Sheriff said this must stop as the crofters were now entitled to shoot >rabbits and haries and feed their families on them, but as soon as the >Commission had gone, the old regime resumed. > >Would love to tell you which book it is from but an old lady in Dornoch sent >it to me without the source. I would guess that it is from a book in >Dornoch library. >Christine > > > >--- >Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.244 / Virus Database: 119 - Release Date: 4/2/01 > > >==== SCT-SUTHERLAND Mailing List ==== >You may, at times, wish to check out previous messages to this list. You can do this at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/SCT-SUTHERLAND-L/ > >============================== >Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp > ==== SCT-SUTHERLAND Mailing List ==== You may, at times, wish to check out previous messages to this list. You can do this at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/SCT-SUTHERLAND-L/ ============================== Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 Source for Family History Online. Go to: http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.244 / Virus Database: 119 - Release Date: 4/2/01 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.244 / Virus Database: 119 - Release Date: 4/2/01