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The earliest record I have about North Dell is of Alasdair a’ Mhorain, who along with his brother were the tenants of North and South Dell.  The brothers quarrelled and Alasdair became the sole tenant of North Dell.  The site of his grave is known - it was disturbed at the beginning of 20th century when the farmer, MacFarquhar, was ploughing a field at Arnaistean for the first time.

In 1718 the tenant of North Dell was a John Morrison.  In 1726 there were two tacksmen [farmers] in North Dell - Allan and Donald Morrison, presumably father and son.  When a census was taken of the Seaforth Estates in 1792, the tacksman of North Dell was Allan Morrison.  The last one of these Morrisons to hold the lands of Cruach Aird and Arnaistean was Donald Morrison (Domhnall mac Ailean mhic Dhomnaill mhic Ailein) [i.e. Donald, son of Allan, son of Donald, son of Allan] who was there until the 1830s.

He reputedly cleared people from part of the village.  He brought a ‘pounder’ from Carloway to impound animals that strayed on to the land that he held and people had to pay the Poundair before they could get their animals black.  In 1813 he married Catherine, a great, great-granddaughter of ‘An Clarsair Dall’ (The Blind Harper), by whom he had a large family.  She was also a granddaughter of Rev. John Downie, Stornoway.  They emigrated to Canada round about 1834.

In the winter of 1828, there was a great storm during which three ships were wrecked on the coast of Lewis - one at Hamnoway (Uig), one at Cunndal (near Eoropie, Ness) and one on Traigh Dhail (Dell beach); this one was referred to locally as Long Haisìr.  According to tradition, when the survivors came ashore the tops of their stockings were filled with gold coins.  They made their way to Mac Ailean’s house, where they were apprehended by Customs officers from Stornoway.  On hearing of the approach of the Customs men, one of the survivors took off his belt, which was full of gold coins, and swung it round his head in defence, scattering the coins all over the house.  It is said that at the beginning of the 20th century fishermen in Dell could touch a chest that was lying underwater among the rocks with their fishing gaffs.  In 1971, divers inspected the area where the vessel had sank, but found nothing.

Domhnall Mac Ailean is said to have built the Taigh Geal (white house) with these gold coins.  It was similar in style to the Swainbost Farmhouse and Mansa Mhic Phàil (MacPhail’s manse) in Cross.  His sons had a tutor and some of the North Dell boys were educated along with Mac Ailean’s sons.

Reputedly, after this Mac Ailean fell into debt and was reduced to having to beg from those he had dealt so harshly with previously, and the family then emigrated to Canada.  It is said that because of the severe frost in Canada at the time of his death his body remained above ground five months before he could be buried.  One old lady allegedely remarked on hearing this, “Cha ghabhadh an talamh fhein gnothaich ris.” (translation:- “Even the earth didn’t want him”). 

The Murrays (see also Murrays / an Gobha Gorm)

The next tenant of ‘Baile Gloum’ was Alexander Murray (Alasdair Ruairidh Gobha), who was descended from ‘An Gobha Gorm’.  His father had been one of the subscribers to the 1790 edition of the songs of Donald Bàn Macintyre.  He had been tenant of Swainbost Farm, but he moved to the North Dell farm in the 1830s.  He always had a sub-tenant on the island of North Rona where he maintained a large flock of sheep.  He died on 16th November 1857, aged 86.  He is buried on the south side of St Peters Church, Swainbost, where a table stone marks his grave in a lair that is also reputedly the resting place of An Gobha Gorm. 

Alexander Murray was married to Margaret, one of the twenty children of Kenneth MacIver, a tacksman of North Tolsta.  They had seven of a family:

His son Daniel was his successor on the farm.  He paid rent there until 1861. He then emigrated to India where he was a tea planter.  He was married to Helen, daughter of Norman MacIver, a banker in Stornoway.   Their son, Sir Norman Murray, was managing governor of the Imperial Bank of India.

Alexander Murray’s brother Donald was for some years a cooper in Stornoway and afterwards a

tenant in North Dell.  He was married to Catherine, daughter of Farquhar Smith, tacksman of Earshader, Uig in Lewis. 

Donald and Catherine Murray’s family were:

Farquhar was born in Keith Street, Stornoway, in 1928, but his younger sister was born in North Dell.  So it seems likely that his parents, Donald Murray and Catherine (nee Smith) came to Baile Griais, North Dell, in the early 1930s.

Farquhar Murray’s family were:

The Watsons

After the Murrays, the widow of David Watson (who had been minister at Uig) came to Baile Gloum with her family.

The following are David Watson’s details in Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae.

"David Watson, born at Croy, 1806, son of William Watson.  Graduated at Kings College, Aberdeen ordained 26 March 1845.  Died 11 May 1856.  Married in 1841 to Margaret (died 27 May 1985), daughter of William Mackay, Edderton, and Janet Helen Fordon.  Had issue, William, minister of Kiltearn, born 8 March 1843; David born 1846, Alexander Henry Nugent, physician, born 1851, Jessie Helen Gordon, born 22nd February 1855."

According to tradition, Watson quarrelled with Donald Munro, the Chamberlain of the Lews Estate, and later committed suicide.  Mrs Watson ran a sewing school in North Dell and during the summer months the boys taught at a school in the church in Cross.  A manuscript by William Watson is preserved in Edinburgh University amongst the Carmichael Watson papers.  This was written by him c.1861 and contains anecdotes gleaned from his time in North Dell.

The details for William Watson in Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae are as follows:

"William Watson, son of David Watson, minister at Uig.   Educated at Edinburgh University, assistant to the professor of Mathematics.  Licensed by the presbytery of Edinburgh.  Assistant at Mayfield, Edinburgh. Ordained 27 September 1875. died 13th July 1914.  Married 22nd April 1886, Isabella, daughter of Alexander Allan, tacksman of Drummond: issue, Allan, born 27th March 1888, died in Sudan 18.1.20. Margaret Janet, William Norman, Stanley.

From the rent ledger it would appear that the Watsons left North Dell in 1871.  As mentioned before they had the “tac" in what is known today as Baile Gloum and the Arnaistean lands.

For the next three years 3 of the North Dell tenants had the "tac" - John Mackenzie (An MacAonghais), Farquhar Murray and John Campbell (Pluicean); the first two spent a year each living in the Taigh Geal   They were the village constables at the time.  Farquhar Murray’s son Calum was born there and he was known by some as "Balach dubh an taigh gheal".

However, in 1975, it is MacFarquhar’s name that appears in the rentals as the tenant of Baile Gloum.

I came across an interesting letter inside the rent ledger written on 6th April 1975 by a Mackenzie from Borve to Donald Munro, Chamberlain of Lewis.

Father of St Kilda

Roderick Campbell was born in North Dell on 15 August 1842 and he died on 16 April 1908.  He was a son of Malcolm Campbell (Calum Ruadh Aonghais Oig), originally from Gress.  He joined the Hudson Bay Company when he was a young man and spent much of his time in Canada tracking the North West Territory.  For his efforts he was made a FRGS.  When he left Ness at the age of 16 years and 10 months, he had the following books in his possession: a Bible, Johnson's Pocket Dictionary, a grammar book and one on travel.  He later wrote, “I had heard of a highly respected and worthy fellow who was about to leave Ness for the inhospitable regions of the Hudson Bay Company's territory.  He had already spent five years there.”  The two sailed in 1859 on the ‘Prince of Wales’.

Campbell returned to Britain in 1877 and in February 1878 he arrived back in Lewis.  He went back to Canada later that year.  In 1883 he gave a statement on behalf of North Dell to the Napier Commission, drawing comparisons with the land situation in Canada at the time.

In his will he left a sum of money to be given annually to the best pupil in Cross School.

Roderick Campbell, FRGS, was the son of Malcolm Campbell (Calum Ruadh).  Calum Ruadh was one of those who had been cleared from Gress.

The Dell Mill

In the 1820s there was much illegal distilling being pursued.  In order to effect a change, Stewart Mackenzie of Seaforth (the owner of Lewis) decided to do something about it and by 1831 a distillery had been set up in North Dell.  The road leading to the present Dell Farm was known as Rathad an Taigh-staile.  At that time the only land attached to the mill was A' Phàirc Fhraoich, together with the land around the mill house.  Ness whisky is reputed to have won the top prize at a competition in Liverpool against whiskies from Islay and other Highland distilleries.  However, it is said that it was whisky which had been distilled illegally in Eoropie that had in fact been entered for the competition and that the Dell enterprise was never very successful.

The first miller in Dell, according to local tradition, was Am Muillear Glas.  Then Donald Munro arrived in 1844 and remained there until the MacFarquhars came in 1853.  In 1849 the ‘......lands added and the mill improved’, according to the rental.

The MacFarquhars

Robert MacFarquhar came from Redcastle in the Black Isle.  He was a stonemason and worked on the extension to St Peter’s Church in Stornoway.  One of his sons, Alexander, was a cartwright and a catechist.  He lived in Back, Knock, and Barvas before he settled at the Dell Mill, in Ness.  Another of MacFarquhar’s sons, John, was a blacksmith in Bayhead.  Robert MacFarquhar also  had two daughters, Anne and Grace.  Alexander's son, Murdo, was tenant of the mill during the time of the ‘reorganisation’ in 1874.

‘An Taigh Geal’, in Baile Gloum was demolished by Murdo MacFarquhar.  Some of the slates from the house are still on the old house on Croft No 10 and the remainder are on the Mill itself.

The following is an extract from the Rent Ledger of the time:

Murdo MacFarquhar was married to Murdina Mackenzie, from Stornoway.  Their family were:

Alex Mhurchaidh Ic Fhearchair succeeded his father and remained at the mill until 1955 when the farm was sold to Donald Morrison (Dòmhnall Mhurdo na Casaig).

Families cleared from Baile Griais, North Dell, 1875

It was people who had been cleared from Gress who initially settled in Baile Griais.  They apparently arrived there in the early 1830s.  Below is some information which Bill Lawson uncovered about the families who lived in this area of North Dell in  1874 -75:

Alexander Smith (Alasdair Bàn) (1806-62), widow Christina Gunn (A' Chràg) (1811-1913): she was moved to No. 1 North Dell in 1875.  He was a son of Donald Smith and Catherine MacPherson of Habost and her parents were Angus Gunn and Kirsty Mackenzie of North Dell. I believe that she was an aunt of Am Bèicear (William Mackenzie) who composed a poem in her honour, ‘Rèiteach Bhaile Gloum’.

Angus Campbell (Spàigean) (Aonghas Mac An Ic Fhionnlaigh) (1801-92) from Gress, married to Mary Mackay (1807-85), moved to No 4 North Dell in 1875.  He was a son of John Campbell and Catherine Macleod.  Angus and Mary were married in 1832 - he had been living in Gress and she in Melbost.  All Angus’s family were born in Dell so he must have moved from Gress in 1833 or 1834.

Murdo Mackenzie (1799-1875), married to Margaret Nicholson.  Family later lived at 21 South Dell.  Both were born in South Dell and were living there when they married in 1820 but their family were born in Coll.  Murdo seems to have had two crofts in this area.

Croft 1. In 1867, Murdo obtained an allotment from John Mackenzie (Iain Mac Aonghais Ic Dhòmhnaill) who had moved to another croft in Baile Griais.  Prior to 1865, the croft had been occupied by Kirsty MacRitchie, widow of John Maciver, formerly of Asmigarry.  Their first child was born in Asmigarry in 1833 so presumably they also came to Baile Griais in 1834.

Croft 2. Murdo’s other croft was taken for Farquhar Murray who had the land in front of Baile Gloum.  Murdo had obtained this lot in 1855, when the rental books note that his predecessor was a Donald Murray, but this could be a mistake for Donald Munro, the miller.

According to the Rental, his lot was given to MacFarquhar in 1874 and he was given lot No 9.  By 1875 Murdo had died and his son Angus’s name appears in the Rental for 1875.  However, in 1876, Farquhar Murray’s name appears there.

John Mackenzie (1835-1903) was married to Margaret Mackenzie, from Back.  Later, 10 North Dell (John’s first croft) was taken from Murdo Mackenzie in 1867.  However, he then got another allotment in Baile Griais, which was in fact a double croft.

a) Part had been occupied by his parents.  When they married in 1830 Angus Mackenzie was in Lionel and Ann Gillies in South Dell, but all the family were born in North Dell. 

b) This had been occupied by James MacRitchie (Seumas Aonghais).  He was from Lionel and got married in 1830 to Effie Maciver of South Dell, so again, they presumably came to Baile Griais about 1831.

Angus Morrison (1815-80) married to Ann Gunn. Family later lived at 2 North Dell.  Although they were married in 1835, their first two children were born in South Dell, and they do not appear in Baile Griais until 1841.  There would have been someone else on that lot before then.  Bhol, his daughter, was married to Tormod Aonghais Mhòir (MacRitchie).  Removed to Watsons 1874.

John  (An Bharbhais) Macdonald (1811-98) married to Catherine Macdonald (1815-68), and then to Flora Morrison, (1835-1905).  Later on 3 North Dell.  John had originally been on part of croft No. 5 but he exchanged, in 1869, with Farquhar Murray. 

Four of his family emigrated to New Zealand after their father remarried: Donald, Kenneth, Alexander and Christina.

John MacLeod (Piper) (Iain an Bhàin) (1837 -) married to Kirsty Smith (Nighean Alasdair Bhàin) 1836.  He was from Shawbost and she from North Dell.  They married in 1858 and had this lot until they emigrated in 1873 when it was added to the farm.  They were latecomers to Baile Griais so there would have been people there before them.

Their son, John (Deic), hid when the family were setting off for Canada, either on the moor or between the house and the barn.  Dòmhnall Bàn, Kirsty’s brother, paid the accrued debts on the lot.  Donald Smith’s name appears in the Rental for 1874 and the lot was given to MacFarquhar at Whitsun 1874.  Donald Smith moved to lot No. 10 to live with his father-in-law, Alex Morrison, who died in 1878.  This lot was split between son-in-law Donald Smith (Dòmhnall Bàn - Masag's father) and son in law, Donald Morrison (Dòmhnall An Oig - Seanair a' Ghudaidh).

According to the notes supplied by Bill Lawson, there would appear to be seven families cleared from Baile Griais  in 1875, and eight original crofts.  It looks as if the area was settled in 1832. However, in 1969 I interviewed Joan Macleod (Seonag a' Bhèiceir) who had a different story to tell.

No-one received compensation when the crofts in Baile Griais were cleared except the four who got crofts in Baile Gloum.  There were eleven families living there.

Taigh Tharmoid Pìobair was there (Broom’s father).  He went to South Dell.  Seumas Og’s house was there; his only son lived near Inverness and his daughter was married to a blacksmith in Stornoway, Seòras an Gobha, the father of Keith Macdonald.  Iain Bàn's house was there - athair bean An Innseanaich an Lionel.  Mac Dhùghaill's house was there.  Iain Mhic Dhùghaill was a cooper in Stornoway, married to someone from Laxdale.  An Bharbhais lived there.  I think his house was the nearest to my grandfather’s.  Alasdair Mhic Thormoid lived there. Deic's father lived there until he emigrated to Canada.  Spàigean Bhol (athair Bean Thormoid Aonghais Mhòir) Mac An Ic Fhionnlaigh  An Guinne.

An Guinneach

Angus Gunn, (An Guinneach) or Aonghas Dhòmhnaill Guinne was a noted seanchaidh in his day.  His father had been press-ganged to join the army and had seen active service in India.  As Angus was the only son, the father did not want him to join the army.  When the press-gang came for Angus, he was not tall enough for the army, so they said they would return for him the following year.  When Donald heard this he sent Angus to Rona so that they would not find him.  His sister, Kirsty Gunn, was married to Alasdair Bàn who lived in Baile Griais.  When he returned from Rona, he was made to marry so that he would be safe from the press-gang.  He married Cairstiona Ailein from South Dell.

An Guinneach was visited by Alexander Carmichael who compiled Carmina Gadelica.  He also gave a fair number of his tales to William Watson.  Unfortunately, these were recorded in English.

Their son, John (Iain Guinne) was married to Jane (1826-90) who was a sister of Farquhar Murray. Their family were: