68177: Malcolm Munro

Malcolm Munro was born in 1801, the son of Lachlan Munro and Christina MacDonald of old Ruisgarry. In 1830 he was paying rental of £5.10.0 for his croft.

He and his wife Effie Morrison, from North Uist, had a family of nine children. In the relotting of Ruisgarry’s crofts in 1850, Malcolm obtained the croft at 3 Ruisgarry (Gearraidh na Creadha), to which his family moved. On his death, the croft passed to his son Peter.

Malcolm obviously had a good sense of humour into his old age. The bard Malcolm MacAskill writes about the old man dancing a sprightly reel in this extract from the poem Slan Gun Till na Dh’Fhalbh, published in Orain Chaluim:

‘Nuair chuala Calum mac Lachlainn

Gu robh Padruig a’tigh’nn dachaidh,

Theann e dhannsa “Mhic Iain Ghasda”

‘S a bhoineid paisgte ‘na dhorn.

 

Thug e leum as air an urlar,

“Hug horray” aige ‘s e tionndadh;

Chaidh a mhulad chur air chul,

‘S e bocail sunndach le port-beoil.

 

Bha Fionnghala nighean Dhomhnaill

Is Calum a’dannsa comhla,

‘S Oighrig ni’ Phadruig gu stolda

Deanamh spors dh’an charaid oig.