Indigo agus an t-Eilean.

The connection between the Isle of Skye and the Indigo trade in the 19th Century.

This post is in Scottish Gaelic. An English language version is available on our translation page here - Indigo and the Island.

“In the year 1895-96, which was the record year, the export of indigo dye from India was 9,366 tons, valued at £3,566,700. Indigo was then one of the principal articles in the export trade of our Eastern Dominions.” The Economic Journal, page 1.

Tha sgeulachd ann am beul-aithris an Eilein Sgiathanaich mun cheangal eadar an Eilean agus gnìomhachas an Indigo anns na h-Ìnnseachan, agus mar a bha Sgiathanaich cho mòr an sàs ann.

’S ann à Gesto a bha am fear ‘Coinneach Macleòid’. Rugadh e ann an 1809. Bha an athair aige, An Caiptein Niall, “dispossessed of Gesto which his family had held for over five centuries, in 1825 by the Chief (of Macleod)” a rèir an Celtic Monthly.

Chaidh Coinneach Macleòid dha na h-Ìnnseachan gun ach “one golden guinea in his pocket given him by Mrs Macdonald of Waternish.” (The Celtic Monthly). Thill e dhan Eilean mar Nabob. Duine beartach dha-rìribh.

An deidh dhà tilleadh, chum an aimhreit a’ dol eadar e fhèin agus ceann-cinnidh Mhicleòid, am fear a bha air an talamh a thoirt bhon teaghlach aige sa chiad àite. Fhad s’ a bha fortan Mhicleòid a’ sìoladh às, cheannaich Coinneach Macleòid “Edinbane, Skirnish, Greshornish, Tote and Skeabost and much of Portree”. (The Celtic Monthly). Thog e cuideachd ospadal an Aodainn Bhàin.

Beagan mhìosan mun do bhàsaich e ann an 1869, rinn e a’ chùis air Macleòid a-rithist nuair a cheannaich e Oighreachd Òrboist fo sròin Mhìcleòid airson £11,200.

A rèir na sgeòil, thug Coinneach Macleòid fichead not’ dha duine sam bith às an Eilean a bha airson am fortan aca fhèin a dhèanamh ann an Indigo.

’S e Harry Macdonald, Viewfield House, Portrìgh, aon den fheadhainn a ghabh am fichean not’ sin. Tha an sgeulachd-beatha aige a’ soillearachadh diofar atharrachaidhean a bha a’ tachairt air an eilean aig an àm - ann an atharrachadh coimhearsnachd agus eaconomaidh an eilein.

Rugadh Harry Macdonald air an 30mh den Ghibhlean 1845. Bha Taigh Viewfield ann am Portrìgh air màl aig an seanair aige, Dr Alexander Macleòid, neo ‘An Doctair Bàn’. Chaidh an taigh a thogail leis an Tighearna Mac Dhòmhnaill mar àite fuirich airson a’ Bhàilidh aige, obair a rinn An Doctair Bàn fhèin.

Bha an athair aig Harry Macdonald - Harry Macdonald Snr. neo “Old Harry” mar a chanar ris, à Inbhir Pheotharain. ‘S e greusaiche a bh’ anns an athair aige, agus chaidh e dhan Eilean Sgiathanach gus obair dhan Doctair Bhàn. Phòs e an nighean aig An Doctair, Joanna, agus ghabh e fhèin Viewfield air màl ann an 1846. Thòisich Harry Macdonald Snr a’ chompanaidh-lagh “Macdonald and Fraser” ann am Portrìgh, agus bha e fhèin ag obair mar Bhàilidh airson Oighreachd Mhic Dhòmhnaill.

Bha ceithir mhic aige a’ ruig aois. Bha aon dhiubh, Alexander, ag obair dha Macdonald and Fraser mar fhear-lagh, agus chum esan a’ dol an traidisean anns an teàghlach a thaobh a bhith ag obair mar Bhàilidh, an treas ghinealach a rinn an obair sin.

Bha mac eile, Thomas, na Surgeon General anns an Arm anns na h-Ìnnseachan. Chaidh na dithis eile, John agus Harry Jnr dha na h-Ìnnseachann gus obair fhaighinn ann an Indigo.

Bha atharrachaidhean mòra ann an eaconomaidh nan eilean an deidh crìoch Chogaidh Napoleon ann an 1815. Chaidh atharrachadh siostam cìsean ann an obair an fheamainn (ceilp) ann an 1822. Bha gainnead bìdh ann le gort bhuntàta, agus anns na 1830s bha Tighearnan an Eilein den bheachd gun robh croitearan ““less advantageous to the proprietors than farmers occupying the same tracts of ground. People who could afford to emigrate did so.” (James Hunter).

Eadar 1826 agus 1827 “about 1,300 people left Skye for the North American Colonies.” (Hunter). Dh’fhàg barrachd daoine buileach an deidh 1840.

“The Isle of Skye became the property of several proprietors, who, in the four decades following 1840, would serve 1,740 writs of removal, involving nearly 40,000 people all of whom, whether they were removed or not, had to pay 10 shillings for the cost of the summonses against them.”

John Prebble, The Highland Clearances (1963)

“By 1852 it was possible to observe of the north-west Highlands that ‘the great bulk of the population in those parts of our land are… on the verge of pauperism, with no immediate visible prospect of their distress being alleviated” and in Skye that Summer there was said to be ‘more squalid misery and positive starvation’ than at any time since 1846. An Emigration Commission agent who visited the island in June reported that ‘Any description that can be given must fall short of the sad reality. it is not too much to say that any of the swine in England are better fed and better housed than are the poor of the island.” (Hunter p78)

A rèir Professor Tom Devine, eadar 1774 agus 1785, bha faisg air leth de na ‘Writers’ airson an East India Company à Alba. Ann an 1813, bha 14 de na taighean mòra marsantachd ann an Calcutta air an ruith le Albannaich. “Some of the early eighteenth century generation…returned to Britain as rich men.” (Devine, Scotland’s Empire).

Cha robh Harry Macdonald na aonar ann a bhith ag iarraidh cothrom obair ann an Indigo. Dh’ainmich WM Reid seo anns an leabhar aige “Indigo”.

“Of late years the number of boys sent out from Home to “try their luck in indigo” have increased beyond all reasonable limits. The Home market is glutted, and it behoves parents of a certain social status to seek employment for their sons abroad.” (Indigo, WM Reid.)

Ràinig Harry Macdonald na h-Ìnnseachan ann an 1869. Aig an àm bha ceangalaichean teaghlaich agus Gàidheil eile a bha stèidhichte ann an diofar ghnìomhachasan ann a thug cothrom dhà a chuid casan fhaighinn fon bhòrd ann an gnìomhachas Indigo. (Norman Macdonald - Great Book of Skye). Thug fear, Dr Charles Mackinnon, obair dhà mar mhanaidsear oighreachd “ushering in an era of new manager-ship which was eventually to prosper as the business reached its full peak.” (Norman Macdonald - Great Book of Skye)

Tha WM Reid ag innse dhuinn cò ris a bha beatha coltach dha ‘planter’ agus e ùr anns an dreuchd.

“I will suppose the young to-be-Indigo Planter already arrived in Calcutta, and his call made on the agent. He has put up at the Great Eastern Hotel for a day or two, eaten his introductory tiffin with the “house”, and received his order to proceed up to join his “concern”. This will probably be about the 1st of November, when the cold weather has well set in and the climate is simply lovely…He will go by rail as far as, say, Mozufferpoe…. I will suppose our young friend to have at last, after the usual journey in trap or saddle, arrived at the “Sudder” or head factory, the residence of the Manager of the “concern”… where he will take up his residency, I will hope, for some years.” (Indigo, WM Reid.)

Tha N.M Macdonald ann an “Indigo Planting in India”, a’ toirt dhuinn beachd air meud a’ ghnìomhachais. Chaidh an teacsa goirid seo fhoillseachadh ann an 1877 aig a’ char as tràithe.

“Indigo is cultivated all over India, giving employment to millions of natives and thousands of Englishmen. In three districts alone, in Behar, where some of the finest indigo is grown, European capital is invested to the extent of no less than £5,000,000. Some 370,000 acres are under cultivation. There are seven hundred English gentlemen managing and working the “concerns”… the indigo industry appears to have generated employment of 925,090 in Bengal during the first half of the nineteenth century.” (Indigo Planting in India - NM Macdonald.)

Bha Harry Macdonald anns an àite cheart aig an àm cheart, An dèidh dha obair mar mhaidsear air Plantation, cheannaich e an ‘concern’ aige fhèin ann am Bubnowlie. Bha e cuideachd an sàs ann an siùcar. (Viewfield Papers, Portree Archive).

Chan eil teagamh ann nach robh an obair soirbheachail a thaobh cosnadh airgid. Ann an agallamh le Hugh Macdonald -Viewfield (‘S e Harry an sean-sean-seanair aige) bhruidhinn e air litir a fhuair iad bho Harry far an tuirt e gun robh e air obair fhaighinn mar mhanaidsear a bha a’ pàigheadh £5000 gach bliadhna, suim mhòr aig an àm.

Thill Harry Macdonald a dh’Alba ann an 1885, dreis mus do chrìon gnìomhachas an Indigo. Ghabh e an aonta thairis airson Viewfield House, ach bhiodh e gu tric a’ tilleadh dha na h-Ìnnseachan, agus chumadh e airgead ann an gnìomhachasan ann fad a bheatha. Bha e cuideachd uabhasach taiceil dha cor na Gàidhlig, agus luchd-ealain na Gàidhlig, leithid Màiri Mhòr nan Òran. (Hugh Macdonald Interview 2019).

Bhàsaich Harry Macdonald sa Chèitean, 1905.

‘S e airgead mar seo, air a dhèanamh à Indigo, a thog tòrr dhe na taighean mòra san Eilean Sgiathanach. Anns an ‘Great Book of Skye’, bha Tormod Dòmhnallach an dùil gun robh co-dhiù 14 thaighean air an togail le airgead bho Indigo.

“By the 1890’s, the families in the big houses of Ord, Tormore, Kyleakin (Kyle House), Corry, Viewfield, Greshornish, Portree House, Portree Lodge (leased from Lord Macdonald for a long period by Francis Murray), Uiginish and Gesto, to say nothing of other large estate houses such as Husabost and Monkstadt, where there was also a residual cross-over of Caribbean sugar plantation proits, had all benefitted substantially from indigo revenue…: Norman Macdonald (Great Book of Skye).

Chan eil ach an sin ach pàirt bheag dhe sgeulachd an Indigo – ‘s mathaid gun sgrìobh mi tuilleadh mu dheidhinn uaireigin eile.

Tapadh leibh airson leughadh.

AN DEIREADH.