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Joseph MacLeod articles in People's Journal March 30 1935

Edited by Joseph's great-grandson, Peter Lawrie, ©2019
[Comments in italics are mine]

My Share in Land Reform Battle


By Ex-Bailie Joseph MacLeod, Inverness

There are some events which cling to the mind, particularly those associated with youth. That is why I have vivid recollections of the markets held in Helmsdale and the surrounding districts.

I have happy memories of days spent in the Barrack Park, where the annual event was held in my native village; and of visits to the famous fair at Dunbeath. Memory also recalls a persistent desire to see the market at Bonar-Bridge, but, much to my grief, it was never granted.

Another event of importance in my younger days was the visit of King Edward, then Prince of Wales. He came North with the Duke of Sutherland when the railway reached Helmsdale. At that time the present platform had not been erected, one about half a mile nearer the shore being in use.The Prince planted a tree on that occasion in the middle of the wood behind the station. It has not survived the years, however.

There was considerable consternation at the coming of the railway, particularly among the carters, who felt their livelihood would be imperilled. Instead it actually resulted in more work for them. Prior to that they were mainly employed in carting smoked fish from Dunbeath - Andrew Little and his sons, Andrew and Donald, were the chief carriers of that day - but after that they got contracts as far as Wick.

Suffer in Silence
Mention of the objection to the coming of the railway also brings back to me the great criticism of the Education Act of 1872. Bachelors who were perturbed at the thought of paying (as they put it) for other folk's children, raised their voices in protest. But all to no purpose. They had to suffer in silence, much to their disgust.

One hundred and thirty years have rolled past since the Sutherlandshire clearances, when the air of its straths and glens was hot with the fire and smoke of burning houses.

It's a far cry to the day when people were driven from their crofts and had to seek shelter where they could, and I consider it the greatest thing of my life to have served in the cause which brought about the change.

As a descendant of those who were ruthlessly driven from their homes I could add many tales of woe told to me when a boy by my grandfather, but let that past bury its dead. It is too tragic a memory.

In my youth the stories of those days were related in almost every home. At that time, too, the crofters had no security of tenure, and were often over-rented. The smouldering fires eventually broke forth in 1881, when I, along with Mr Donald Bannerman, Bual; Mr Donald Watson, Gartymore Shore; and John Fraser, A'Choire, formed a small but resolute brotherhood, who met almost nightly to lay plans for the restoration of the land to the people.

Pleasant Memory
To have been associated with Mr Bannerman - whose daughter still lives in the old home and whose son is a railway inspector at Inverness - will always be a pleasant memory. As his forebears had also been ruthlessly removed from the Strath of Kildonan, it is needless to say we were always great friends.

Like Watson and Fraser, he was a fine fellow. The mere fact that our association culminated in the formation of the Kildonan branch of the Sutherlandshire Association is sufficient proof of our respect for each other.

But perhaps I am travelling too quickly on the wings of time, for I must relate the incidents which actually led up to the formation of the now-famous branch.

In 1882 eight of our local crofters received summonses of eviction on account of the sheep that were on the hill pastures of Gartymore, Portgower, West Helmsdale and Marrel. The people did not refuse to put the sheep away, but refused to sign a promise never to put animals on that part of the pasture grounds.

For fear of eviction which could easily be enforced in those days, all the crofters signed with the exception of Joseph Mackay, Donald Watson, Simpson Mackenzie, John Fraser, John Bannerman, Mrs David Bannerman, Miss Barbara Ross, and Mr Fraser.

The case was put in the hands of the late Mr Macleay, solicitor, Tain, and eventually the summonses were withdrawn. In the meantime, however, our little brotherhood was busy at work. I was one of those who set out to organise Sutherlandshire. I was only 19 years of age at the time, but I was full of zeal. Travelling was different then. Rivers had to be crossed by chain-boat, roads were poor, and conditions none too inspiring, but the reception all over was good enough to encourage me to further labours.

Time for Action
Following on the summonses to the crofters we decided that the time had come for definite action, and agreed to form our association. Perhaps it might be of interest to append the names of the office-bearers. They were:- Mr John Mackay, Hereford, president; Mr Angus Sutherland (later M.P.), vice-president; Mr Adam Bannerman treasurer; Mr Donald Bannerman and Mr John Fraser, joint secretaries.

As a result of the activity displayed there was formed the famous Napier Commission. I was one of those who gave evidence when they investigated the local state of affairs, along with Messrs Angus Sutherland, Sinclair Couper, Duncan Mackay, Alexander Gunn, Adam Bannerman and George Munro of Navidale.

Our chief ambition after this was to have our own representative in Parliament, and with that aim in view we invited Mr Angus Sutherland, who was then a teacher of philosophy in Glasgow to contest the general election of 1885. At that time the promise of success was particularly bright, despite the fact that his opponent was the Marquis of Stafford.

The great day came, and the result, I must confess it, was a terrible blow to find our man defeated by 640 votes. But we did not let it upset our feelings. Many of the older Helmsdale folk will recall how on his arrival Mr Sutherland was greeted by 72 torches and a procession headed by pipers, and how he was marched in triumph to the old Free Church school.

"What are you going to do now?", he asked me after the applause had died down. Knowing that we were far from vanquished, I had only one reply. "Will you be prepared to stand again?", I asked.

Great Victory
His reply, of course, was in the affirmative. The following year Mr Gladstone was defeated on the Irish Home Rule question, and instead of the Marquis being his opponent Mr Sutherland discovered that he had to face another native of the county and a supporter of our association in the person of Mr John Mackay of Hereford. But Angus won a great victory by 880 votes, and thus went to Parliament as the first representative of the Sutherland crofters.

I may say, however, that I had a great deal of respect for Mr Mackay of Hereford who did a tremendous amount of work for his native Sutherland. By acts during his lifetime and bequests at his death he did much to assist those who were not too well blessed by this world's goods. His nephew, who died recently, was one of those who protested against the proposed scheme of the Endowment Commissioners in such striking fashion.

Mr Sutherland, of course, joined a resolute band of land reformers in Parliament, for in 1885, the Highlands returned several independent members who were pledged to devote themselves to the people's cause.

In the county of Argyll, Mr Donald Macfarlane secured a runaway victory; In Invernessshire, Mr Charles Fraser-Macintosh overcame Sir Reginald MacLeod and Sir Kenneth Mackenzie of Gairloch; In Ross and Cromarty Dr MacDonald defeated Lord Novar; and in Caithness Dr Clark almost doubled the votes polled by Major Clarence Sinclair of Ulbster.

Unyielding
How stubborn and unyielding they proved! While this independent Highland party held together the North and West were properly represented.

When Sir George Trevelyan introduced the Crofter's Bill in 1885 no provision was made for extensions of arable land, and other important factors were missing. But the representatives of the crofters fought so well that Sir George and the Liberal Government were obliged to give way.

Of the Highland group none struggled with more determination than Dr Clark, who afterwards fell into disfavour with the Caithness people. He moved most of the amendments and created the scenes. What a furore he caused when he declared that a certain nobleman - who had raised a crofter's rent because the latter had erected a building on it - should be indicted for theft.

The bill as was anticipated was roundly condemned by all over the Highlands. Its failure to recognize the real claim of the cottar proved the greatest drawback. But it had one good point. It conferred on the crofter security of tenure.

Then a Royal Commission was set up to report on the grievances of the people on whose work the Crofter Act was founded. That the crofters' claims were justified was proved later, all doubts upon the point being removed by the first judgements delivered by the Land Court.

And so it came about that the land reform battle, which commenced in Skye and spread all over the North and West, ended in satisfactory fashion - so satisfactory, indeed, that the fight is now almost forgotten.