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Collection HD4 - Highland & Island Emigration Society
Reports

Identity area

Reference code

GB 234 HD4

Title

Highland & Island Emigration Society

Date(s)

  • 1852-1859 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

0.9 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Highland & Island Emigration Society (1852-1859)

Administrative history

The Highland and Island Emigration Society was established in 1852, originally to assist emigration from Skye to Australia. At first there were three committees (London, Skye and Edinburgh), but the London committee quickly predominated. Contributions were received from a variety of sources, not just from within the UK. The Society owed much to the Skye Emigration Society, created in 1851 as a result of a report written by Sir John McNeill on the destitution of the Highlands of Scotland. The Skye Society's Rules were mostly incorporated into the successor Society's own Rules.

Emigrants would have a third of their passage costs met by their landlord, and they were expected to repay to the Society the funds they were granted by it, which would then be used for future emigrants. It was intended to despatch whole families wherever possible.

It is clear that there was strong government support for the Society. There was a great deal of poverty in Skye, with no evident means of improvement, and there were many who were keen to leave rather than continue in miserable circumstances. 2600 supported by the Society left in 1852. The scheme was then extended to other islands, although fewer left in subsequent years, and the last boats left in 1857. Nearly 5000 Highlanders received help in five years. Most of the emigrants were landless or semi-landless cottars.

In April 1858 the Society was wound up and the residual funds transferred to the Board of Supervision.
[Source: Scottish Archive Network]

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Letter books 1852-1859; list of emigrants 1852-1857; promissory note book 1852-1857

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

Script of material

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Paper records

Finding aids

Digital item level catalogue available through the National Records of Scotland http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/ catalogue reference HD4

Further information and sources on emigration from Scotland can be found in the Scottish Archive Network’s Knowledge base at http://www.scan.org.uk/knowledgebase/topics/emigration_topic.htm, including a link to an emigrants database created from the emigration lists in this collection

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Notes area

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Rights area

Accession area

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