111644: Kenneth Maciver

Kenneth (1759-1842) was a son of William Maciver and Annabella Mackenzie of Upper Coll Tack.

He married Ann Maciver of Old North Tolsta Tack. Kenneth and Ann settled in Point Street, Stornoway. Kenneth became the Postmaster in Stornoway.

By 1807 the running of the Tolsta Tacks had passed from Ann's parents to Kenneth. Initially Kenneth shared the Tacks with a Donald Maciver; it is not known if this was Ann's brother or someone else of the same name.

By 1814 Kenneth was the sole tenant of the Tolsta Tacks, despite not living at Old North Tolsta Tack as his predecessors had done he still only let out Old South Tolsta Tack. During his time as tacksman he was often in debt to the Estate and had several removal summonses issued against him. The Ard was last cultivated in his time. His sub-tenants gave him a day's work a week; they cut and dried his peat and worked in his fields and tended his sheep. He used to stand on a knoll and blow a whistle to call the sub-tenants to work.

In 1818 Kenneth was an annual subscriber to the Gaelic School Society.

In 1819 Kenneth examined Taigh-Sgoile Beag, the Gaelic school in Tolsta, on behalf of Reverend Simon Fraser. His report listed improvement in the scholars since the previous inspection. Kenneth was also rumoured to have struck the evangelist, Finlay Munro, at a service in Taigh-Sgoile Beag. Finlay told him It [Kenneth's striking arm] soon wont have the strength to harm anyone and Kenneth's right arm was said to have become paralysed by the end of the week.

In November 1821 Kenneth gave evidence, before the High Court of the Admiralty, at the trial of Peter Heaman and Francois Gautiez for the crimes of piracy and murder. In this evidence he describes the wrecking of a ship on Tolsta shore on the 23rd July.

In 1830 the Tolsta Tacks were broken up into crofts. Old North Tolsta Tack was broken up in to 18 crofts and Old South Tolsta Tack in to 29 crofts.

Kenneth  and Ann had twenty children. Varying sources give differing versions of names and ages; Hebridean Connections has used those provided in Croft history :  Isle of Lewis, Volume 15.