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Mr Norman P |
| Interview Number: 233 |
| Other Interview Material |
| Sex: |
| M |
| Year Of Birth: |
| 1904 |
| Place of Residence: |
| Isle of Lewis |
| Family: |
| Born on Barras, Lewis. 7 siblings: 4 brothers, 2 sisters. Affectionate mother. |
| Marriage: |
| Married in 1945. 5 children. |
| Housing: |
| Black house. Landlords were the Boltons, later the Duckworths, (cider manufacturers). |
| Education: |
| Kept away from school one day a week to help on croft. |
| Parents' Work History: |
| Father was a crofter and fisherman, then seaman in the Royal Navy. Later a Free Kirk missionary. Mother had been a herring girl. |
| Work History: |
| Herded cattle during school holidays. Ran errands. 1919, Glasgow shipyard; 1923-32 steel smelter in Canada; 1932-39 quarry foreman on Ross and Cromarty road works; 1945-47 engineer; 1947-67 home weaver; 1967 storeman. |
| Final Occupation: |
| Storeman |
| Political Affiliation: |
| Possibly Liberal. |
| Religious Background: |
| United Free Church. Children attended Sunday School, and prayer meetings on Thursdays. Became member of the Kirk aged 15 years. |
| Occupational Class: |
| Semi-skilled Manual |
| Leisure Activities: |
| Halloween party at the Manse. Were given an orange and an apple. New Year was celebrated. Sunday school party at New year. Community held caeligs in winter, with story telling and music. |
| Health / Childbirth: |
| Father had double pneumonia. One brother and one sister died with flu. One brother died at the beginning of WW1. |
| Miscellaneous: |
| Father fished from Cullen, Fraserburgh and Peterhead. Croft had sheep, cows and hens. Grew potatoes, and vegetables. Harvested seaweed. Had own horses and cart. Women cut and carried peat; spun wool. Mother knitted and made clothes. Neighbours helped those in need. Mother baked bread and made rhubarb jam. Interview does not follow pattern of others. Exceptionally detailed interview. Many anecdotes. Detail: family history; emigration; militia; crofts; life on the shielding; food by season; milking; thatching; furniture; Harris Tweed; Canada; families; salmon poaching; box beds; funeral; poor house; market day at Stormont; first plough; Hugh Oliver; Isle of Lewis history; outbreak of WW1. |
| Number of pages in Transcript: |
| 39 |
