Big Jura John and the Irish Earl

Location: Ballimartin

Story:
There was a miller at Soreby [Soroby, Tiree], and he made a dam for his mill. There was a ditch at the head of the dam, and Big Jura John’s peat road went across the ditch. One day Big John sent his serving man with horses and creels to take home peats. The servant had five horses tied to each other’s tails in a line. When the servant had filled the creels with peats he returned home with the horses. According to the custom of the times, the servant went in advance of the horses and held the reins of the first in his hand. When he had reached the ditch at the mill dam, the bridge over it was too narrow for horses, and the last horse fell into the ditch. As he was tied to the tail of the horse in advance of him, he was choked. The servant went home, having only four horses.

Jura John asked the servant, “ Where is the fifth horse?”

“He fell over the bridge which is over the ditch at the miller’s dam in consequence of its being too narrow,” answered the serving man. 

“The scoundrel” exclaimed Big John. “I’ll make him that he shall not be before me to interrupt my horses!”

MacLean had come from Dowart, [Duart] and was staying for a while in the castle of Ballimartin. The big Juraman went and erected a mast opposite the castle. He went through the night, seized the miller, and hanged him on the mast. When MacLean had risen in the morning and seen the miller hanged on the mast, he inquired, “Who did that?”

He suspected that it was that bad man, Jura John, who had done it. He sent for John, who came to him. MacLean said to him, “Bad man! why have you hanged the man?” 

Jura John replied exculpating himself.

“Were it not better for you than that,” said MacLean, “to kill the Irish earl who struck me and put out my teeth.”

“Had you said that sooner,” said the big Juraman “it is long since you might have had revenge.” And he promised to retaliate for MacLean’s teeth. 

There was a day on which the wind blew from the north, and the Juraman put his boat to sea, and sailed to Ireland. He reached the house of the earl. The earl did not suspect him, but welcomed him cordially. The big Juraman was for a space of time in the earl’s house; but one night it blew from the south and the Juraman got his crew ready. He slew the earl, cut off his head, and took the head with him. He sailed off for Tiree, and on his arrival there, he went to MacLean’s house. He gave him the head and said to him, “There is the head of the man who put out your teeth; and had you spoken sooner, you should have got it sooner.”

“It is better to have the like of you as a friend than as an enemy,” MacLean observed, “and I will give you as a reward Ballimartin while you live, free of rent.” And he gave him that.

Sources: Dewar Manuscripts; Tiree Traditions

Anns a’ Ghàidhlig:

Bha Muillear aig Sòrabaidh, ’s rinn e dam airson a’ mhuilinn aige, agus bha dìg aig ceann an dam agus bha rathad na mòna aig Iain Diùrach Mòr trasd na dìge. Bha aon latha a chuir Iain Diùrach Mòr a ghille le eich agus clèibh a thoirt dhachaigh mòna on Mhòine Ghile.  Bha còig eich aig a ghille, agus an dàrna each ceangailte ri earball an eich eile, agus iad nan sreath. Tra lìon an gille na clèibh dh’ fhalbh e dhachaigh leis na h-eich, agus do rèir cleachdainn nan amannaibh bha an gille agus an adhastar na làimh, ’s e falbh air thoiseach air an each thoisich. Tra ràinig iad an dìg aig dam a’ mhuilinn, bha drochaid thar na dìge gu muinntir na dùthcha leigeil thairis, ach bha i ro chumhang airson eich, agus thuit an t-each bha air mu dheireadh bhàrr na drochaid agus na dìge, agus, leis na h-eich eile bhith draghadh a bhrang, chaidh an t-each a thachdadh. Chaidh an gille dhachaigh is gun aige ach na ceithir eich.  Dh’fharraid Iain Diùrach Mòr de ghille, ‘Càite a bheil an còigeamh each?’ Thuirt an gille, ‘Thuit e thar an drochaid a tha thar na dìge aig dam a’ mhuilleir le i bhith tuileadh ’s cumhang.’  Thurt Iain Diùrach Mòr, ‘Mac na bitse, bheir mise air nach bi e romhamsa gu bhith a’ cur cheabag roimh m’ eich-sa.’

Thàinig MacGilleathain à Dubhaird, ’s dh’fhan e tamall an caisteal Bhaile Mhàrtainn. Chaidh Iain Diùrach Mòr ’s chuir e suas crann fa chomhair a’ chaisteil.  Chaidh e anns an oidhche ’s bheir e air a’ mhuillear agus chroch se ris a’ chrann e.  Tra dh’èirich MacGilleathain, ’s a chunnaic e am muillear crochte ris a’ chrann, dh’fharraid e cò a rinn sin.  Bhreithnich e gum b’ e an droch dhuine sin Iain Diùrach Mòr a rinn e, ’s chuir e ga iarraidh, ’s ràinig Iain Diùrach e. Thuirt MacGilleathain ris, ‘A dhroch dhuine, ciod thuige gun do chroch thu an duine?’ Thug Iain freagairt air.

Thuirt MacGilleathain, ‘Nach b’fheàrr dhuit na sin an t-Iarla Eirinneach a bhuail am buille ormsa agus a chuir na fiaclan asam?’  Thuirt an Diùrach Mòr, ‘A, nam biodh tu air sin a ràdh na bu tràthaile, b’ fhada bhon a dh’ fhaodadh sin a bhith diolta air do shon,’ agus gheall e gun tugadh e aidmheil a-mach.

Bha latha a bha gaoth tuath ann, agus chuir Iain Diùrach Mòr a bhàta air sàil, agus sheòl e do Èirinn, ’s ràinig e taigh an Iarla.  Cha do chuir an t-Iarla umhail, ’s rinn e beatha an Diùraich gu fàilteachail, Bha an Diùrach Mòr tamall an taigh an Iarla, ach bha oidhche a thàinig gaoth deas.  Chuir an Diùrach a sgioba an òrdugh, mharbh e an t-Iarla, thug e an ceann dheth, thug e an ceann leis, agus sheòl e air ais do Thiriodh.  Chaidh e gu taigh MhicGilleathain, thug e an ceann dha, agus thuirt e ris, ‘Sin agad ceann an fhir a chuir na fiaclan asad, agus nam biodh tu air bruidhinn na bu tràithe, gheibheadh tu na bu luaithe e’. Thuirt MacGilleathain,  ‘Is fheàrr do leithid-sa mar charaid na mar nàmh, agus bheir mi mar dhuais dhuit Baile Mhàrtainn ri d’ bheòsaor de mhàl,’ agus thug e dha sin.

[From the Dewar MSS.]

Donald the Pilot

Location: Ruaig

Story:
'The following is what report I heard from my father over 70 years ago. A French frigate, anchored in Got Bay east of Scarinish sent a boat ashore on the sandy beach. [They] captured a man Niel Mac Faden and wished him piolate [pilot] them to Lochnarnuagh [Loch nan Uamh]. He told them he knew nothing of the coast, but pointed to my grandfather's house and told them that Donald MacLean, Ruaig, Tyree knew the coast better than any man about the place. My gran Father went with them on condition they would land him at home on there return. They were 2 days at Lochnarnuagh. On there return, instead of takeing the south side of Coll and Tiree, they made for the north side straight for Barra Head. When my glanfather observed there course he understood that France was there destination. As it was very dark at the east end of Coll, my father advised Mac Faden to slip in a boat that hung at the stern and lay at the bottom. When near a cluster of small island at the east of Coll my granfather entered the small boat, cut the ropes and made for the small rocks before they put the frigate about and got a boat launched they were away among the rocks. They pulled away to the south and landed on south west of Coll at Port na Liugeadh, near MacLean's castle. MacLean claimed the boat. My granfather never forgot the loss of the boat. He and MacFaden had to cross the ferry between Coll and Tyree. The report of their motion became known before they returned. MacFadyen [was] not interfered with as it was known he was carried against his will, but my granfather was led to a cave in Vaul on the north side of Tiree where he remained for 9 months. His health give way. His father brought him home and went with him to Tobermory. On the way the packet [ferry] from Tobermory past them with [a] pardon for all below a Captain in Charley's army. My glanfather was surrendered to the [indecipherable] but they never let him of[f] the pardon. He was send the army, it must have been the Black Watch, or what we now call the 42 [nd Highland Regiment]. A lot of young gentlemen [in] the country. He was observed by [Allan] MacLean of Drum [sic, possibly Drimnin]. When Drum heard his tale he told him he would soon release him for 2 years. When MacLean met him again he was much surprised but he got off in a few days.' Donald MacLean left the army, returned to Tiree and lived to be nearly 80, dying around 1800.

Sources:
In our archives is a copy of a fascinating handwritten text by Donald MacLean of Hynish House, who died in 1907. In it he describes the adventures of his grandfather, also Donald MacLean, in September 1746. Bonny Prince Charlie had been on run for five months following his defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Keeping one step ahead of the redcoats, the prince was sheltered by sympathisers around the Highlands and Hebrides. Eventually the French sent the frigate L' Heureux to rescue his party from Loch nan Uamh south of Mallaig. Donald MacLean's text is as follows (the spelling has been left largely in its original form)

This piece was the basis for an article in the Daily Express in 1930. 'Donald the Pilot', as he became known, has a large number of descendants around the world, one of whom, Charles MacLean of Edinburgh, has done much to publicise the story. The events are certainly plausible. During the 1745 uprising many on Tiree were still extremely hostile to the Campbell acquisition of the island in 1679. They supported the Jacobite cause, threatening, as one report had it, 'to sacrifice the factor...they have constantly been upon the flutter'. Donald MacLean may well not have needed much persuading to serve Bonny Prince Charlie. The anchoring of a French frigate in Gott Bay, however, is likely to have created a stir, and it is hard to believe that Campbell loyalists would not have tried to alert the authorities, who were engaged in a huge manhunt. There is also another 'Donald the Pilot', Donald MacCleod of Galtrigill, Skye, who sailed the prince across to the Outer Isles. He has been named 'The Faithful Palinurus' after a Roman mythical figure. Although he was quite an old man, Donald MacCleod of Galtrigill was captured in Benbecula and held on a prison ship in London before being released.