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Mr Donald C |
| Interview Number: 234 |
| Other Interview Material |
| Sex: |
| M |
| Year Of Birth: |
| 1888 |
| Place of Residence: |
| Isle of Barra |
| Family: |
| Born on Barra. Second child of six siblings. |
| Marriage: |
| Married in 1931. 3 children: 2 daughters, 1 son. |
| Housing: |
| 2-bedroom house. Lived with grandparents in 3-bedroomed house. |
| Education: |
| Left school aged 14 years. Did not like school. Played truant. |
| Parents' Work History: |
| Father was a fisherman. Owned his boat. Fished with brothers. Worked on a puffer. Later worked as labourer in Glasgow. Made salmon fishing nets. Mother and wife were herring girls. |
| Work History: |
| As a schoolboy, helped unload barrels of German and Dutch fishing boats. Fished from father's boat. Aged 16 years was ship's boy, cook, and coiler on fishing cruiser, Brenda. Was ships steward in the messroom, then chief steward on Minnerhouse. Became a clerk for Singers at Clydesdale in 1911. Took over croft and lobster fishing when father died 1912. Was in the Merchant Navy during WW1. Bought sheep and cattle with father-in-law. |
| Final Occupation: |
| Crofter & lobster fisherman |
| Political Affiliation: |
| Father belonged to the Liberal Party. DC voted Tory. Belonged to National Union of Seamen. |
| Religious Background: |
| Roman Catholic. Barra was all Roman Catholic. Took pledge of temperance. Attended Sunday School. |
| Occupational Class: |
| Semi-skilled Manual |
| Leisure Activities: |
| Rode foal bareback. Played ball games. Hopped the island of Kentagaval. Played the melodeon, chanter and jews harp. Went fishing with father in summer holidays. Played pitch and toss with siblings. Later owned a bike and cycled in ports of call. Local teenagers would dance Scots reel outdoors. Went to Kings Theatre in Edinburgh, saw Harry Lauder. |
| Health / Childbirth: |
| Father was paralysed on left side due to partial-suffocation. Sister died from measles. |
| Miscellaneous: |
| Family had school books and the Highland News. Grew potatoes, barley, oats on croft. Grandmother baked. Mother mended clothes. Father stayed home to look after household when mother was ill. Children helped on the croft and in the house. Wool was spun and knitted. Fishing failed around Barra 1911. Father was one of the first land leaguers against Lady Gordon Cathcart. Imprisoned for 6 months in Gorton gaol. Anecdotal interviews. Detail: fishing limits; prisoners' home coming; celebrations; taking possession of the island; croft at Kentangavel; Department of Agriculture rulings; father's funeral; social class; Lady Gordon Cathcart; emigration to Canada; ship owners; home sickness. |
| Number of pages in Transcript: |
| 47 |
