***************************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. ***************************************************************************** The reports of the Crofters Commission were published but contain very little of the oral evidence which was led. Many of the proceedings were, however, reported in the northern newspapers. Malcolm Bangor-Jones -----Original Message----- From: Christine Stokes [mailto:chris@northants26.freeserve.co.uk] Sent: 10 April 2001 19:52 To: SCT-SUTHERLAND-L@rootsweb.com Subject: The Crofting Commission ******************************************************************* This email has been received from an external party and has been swept for the presence of computer viruses. ******************************************************************* 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