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Snippets of History |
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Date/Era late 1800s |
Topic People |
District Stenscholl |
Person Màiri Mhor nan Oran, Mary MacPherson |
| At the end of the nineteenth century, Angus Maclean of Stoighseall worked for Ewan Mackinnon. Eòghan a' Chàrn Bhàn (as he was known) had the Post Office at Stafainn House. His old house is still standing. It is on the south side of Stafainn House, and faces the Malagar road. (In the year 2000, it was owned by Duncan Lamont.) Ewan operated a pony and trap service between Stafainn and Uig in the nineteenth century, Uig being the main through road from Stafainn to Portree at that time. Angus Maclean was Ewan's driver. Frequently he transported Màiri Mhór nan Òran - Big Mary of the songs to and from Stafainn. In her own native village of Sgeabost, she was known as Màiri nighean 'an bhàin (Macpherson). At the end of the 19th century, Màiri Mhór was much in demand at concerts, she being the heroine of the Crofters' Land Wars. She had been a witness for Highland crofters at a crucial time in our history. And she left us her book of poetry and songs which contains nine thousand lines of Gaelic poetry - all penned exclusively from her memory, since like the majority of ordinary folk born as she was in 1821, she could not write. She was a regular at the home of Dòmhnall MacLaughlin. He was the great grandfather of John 'Bertie' Mackenzie. As she travelled with Angus, it seems the grand Màiri Mhór enjoyed a smoke and sometimes she sat up front. | |