76296: John MacCuish

John MacCuish, born about 1848, was the son of Finlay MacCuish and Betsy MacAulay of old Borve. In about 1854 they were removed from Borve as the land was needed for the formation of Borve Farm. They lived instead as cottars at ‘house 17’ Backhill. John worked as a fisherman and in 1883 married Margaret MacLeod of 21/22 Ruisgarry. Together they were to have seven children, making their home next to his childhood home, at ‘house 18’ Backhill.

Their eldest daughter Christina made several sound recordings for the School of Scottish Studies. In one of the recordings, available on the Tobar an Dualchais website, she describes how her father, John, recommended islanders to whom land should be allocated, presumably when Borve Farm was returned to crofting land.

In another recording Christina recounts her memories of cutting peat with her father on Vacasay.