| Reference Number | 211 |
| Title | Iubile nan Gaidheal: Fuasgladh an Fhearainn a reir a Bhiobuill |
| Author | Murdoch, John |
| Editor | N/A |
| Date Of Edition | 1883 |
| Date Of Language | late 19c |
| Date Of Language Ed | 19th c. |
| DateMacro | Late 19th c. |
| Date Of Language Notes | |
| Publisher | NP |
| Place Published | Glasgow |
| Volume | N/A |
| Location | National, academic, and local libraries |
| Geographical Origins | Lynmore, Ardclach, Nairnshire; Bridgend, Islay |
| Geographical Origins Ed | Highlands and Islands |
| GeoMacro | Various |
| GeoX | |
| GeoY | |
| Geographical Origins Notes | |
| Register | Religion, Prose |
| Register Ed | Religion, Prose |
| Genre | Information |
| Medium | Prose |
| Rating | TBC Biblical quotations; Biblical paraphrasing; use of political language; language related to land reform; late 19th century orthography; some anachronistic early 19th century orthography; possible evidence of Argyll dialect. |
| Alternative Author Name | N/A |
| Manuscript Or Edition | Ed. |
| Size And Condition | 20cm |
| Short Title | Iubile nan Gàidheal |
| Reference Details | NLS: H.M.9(1) |
| Number Of Pages | 8 |
| Gaelic Text By | N/A |
| Illustrator | N/A |
| Social Context | This is a short pamphlet which aims to give a biblical basis for Highland land reform, and an end to landlordism in general. It was published, and likely written, ahead of the 1883 Napier Commission – a public inquiry investigating the condition of crofters and cottars in the Highlands and Islands. ‘By publishing the pamphlet, Murdoch probably intended to provide crofters with a selective but systematic Biblical basis for their claims against their landlords’ (Meek (1987), p. 87). The pamphlet appeared in both Gaelic and English versions (ibid.). The arguments made here in print were likely similar to those he made in person while visiting the crofting regions in the 1880s (see: Hunter 1986, p. 35). They would have resonated strongly with Gaelic-speaking crofters, who would have been familiar with, and held a great reverence for, the Gaelic Bible. John Murdoch was born at Lynmore Farm in the parish of Ardclach, Nairnshire, in 1818. At the time of his birth, the parish was ‘a Gaelic-speaking locality’ (Hunter 1986, p. 13). His parents, John and Mary Murdoch, moved, along with their nine children, to Atholl, Perthshire, in 1821. They moved again to the island of Islay in 1827, where Murdoch’s father was employed as a gamekeeper on the Islay estate. Murdoch spent some of his most formative years in Islay, from the age of 9 until he was 20. Later in life he stated, ‘I feel myself as if I were an Islay man’ (ibid.). At the family’s home at Claggan Farm, near Bridgend, Murdoch was surrounded by Gaelic folklore and songs, and he took an active part in shinty matches and feats of strength. He also formed lasting friendships with the future Gaelic publisher, Archibald Sinclair, and folklore collector, John Francis Campbell (Iain Òg Ìle) (see Text 101 and Text 206), son of the Laird of Islay, Walter Frederick Campbell. From 1838, he was employed in the excise service. His first posting in Kilsyth occurred at the same time as the religious revival of 1839. This had a strong influence on Murdoch, and he was to become a committed, albeit heterodox, Christian, as well as a pacifist and believer in temperance (Withers 2004). Murdoch was subsequently posted to a number of locations in Ireland, England and Scotland, including Armagh, Lancashire, Islay, Dublin, Shetland and Inverness. Murdoch began advocating Highland land reform in the 1850s. In 1850 he published a proposal for land in Islay to be given to the people as smallholdings, after the Laird of Islay was forced to sell his estate in 1847. He published articles on the Highland land question in the Argyleshire Herald from 1851. His move to Dublin in 1853 encouraged his journalism and forged lifelong links with Irish campaigners for self-government. He came to see commonalities between the Highland and Irish land question, the importance of Gaelic language and culture – a heritage shared by both Scotland and Ireland – and the need for political and social change in favour of the common people. He contributed regular articles on these themes to the Irish newspaper The Nation. He continued in his role as excise man in new locations, and publishing articles in newspapers including The People’s Journal. He married Eliza Jane Tickell in 1856. While living in Inverness in 1871 he helped found the Gaelic Society of Inverness. In 1873, he left the excise service and founded The Highlander as a weekly newspaper publishing English and Gaelic articles. Due to financial difficulties the paper became a monthly in 1881 and finally ceased publication in 1882. While working on the paper and afterwards, Murdoch toured the Highlands, speaking to crofters and encouraging them to take their grievances to their landlords. During the 1883 Napier Commission, Murdoch again supported crofting communities to give information to the inquiry, and himself acted as a de facto representative for Islay and other areas. The 1886 Crofters Act, granting security of tenure and fair rents, was passed following the Napier Commission and, arguably, ‘in response to a protest movement initiated largely by John Murdoch’ (Hunter 1986, p. 10). Murdoch moved to Glasgow in 1881. He was the secretary of the Scottish Land Restoration League from 1884, and chaired the founding meeting of the Scottish Labour Party in 1888. He continued to publish articles on Highland themes and completed an unpublished autobiography. He died in Saltcoats in 1903, at 85 years of age. |
| Contents | This is an eight-page pamphlet without a preface or introduction to the text. The majority of the pamphlet is made up of quotations from the Bible: around 30 complete Old Testament quotations; two Old Testament quotations included in commentary; 10 complete New Testament quotations; and a further two New Testament quotations included in commentary. The quotations likely come from an early to mid-19th century version of the Gaelic Bible. Interspersed among these are John Murdoch’s own commentary: 18 comments, varying in length from a single sentence to two paragraphs. Biblical quotations, especially at the beginning of the text, repeat or reinforce points and are arranged in order to build an argument. Murdoch’s comments elaborate on the quotations and explain their contemporary relevance to the Highland land question, and draw political conclusions. The text ends, ‘Cluinnidh sibh a rithisd o ’n ARD-ALBANNACH’. This was the Gaelic form used by Murdoch for The Highlander newspaper which ran from 1873 to 1882. Following this there is a short English advert for ‘Sketches in the Scottish Highlands [...] by John Murdoch’. |
| Sources | |
| Language | John Murdoch’s comments combine clear, rational explanation with passionate political argument. Although referring to biblical authority, the text is not evangelizing but aimed at persuading already devout Christian Highlanders to stand against their landlords and act for a just redistribution of the land. Murdoch therefore uses emphatic, even fiery, rhetoric. This is however mixed with more formal echoes of the Bible. The pamphlet contains numerous examples of biblical texts, especially from the Old Testament. For example: ’S leams’ am fearann.—Lebh. xxv. 23 (p. 1), Bithidh mòran bidh ann an treabhadh nam bochd, ach bithidh neach ann a sgriosar a dhith breitheanais.—Gnàth-fhacal xiii. 23 (p. 1), Na h-atharraich an seann chomharra-criche a shuidhich t-aithriche.—Gnàth-fhacal xxii. 28 (p. 3), Is an-aoibhin duibhse a ta cur tighe ri tigh, agus a cur achaidh ri achadh, gus nach bi àit ann [...]—Isaiah v. 8 (p. 3). From the New Testament we find, for example: Imich reic na bheil agad, agus tabhair do na bochdaihh [sic], agus gheibh thu ionmhas air nèamh; agus thig, agus lean mise—Mata xix. 21 (p. 7). There are also much larger quotations from, for example 1 Rìgh xxi. 1-24, beginning, Agus thachair an déigh nan nithe sin gu’n robh fion-lios aig Nabot an t-Iesreeleach [...] (p. 4) and also from Nehemiah v. 1-13, Agus bha gàir mhòr aig an t-sluagh, agus aig am mnaibh, an aghaidh am bràithre nan Iudhach [...] (p. 6). Among the religious terms and phrases Murdoch uses in his comments are: Iubile (p. 1), aindiadhachd (p. 3), na h-uilc a tha an cois an aindiadhachd so (p. 3), ged a bha tròcair aig Dia air Ahab (p. 4), So mar a labhair a h-aon de na h-Abstoil (p. 5), luchd-teagaisg an t-Soisgeil (p. 5), fo lagh Mhaois (p. 6), lagh na Sàbaid (p. 6), Ciod, mata, a tha againn fo ’n t-Soisgeul? (p. 7), anns an Tiomnadh Nuadh (p. 7), gu ’m faigheadh e a’ bheatha mhaireannach (p. 7), thubhairt an Slànuighear (p. 7), nach robh neach uireasbhuidheach a measg na ghéill do ’n t-Soisgeul (p. 7), Leis na bheil do sholus againn o nèamh air an ni so (p. 7), Tha am fàidh ag ràdh (p. 7), ’thaobh an aidmheil agus an earbs as a Bhìobull (p. 8), tairbheachd na diadhachd (p. 8). Terms relating to land and possession are used, often drawn from the Bible and related to contemporary land ownership, e.g. an t-àm anns an robh an sliochd so ri sealbhachadh (p. 2), gabhaltaichean mòra (p. 3), tighearnas fearainn (p. 3), i.e. ‘landlordism’, na tighearnan (p. 2), i.e. ‘the landlords’, luchd reic agus ceannach fearainn (p. 2), a gabhail seilbh ann an cuid dhaoine eile (p. 3), do dh’ fhearann nan croitearan (p. 3), air làmhan nan uachdaran eucorach (p. 3), oighreachdan an tuath ann an làmhan nan uaislean (p. 6). There is a phrase related to mortgaging – toirt an geall (p. 6) – seen in the following sentence: Chunnaic sinn cheana gur h-e an aon dòigh anns am feudadh duine ann an Israel dealachadh ri oighreachd aithriche, a toirt an geall do neach air son fhuasgladh ann an éiginn (ibid.). Related to this meaning of mortgaging the land in times of crisis we find: bha dòigh anns am feudadh duine bochd dealachadh ri a sheilbh car ùine, na ’m biodh e ’n a éigin (p. 2). Rhetoric and phrases related to politics and social justice: a’ bualadh aig stéidh an tighearnais fearainn a tha riaghladh na dùthcha so (p. 2), earrainn, i.e. ‘a class or classes’, seen in the following context, earrainn a’ sealbhachadh oighreachdan mòra luachmhor, agus earrainn lionmhor, gun mhìr fearainn idir (p. 3), a mòran d’ ar luchd teagaisg an diugh a sotal ris an dream so, agus ag innseadh dhiunn gu ’n còir dhuinn gabhail ris an olc a tha daoine mòra deanamh mar gu ’m b’ e maith a bhiodh ann (p. 5), ’s urrainn duinn a ràdh gu ’n sealbhaich an sluagh an cuid fearainn fathast mar is còir (p. 7), le iad a thighinn a mach leis an neart bheò so anns a’ Ghàidhealtachd, far nach ’eil saibhreas, agus iad a dh’ fhuasgladh ceisd an fhearainn le teagasg a’ Bhìobuill (p. 8). Some interesting idiomatic expressions include: Tha an àithne so agus a cheud aobhar air a son [...] (p. 2), So ni air an airidh a leughadh a dh’ fhaicinn mar a dh’ amhairc Dia a stigh air gach ni (p. 2), ged a bhiodh earail air an earail againn o Dhia ’n a aghaidh (p. 3), gu’r cumail as an olc (p. 3), a chòmhdach an teagaisg so agus nan rabhadh a tha againn air gach laimh (p. 4), a chur an gèill, in the following context, Ann an àite lagh Mhaois a bhi air a chur air chùl ’s ann a tha aobhar ni ’s cudthromaiche na chuala sinn riamh roimhe air son a chur an gèill (p. 7); and the following may be contain an example of a calque from English, Cha-n ’eil aon fhocal anns a’ Bhìobull a thoirt gnùis do ’n lethsgeul so (p. 6), i.e. to give countenance to this excuse. There are some examples of dialectal words, e.g. leabaichean (p. 3) is a plural form of leabaidh found in Islay. Other possible examples, which may represent an Argyll dialect, include: cha deachaidh (p. 6), cheana (p. 6), innseadh (p. 6), focal (p. 4), dhoibh (p. 5; passim), dhoibh féin (p. 8), foighneachd (p. 7), feudadh (p. 2). However, the latter five examples may simply be expressions of orthography common in the 19th century. |
| Orthography | The orthography of Murdoch’s comments (excluding the Biblical quotations) in general fits the late 19th century period. Older spellings of common words include: so (p. 2), a bhi (p. 2), aobhar (p. 2), roimh (p. 3), lethsgeul (p. 6), is modha (p. 5) (i.e. as motha), tigh (p. 8). More interesting spellings include co (instead of cho), e.g. co cliùiteach (p. 8), co fada ceàrr (p. 6), although this is not always consistent, e.g. cho dona (p. 2). Similarly, de is frequently written as do, e.g. a dheanamh suas do dh’ fhearann (p. 3), Leis na bheil do sholus (p. 7). Apostrophes are used frequently where they are no longer found, e.g. nach ’eil (p. 2), bhi ’n an luchd reic (p. 2), na ’m biodh (p. 2), gu’r cumail (p. 3), d’ a bhean (p. 4), gu’n do ghabh (p. 4). Elsewhere, apostrophes are missing where we expect them, e.g. a toirt fainear (p. 3), a toirt cumhachd (p. 3), a gabhail (p. 6). Both acute and grave accents are found, however, accents are sometimes missing altogether, e.g. righ (p. 4), air gach laimh (p. 4), a dheanamh dioghaltas (p. 5), an ni (p. 7). There are examples of biblical influence on the orthography of Murdoch’s comments. These occur on occasions where Murdoch is paraphrasing points from the scripture, and create a higher register, and more solemn style. An example of the old dative plural is aig na bràithribh (p. 7), but this is used sparingly, for example Murdoch writes air an leabaichean (p. 3), where the preceding quotation from Isaiah 5:8-10 has air an leabaichibh (p. 3). We also find an old plural form oigreachd aithriche (p. 6), and the use of ta in the phrase anns a’ bheatha ta làthair (p. 8). |
| Edition | First edition. Aberdeen University Library (Sir Duncan Rice Library) has a copy of the text with a parallel English translation: The land question : answered from the Bible (p333 Mur). |
| Other Sources | |
| Further Reading | Hunter, James, For the people’s cause: from the writings of John Murdoch (Edinburgh, 1986: HMSO). Meek, Donald E., ‘“The land question answered from the Bible”; the land issue and the development of a Highland theology of Liberation’, Scottish Geographical Magazine, 103:2 (1987), 84-89. Withers, Charles W.J., ‘Murdoch, John (1818–1903)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Published online: 23 September 2004): https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/53158 |
| Credits | |
| Link Label | Digital version created by National Library of Scotland |
| Link | http://digital.nls.uk/early-gaelic-book-collections/pageturner.cfm?id=79871871 |
| Download File | 211.pdf |
| NumWords | 4434 |
