1008: Murdina Smith

Murdina Smith was born in 1897 and lived at Tigh an Tuathanaich at Earshader.

Murdina’s life was not an easy one. According to oral tradition, when she was quite young she bore twins illegitimately, one dying at 16 days. She later married a man from Stornoway and she, her mother and her daughter went to live with him in Stornoway. He was abusive towards Murdina, who had to flee from the house many times. One account says that he dangled her off a quarry face threatening to let her drop to her death.

Her surviving twin died of TB while quite young.