Skye Crofters Wars... The Battle of the Braes
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2020
- In Highland Clearances, Skye Crofters Wars, and The Battle of the Braes Scottish history tour guide Bruce Fummey tells one of the tales from Scotlands history that's oft forgotten. The Crofters Land Wars saw the ending of Highland Clearances and a move towards crofters' rights.
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My grandfather, Finlay Finlayson, was about 5 years old when this happened. He recounted his mother coming home with her head pouring blood after fighting with the police. She was a big woman, and family lore says she flattened a couple of cops first. The Alexander Finlayson mentioned as one of the prisoners was Finlay's father - my great grandfather.
Good heritage
Greetings from another descendant of the Braes folk who stood up for their rights. Because of them, when Victoria's parliament sent the gunboats in to subdue the insurrection the national.and international outcry was so great that change finally began to come about.
"The proud women who carried themselves so courteously, their skulls were broken on the slopes of Ben Lì." - Mairi Mhór
This man narrates history as best I've seen and heard. So listenable! Tv stuff.
Defo better than many TV presenters.
And the accent helps draws you in.
It is always heartening when small folk combine
together and make the rich and powerful tremble. That's the way it should be.
My amazing grandmother Maggie Nicolson was a small child who remembered being on the hill when the police were routed. Her father was Big Nicol Nicolson (ashamed I no longer remember the Gaelic spelling of his name). I am proud to be of one of the families commemorated one the memorial at Balmeanach. Incidentally, my granny's sister was the mother of the great bard of Gaeldom, , Sorley Maclean
Brilliant
But you don' t mention Sor;ley Mcleans father do you? I;m related on that side and my youngest son's middle name is Sorley, and his first name is Torccal.
I'm on the side of the crofters. My ancestors had a croft at Duirinish but left in 1839 to come to America. It was interesting to hear your talk about the Finlayson's because that was my family. My Roderick Finlayson entered the HBC in Canada and became a well know Chief Trader, founding the city where I live. Keep up your tours, their fantastic.
The best public school teacher I ever had was sixty years ago (there was a lot less history then) started the year of American history by saying," 1776, 1789, 1812, 1865, 1918, and 1945. There, that's the whole course. Now, we are going to spend the year learning how and why these are key dates. He gave me such a background of history, and a love of finding the why, that it sticks to this day, and that is why I enjoy your bits so much!
...as he pulls off the latex facial disguise and ssys: 'I AM that history teavher!'
I am so impressed, reading the comments, at how the stories are maintained and passed down through generations of the families involved. The truth will tell. Thanks, Bruce for sharing it.
I am so grateful for your videos. I was adopted as a baby and did not even know that most of my people were Scottish until a few years ago. I am now slowly piecing together my history. I’m learning a lot about Scottish history along the way and it’s fascinating. I did have some ancestors from The isle of Skye. It’s on my bucket list, actually most of Scotland is on my bucket list lol. I just want to say thank you. What are you do has mental lot to me and taught me so much about my own heritage
My ancestors were Clan Robertson, so I visited the cathedral in May in the 1980s. It was an amazing experience and so, so beautiful.
My family is from Isle of skye. They left in the 1600s to come to america. Macdonald is who we are🪓. And also Nelson from Norway.
Here’s a cup of coffee Bruce, I love your videos I’m slowly working my way through them all. Thank you for all the effort you put into them and teaching the world the unique history of the most beautiful country in the world, my home, Scotland 🏴 🫡😅
My family are descended from members of the McDonald clan that immigrated to the us. I find all these histories fascinating.
My ancestors came to Canada 🇨🇦in the early 1800's and I am pretty confident that this would be the reason. Thank you. Love your videos.
Bruce you are a great storyteller! Don’t stop sharing these wonderful tales of history!
I love how you tell your stories. You are very good at what you do. Fascinating.
My MacLeod ancestors left Skye circa 1821 so were not involved in this mess. The crofters have my sympathy.
Same with my Macdonald ancestors they left 200 years before.
Excellent presentation! I am sticking with the clan on this one, Donald & James Nicolson, and the rest of the crofters! If you aren't your brothers keeper than you ain't anything!
The early 1880s in Ireland saw the Land War unfold with similar but much more widespread and violent enagegements involving the armed Royal Irish Constabulary and British Army against the Land League sometimes supported by the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
Sadly it was the very clans system which was such a marker of Scottish identity which prevented the kind of mass organisation you see in Ireland. Ireland was fortunate to have its native aristos banished.
Very interesting. The land distribution and power structures you describe still in operation in the highlands in the nineteenth century sound very much like the Brehon Law system in Ireland as practiced up until the 17th century. These obviously were a continuation of these systems after Gaelic influence in Scotland during the 6th century. It is possible the Picts might have had a similar system too of course, but the bottom up system of communal clan land ownership is exactly the same. In Ireland the King or chieftan had his own land entitlements due to his position as well, but it was his responsibility to protect the clan and lead them in war. He had to upkeep the arts and church too out of his own holdings. The law was recorded and overseen by Brehons (judges), but the implementation and ownership of that law was in the hands of the people. Kings and chieftans could not make laws and so could never be above it. Entitlement to land came from strict rules of cattle ownership and and how many generations had worked a piece of ground. When new land became available through death, the land would be redistributed to those who owned the cattle as they had the dung as fertiliser to enrich the soil where the cereals were grown. The cow was the source of all wealth as it was your entry requirement to the ownership of land. Animals were grazed outside the walls of fields on the hillsides while the crops were kept within to keep the animals out. This was directly opposite to what the Normans brought later, penning the animals in with hedges and trees in controlled fields. This sounds very much the same as you describe in Skye as does the system of Tanistry you describe in your other videos. In Ireland, the landless class of people worked the land of others, but could become land owners through the ownership of cattle. Pat Flannery has done some nice videos on Irish history where he talks about it here. You should have a look as you will find many of the traditions and systems of life practiced by the highland people of Scotland are exactly the same as was practiced in Ireland. You look at them with Scottish eyes, but I look at them with Irish eyes and recognize what I see... ua-cam.com/video/JgdpRN-xm0w/v-deo.html
I love your stories even more……
Great storytelling, discovered your channel today. I’ve travelled all over but Skye will always be my favourite place! Great work 🏴
I love the Polis story. Great video as well You really have the knack.
😜
Thank You for this,it was really interesting.I'm on the side of the crofters.Keep up the good work.
🙂🙂🙂
As an American I'd love to hear my ancestors tell me what happened back then
As always.... good on you Bruce...
I did not know this history. Thank You. 👍🏴
Another for the crofters 🥳
Holy shit, this is my ancestors, I never knew this story, thank you
Now I know where Tolkien got his idea for The Scouring of the Shire. 🙂 Fantastic storytellers, both of you. (I'm definitely on the side of the crofters.)
Indeed.
Thank you so much for this! My ancestors are Finlaysons from the Braes (Achnahanaid) who ended up in Canada somewhere around that time. So relevant to us in Canada now, as we're facing the atrocities of colonization done in Canada against the Indigenous people here. I sometimes wonder how it is that the victims of the Highland Clearances could move to Canada just to do the same thing that was done to them, to someone else... But maybe that's the wrong way to think about it. Maybe in both cases it was the elites oppressing the poor. Maybe the "cleared" who moved to Canada were powerless and just went along with what the Lords told them to do. Such a devastating thing.
I often wonder too. Sadly I think humanity just has a dark side
Yeah my ancestors are Finlaysons too,lol. But my ancestors came to Australia.
Found your channel and throughly enjoy your style of telling a story. This story really piqued my interest, as a Nicoll living in the States whose G G Grandfather James immigrated from Portree. Thank you for this history leason!
Welcome aboard!
On the side of the Crofter's of course! 😊🌹🦋❤️☮️🇺🇸
I love this guy. I have family from this part of scotland and never got the full story of this period in Scottish history
Excellent history! Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much!
I like the way at the end of each story a link to other fact brilliant
Goooo crofters!❤
Always on the side of the crofters, my ancestors. Skye crofters is my heritage, except mine left in 1830.
Keep goin Man, I enjoy yee. History is down and ups and un downs ta True. 🥃✌️🍺🇬🇧😇
You keep goin Man. You take tha tolk in Scotland’s History Man. Love it 🇬🇧🏴🥃✌️🍺love it .
I am really enjoying your videos, in this particular story I am definitely in the side of the crofters.
Quite right on both accounts
These are wonderfully informative, and I thank you.
If you ever get statesside----
Here in America, those of us with Scottish descent belong to St,. Andrews Societes arund the country. One of the most thriiling is the one held in Linville, North Carolina on a broad plateau below Grandfather Mountain.For 4 days we have the Parade of the Clans with massed bagpipes, caber toss, dancing, a kilted run up the mountain, foot races, hammer throw,and a memotial service.. The voice of our noted Alex Beaton rings out across the meadows." Over the Sea to Sky"and a Clan chief will be the honored guest.
I should go to that some day
interesting. some of my ancestors named Nicolson were from Skye arriving in Victoria, Australia just in time for the gold rush mid 1850's. maybe they had an inkling of how events were about to unfold. now there descendants are spread all over the country and my middle name Donald being a handover from them. I guess I'm distantly related to other Nicolsons at Skye
No doubt
Another great video…
Thanks again!
Team Crofters, of course!
My great-grand-father was a Macdonald of Keppoch, so, I also! Go crofters! My great gran was cleared in 1830 in Kintail, grew up in Perth and emigrated to the US in 1855. Glad he got out, but hate the way it happened.
I'm from Perth. It's a great place to live
I have never been to Skye without it raining at some point during the day.
You must be lucky Bruce. lol
😂
Go in May you more or less get great weather
I’m siding with the crofters 👍😊
Quite right
Absolutely on the side of the crofters.
Great video thanks. Love the accent. It's half the reason I watch. Is McDonald's the same as the restaurant?
Braes was MacKinnon land. You did not mention them as occupants of Skye. I hale from the MacKinnons, Cunningham and Campbell's. I am going to visit Scotland in May of 2023.
Of course I'd have taken sides with the crofters. On a side note - I grew up wondering why the Glasgow police were given such a bad name, it honestly baffled me. Then one day I walked through the wrong place at the wrong time and became a victim of a serious crime that nearly killed me. I honestly didn't know who the bastards were, but on meeting the Glasgow CID I soon realised why they had always been treated lower than low. I've got nothing against (and teach my children to respect) an officer in uniform, but those low down filthy animals are responsible for an unimaginable amount of misery. You're videos are amazing! I'm bingeing on them. Imagine what you could do with money and an upgrade on that tripod and camera. I'll do my bit for your channel in due course. Thanks for the education!
Aye there's a bit o a broon bear aboot ye
Are you unaware that large numbers if the Glasgow police were Highlanders and Islanders? After two world wars and returning to no reward in 'a land fit for heroes' where the ancestral home could no longer provide a living, they gravitated to the cities and to steady jobs where they could sustain their families. The internationally famous Glasgow Police Pipe Band was formed from these displaced Highlanders.
When does this fellow get his own TV show?
Glè inntinneach, sin sibh fhèin 👌
team crofters here!
Of course 😁
Per Mare Per Terra
Yup Nicholson’s make good files
Crafters gu math! 🏴
Ha ha...I am a Nicolson (we don't put 'h's' in our name in Skye, or if you are descended from a Sky family. My ancestor was the Chief of the Nicolsons of Skye but he himself had to leave as MacDonald of Sleat had rendered our clan landless as well.
crofter family here
You need to get your arse to Panama give us the lowdown on The Darien (mis) adventure .
😂😂😂
Mate I might actually have paid attention in history if they talked about this
Aye, it's too late noo 😂
Can you do a video on battle of bloody Bay plz or the war of the one eyed woman over the wedding dowry...
I actually had hoped to do one when I was out in Mull earlier in the year making the video about Lachlan MacQuarrie, but time just didn't allow. I'm sure I'll be back
@@ScotlandHistoryTours thanks for the reply..
Will watch for something in future, ps am a Welsh man with strong Scots roots (Mcdonald Sleat branch)am enjoying learning the history, was at Armadale/Culloden couple of yours bk and just did a general drive all over frm Glen Coe to Skye..
Definitely gona go bk
read the chieviot, the stag and the black, black oil a collaberative work of 7:84 theatre company
Hi Bruce, we were wondering if any of the crofters involved were from Clan Martin or MacMartin?
Och Fatima I don’t have a list of every person involved. The territory had been MacDonald of Sleat, but by this stage the clan system was breaking down
The crofter,s my ancestors had lost a heritage in this time
Crofters ya bas!
😂
I have a record that my family's James Smith decided to move his family to Canada after being told he had to move off of crofters near strathspey in the highland. But I believe he said 1841 in the document? Can anybody clarify why this might be?
I'm doing live shows in Canada in 2024. Shows in Halifax, Annapolis, New Glasgow, Moncton, Montreal, Perth , Ottawa, Toronto, Fergus, Seaforth, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria. Most of the details are here www.brucefummey.co.uk/shows.aspx
MacKinnon's too
Crofters
Of course
Up the Crofters!💪 :)
Good story! Please note that Sleat is pronounced "slate", not "sleet." Cheers!
God, I hate those slimey clan chiefs!
I was not allowed to share this on the Highland Heritage Facebook site, Quote "Duncan shares his own stuff". This bit of history involved my great-grandmather, who, along with Granny were born on Skye and lived at The Braes. I was insulted as this is my family's history you are describing.
To be fair, I don’t like folk sharing on mine
@@ScotlandHistoryToursNothing fair about it. I don't appreciate my family's history used to promote yourselves and make money from their misery and persecution. Did one, even one of the people of the Braes give YOU permission to talk about their families. That's not fair. Enjoy your profits made from the blood and tears of my family.
@@ScotlandHistoryTours it was not your page I was refused to share. It was the FB Scottish Heritage page.
Sorry Catherine, I genuinely don't understand. Apologies
@@ScotlandHistoryTours Bruce, you have nothing to apologize for. Everyone's family gets talked about in history. Nobody owns history, we become apart of it. And I love how you tell it! I'm descended from the nicolsons of Skye. Keep up the awesome work! So glad I found your channel.
Echo.......c'mon the crofters !
You know it's true
Siding with crofters
Im on the crofters side for sure. But im not sure if my clan, clan Houston of Lanarkshire would have been considering we had clansmen who pledged allegiance to the english crown then went to the american colonies. Mon the scots!!
“Don’t tread on me”💩
On the side of the crofters
OF course
Great video! I wish we could make videos like this about English history south of the border.... Unfortunately, any videos about our history is taken down for racism??????
Don't be silly David
@@ScotlandHistoryTours I wish I was being silly.
I am exaggerating of course for a little comedic effect but try and make one and see what happens to it.
Make one on the English monarchs and you will be labelled a white supremacist in the comment section and god forbid do a video on an English victory in battle!!!!!
There are absolutely loads of videos like that on UA-cam. I've watched them.
@@ScotlandHistoryTours Well I used to make UA-cam videos on genetic ancestry on my other channel, and they were quite successful videos too for about six or seven years, but as soon as I did one questioning the new results of the cheddar man study in 2018 that was it! RACIST, WHITE SUPREMACIST, XENOPHOBE etc, instant strike on my channel. and all the videos I had done on DNA test of ancient battle sites removed.
There are loads of videos that have had no complaints, yet I would imagine.
Could you point some out I would like to see then if they are as good as yours.
No guesses whose side most are on.
I'd be taking the crofters side.
Yay!
I thought the bear would say he ate the white rabbit. Lol
Never on the side of the police, always on the side of the people.
😜
Why don’t let us see the writing on the cairns
I would have found that rabbit. I would go ask Alice
The Crofters, who else?
MacIain a Tighinn, MacIain a Tighinn,
Old family story, no proof, just an old story I was told. Was the shout called out by my dads grandfather, he had been waiting as a lookout on the hill above the Glen the watching for the police coming.
MacIain was the factor. Coming with the eviction notices.
I don’t hold grudges, but I wouldn’t piss on Dunvegan Castle if was on fire. Or Sleat.
So it should be easy to guess which side I support.
I suppose they went as bad a Sutherland. Or Gordon, Of course there hasn’t been a Macleod in Dunvegan since the last one blew up with his ship before Trafalgar.
Despite my feelings about them, The Castle provides employment, for some of my relatives.
The funny thing, popular romantic history paints Campbell of Argyle as the worst of the worst. In reality Campbell didn’t evict or clear, he invested in building Distillery, Fishing Towns ect so people of his lands had places live and jobs to go to.
In the end although the crofters ended the evictions. The clearances continued without evictions. As people left for better opportunity. Today I have only a couple of relatives still living in the area.
Others live far and wide, some still own crofts which are now holiday homes. Returning for the holidays. From Glasgow, Edinburgh or Even London.
My dad sold the family Croft back in the early 60s, we went to Canada.
I visit only occasionally. Usually for funerals.
Much of the opposition to the evictions was organized by the Free Church. Which most of the crofters belonged to. The plan was for what might be known today as civil disobedience.
Thanks for your commetns
Up the Crofties!
Yay
I'm sorry, did you say Skye, my clan seat? I'm MacLeod of Harris.
C'mon the crofters......
Now why Born in England and not Scotland, you till me, I’ll till you, maybe work out same Man in History. Kicked off land, burned off.🏴🇬🇧😇🍺✌️🥃
Sigh. Indeed. Capitalism has replaced Clan ...
to a degree. clanship saw a resurgence in the US during and after the Victorian era, likely due to Victoria and Albert's love of the highlands that romanticized Scotland, but it could also be because there was another huge influx of Scottish migration to the US around that time and people were looking for a little bit of home wherever they could find it. It died down for a bit beginning in the 1980s, but now that everyone is working from home and life is a giant shit show, clanship is again coming back. perhaps it's due to people's general uncertainty so they are reaching for family ties, or maybe just because people have spent the last year at home with not a lot on their minds so they start wondering about their history, who knows? But there's been a lot of buzz about families buying land and establishing clan homes and holding events. If you're in western Oklahoma, there's a Scottish social group there and I think one of the new MacPherson matriarchs lives near Clinton, but I'll have to check. As far as I recall them, they're very clannish, have pretty well developed rites and rituals, and are about half and half, Scottish and American Indian.
I'm on the side of the crofters, simples.
Yay
The cairn marks the spot of the battle, so your slightly out with your location of past the Braes hall on the lower Ollach side.
Up the rebels!
Sgeulachd air a h-innse gu math, aon uair eile. Air an dearbh chuspair seo, chunnaic mi deireadh linn nuair a dh ’fhàg na Armstrongs Thorniewatts ann an Canonbie, Siorrachd Dhùn Phris. Bha na Armstrrongs air a bhith ag obair air an fhearann sin airson ginealaichean, ga dhèanamh brèagha agus torach, ach bhuineadh e do Dhiùc Buccleugh, a tha cuid ag ràdh a tha mar aon de na fir as beairtiche san t-Saoghal, agus mar sin cha b ’urrainn dhaibh a dhol seachad orra no an oighrean. B ’e Tommy Armstrong, aon den ath ghinealach mu dheireadh de Armstrongs aig Thorniewatts, aon de na draibhearan tractar as motha ann an Alba, is dòcha an t-Saoghal, agus chuidich e le bhith ag ath-chuir air na cnuic neo-thorrach ann am pàirtean den Ghàidhealtachd a bha air a bhith a’ diùltadh chraobhan ron àm seo luchd-gnìomhachais gnìomhachais agus nach eil cho cunntachail. Cò an taobh a tha thu a ’smaoineachadh a ghabhainn? (Ma thèid thu ann, thoir sùil a-mach a bheil a ’chraobh tòimhseachain muncaidh fhathast a’ fàs ri taobh a ’mhansa faisg air Abhainn Esk.)
I'm on the side of the crofters. William Ivory shouldn't have brought in the Glasgow Poliss.
I often wonder what the world would be like today without 'the English'. Yes I know, Normans, but I mean those that invaded, subjugated, resource stripped, murdered and terrorised countries all over the world. Yes I know, Spain, Portugal, the Dutch, but I mean those that had no regard for their own or foreigners and I think, worst of all, that smug air of superiority over all other nations, unwillingness to deal with others on the level ever. And finally, the fact that that colonialist, superiority complex is still very much in existence today, whilst the other nations above have matured, often through revolution and suffering in their own countries in to peoples considerate and happy to co-exist peacefully with others.
The shame of having to live under it.
God turned to St. Peter and said i’ve made a beautiful wee country green hill lochs and rivers full of salmon, a country that has great fruit areas, the most friendly people, and a benign weather.. St. Peter bloody hell that’s unfair on the rest of the world.. God i know but you haven’t seen the arseholes i gave them as neighbours 😂😂😂
Okay, okay, I admit it, I'm a white rabbit. 🐻
A seemingly corrupted side of MacLeod heritage deemed for more contemplation.. Crofters were small scale farmers but they were evicted by the shepherds who bought land?
I don't agree with the sale or possession of land, at least not in large volumes, only farmers should have lots of acreage... everyone who lived on Skye had rights to the land as ancestors..
hanovers?, more like Handovers!! We belong to the land, it does not belong to us!
Always on the side of the wronged