DU genealogists! Tell me about the Scottish "clearances"

[CTyankee]

I'm researching my forebear, Alexander Campbell, who came to the US in 1790, to Georgia. Are there any books I can read on this? I have seen some references on a Google search. I think Campbell was a highland clan, but don't know much about highland vs. lowland.

Any info much appreciated!

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. A "clearance" is the only time a Scotsman will go to the department store.

:hide:

[sasquatch]

2. *rimshot*

[Fenris]

15. And he'll still haggle.

[Orsino]

16. Haggle? That's his breakfast.

If it's not Scottish, it's crap!

[1gobluedem]

3. Highland Clearances

It's when they moved thousands of peasants out of their homes to use the land for sheep. A good account is here: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/hclearances.htm

[entanglement]

4. Very briefly: Most Scottish highlanders opposed King George,

supported 'Bonnie' Prince Charles and were defeated comprehensively at Culloden in 1745. Lowlanders (Whigs) mostly sided with the English. IIRC, the Campbells sided with King George and the English.

[AllegroRondo]

5. Campbell clan was from near Loch Lomand

I saw a castle of theirs when I toured in 1994. Its in the southwest of Scotland, on the west bank of Loch Lomand. Beautiful area.

[djeseru]

6. Unsure, but...

...I think the "clearances" had to do with wealthy landowners "clearing" the land of tenants (poor peasants) for sheep grazing. I believe they would round up the peasants in groups and dump them into an urban area, nevermind that the peasants already were farming on the land they were just "cleared" from.

I just read of this about a year ago going through some of my own Scottish history. From the Ramsay clam myself. :hi:

[bikebloke]

7. The Highland Clearances by John Prebble

A good history and a good start. Beware of some clan associations. They tack on sept names just to draw folk in for their money. Some eejits even strut around claiming they're practically royalty. I call them "bravefarts". Though Campbell is pretty straight forward. I think from around Argyle.

I spent a month pedalling the Highlands, plus attended a tribal gathering. Afterwards, I'd wished I used the time to ride further.

[WolverineDG]

8. Hi Cousin!

Well, maybe. I hope you have more info on your Campbell ancestor than my mom did. Many many Campbells settled in Georgia & we lost track of one line there because all she had was the name. Wanna know how many "James Campbells" there were floating around Georgia at that time? :crazy:

dg

[CTyankee]

10. I recently found a cemetary in Texas that had a Watt Campbell

which is interesting because my family recorded Watt as the son of Alexander. Evidently, the name Watt was short for Washington in the 19th century. I am third generation Texan so all this makes some sense. Are you in Texas, by any chance?

[WolverineDG]

11. Yes

but all my Campbell folks are from other states. 2nd generation Texan here. :hi:

dg

[XemaSab]

12. Probably about as many as there were

"James McDonalds" coming over between 1870 and 1890.

[Xithras]

9. The Lowland Clearances are almost forgotten today.

They weren't as "dramatic" as the Highland Clearances, the clan system wasn't as dominant in the lowlands, and they were completed much faster (the lowland offered far fewer places to hide).

The lowland clearances, like the highland clearances, were about replacing traditional land use with wider scale (and more profitable) land use. Lowland villages and peasant farms which had existed for millenia were razed to the ground and farmers were driven off their lands and forced into the cities. The lowland peasant farms were then replaced with large scale agriculture, the product of which was mostly sent south to England. The evicted farmers mostly went to work in the bigger cities of Glasgow and Endinburgh, became workers on the farms that replaced their lands, or emigrated elsewhere.

In some ways, the lowland clearances were even more tragic than their highland counterparts. While both traditional systems were attacked, the clan system and family affiliations survived which permitted the highland family culture to adapt and survive. The continued interest and participation in clan gatherings worldwide, and the participation in highland fairs, shows that while the Highland Clearances undermined the traditional highland homeland, the culture does still survive today. The lowland cottar culture, on the other hand, was pretty much driven to extinction.

[sarge43]

13. The Campbells were one of most powerful clans in Scotland

Doubly so because they threw in with the English and the Hanoverian monarchs during the Stuart Rebellion and, therefore, came out on the winning side. The Duke of Argyle is the clan chief.

Now this is very generalized and there are many exceptions:

The lowlands are the area in the southeast of Scotland. Historically, the lowlands were feudal rather than clan based in its social and political life. Scots, a variant of Old and Early Middle English, was spoken there rather than the Gaelic, a Celtic based language. The lowland had much more contact with the rest of Europe, thanks in part to the court at Edinburgh and the fact that following the Norman Conquest of England, many of William's followers settled peacefully in the lowlands and married into the established families. The lowlands were the richer area agricultically and eventually, industrially. Following the Reformation the majority of Lowlanders turned to Protestantism.

The highlands are the northwestern area of Scotland, including the Inner and Outer Hebrides Islands. It was, historically, clan based socially and politically. A clan in its strictest definition is an extended family, very extended at times. In theory all clan members have a blood relationship with their clan chief. The Gaelic was spoken there, still is somewhat. The highlands were traditionally the most isolated region in Europe, quite poor and thinly populated. Many of the highlanders resisted Protestantism and ghastly religious battles took place between the two factions during the 17th and 18th centuries.

FWIW, a quick and dirty compare/contrast.

[Pithlet]

14. My grandmother's maiden name was Campbell.

I can't answer your question, though. I know my mom told me some things about the Campbells years ago, but I've forgotten, and I've been meaning to do some research.

[caty]

17. Join "The Scottish Forums" at:

http://www.scottishwebcamslive.com/boards/index.php?sid=30ef3d6669efc6d206bb350dc5f31771


and check out "Clans, Septs, or Surnames".


http://www.scottishwebcamslive.com/boards/viewforum.php?f=7