59082: Barlow

The Barlow, which took a large number of Hebridean emigrants to Quebec in 1851, was built in 1843 in St John’s, New Brunswick. She was captained by P Fraser, sailing out of Greenock, stopping in Lewis en route, and took 287 passengers, on one voyage. The Barlow was classified as “AE1”, meaning “second description of the first class”, ie safe and free from defects but not new.

The Barlow arrived in Loch Roag late on the night of Thursday, 12th June 1851, and moored off Tolsta Chaolais – overdue, and the prospective emigrants camped about the island, having given up their stock and land, had begun to annoy the factor, John Munro Mackenzie, as he reports in his diary. There was some disagreement over the provision of Contract Tickets, and whether these were to be provided by the shipowners or the charterers, and the factor hastily despatched a man to Glasgow to fetch them.

The man duly returned with the tickets on the Wednesday. Two days were spent in mustering and inspecting the emigrants. Reverend Campbell of Uig baptised a number of children, clothes were distributed to the very poor, and a shortfall in oatmeal was made up. Early on the morning of Saturday 21 June, the Barlow sailed for Canada.

On the Monday Mackenzie settled (on behalf of Sir James Matheson) with the shipowner for £698/11/5. for the passage.