ALEXANDER CARMICHAEL DATES AND PEOPLE This file records all dated material written by or relating to Alexander Carmichael, both in the Carmichael Watson collection and beyond. It includes transcriptions (marked T) and letters (marked L). A ‘T’ before the date means that a transcription was made on this particular date. A ‘(T)’ after a manuscript folio number signifies a transcription of original material, whether extant or not, apparently recorded on the date in question. Although almost all of the Skye material Carmichael sent to John Francis Campbell (JFC) is composed of transcripts, it is not clear how much of the corresponding material in the Carmichael Watson collection in Edinburgh University Library is in fact original. It should be stressed – as will be seen throughout the index – that all through his collecting career Carmichael was to say the least somewhat lackadaisical about recording dates accurately, with days, months, years, and on one occasion an entire century being misplaced. It should also be noted that Carmichael habitually uses ‘Faoilleach’ for the month of February rather than January. The index gives the reader an overview not only of what AC was doing, with whom, and where, on specific days, but also, if used in conjunction with the subject indices, should suggest how his interests changed during his collecting career. The CW number – for example, CW150 - represents an item in the Carmichael Watson collection. For citation purposes it should be prefixed GB 237 Coll-97 eg GB 237 Coll-97/CW150. Colours have been used to identify Carmichael’s field notebooks. It should be stressed that, especially with regard to his early years collecting in Uist, an item – especially a ‘neat’ item – written in a field notebook does not necessarily represent the original recording, and could well be written up from an earlier rendering. My thanks to the librarians and archivists in Canna House, Glasgow University Library, Edinburgh University Library, the National Library of Scotland, the National Records of Scotland, the National Museums of Scotland, and Strathclyde University Archives who have been so obliging, accommodating, and patient with our requests. Our thanks also to Alasdair Carmichael for his generosity in allowing me access to family papers; as well as to Ray Burnett for his kind assistance. coloured field notebooks: CW90; CW104; CW105 ; CW106; CW107; CW108; CW111; CW113; CW114; CW115; CW116; CW119; CW150 Abbreviations: AC: Alexander Carmichael CG: Carmina Gadelica EC: Ella Carmichael GUL: Glasgow University Library 2 H-B: correspondence from AC in Harvie-Brown Collection, National Museums of Scotland JFC: John Francis Campbell L: Letter MFC: Mary Frances Carmichael NRS: National Records of Scotland (previously National Archives of Scotland) NLS: National Library of Scotland T: Transcription TGSI: Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness 1832 1 Dec 1832 AC born in Taylochan, Island of Lismore 8 Dec 1832 OPR Births 525/0020 0050: AC baptised 1841 6 Jun 1841 Census 1841 525/00 004/00 005: AC with Hugh, tenant, and Betty Carmichael, parents, and brother Donald (b c. 1820) in Kilean, Lismore 1851 30 Mar 1851 Census 1851 525/00 002/00 023: AC as ploughman with Hugh, farmer of 25 acres, and Betty Carmichael, parents, and Alexander MacColl (b. c. 1845), scholar, visitor, in Killandrist, Lismore 1858 29 Dec 1858 National Archives, Kew, CUST 47/721, 3: AC, 2nd class assistant at Ayr, ordered to be 2nd class assistant at Perth 1859 3 Jan 1859 National Archives, Kew, CUST 47/721, 5: AC now to continue in Ayr collection 5 Nov 1859 National Archives, Kew, CUST 47/725, 54: AC, 2nd class assistant at Ayr, ordered to transfer to Dublin 2nd division as 1st class assistant 1860 7 May 1860 3 National Archives, Kew, CUST 47/727, 22–3: AC, 1st class assistant, Dublin collection, ordered to transfer as 1st class assistant to Bridgend, 3rd division, Argyle collection 1860 [as ‘1866’] CW244 fos.596–600: Margaret Douglas, Oa, Islay ? May 1860 CW475 fos.5–8; NLS Adv. MSS 50.1.4 fos.58a–9; 50.1.12 fos.128, ?132–8 (T): Peter Anderson, Pàdraig Buidhe, Port Charlotte, Islay ?May 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fos.370–1 (T): John MacDonald, cooper, Port Charlotte, Islay ?Jul 1860 CW462 fo.12 (T): Peter Anderson, Pàdraig Buidhe, Port Charlotte, Islay L 19 Jul 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.4 fos.60–1: John MacLean, Cultorsay, Islay, to JFC: AC has obtained ‘Caol Reidhinn’, and is willing to collect more tales &c. L 5 Aug 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.12 fos.130–1: John MacLean, Cultorsay, Islay, to JFC: he has waited on AC and given him a postal order. L 9 Aug 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.14 fo.490a: Hector Maclean, Ballygrant, Islay, to JFC, writing about AC, in Islay 10 Aug 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.12 fo.130: John Maclean, Coultorsay, Islay, to JFC: AC leaves Islay for Lismore ?Aug–Sep 1860 CW474 fos.8–13; NLS Adv. MS 50.1.12 fo.202: Dougall MacCombie, Port Appin ?Aug–Sep 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.12 fos.126, 129 (T): Kate and Duncan Lawrie, Port na h- Apann, Appin ?Sep 1860 CG i, 163: AC conversing with ‘a middle-aged man’ in Iona Sep 1860 CG i, 254: AC sees quern used for first time, ‘in the house of a cottar’, Fearann- an-leth, Skye 11 Oct 1860 4 National Archives, Kew, CUST 47/728, CW105–6: AC, dropped 1st assistant Argyle collection, residing in Oban District, be 1st class assistant to Portree Division, Skye District 30 Oct 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.12 fos.169 (T); CW512 n.f.: Kenneth Morrison, Trithean, Skye 31 Oct 1860 CW382 fos.50–5: John MacAskill, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 14 Nov 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fos.361–5 (T): Roderick Cameron, Carbost, Skye 17 Nov 1860 CW354 fo.14v: AC writing sermon? L 17 Dec 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.12 fos.204–7: AC, Carbost, Skye, to JFC L 19 Dec 1860 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.12 fos.122–5: AC, Carbost, Skye, to JFC: has been in Glasgow, then travelled through Kingairloch, Appin, Benderloch and part of Lorn – ref. to Sep? 1860 CG v, 216–25: Donald MacQueen, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 1861 ? 1861 CW103 fo.2v (T): Alexander MacDonald, Portree, Skye 1 Jan 1861 CW512 n.f.: Kenneth Morrison, Trithean, Skye L 10 Jan 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.2.1 fo.406: AC, Carbost, Skye, sending letter to John MacLean, Islay 16 Jan 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fos.361–5 (T): Donald Cameron, Carbost, Skye L 17 Jan 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.2.1 fos.303–4: AC, Carbost, Skye, to JFC 30 Jan 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fos.365–6v (T): Duncan MacDiarmid, Fearann-an-leth, Skye, and Kenneth MacAskill, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 5 31 Jan 1861 CW424 fos.10–16: Angus Beaton, Bearnasdail, Skye 6 Feb 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fos.333–9v (T): Roderick Cameron, fisherman, Carbost, and Duncan MacDiarmid, giullan, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 6 Feb 1861 CW424 fos.1–9: William Mackenzie, fisherman, Carbost, Skye 7 Feb1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fo.332 (T); CW475 fos.1–4: Duncan MacDiarmid, giullan, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 8 Feb 1861 CW474 fos.1–8: Duncan MacDiarmid, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 8 Feb 1861 CW470: John MacKenzie from Coll, written at Carbost, Skye Feb 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.2.1 fo.333a: revival takes place in Skye: ‘Ever since then I cannot get a tale’ 9 Feb 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fo.332 (T): Cairistìona MacQueen, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 18 Feb 1861 CW112 fos.14–19v (T): Cairistìona MacQueen, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 18 Feb 1861 CW112 fos.20–28v (T): Donald MacQueen, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 21 Feb 1861 CW112 fos.29–38 (T); CW422; CW460 fos.23–36: ?Donald MacQueen, Fearann- an-leth, Skye 28 Feb 1861 CW483: Magnus Nicolson, Carbost, Skye 2 Mar 1861 CW478 fo.3v: Roderick Cameron, Carbost, Skye – MS sent to AC 7 Apr 1861 Census 1861 109/00 007/00 001: AC in Talisker with Ewen Cameron, sheepfarmer from Kilmonivaig, and household L 9 Apr 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fos.318–24, 327–32, 370–1: AC, Carbost, Skye – transcriptions 6 L 9 Apr 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.2.1 fos.332–4: AC, Carbost, Skye, to JFC: revival has taken place in Skye 24 Apr 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fos.318–32 (T): AC transcribes A’ Ghobhar ghlas for JFC ? Jun 1861 CW460 fos.1–22, 37–50: Donald MacQueen, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 13 Jul 1861 CW469 fos.1–6: Finlay MacRae, Fionnlagh Tàillear, Cùil, an Àird, Loch Alsh Jul 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fo.427: AC a fortnight in Kintail, ‘a very good place for old lore’ Jul 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.2.1 fo.366: AC met Alexander Matheson, An Dòirnidh, Kintail? ? Jul 1861 CW469 fos.12–26: Farquhar MacKenzie, Clachan, Loch Alsh ? Jul 1861 CW103 fos.1–2 (T); NLS Adv. MS 50.1.12 fo.202: Alexander Matheson, Aili Bàn, Ardelve, Loch Alsh 10 Jul ?1861 – written 1862 CW340 fos.25–9; CW469 fos.27–46: [ ] Macrae, An Dòirnidh, Kintail 9 Aug 1861 NLS Adv. MS 50.1.11 fos.430–47 (T): Donald MacQueen, Fearann-an-leth, Skye 13 Aug 1861 CW519 (n.f.): fragment written down of narrative with run 29 Aug 1861 CW224 fos.9–13v; CW427; CW475 fos.9–16; NLS Adv.