Coll, Lewis
Encyclopedia
This article is about the farmland of Coll, on Lewis. For other uses, see Coll (disambiguation)
Coll (Scottish Gaelic: Col) is a farming settlement near Stornoway
, on the island of Lewis
in Scotland
.
From 1888 to 1921, Coll and the nearby farmlands of Tong and Gress
were the scene of several land raids. This made them the focus of a wider conflict between the people of Lewis, its owners, and the government.
During the 19th century Lewis, like many rural areas of Scotland, became impoverished and depopulated. This was the result of deliberate evictions of tenant farmers by the landowners (the Highland Clearances
), harsh living conditions, outright famine in some years, and voluntary emigration in hopes of a better life elsewhere. Towards the turn of the century the British government attempted to reverse this trend, by providing land for small farm settlements, allotments or crofts
, and by improving the conditions of land tenure. There was also a political promise that servicemen returning from World War I
should have “a land fit for heroes to live in” and enjoy priority for such settlements.
This policy was not contentious in England
, but Scottish landowners were generally hostile, and able to frustrate it. The island of Lewis was exceptional in being owned in its entirety by wealthy industrialists prepared to invest heavily to develop the area – from 1844 by the Matheson family (founders of Jardine Matheson) then from 1917 by William Hesketh Lever, Lord Leverhulme the soap magnate. But as industrialists, their vision of the island’s future was industrial – fisheries, tweed manufacture, and the like. They were utterly opposed to land re-settlement, seeing this as perpetuating an outmoded way of life. Meanwhile the landless people of Lewis found themselves existing in overcrowded, squalid conditions, alongside empty arable acres given over to sheep, deer-stalking or grouse-shooting.
Vigorous agitation for land reform broke out in Ireland
from 1880 and soon spread to Scotland. It involved rent strikes, destruction of livestock and farm property, physical occupation of the land, and violence against agents of the landowners. Notable conflicts occurred in Skye
, North & South Uist
, Tiree
and Lewis, with part of the farm of Coll being occupied in a land raid of January 1888. This phase of agitation died down when the Highland economy recovered from its 1880s slump and when optimism grew about government action towards land reform.
The government did pass supportive legislation, but progress in actually allocating land was very slow, and further slowed by the outbreak of war in 1914. But after the war, there was strong public support for the returning servicemen, high expectations, and pressure to make good the political promise. Expectation soon turned into anger at official delay, and land raids resumed.
On Lewis, Lord Leverhulme the new landowner had ambitious plans for the island and these – and the substantial investment and employment he was bestowing – initially made him popular. But when his opposition to land settlement schemes became generally known in March 1919, the farmlands of Tong, Coll and Gress were raided.
By autumn the raiders were persuaded to leave, but in January 1920 they made new raids on Coll and Gress, and this time began to build houses there. Leverhulme’s response was to stop all his development work, initially just in that district, then throughout Lewis. This caused uproar. His specific objection to re-settlement of Coll and Gress was that they were needed as dairy farms to supply the town of Stornoway. His condition for resumption of development was for the raiders to withdraw; by way of compromise he offered to make land available on the west coast of the island. He also wrung from the government an agreement that they would not use their compulsory powers in support of land settlement on Lewis for ten years, provided his development works continued. On this basis, the raiders were again persuaded to leave in autumn 1920.
Several farms on the west coast of Lewis were indeed re-settled, just in time to forestall land raids there, but in spring 1921 Coll and Gress were again raided, and again Leverhulme responded by halting his developments. The government thus felt released from its undertaking not to invoke compulsory powers. Faced with this official determination, Leverhulme conceded to re-settlement of the entire farms of Coll and Gress, and part of Orinsay in the south of Lewis, rather than lose them piecemeal by legal action.
Conflict on Lewis continued around the farm of Galson (near the northern tip of the island) but by this stage Leverhulme was giving up on his plans for Lewis, and turning his attention to adjoining Harris. He was also becoming seriously over-stretched financially. In 1925 he died and his many projects on Harris and Lewis were abruptly ended.
Coll (disambiguation)
Coll may refer to:*Coll, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland*Coll, Lewis , a village near Stornoway in Scotland*Coll , the ninth letter of the Ogham alphabet...
Coll (Scottish Gaelic: Col) is a farming settlement near Stornoway
Stornoway
Stornoway is a burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.The town's population is around 9,000, making it the largest settlement in the Western Isles and the third largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness and Fort William...
, on the island of Lewis
Lewis
Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
From 1888 to 1921, Coll and the nearby farmlands of Tong and Gress
Gress
Gress is a thriving hamlet on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Gress is adjacent to the larger village of Back.Between 1919 and 1921, Gress along with nearby Coll, Lewis and Tong was the scene of several land raids.- External links :...
were the scene of several land raids. This made them the focus of a wider conflict between the people of Lewis, its owners, and the government.
During the 19th century Lewis, like many rural areas of Scotland, became impoverished and depopulated. This was the result of deliberate evictions of tenant farmers by the landowners (the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
), harsh living conditions, outright famine in some years, and voluntary emigration in hopes of a better life elsewhere. Towards the turn of the century the British government attempted to reverse this trend, by providing land for small farm settlements, allotments or crofts
Croft (land)
A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer.- Etymology :...
, and by improving the conditions of land tenure. There was also a political promise that servicemen returning from World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
should have “a land fit for heroes to live in” and enjoy priority for such settlements.
This policy was not contentious in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but Scottish landowners were generally hostile, and able to frustrate it. The island of Lewis was exceptional in being owned in its entirety by wealthy industrialists prepared to invest heavily to develop the area – from 1844 by the Matheson family (founders of Jardine Matheson) then from 1917 by William Hesketh Lever, Lord Leverhulme the soap magnate. But as industrialists, their vision of the island’s future was industrial – fisheries, tweed manufacture, and the like. They were utterly opposed to land re-settlement, seeing this as perpetuating an outmoded way of life. Meanwhile the landless people of Lewis found themselves existing in overcrowded, squalid conditions, alongside empty arable acres given over to sheep, deer-stalking or grouse-shooting.
Vigorous agitation for land reform broke out in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
from 1880 and soon spread to Scotland. It involved rent strikes, destruction of livestock and farm property, physical occupation of the land, and violence against agents of the landowners. Notable conflicts occurred in Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
, North & South Uist
Uist
Uist or The Uists are the central group of islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.North Uist and South Uist are linked by causeways running via Benbecula and Grimsay, and the entire group is sometimes known as the Uists....
, Tiree
Tiree
-History:Tiree is known for the 1st century BC Dùn Mòr broch, for the prehistoric carved Ringing Stone and for the birds of the Ceann a' Mhara headland....
and Lewis, with part of the farm of Coll being occupied in a land raid of January 1888. This phase of agitation died down when the Highland economy recovered from its 1880s slump and when optimism grew about government action towards land reform.
The government did pass supportive legislation, but progress in actually allocating land was very slow, and further slowed by the outbreak of war in 1914. But after the war, there was strong public support for the returning servicemen, high expectations, and pressure to make good the political promise. Expectation soon turned into anger at official delay, and land raids resumed.
On Lewis, Lord Leverhulme the new landowner had ambitious plans for the island and these – and the substantial investment and employment he was bestowing – initially made him popular. But when his opposition to land settlement schemes became generally known in March 1919, the farmlands of Tong, Coll and Gress were raided.
By autumn the raiders were persuaded to leave, but in January 1920 they made new raids on Coll and Gress, and this time began to build houses there. Leverhulme’s response was to stop all his development work, initially just in that district, then throughout Lewis. This caused uproar. His specific objection to re-settlement of Coll and Gress was that they were needed as dairy farms to supply the town of Stornoway. His condition for resumption of development was for the raiders to withdraw; by way of compromise he offered to make land available on the west coast of the island. He also wrung from the government an agreement that they would not use their compulsory powers in support of land settlement on Lewis for ten years, provided his development works continued. On this basis, the raiders were again persuaded to leave in autumn 1920.
Several farms on the west coast of Lewis were indeed re-settled, just in time to forestall land raids there, but in spring 1921 Coll and Gress were again raided, and again Leverhulme responded by halting his developments. The government thus felt released from its undertaking not to invoke compulsory powers. Faced with this official determination, Leverhulme conceded to re-settlement of the entire farms of Coll and Gress, and part of Orinsay in the south of Lewis, rather than lose them piecemeal by legal action.
Conflict on Lewis continued around the farm of Galson (near the northern tip of the island) but by this stage Leverhulme was giving up on his plans for Lewis, and turning his attention to adjoining Harris. He was also becoming seriously over-stretched financially. In 1925 he died and his many projects on Harris and Lewis were abruptly ended.
See also
- CamastianavaigCamastianavaigCamastianavaig is a crofting township on the island of Skye in Scotland. It is located on the shores of the Sound of Raasay south east of Portree. The Allt Osglan watercourse flows from Loch Fada through the township into Tianavaig Bay.The name is from both Gaelic and Norse, Camas Dìonabhaig...
- site of the "Battle of the Braes" - Glendale, SkyeGlendale, SkyeGlendale is a community-owned estate on the north-western coastline of the Duirinish peninsula on the island of Skye and is in the Scottish council area of Highland...