from the Angus Macleod Archive, Kershader: by Angus "Ease" Macleod.

Voluntary redundancy became very popular in Lochs towards the end of the 19^th and particularly during the early years of the 20^th Century. Employment with the Hudson Bay company of Canada was popular earlier on. John Macleod "Iain Sheok", 8 Calbost 1842-1924 was there for some years before he got married in 1867.

Large numbers of Lochs men went to the sheep farms of South America in the early years of the 20th Century. Rev.Donald MacCallum, the parish minister of Keose at the time, was a recruiting agent for emigrants to South America. Other popular destinations for emigrants were South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and USA.

No doubt the impact of education played a major part in the desire of the young people to travel. It is said that some parents were afraid that education would probably give wings to their children. It seems that was a correct assessment. The voluntary schools of the 19th Century, both Gaelic and English, influenced people's outlook on life in many ways in Lewis but it was compulsory education which came about with the 1872 Act, followed up by the opening of the five public schools in the district of Pairc about 1880, that opened up the full potential of the people. These educational opportunities coincided with the restlessness and the determination on the part of the young people to seek opportunities to improve their lot in the world.

Also the independent way of life of the crofting community as crofter/fishermen encouraged enterprise and initiative. They built and owned their own homes and boats and they always worked in teams under an appointed leader such as a skipper or village grazing constable and later on a grazing committee. By the end of the 19^th Century they were fully bi-lingual and reasonably well educated and therefore the whole world was their oyster. Their character was shaped by their religion and their independent way of life. The following is a list of Calbost people who emigrated to various countries.

A few of these returned but most of them never returned, not even for a holiday. Some of them made good but not all of them and the same can be said about their friends and relatives that stayed in Britain.