Gairloch In North-West Ross-Shire Part 63

"_Wages._--Farm servants receive from 5 to 8 per annum for wages, exclusive of their victuals; masons receive from 2s 6d to 3s, carpenters from 2s to 2s 6d, blacksmiths 3s, weavers from 1s 6d to 2s, per day, all including victuals.

"_Fisheries._--The various kinds of fisheries carried on in this parish are salmon fis.h.i.+ng, cod and ling fis.h.i.+ng, and herring fis.h.i.+ng. The salmon fis.h.i.+ngs are let at 150 per annum. Salmon fis.h.i.+ng is carried on by cruives, stell-nets, bag-nets, and stake-nets. Cod and ling are taken by long lines and the hand-line; and herring by the common mode of meshed nets.

"_Navigation._--There are four vessels belonging to the several ports in the parish, averaging about thirty-five tons burthen each.

"V.--PAROCHIAL ECONOMY.

"_Means of Communication._--This parish is extremely ill supplied with the means of communication, owing to the want of roads. We have one post-office, situated at Poolewe.

"_Ecclesiastical State._--The parish church is as conveniently situated as it could well be, considering the extent of the parish; its distance from the eastern extremity of the parish is twenty-eight miles, from the southern fifteen miles, from the western twelve miles, and from the northern extremity twenty miles. The church was built in the year 1791, and got a thorough repair in 1834.

The church affords accommodation for five hundred sitters only. The manse was built in the year 1805; but a considerable addition was built to it in the year 1823. The glebe is worth about 30 per annum; the amount of the stipend is 240. There is one Government church in the parish; it is situated at Poolewe, six miles to the north of the parish church, and fourteen from the northern extremity of the parish. It is now erected into a new and separate parish _quoad sacra_, called the Parish of Poolewe. We have one catechist employed by the Committee for managing His Majesty's Royal Bounty, and another paid by contributions from the paris.h.i.+oners. There is not a single Dissenter within the bounds of the parish. The average number of communicants at the parish church and Government church is 360.

"_Education._--The total number of schools in the parish is nine; the parochial school is one of that number; all the rest are supported by different religious societies. The branches of instruction taught at the parochial school are Greek, Latin, mathematics, arithmetic, writing and English, and Gaelic reading. The branches taught at the Society schools are arithmetic, writing, English and Gaelic reading.

The salary in the parochial school is 30 sterling, and 4 are obtained from school fees; at the Society Schools the salaries are from 5 to 25 sterling. Scarcely any school fees can be calculated upon, owing to the poverty of the people. From six to eight schools are still required in the parish; and some of the schools now in operation ought to be put on a more permanent and efficient footing. Not more than one in every ten of the whole population is able to read and write in English. In 1833, 1773 persons above six years of age could not read either in the Gaelic or English languages.

"_Poor._--The number of poor receiving parochial aid in the parish is about one hundred, each receiving from 2s 6d to 6s per annum. The annual amount for their relief is about 16, princ.i.p.ally arising from church door collections.

"_Inns._--There are five licensed inns in the parish. Their effects are most destructive to the morals of the people.

This is evident from the fact, that those who live in the close neighbourhood of these houses are in general given to tippling and idleness, while those who have not such a temptation at their doors are sober industrious people.

"_Fuel._--Peat is the only kind of fuel used by the people; it is procured in the mosses contiguous to their dwelling-houses, at an expense of from 1 to 2 for a family, in the year.

"_September, 1836._

F.

EXTRACTS from the Records of the Presbytery of Dingwall relating to the Parish of Gairloch.

I.--MINUTES REFERRING TO THE INACCESSIBILITY OF GAIRLOCH.

AT KILMORACK, _8th August 1649_.

"The Brethren tacking to their consideration the expediencie of visiting the Hiland Kirks and the ordinance made thereanent formerly, appoynts to tacke journey (G.o.d willing) upon Monday nixt, and to visit the Kirk of Kintaill upon the Wednesday, the Kirk of Lochalsh upon the Thursday, and the Kirk of Lochcarrin upon the Fryday immediately following; and ordaines Mr Dod. McRae to advertise them conforme, and to writt to Mr Alexr. McKenzie, minister of Lochcarrin, requiring him in the Presbyteries name to advertise Mr Rorie McKenzie at Garloch and Mr Dod. Ross at Lochbroome to meete with them at Lochcarrin the said Fryday for appoynting dyats for visiting their Kirks."

AT LOCHCARRON, _17th August 1649_.

"The visitation of Gairloch and Lochbruime continewed [postponed] by the way not rydable and inabilitie of brethren to goe afoote."

AT DINGWALL, _14th August 1650_.

"The Brethren considering the condition of the Kirks of Lochbroom and Gairloch and the expediency of visiting them (not being visited the last yeir with the rest), appoynts all the brethren to meete at Lochbroome for visiting the kirk thereof, the 10. day of Septr. next, and at Gerloch the Fryday thereafter."

AT DINGWALL, _5th June 1672_.

"No report from the Hyland Ministers except from Mr Rorie Mc Kenzie of Gairloch, who wrott a letter off excuse which was not judged relevant at that tyme, bot is continewed till his coming, and another letter from Mr Murdoch Mc Kenzie, who declared he could not meet for fear of caption," _i.e._ arrest.

AT DINGWALL, _10th July 1672_.

"The Presbytery considering that though the Ministers off the Highlands was reannexed to the Presbytery of Dingwall by appointment and ordinance of the Bishop and Synod, and that now they had written to them and acquainted them to meet with them two severall diets, and yet none of them came:--They appoynt and ordaine that they be the third tyme written to, to come (as they will be answerable to the Bishop and Synod)."

AT DINGWALL, _4th September 1683_.

"No exercise in regard Mr Jon. Mc Kenzie, Minister at Lochbroom, who should have exercised, and the rest of the brethren of the Highlands were annexed to the Presbytery of Chanonry." [_Note._--The Highland churches were the west coast parishes, including Gairloch. There are other minutes showing the irregular attendance of the Highland ministers, and making continual complaints against them on account of it.]

II.--MINUTES RELATING TO THE WARS OF MONTROSE AGAINST THE COVENANT.

AT DINGWALL, _8th January 1650_.

"Received two letters from the paroch of Gerloch, one from Mr Rorie Mc Kenzie, Minister yr [there], importing that he had made intimation to the Lard of Gerloch to compeir before the Presbyterie this day, but withall testifieing that he was very infirme and unable to come; and the other letter was from Gerloch himselfe importing the same and withall that he would, health serving, be heir the nixt day" [_i.e._ at the next meeting]. [_Note._--This Laird of Gairloch was Kenneth Mackenzie, the sixth laird; he was a "malignant," _i.e._ on the side of the Marquis of Montrose, called in the following minutes James Grahame, without his t.i.tle.]

AT DINGWALL, _22d January 1650_.

"Compeired Kenneth Mc Kenyie of Gerloch, confessed his accession to Ja: Grahames rebellion and to the late rebellion in the North, professing his griefe for the same and desyreing to be received to the covenant and satisfaction; who is continewed till Furder tryall, and is ordayned to be heir the next day."

"Compeired Kenneth Mc Kenyie there who confest his accession to the late insurrection in the North, who is remitted to the Session of Gerloch to be furder tryed and received according to the maner prescryved in the act of Cla.s.ses."

[The Act of Cla.s.ses specified the punishment to be inflicted on malignants.]

AT DINGWALL, _4th February 1650_.

"Kenneth Mc Kenyie of Gerloch found accessorie to Ja.

Grahames rebellion and the late insurrection in the north.

[At the same meeting Kenneth Mc Kenzie of a.s.sint, near Dingwall, Rorie Mc Kenzie of Davachmaluag, Kenneth Mc Kenzie of Scatwell, and Rorie Mc Kenzie of Fairburn, were also found guilty.] Therefore the brethren considering the foresaid persones severall guiltes, and that all of them were eminentlie active in the late rebellion in the north, being urgers and seducers thereto, plotters and pryme promovers thereoff, doe therefore ordayne them to repaire forthwith to the Commission of the General a.s.semblie sitting at Edinburgh in this present month of Febry. to make satisfaction as there they shall be appoynted, with certification if they faile to be immediately processed."

AT DINGWALL, _19th February 1650_.

"That day was presented a supplication by Kenneth Mc Kenyie of Gerloch and Kenneth Mc Kenyie of a.s.sint, that by the lawes of the kingdome, horning and captions is obtained against them for Seaforth's debts, so that personallie they cannot repair to Edinr. unbeine [without being] incarcerat; and therefore they pet.i.tion the Presbytrie that their process be suspended till they obtayne the Commission of General a.s.semblie's answer anent their satisfaction.

Wheruppon the Presbyterie a.s.signes them this day six weeks to report their last diligence and bringing to the Presbyterie a satisfactorie answer from the Commissione, with certification if they fayle, to be thereafter immediatlie processed."

AT DINGWALL, _9th April 1650_.

"Received a letter from the Moderator of the Commission of the General a.s.semblie advysing the continewation of a.s.sint and Gerloch's process till the next quarterly meeting in May."