SCT-INVERNESS-L Archives

From: Lilian Campbell <>
Subject: [SCT-INV] Emigration - Statistical Accounts Scotland
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 13:08:46 -0500

There are at least 70 references to emigration in the 1791-1799
Staistical Accounts. Some of the references deal at length with it.

There are three+ pages on the subject, for example, for the district of
North Uist in Inverness-shire.

The account was written by the Established Church of Scotland parish
minister, the Rev. Allan MacQueen. The sole proprietor in North Uist was
Lord MacDonald whose predecessors had had possession for several
centuries back.

Mr MacQueen wrote as follows:

"Emigrations - The sudden rise of the land-rents was certainly the
original cause of emigrations from the Isle of Sky and Uist to America.
Those who found a difficulty in supporting their families when the rents
were low, could not be persuaded that any exertions in industry would
enable them to live with any degree of comfort, when raised a third more
at least. This determined several of them to look out for an asylum
somewhere else. Copies of letters from persons who had emigrated several
years before to America, to their friends at home, containing the most
flattering accounts of the province of North Carolina, were circulated
among them. The implicit faith given to these accounts made them resolve
to desert their native country, and to encounter the dangers of crossing
the Atlantic to settle in the wilds of America. From 1771 to 1775,
several thousands emigrated from the Western Highlands, among whom were
more than 200 from North Uist. These in their turn gave their friends at
home the same flattering accounts that induced their friends to go , so
that these countries would in a short time have been drained of their
inhabitants, had it not been for the American war. However, it will be
acknowledged, that in this parish, those who took the benefit of the
leases granted at that time, never lived in greater affluence than
during the currency of them, owing to the sudden and great advance in
the price of kelp (seaweed L.C.) occasioned by the American war. Since
the close of the war, the rage for emigration has broke out again in
different parts of the Highlands. To produce this, other causes have
concurred with that already mentioned. The sense of grievances, whether
real or imagined; the fear of having the fruits of their industry called
for by their landlords, many of whom think they have a right to the
earnings of their tenants, except what barely supports life; the want of
employment for such as have no lands to cultivate; the encouragements
held out to them by their friends who are settled in that country, of
living in a state of much greater affluence with less labour; and the
facility of procuring a property for a small sum of money, the produce
of which they can call their own, and from which their removal does not
depend on the will of capricious masters. These are the principal
motives that determine people now to emigrate to America ..." He goes on
to outline some of the difficulties that the people will face if they
decide to emigrate; that in the district, "...after a lease that Lord
MacDonald had of his lands lately there were some murmurings which
produced a general desire to emigrate, but which his Lordship in some
measure removed by augmenting the manufacturing fees of kelp; however
the people are still in such a state of suspense, that very trifling
circumstances may weigh down the scale in favour of emigration. To put a
stop to the present rage of emigration requires very nice management in
the proprietors. The old attachment between them and their people must
in some measure be renewed; long leases must be granted to secure the
tenants the possession of their lands for a period of years, to remove
their apprehensions of frequent calls upon them for an augmentation of
rent. Amelioration for improvements to a certain extent ought to be
granted with premiums to the most deserving. Manufactures must be
established for the benefit of such as have no lands to engage their
attention, and villages must be erected for the benefit of those who
discover a spirit for commerce, and where those who, by the severity of
their masters, may be driven from the plough, may find an asylum, and
betake themselves to other occupations; but this is not to be left
wholly to the proprietors. The community at large are interested, and
may reap some benefit from the improvement and prosperity of the
Highlands. The joint-stock Company have discovered a laudable zeal to
promote the general good of the Highlands and have made such beginnings
as their small capital would permit: but there exertions must be feeble
to bring about this desired end, without aid from the fostering hand of
the government. The Highlands have a claim upon the attention of the
Government..." He goes on to talk of their contributions "..fighting for
King and country," and continues,'...It is a matter of surprise that the
Highlands have been so long neglected by Government and that, while they
lay out so much of the public money in settling distant colonies, a
channel should be left open, whereby a considerable part of the mother
country may be drained of its valuable inhabitants...it is to be hoped
that...when relaxation from war and other objects of importance, will
afford leisure to direct their attention to these remote corners. Then
means will be made use of that will be adequate to an object of such
magnitude as the improvement of the Highlands..villages built ...lands
that are now barren will in the vicinity of these villages be brought to
a state of cultivation; population ...will increase to a much greater
degree; an entire stop will be put to the spirit of emigration; new
sources of wealth will spring up from an extension of commerce and
manufactures; a nursery for seamen, in which the strength of the British
nation in a great measure consists, will be established: So that the
Highland, which now wear a gloomy aspect, will then become a flourishing
part of the British empire."

In an Argyle report for Kilchoman, the minister reported that the
landlord had doubled the rents but the tenantry were better off as well
as the proprietor because of better leases and the exertions of the
tenants. But he gives a warning:

" ..nothing has tended more to excite the spirit of emigration than the
Demon of Monopoly, which leads the avaricious to add land to land, and
farm to farm. The writer of this article cannot approve the maxim,'That
the more rents you lay on, the tenants will work the better.' This, like
the Egyptian bondage, is exacting bricks without straw, and tends to
check, rather than incite, the spirit of industry. But if the moderation
and lenity that have hitherto been observed in Islay continue to be
adhered to, we may venture to promise that the people will rather stay
at home to improve the lands of their native island, than go abroad to
cultivate the wilds of America. Amen!"

These are just a couple of the entries that deal with emigration in the
Old Statistical Account.

Lilian

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