We have no regular nature column this year, but a correspondent has kindly listed some plants noted in a meadow at Baile Iochdrach on July 10th, all of which were in flower:

Chickweed, cow parsley, angelica, hogweed, sorrell, silverweed, buttercup, eyebright, yellow rattle, white clover, pink clover, meadow vetchling, hop trefoil, kidney vetch, bird's foot trefoil, tormentil, heath spotted orchid, northern marsh orchid, ragged robin, meadow sweet, purple loosestrife, dog daisy, red bartsia, hawkbit, selfheal, yarrow, ladies' bedstraw, heath bedstraw, bush vetch, fairy flax, field gentian.

This is not an exhaustive list, but just a reminder of a typical range of flora in just one specific habitat.

1. Re Getting to Colonsay
It has been reported that last Friday ScotRail gave the Oban afternoon train 2 extra carriages (so the train had 2 for The Fort and 4 for Oban). Two were fully booked in advance and the other two pretty full but with some "room for manoeuvre". This is a hugely welcome improvement.

2. Jacqui Tolmie has completed a paper as part of her BA (Hons) Tourism Management course, entitled "Tourism in a rural community - is there potential for sustainable development" and subtitled "A Community Perspective - Isles of Colonsay and Oronsay". This was the result of a survey in which 30% of the targetted participants were sufficiently interested in the subject to respond in detail (i.e. this represents the opinion of a highly committed sector of our community). This paper is highly relevant to the ferry issues that confront us and readers are urged to borrow one of the copies in local circulation. 3. Dòmhnall Morris of Sgeama Gàidhlig sa Choimhearsnachd has visited Colonsay and confirms the possibility of Colonsay having its VERY OWN Gaelic Partnership. (This would be helpful as we find it hard to attend meetings at Bowmore and the existing Islay/Jura/Colonsay partenership is becoming a bit remote). Apparently, if we get a group together we can apply for funding for an archive, a reference library, a gaelic teacher in the school, more evening classes for adults or whatever. Clearly we can build on the existing classes by Eleanor McNeill and Alastair Scouller.

The Magazine Section

SEARCH ENGINE

THE COLONSAY CATECHIST - Part 9

At this point in our story, a new actor appears on the scene. Malcolm MacNeill, the eldest son of Donald MacNeill of Crear in Knapdale, had obtained the islands of Colonsay and Oronsay, partly through payment and partly through an exchange of lands, from the earl of Argyll in 1701. At first sight, MacNeill does not appear to be much of a friend of the church. Supposedly, he demolished an old ecclesiastical building – tradition says that it was a monastery – and used the material to build Colonsay House in 1722. As we have seen, he was most reluctant to pay the Rev. Neil Campbell the stipend due to him and to restore the church glebe of Oronsay. In this case, however, first impressions would be mistaken. As we shall see, Malcolm MacNeill was determined to spread the evangelical religion on Colonsay. He very much wanted a catechist ministering to the Colbhasaich.

From the evidence we have, it appears that Malcolm MacNeill represented a type hardly uncommon in the eighteenth century and beyond: a vigorous and ambitious entrepreneur driven by business acumen and religious enthusiasm. As with many members and supporters of the SSPCK, he was a firm believer in the twin gospels of evangelical religion and hard work. Ever since the covenanting era in the middle of the previous century, many parishes in Argyllshire had been ministered to by committed presbyterian or crypto-presbyterian clergy under Campbell patronage. This evangelical influence was perhaps strongest in Kintyre, reinforced as it was by the presence of many planted Lowland families – including the Muirs or Moores – who were originally from the south-west of Scotland, and doubtless retained family ties with this strongly covenanting region. And, of course, Ulster, that hotbed of presbyterianism, was not even a day’s sail away. It is hardly surprising, then, that the laird of Colonsay – as well as other members of his clan – supported such reforming initiatives. Indeed, as we have seen, Malcolm MacNeill had probably recruited James Moore to the island in the first place.

We can imagine that in MacNeill’s eyes, a schoolteacher-catechist would be a very beneficial addition indeed to Colonsay. The teaching of English and other apparently useful skills would increase his social control of the people and wean them from superstition (we might surmise that it was MacNeill’s hostility to the old religion and its customs which made him demolish the "monastery"). It would orient them to the encroaching commercial world outside. Indeed, it might even save their souls. Business and religious benefits would accrue together. However, as we have seen, thanks in part to the incompetence of the Presbytery of Kintyre, the Colonsay catechist’s yearly salary had been reduced by a quarter. He was obviously now considering his options. Given that the Rev. Neil Campbell would be no use whatsoever in asking for Moore’s salary to be restored, Malcolm MacNeill would have to take the initiative on his own. On 13 January 1732 the laird of Colonsay appeared in person before the SSPCK in Edinburgh:

It is noteworthy that the voluntary organisation of the SSPCK deferred to the official church authority of the Royal Bounty Committee in such matters.

MacNeill’s request was thus forwarded to the committee. In the Royal Bounty papers there is preserved a wonderful letter of 22 September 1729 from the Rev. John MacVicar of Kilarrow, Kilmeny and Kilchoman in Islay to his brother the Rev. Neil MacVicar of the West Kirk in Edinburgh. The latter had been transferred to Edinburgh from Fort William in 1704, with the special duty of taking care of the many Gaels who were now living in the capital. He was now a very influential figure indeed in the capital. In the letter his brother requested him to take care of one particular Highlander, the son of Malcolm MacNeill of Colonsay who, after a time in Glasgow University, was now going to study law at Edinburgh. I suspect that the letter found itself into the hands of the Royal Bounty Committee as a character reference for the laird, and was presented together with the petition for his catechist:

MacVicar’s pleading had no effect on the Royal Bounty Committee. They rejected MacNeill’s request. Indeed, now that the case of the Colonsay catechist had been brought to their attention once more, they noticed that his school was not being inspected as it should have been. On the 3 February the clerk of the SSPCK reported back:

At a meeting on 18 July 1732, the usually sluggish Presbytery of Kintyre acted with remarkable swiftness – to try to divest themselves of all responsibilities whatsoever for supervising the school in Colonsay:

For the past three years, the Colonsay catechist had caused nothing but trouble for the Presbytery of Kintyre. Henceforth the school would be the responsibility of Malcolm MacNeill and the Rev. Neil Campbell. They visited the school on the 7 September.

Although unfortunately we do not have the actual assessment made by the minister and the laird, it is clear that, as we might expect, it was favourable. A letter containing the "full representation" made by Campbell and MacNeill of the school at Colonsay was sent to the clerk of the presbytery, who, interestingly enough, only showed it to the local ministers before sending it to the clerk of the SSPCK. The society was pleased with the account, and, although it would not allow Moore any extra money that year, it nevertheless gave the go-ahead to the presbytery to apply for a rise in the catechist’s salary for the following one:

However, James Moore’s troubles were not over just yet. As advised, the Presbytery of Kintyre wrote a letter on the 9 July 1733 to the SSPCK, asking them for an augmentation in Moore’s salary. However, as before, the society hesitated to take action on its own. Once again, it passed over the application to the Royal Bounty Committee.

After what must have been a rather nerve-racking delay for the catechist, long after the 1 August deadline, on 4 October 1733, the SSPCK agreed to give Moore an augmentation. Unfortunately, both bodies, the society and the Royal Bounty Committee, only agreed to allow him an extra pound sterling between them. His salary was thus now seven pounds, still a pound less than he was earning four years earlier. Moore must have been disappointed with his pay rise, because once more Malcolm MacNeill of Colonsay took up his pen on his behalf. It is clear that he immediately organised a visitation to the school at Colonsay, and sent the (evidently glowing) report together with a rather astonishing covering letter to the relevant authorities in Edinburgh – again, not to the Royal Bounty Committee, but to the SSPCK. As before, he asked for an increase in Moore’s pay, but this time he offered some rather more concrete encouragement. The letter was sent on the 29 October 1733, but MacNeill’s representation wasn’t discussed until 2 February the next year:

In other words, Malcolm MacNeill secured an increase in salary for his Colonsay catechist – at least in part – by offering a ten pounds bribe to the SSPCK.

This might seem rather typical of an energetic and artful entrepreneur who was willing to use quite blatantly unprincipled methods to get his own way. At the same time, we should note that MacNeill had taken the time to put together an account of the island for the society, including suggestions both for deploying lay ministers and indeed for splitting the unwieldy parish, doubtless with a view to creating a new parish of Colonsay. It is clear that MacNeill was not acting alone.

ALEXANDER McNEILL - A Political Life

FORBES McNEILL - Further details

Jerry Ray McAfee Obituary

WEBSITE TO EXPLORE: Whistler's Mother

Readers Write