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.

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Frontmatter
i

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Contents
v

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List of Illustrations and Credits
vii

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Acknowledgements
xii

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Foreword
xiv

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A Note on Names and Terminology
xvii

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Introduction
1

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1 A Commission of Fire and Sword: Breadalbane Takes Caithness
7

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2 Parks and Furrestorie: A Proposall for Langwall
11

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3 For Every Scot in Favour there is 99 Against: The Act of Union
19

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4 The Hospitable Mansion: The Sutherlands of Langwell
25

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5 Long Acres: The Droving Trade
34

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6 The Horrour of it Must Wear Off: The Profits of Enslavement
42

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7 The Saturday Slap: Walter Gray Struggles On
47

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8 A Serious Desire to Do Good: Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster
53

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9 An Caorach Mhor: The Coming of the Sheep
62

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10 As Many as Possible of the Present Inhabitants Ought to Be Retained: Sir John’s Sheep Scheme
68

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11 A Whole Neighbourhood is Set Afloat: Early Emigration
76

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12 Whole Baronies into Sheepfarms: The Coming of the Flockmasters
84

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13 The Chief of the Arts: Agricultural Innovation in Caithness
90

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14 The Fire! The Fire! The Kildonan Riots
98

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15 Never Out of the Law: James Horne Buys Langwell
106

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16 Land for Votes: The Political Hornes
112

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17 Mischief This Night: Sheep Stealing in the North
118

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18 The Silver Darlings: The Fishing Boom
127

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19 Improving on Improvement: James Horne at Langwell
137

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20 The Great Donald: Donald Horne Succeeds to Langwell
145

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21 Uncertain and Exaggerated Benefits: Hunger and Emigration in the Nineteenth Century
149

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22 The Coming of the Steamers: Sea Connections
159

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23 From the Pen to the Plough: Horne Expands into Clyth
166

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24 The Deserted Villages: From the Land to the Sea
169

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25 All the Grouse are Killed: The Coming of the Sportsmen
173

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26 Destitution Road: Famine
180

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27 The Empty Estates: The Fall of the House of Stirkoke
193

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28 Running before the Wind: Caithness Havens
198

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29 Mad, Blind and Impious: The Eviction Scandal
202

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30 Fit for a Maharajah: Langwell for Sale
215

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Family Trees: The Sutherland, Gray and Horne Families
226

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Appendix: The Defenders named in Summonses of Removal, 1763 to 1857
229

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Notes
243

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Bibliography
275

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Index
293

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Plates
311

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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

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Illustrations and Credits

Acknowledgements

Foreword

A Note on Names and Terminology

Introduction

1 A Commission of Fire and Sword: Breadalbane Takes Caithness

2 Parks and Furrestorie: A Proposall for Langwall

3 For Every Scot in Favour there is 99 Against: The Act of Union

4 The Hospitable Mansion: The Sutherlands of Langwell

5 Long Acres: The Droving Trade

6 The Horrour of it Must Wear Off: The Profits of Enslavement

7 The Saturday Slap: Walter Gray Struggles On

8 A Serious Desire to Do Good: Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster

9 An Caorach Mhor: The Coming of the Sheep

10 As Many as Possible of the Present Inhabitants Ought to Be Retained: Sir John’s Sheep Scheme

11 A Whole Neighbourhood is Set Afloat: Early Emigration

12 Whole Baronies into Sheepfarms: The Coming of the Flockmasters

13 The Chief of the Arts: Agricultural Innovation in Caithness

14 The Fire! The Fire! The Kildonan Riots

15 Never Out of the Law: James Horne Buys Langwell

16 Land for Votes: The Political Hornes

17 Mischief This Night: Sheep Stealing in the North

18 The Silver Darlings: The Fishing Boom

19 Improving on Improvement: James Horne at Langwell

20 The Great Donald: Donald Horne Succeeds to Langwell

21 Uncertain and Exaggerated Benefits: Hunger and Emigration in the Nineteenth Century

22 The Coming of the Steamers: Sea Connections

23 From the Pen to the Plough: Horne Expands into Clyth

24 The Deserted Villages: From the Land to the Sea

25 All the Grouse are Killed: The Coming of the Sportsmen

26 Destitution Road: Famine

27 The Empty Estates: The Fall of the House of Stirkoke

28 Running before the Wind: Caithness Havens

29 Mad, Blind and Impious: The Eviction Scandal

30 Fit for a Maharajah: Langwell for Sale

Family Trees: The Sutherland, Gray and Horne Families

Appendix: The Defenders named in Summonses of Removal, 1763 to 1857

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Plates

Bibliographic data