Langwell: The History of a Caithness Estate and its Management, 1750-1850

Michael Moss; William Parente; William Parente

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Langwell

The History of a Caithness Estate and its Management, 1750-1850

Michael Moss , William Parente and William Parente

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2025

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About this book

Presents the rich history of a Caithness estate in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries

The history of a large Highland estate, its tenants and landlords from after the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 until the land was sold as a sporting estate to the Duke of Portland in 1857
An in-depth but eminently readable portrait of the immense changes taking place during that period
The shift from a droving economy to one based on sheep
The collapse of the droving economy leading to clearances, emigration to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, riots, depression and famine
Use of old estate and court records, with contemporary books and newspaper reports and new books with new material

This book traces the history of a 30,000-acre Highland estate and its people from after the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745 until the estate was sold to the 5th Duke of Portland in 1857. Using original research and archival sources including first-hand reports, court records, letters and contemporary newspapers, it sheds light on the lives of the crofters, their landlords, the sheep economy, the droving trade and the fishing industry. Langwell provides deep insight into the immense cultural and social changes taking place in the Scottish Highlands during the period.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
List of Illustrations and Credits Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Acknowledgements Publicly Available Download PDF	xii
Foreword Publicly Available Download PDF	xiv
A Note on Names and Terminology Publicly Available Download PDF	xvii
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
1 A Commission of Fire and Sword: Breadalbane Takes Caithness Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	7
2 Parks and Furrestorie: A Proposall for Langwall Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	11
3 For Every Scot in Favour there is 99 Against: The Act of Union Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	19
4 The Hospitable Mansion: The Sutherlands of Langwell Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	25
5 Long Acres: The Droving Trade Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	34
6 The Horrour of it Must Wear Off: The Profits of Enslavement Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	42
7 The Saturday Slap: Walter Gray Struggles On Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	47
8 A Serious Desire to Do Good: Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	53
9 An Caorach Mhor: The Coming of the Sheep Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	62
10 As Many as Possible of the Present Inhabitants Ought to Be Retained: Sir John’s Sheep Scheme Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	68
11 A Whole Neighbourhood is Set Afloat: Early Emigration Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	76
12 Whole Baronies into Sheepfarms: The Coming of the Flockmasters Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	84
13 The Chief of the Arts: Agricultural Innovation in Caithness Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	90
14 The Fire! The Fire! The Kildonan Riots Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	98
15 Never Out of the Law: James Horne Buys Langwell Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	106
16 Land for Votes: The Political Hornes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	112
17 Mischief This Night: Sheep Stealing in the North Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	118
18 The Silver Darlings: The Fishing Boom Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	127
19 Improving on Improvement: James Horne at Langwell Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	137
20 The Great Donald: Donald Horne Succeeds to Langwell Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	145
21 Uncertain and Exaggerated Benefits: Hunger and Emigration in the Nineteenth Century Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	149
22 The Coming of the Steamers: Sea Connections Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	159
23 From the Pen to the Plough: Horne Expands into Clyth Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	166
24 The Deserted Villages: From the Land to the Sea Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	169
25 All the Grouse are Killed: The Coming of the Sportsmen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	173
26 Destitution Road: Famine Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	180
27 The Empty Estates: The Fall of the House of Stirkoke Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	193
28 Running before the Wind: Caithness Havens Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	198
29 Mad, Blind and Impious: The Eviction Scandal Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	202
30 Fit for a Maharajah: Langwell for Sale Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	215
Family Trees: The Sutherland, Gray and Horne Families Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	226
Appendix: The Defenders named in Summonses of Removal, 1763 to 1857 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	229
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	243
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	275
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	293
Plates Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	311

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

September 12, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9781399549073

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

328

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781399549073

eBook ISBN: 9781399549073

Keywords for this book

Highland Clearances; Droving; Sheep; Economy; Fishing; Emigration; Land Improvement; Slavery; Sporting Estate; Scottish history; Scottish estates; Scotland's land; estate management

Audience(s) for this book

For universities and colleges of further and higher education

Langwell

Overview

About this book

Topics

Table of contents

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