MacRury, John Ewen, c1853-1909 (Torlum | Benbecula) | University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

Custom and story entitled 'Souming', 15 December 1894

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/55

Scope and Contents Custom and story written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula entitled 'Souming' [number and type of stock an individual croft can graze on a common grazings] describing the ages at which cows were included in the 'leibhidh' [levy], how in 1810 Lord MacDonald and MacCoinnich Bodhar of Lewis [MacKenzie of Seaforth, Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis] introduced new rules while Clanranald had no souming until 1820. MacRury states that in 1830 his grandfather had to send five...

Dates: 15 December 1894

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Fragment of a story entitled 'Am Bridein Sa'm Fheanag', 1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/95

Scope and Contents

Fragment of a story written down by John Ewen MacRury entitled 'Am Bridein Sa'm Fheanag'. The story tells how an oyster-catcher had a nest with its young in it and a crow came and sat on a rock above it. The largest of the oyster-catcher chicks went to leave the next but its mother got hold of it. The end of the story as it is here appears to be phrases to indicate bird calls.

Dates: 1895

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, 12 September 1890 to 1895

Series

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1

Scope and Contents Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael but also used by John Ewen MacRury. The front cover bears a sticker which reads 'Gaelic Notes 1894-5. (Collection of traditions, tales, etc. by Alexander Carmichael (?). Many pages cancelled, indicating publication.) [Carmichael Watson Collection]'. The flyleaf reads 'Gaelic Notes, 1894-5' and the rear flyleaf contains a jotting which reads 'Wishing Guidhe'. The beginning of the notebook contains field notes made by Carmichael in Uibhist a...

Dates: 12 September 1890 to 1895

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection

Story about a cow taken by the fairies, 1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/73

Scope and Contents Story written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula telling how 'about 37 years' before [c1858] in Cnoc na Monadh/Torlum Alexander Campbell's cow, which was his wife's tocher went missing. He went looking for it calling the cow's name and as he passed a fairy hill called 'Sithean Beag' he heard a voice saying 'Tha mi so tha mi so I am here I am here.' Realising that the fairies had his cow, he took fright that he fled for home. When he arrived he had the appearance of being...

Dates: 1895

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about an encounter with fairies, 16 December 1894

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/59

Scope and Contents Story written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula telling how about sixty years before [c1834] Lachlan MacRuaraidh [Lachlan MacRury], Ardmona, Iochdar, [Àird na Monadh/Ardnamona, Ìochdar, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist] was out looking for a lost stirk at dusk. Near Tigh Cloiche, Mointeach an Ìochdar, he saw what he thought was the men of Ìochdar digging lazy beds. As he approached them he realised they were not men 'for they all wore a green long garbe and a sort of green[e]d...

Dates: 16 December 1894

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about 'MacCallain' and 'Frith making', 1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/65

Scope and Contents Story written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula about Duncan McInnes [MacInnes], Balavanaich [Baile a Mhanaich/Balivanich, Beinn an Faoghla/Benbecula] also known as MacCallain [Mac Ailein] who was well-known for making 'frith' [making incantations for a missing person]. Once a boat was caught in a winter storm returning from Uig, Lewis [Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis] and with no wreckage or people it and its crew were thought lost. Mac Ailein was approached for frith and...

Dates: 1895

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story and customs about Leac na gruagaich, December 1894

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/57

Scope and Contents Story and customs written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula about Leac na gruagaich [Leac na Gruagaich, Beinn na Faoghla, Benbecula], a stone which was on the croft of Angus MacAulay, Liniclate [Lionacleit] at 'Rudha Chuidh Oib or Cuidh an Obain', an old cattle fold. The tradition was to pour a little milk into the hollow of the stone to prevent the gruagaich letting the cattle out of the fold and into the corn. MacRury tells how Raoghnull MacRuaraidh 'a Cuial decendant...

Dates: December 1894

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story entitled 'A Chliarsheanachain' [itinerant band/sorners], 5 March 1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/92

Scope and Contents Story written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula entitled 'A Chliarsheanachain' [itinerant band/sorners]. The Cliar Sheanchain or sorners, were a band of sixteen burly men, who would eat and drink and entertain or satirise and they were notoriously difficult to control. The story tells how the the last known band of sorners stayed in Baile-nan-Cailleach [Baile nan Cailleach/Nunton] with Mac 'ic Ailein [Clanranald] as their host for a night. They stayed much longer then...

Dates: 5 March 1895

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story entitled 'A Sealladh mu dheireadh a Roca-Barraidh', 1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/82

Scope and Contents Story written down by John Ewen MacRury entitled 'A Sealladh mu dheireadh a Roca-Barraidh' [The last sighting of Rocabarraigh] telling how the island of Rocabarraigh was seen many years after it sank after it had been prophesied by an old man. The old man's family thought he had died but managed to rouse him and he told them what he had seen. In his vision he had wrestled with a man from Rocabarraigh, who threatened to sink Barraigh/Barra, whereupon every sort of fish would wash up on the...

Dates: 1895

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story entitled 'Cailleach Bheag an fhasaich', 12 February 1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/87

Scope and Contents Story written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula entitled 'Cailleach Bheag an fhasaich' [Little Carlin of the Wild]. There was a poor soul living in Benbecula called Iagan-lom, because he had never managed to grow a beard. He wanted to marry someone like himself who was neither too big nor too small so he decided to go away to find her so that if she rejected him no one would know. So he set out whereupon a crow told him to go to Na Hearadh/Isle of Harris as that's where...

Dates: 12 February 1895

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

MacRury, John Ewen, c1853-1909 (Torlum | Benbecula)

Found in 22 Collections and/or Records:

Custom and story entitled 'Souming', 15 December 1894

Fragment of a story entitled 'Am Bridein Sa'm Fheanag', 1895

Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, 12 September 1890 to 1895

Story about a cow taken by the fairies, 1895

Story about an encounter with fairies, 16 December 1894

Story about 'MacCallain' and 'Frith making', 1895

Story and customs about Leac na gruagaich, December 1894

Story entitled 'A Chliarsheanachain' [itinerant band/sorners], 5 March 1895

Story entitled 'A Sealladh mu dheireadh a Roca-Barraidh', 1895

Story entitled 'Cailleach Bheag an fhasaich', 12 February 1895

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