EMIGRANTS

(From material kindly supplied by Betty MacDougall) 

Many who left coll in the past went to "follow the drum" in various parts of the world. The old Parish Registers for Coll make several mentions of men designated as 'soldier', though it's difficult to identify them all in the military records.

It was not unusual for women to accompany their men on service to attend to their domestic needs as the following letter shows. It appeared in Gaelic in "An Teachdaire Gaidhealach" - the Gaelic Messenger, a periodical of the time:

  "I know that many Gaels are poor and though they are desirous of cleanliness they are not able to buy soap. I shall tell you about a soap you can make for yourself and it will work as well as anything else. It is this - par-boiled potatoes. Put your white clothes to steep for an hour then put them in a pot of hot water. Add the popatoes as you would soap and boil for half an hour, stirring and working on the clothes. Wring out well and you will see your linen as white as if done with the best Glasgow soap.
  It was when I was in france with my husband, Serjeant Donald, that I learned this."

  The writer signed herself "Mairi na Rafagaich" - Mary of the Water Lilies", Isle of Coll, 1829 and she was said to have been an aunt of Neil MacDonald who lived at the Buaile Bheag on the south coast of Coll, near Trealavaig.

An Australian family of the name MacKay have a tradition that an ancestor and four of his sons served at the same time in the 79th Cameronian Volunteers as the famous regiment was first called and that all saw service throughout the Napoleonic Wars.

The Military Records at Kew, London, list three of the sons, William, Donald and George and another William, obviously a relative as they are all from Coll. Amongst them all they saw service in Holland, Spain, Portugal, France and Canada. William and George were both at Waterloo. They had all enlisted for unlimited service, George was only thirteen at the time and served first as a drummer boy. They were pensioned off at their own request, being worn out with chronic rheumatism and asthma. Their discharge papers praised their conduct and character and listed their many engagements.

Donald settled in Ireland and George emigrated to Canada where he had been stationed for a period. Their brother William was discharged in Dublin, married an Irish woman and settled with her in Coll where they reared six children.

Another reason for leaving was simply the hard conditons on the island, and in 1837, after a series of bad harvests and unduly hard winters, many islanders were in sore straits and contemplated emigration. Dr Boyter, a government agent, toured the Highlands and Islands encouraging families to emigrate to Australia, the colony being eager to receive young and able agricultural workers. Lachlan MacKay, a younger borther of the 'military MacKays' saw the wisdom of this opportunity . He sold off all his effects and sailed with his wife, seven children and £7 in his pocket on the ship Brilliant that left Tobermory in September, 1837. The vessel reached New South Wales in January 1838 where Lachlan continued his blacksmithing for a time, then took up inn-keeping and then sheep-farming.

The family prospered reasonably well and finally settled in a house they named Collwood near Orange. His son George was elected M.P. for Orange in 1867.
 
[Photograph of ]

Lachlan MacKay and his wife Anne MacLean Stewart, both Coll born, outside the house "Collwood." Even to the end of her days Anne's English was limited.


Of the other dozen or so Coll families on the Brilliant, Allan Mac Lean, boat builder and carpenter was also able to make a good start in the new land. He and his wife Janet MacFarlane with five sons and three daughters settled in Moruya on the south coast of New South Wales.

As the sons grew to maturity, they built and commanded their own ships. They operated in the coastal trade competing against one of the biggest landowners in the district. They carried produce to and from the various settlements.

Like Lachlan MacKay's son George, two of Allan MacLean's sons ventured to California at the time of the Gold Rush but all opted to return to their new homeland, Australia.

Captain Donald MacLean, Allan's second son seems to have been the leader of the family. One of his ships was called "Janet" in honour of his mother. In 1862 he bought 150 acres of land when the area was opened up for small-holders. This land is still owned by the MacLean family. Donald had a long standing friendship with the Rev. Dunmore Lang who had recruited the Brilliant emigrants.

Allan MacLean treasured the certificate of character reference he received from the Rev. Archibald Nicol, minister in Coll, signed also by two elders, John Johnston and John MacLean, and the Session Clerk, Alexander Stewart. Stewart was also the island schoolmaster at that time.

[Scan of letter here]

Island of Coll North Britain 27th Aug 1837

These certify that the Bearer thereof Allan McLean, Carpenter and Janet McFadain his wife with their family have resided in this island for the last twenty years, that they have conducted themselves during that time always honestly and inoffensively free of all public Scandal or grounds of Kirk Censure known to us and have been in full communion with the Church of Scotland. Given place and date as above by Archd. Nicol Minister, John Johnston, John McLean Elder Alex Stewart Sess Clerk Brought from Scotland by my great great grandfather Allan McLean who arrived in N.S.W. with his wife Janet & family Jan. 1938 aboard 'Brilliant'.

Janet Perks (McLean)