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The Sutherland family owned 1½ million acres by the l820’s
— “an area not equalled in the British Empire”. Queen
Victoria, visiting them in their fabulous residence, Stafford House,
is reported to have said, “I have come from my house to your palace.
The 19th Century is known as the age of improvement, a time when all
the landlords looked at their estates to see how they might be made
more productive and financially rewarding.
The new Duke of Sutherland had improved his estates in Staffordshire
beyond recognition and by 1809 was ready to turn his attention to Sutherland!
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| It was
in this desire for progress that three men were employed by the
Duke and Duchess in 1809. They were:—
James
Loch.
William
Young (To deal with all their business)
Patrick
Sellar.
Their remit?
To examine the Sutherland estates and to suggest possible improvements |
The advice Loch
and Young gave to the Duchess was to shift the people away from the
Straths: Strathnaver, Strathbrora, Strath of Kildonan etc. and to convert
these regions into giant sheep farms. The people would be made to go
to allotments all over the West, East and North coasts of Sutherland.
| Patrick
Sellar wrote:
"Lord
and Lady Stafford were pleased humanely to order the new arrangement
of this country. That the interior should be possessed by Cheviot
shepherds, and the people brought down to the coast and placed
in lots of less than three acres, sufficient for the maintenance
of an industrious family, pinched enough to cause them to turn
their attention to the fishing.
A most benevolent
action, to put these barbarous Highlanders into a position where
they could better associate together, apply themselves to industry,
educate their children, and advance in civilisation."
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In 1814 known as
the Year of the Burnings Sellar gave orders to burn the hill grazing
areas so there would be no food for the tenant’s cattle and the
people would have no choice but to leave.
The video above shows how much of Sutherland today is littered with
the remains of crofts and townships. Areas where people had lived for
thousands of years now lie barren and empty.
Between 1814 and 1818, Rosal was cleared, to make way for sheep farms,
by the infamous Patrick Seller. It was one of the villages untouched
by burning but settlements round about were all fired as they were cleared.
In the Strath of
Kildonan alone, just one small part of this vast county, between 1811
and 1831 the population was decimated, from 1574 people to just 257.
The overpopulation
and poverty, would have led to emigration for many, even if there had
been no clearances. The Duke helped indirectly by waiving rents and
giving good cattle and timber prices. He was by then, well aware of
his unpopularity.
Eye witness accounts of the clearances:
| The
Rev. Donald Sage, missionary at Achness:
“To
my poor and defenseless flock the dark hour of trial came in right
earnest. It was in the month of April, 1819 that they were all,
men, women and children, from the heights of Farr to the mouth
of the Naver, on one day to quit their tenements and go —
many of them knew not whither, for a few some miserable patches
of ground along the shore were doled as lots without anything
in the shape of the poorest hut to shelter them. They were supposed
to cultivate the ground and occupy themselves as fishermen. Many
had never set foot in a boat."
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| Donald
Macleod, Rosal:
“I was
an eye witness of the scene — strong parties led by Sellar
and Young commenced setting fire to the dwellings till about 300
houses were in flames, the people striving to remove the sick,
the helpless, before the fire should reach them. The cries of
women and children — the roaring of cattle — the barking
of dogs — the smoke of the fire — the soldiers —
it required to be seen to be believed!"
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