CORNAIG SCHOOL REGISTER

A large thin book, dirty green in colour with dog-eared pages and a rather battered appearance is one of the most important remaining records of Cornaig School.

'MacDougalls New Admissions Register' from 'MacDougalls Educational Company' is a record of all children who attended the school from the time when it was opened on June 14th 1892 until the date of the last entry, October 14th 1942. Cornaig Board School, along with the schools at Acha and Arnabosd, was closed in 1942, leaving only one educational establishment on the island which was in Arinagour, in the building commonly referred to today as 'the Hostel' or 'the Herbals'.

Twenty one children were registered at this new school at Cornaig on June 14th 1892 and all had previously attended the Ladies Association School at Bousd. In the regular copperplate script of the time their names are carefully recorded as follows:

Maggie MacKinnon    Father, Charles MacKinnon, Cornaigmore
Norman MacKinnon   Father, Charles MacKinnon, Cornaigmore
Ellen MacKinnon       Father, Charles MacKinnon, Comaigmore
Allan MacKinnon       Father, Charles MacKinnon, Cornaigmore
Flora MacKinnon       Father, John MacKinnon, Cornaigmore
Colin MacKinnon       Father, John MacKinnon, Cornaigmore
James MacKinnon     Father, John MacKinnon, Cornaigmore
John MacKinnon       Father, John MacKinnon, Cornaigmore
Annie Kennedy         Father, Charles Kennedy, Boust
Julia Campbell          Father, Duncan Campbell, Sorisdale
Ellen Campbell          Father, Duncan Campbell, Sorisdale
Janet Campbell         Father, Duncan Campbell, Sorisdale
Annie Maclnnes         Father, Neil Maclnnes, Boust
Lachlan Maclnnes      Father, Neil MacInnes, Boust  
Hector MacDougall     Father, Donald MacDougall, Eleraig
James MacDougall      Father Donald MacDougall, Eleraig
Duncan MacKinnon     Son of Widow MacKinnon, Boust
Annie MacKinnon        Son of Widow MacKinnon, Boust
Marion MacFadyen     Father Lachlan MacFadyen, Boust
Donald MacFadyen     Father Lachlan MacFadyen, Boust
Flora MacFadyen       Father, Lachlan MacFadyen, Boust


It is interesting to look at the records which follow. It can be seen that the older boys were frequently taken out of school during the summer months, presumably to work, and then re-entered the school in the winter months. Against the entry for Angus Kennedy of Sorrisdale (born 29.12. 1879), who was admitted to school on 12th December 1892 is the note that his reason for leaving school on 12th December 1892 was 'to tend cattle'. He later reappears in the Register on November 13th 1893, leaving again on March 4th 1894 'to work'.

By the end of 1892, 28 pupils had registered at Cornaig School. Over the next fifty years there were a total of 150 registrations. This is not quite an accurate reflection of the number of children who attended the school as a small number were removed from the school, either to work or through ill health, and were then registered again. Many of the children had previously been at school in Glasgow, as shown by the entries for Alexander and Catherine Smith who were both registered at Cornaig School in 1893, their previous school having been Kay Public School in Glasgow. Another family: Neil, Donald and Archibald Campbell. entered Cornaig School early in July 1893 from Bishop Street School, Glasgow, only to return to Glasgow at the end of the month. Were they on holiday, one wonders? What about school holidays? The many registrations which mention a previous school in Glasgow surely reflects an extensive movement between, and strong links with, Glasgow and Coll.

By 1900, after eight years as a school, there had been a total of 83 registrations at the school. Numbers then began to fall steadily, with no new admissions at one point between October 1909 and September 1913. In 1942, when the school finally closed there were only seven pupils in attendance. They all transferred to Arinagour Primary School. Cornaig School House is today the home of the Fraser family