Scottish Exodus
Society members gathered in August at the home of Donald and Anna Macleod, in Lochmaben.
In Jim Hunter’s new book Scottish Exodus, the most intriguing story is that of Moira MacLeod whose father Stuart returned from Australia, to fight in the Great War, and then settled in England. He took an interest in the Polish Machlejds and met Wanda who had taken part in the Warsaw rising of 1944. Wanda’s second cousin, Stefan, who also took part in the rising, eventually got to Britain in 1947. Stuart befriended him and thus Stefan met Moira. They were married in 1948. Stefan changed his name back to MacLeod and so two families who had emigrated 200 and 500 years before were reunited.
Scottish Exodus is an exciting read, full of fascinating personal stories illustrating the history of the emigration of a clan from the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the mainland, to places all over the world. With 750 MacLeods listed in the index, it is going to make a lot of folk happy !
Scottish Exodus is the third and final part of the historical work undertaken by Clan MacLeod; the History of the Clan was written by Dr I.F.Grant, in 1959, and is now available on CD; the five part Genealogies were published between 1968 and 1976, and now the final Migration of the Clan has been completed. The whole is a remarkable achievement, and Jim Hunter’s book is certainly the most entertaining read.
Jim Hunter travelled extensively around the world, meeting MacLeods, Maclots and Machlejds, and others, and has woven their personal stories of (over) emigration and success into the history of the clan.
Scottish Exodus is arranged chrono-logically, so that the Maclots of France and the Machlejds of Poland are first traced. In the late 1700s the tide of emigration was to North Carolina and by the 1800s to Canada and finally Australia and New Zealand.
It is good having an outsider viewing the Clan objectively. There are some uncomfortable moments in the Clan’s history; when, for instance Norman, 22nd Chief, attempted to kidnap clansfolk and sell them in North Carolina, in 1739; or when John Norman, 24th Chief, cleared clansfolk for sheep, from Bracadale, in the 1820s; or when Norman, 25th Chief opposed land reform in the 1880s, but Jim Hunter praises this same Norman for his efforts to feed his people during the Potato Famine of 1847/48, an effort which bankrupted the family, and which was not resolved until the sale of much of Bracadale and Minginish to the Government for resettling crofters in the 1920s.
Like many Scots, Jim Hunter was sceptical about writing a book on emigrant MacLeods and Clan Societies, but concluded that “I learned, among many other things, that it is possible for our emigrant people’s descendants, even when separated from Scotland by thousands of miles and hundreds of years, to feel real and deep affection for places like [Skye]. Long may all the world’s MacLeods remember where they came from.”
TWELVE signed and numbered copies of Scottish Exodus, priced £14.99, will be available for purchase at the Annual Business Meeting of the Society, in Edinburgh, on Friday 18th November.
Or else you can order a copy of Scottish Exodus online, by contacting Bill McLeod, on innkprbill@aol.com giving your name, address, credit card number and expiring date, and a copy will be mailed to you from England, at the same price, with additional postage of about £3.00.
Old Duirinish Church, Dunvegan.