‘A remarkable man’ Redemption for the ‘brutal’ Scot who transformed Tiree
Previously secret papers have highlighted fascinating new details on the deeply controversial Chamberlain of Tiree, who was tasked with transitioning islanders from old methods of agriculture in the 17th century
HIS actions changed the face of Tiree, sent islanders on a one-way ticket to new lives in faraway places, and sparked folk tales of his supernatural sorcerer’s abilities.
For generations, question marks have hung over the island’s 19th-century factor Malcolm McLaurin, with some viewing him as the Duke of Argyll’s brutal henchman sent to disrupt their familiar way of life and an uncaring womaniser, while others regarded him as simply a figure striving to modernise.
Now painstaking research has delved into previously locked archives to shed fascinating new light on the one-time Chamberlain of Tiree to reveal a surprisingly soft side to his public image.
McLaurin served as chamberlain from 1801 until the 5th Duke’s death, overseeing an extraordinary time of upheaval on the Inner Hebridean island as it transitioned from old methods of agriculture.
The Scottish Agricultural Revolution would lead to settlements across the country being dismantled, purpose-built villages created and, on islands like Tiree, crofts established with a new style of farming that had once seen families share the fruits of their labours changed to one which sparked divide between tenants, cottars and landlords.
Charged with introducing a new system of crops, technologies and crofting to Tiree on behalf of the Duke, McLaurin became a divisive figure whose actions would have an impact on generations of islanders which is still in place today.
With the 5th Duke of Argyll having handed him instructions to remove “every tenth man, and those the most criminal”, McLaurin set about selecting islanders for “removal”, among them men found guilty of illegal distilling and others regarded as having been lax in their approach to work or for taking trees to sell.
Having delved into archives held at Inverary Castle, crucial nuggets of detail about McLaurin’s early life have now emerged to cast fresh light on his character and alter thinking of the kind of man he was.
The research has been carried out by islanders Donald Meek, retired professor of Scottish and Gaelic Studies at the University of Edinburgh and previously professor of Celtic at the University of Aberdeen – who still lives in the croft designated to his family by McLaurin – and Dr John Holliday, the island’s former GP.
It will be discussed during a threepart online seminar organised by the Friends of the Argyll Papers.
McLaurin were a particular “blind spot” which, until the release of the documents gathered by the Campbell family – known as the Argyll Papers and considered to be one of the most important private archives in Britain – had hindered a full understanding of how the island had developed and islanders’ relationships with its owner.
Research has uncovered evidence that shows McLaurin as a particularly bright doctor who, despite what appear to be callous acts which led Tiree islanders being uprooted from their homes and forced to emigrate, showed particular empathy for his fellow human beings.
According to Prof Meek, while islanders on the east of the island seemed to accept the new style of farming, those on the west railed against it and McLaurin.
“He was in the thick of it,” said Prof Meek. “Big changes were being introduced away from runrig farms to crofts and that was seen in some places as contentious.
“He had a hard job. Runrig farming was pretty much a universal system in Scotland and meant people had their own rigs of land which changed every so often so everyone got a fair share, good and bad. Some rigs were very big and some small.
“The Enlightenment brought new ideas and changes in farming, and the Duke of Argyll, who was struggling to make ends meet on his estate, saw these as a way to make more money.”
But while islanders regarded as upstanding and loyal to the Duke were
You can take a view as to whether he was good or bad, but he was a remarkable man who hasn’t really been given credit for doing what he did
rewarded with crofts, others were targeted to become cottars with small patches of lower-quality land.
It sparked division, with McLaurin in its midst, said Prof Meek, adding: “He was between the devil and the deep blue sea.”
Crucial letter
MCLAURIN had trained briefly in medicine at the University of Edinburgh before being appointed as the island’s chamberlain.
The research has uncovered a crucial referral letter sent by him to professor of the practice of physics at Edinburgh University, William Cullen, who was the leading physician in the country and the King’s physician in Scotland.
It revealed McLaurin’s deep concern for one Tiree islander’s ailing mother and is said to have revealed his “considerable intelligence, medical knowledge and confidence” – at odds with some of the more vivid descriptions of his character. One Tiree folklore story depicts him as a mysterious sorcerer while he was also known to have been a womaniser who fathered at least two children to two separate women.
Dr Holliday said the period in Tiree’s history is particularly complicated and anything that shines light on the characters helps to remove fact from the myth that developed as disgruntled islanders came to terms with a turbulent period of upheaval.
“The referral letter he sent to Cullen gives us unusual insight,” he added. “McLaurin’s letter is very impressive for a young man without a huge amount of training – his approach is warm and exemplary, and provides a window into his soul and personality. “He was remarkably successful in his role – rent payments were ridiculously improved by him and he supervised the entirety of the agricultural revolution on Tiree – that’s an extraordinary achievement. “You can take a view as to whether he was good or bad, but he was a remarkable man who hasn’t really been given credit for doing what he did.”