4628: Malcolm Maciver

Like many other Lewismen of his time, Malcolm Maciver (1770-1830) came from the Upper Carloway on the west side of Lewis and was forced into the Army by the press gang and he fought in some distant campaign. Among his Army friends was a man from Gravir whom he reported to have been killed close to where he stood himself in battle.

Subsequently, Malcolm returned to Lewis married the young widow of this man from Gravir. Tradition maintains that after a long lapse of years, the woman's first husband made his way back to Gravir and as he was approaching the village he came upon his wife and her second husband Calum Mac-a-Leodhasaich cutting peats.

Her first husband asked her which of the two men she chose to have and as she had children by Malcolm  she replied that she would follow the father of her children. There upon the first husband turned away and was never again heard from.

Malcolm and Catherine settled at 15 Old Gravir and they had four daughters.

Calum Mac-a-Leodhasaich was said to have been a wild man. A door to door traveller selling clothes once asked for Bed & Breakfast at his house and Malcolm asked his wife to prepare a meal of salt meat before retiring. The traveler, being very thirsty got up for a drink of water during the night and could not find the pails of water because Malcolm had put them outside deliberately. When the traveller could not find the pails of water he came to the girls bed in the living room to ask for water and Malcolm came thundering down from the bedroom with his loaded gun and the traveller made off, but only just in time. Malcolm shot at him through the door – probably just to scare him off – so that he would abandon his case of merchandise, which indeed he did and one may be sure, to the delight of Calum Mac-a-Leodhasaich, the wild man from the west-side.