22:
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As a civil servant, he found himself committed to improving the working conditions and treatment of his profession. He was well-respected by other civil servants for this, and despite achieving great improvements in treatment for civil servants he continued to push for more. Hunter speculates that he
373:
to crofters in South Uist, Barra, and everywhere else in the north and west of
Scotland. The days of the crofting tenant-at-will were over. There would be -- there could be -- no more mass Clearances from the Highlands. The men of that large region, whatever their language or religion, could after
345:, who had lost contact with crofts and crofting but had retained a sense of their Gaelic cultural identity, and the crofting communities of the Highlands and Islands Murdoch was possibly the single most influential individual in the creation of the atmosphere and situation that resulted in the
442:
Murdoch married an
Irishwoman, Eliza Jane Tickell, in Dublin in 1956. She was fourteen years younger than him. Together they had six children: Frances, Jessie, John, Ronald Gordon, Alexander Sullivan (Charlie), and Mary. He died on 29 January 1903 at
40:) (15 January 1818 – 29 January 1903) was a Scottish newspaper owner and editor and land reform campaigner who played a significant part in the campaign for crofters rights in the late 19th century.
326:... after the ages and generations during which they have been perpetuating follies and wickednesses against each other at the bidding of their common political enemies."
329:
Murdoch's kilted figure became familiar in crofting townships as he urged crofters and tenants to organise and stand up for themselves. Affectionately known as
258:, which ran until it succumbed to endemic financial difficulties in 1881. Professor Meek writes that the songs of Mairi Mhòr show the influence that
222:, with whom he shared common literary interests and a mutual disdain of landlordism. While working in Dublin he is said to have had an influence on
829:
396:
369:", and which, according to Roger Hutchinson, "legislated for fair rents, compensation for improvements to land and property, and above all for
333:("Murchadh of the Kilt"), he also encouraged the crofting population to set a much higher value on their country, race, lore, and language.
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56:. He was the second child of John Murdoch and Mary Macpherson, the daughter of a sea captain. In 1827 the family moved to the island of
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279:. He further believed that this could only be changed by the crofters and peasants standing up for themselves in a campaign of
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287:. In common with other campaigners for the reform of Scots property law, Murdoch invoked the Gaelic cultural principle of
167:. The Chartists believed that a healthy rural population needed to own their own land and be free of the influence of
248:, when she was put on trial. He is said to have arranged for her legal representation and may have introduced her to
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295:'s territory and that the land belonged to the clan as a whole and had never been the mere personal property of the
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1886 exercise their right to vote in local and national elections without the threat of serious reprisal."
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Murdoch believed that a vicious economic system rooted in the greed of the landlords and in the abuse of
244:
On retiring to
Inverness, Murdoch quickly became a figure of national prominence. He championed the poet
377:
Professor Meek suggests that
Murdoch was also a significant influence over the Rev. Donald MacCallum, a
697:"Passages from Tiree: Crofting History: 'Preaching the Land Gospel': Rev. Donald MacCallum (1849-1929)"
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and upon the opinions of ordinary
Highland people, even though the articles were mainly in English.
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to stand as an
Independent Labour candidate and was one of the chairs at the meeting to found the
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111:(1822–85). The laird's refusal to evict his tenants ultimately resulted in bankruptcy during the
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beliefs and aimed towards, "sinking the differences between the different members of the great
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to justify reforming the laws regarding land ownership, a regular theme in
Murdoch's writing.
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and
Murdoch lived there until 1838, when he moved to work in a grocer's shop in
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While many of the leaders of the land reform movement were associated with the
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A School in South Uist: Reminiscences of a
Hebridean Schoolmaster, 1890–1913
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311:, which also needed to be reversed as part of the land reform campaign.
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are both believed to be rooted in his experiences while living on Islay.
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James Hunter credits
Murdoch with bringing together urban middle class
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had all but destroyed the morale and cultural self-confidence of the
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and one of the few Protestant clergymen to actively challenge the
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In the 1850s and 1860s, Murdoch spent a number of years living in
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Murdoch was born in the farmhouse of Lynemore in the parish of
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492:"'Radicals: John Murdoch and the Birth of Scottish Socialism'"
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252:. Shortly after this he started editing the weekly newspaper,
218:, and maintained relationships with others such as the editor
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715:. Hemel Hempstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf. pp. 607–610.
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665:, edited and with an introduction by John Lorne Campbell,
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622:, (Manchester ; Manchester Univ. Press, 1994)pp212-3
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For The People's Cause: From the Writings of John Murdoch
609:, (Edinburgh : John Donald, 1976) p129 &157-159
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and from 1873 until 1881 ran the campaigning newspaper,
684:
Father Allan: The Life and Legacy of a Hebridean Priest
481:
234:
was removed to Shetland as a result of his activism.
596:(Edinburgh : Scottish Academic Press, 1998) p40
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upon the island. Murdoch's commitment to the Gaelic
583:(Aberdeen: The University of Aberdeen, 2000)pp50-51
557:(Aberdeen: The University of Aberdeen, 2000)pp45-46
299:. Murdoch also argued that a sustained campaign of
131:and his hostility to the absolute power granted to
99:, Murdoch associated with the family of the laird,
713:Biographical Dictionary of Modern British Radicals
581:The Life and Times of Fraser Mackintosh Crofter MP
555:The Life and Times of Fraser Mackintosh Crofter MP
230:Gael who, likewise, was employed as an exciseman.
570:, (Port of Ness: The Islands Book Trust,2008) p3.
175:. In Lancashire he found himself acquainted with
776:
594:Mairi Mhòr nan Oran ; Taghadh de a h-Orain
16:Scottish newspaper owner and editor (1818–1903)
652:, (Edinburgh : John Donald,1976) pp129-30
710:
568:The Life and Legacy of Alexander Carmichael
455:cemetery with Eliza who died in June 1905.
395:. MacCallum's campaigns at the time of the
711:Baylen, Joseph; Gossman, Norbert (1988).
275:was at the root of all other ills in the
758:A Selection of John Murdoch's Editorials
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214:. He was a close friend of its founder,
20:
741:John Murdoch: A Land and Labour Pioneer
528:John Murdoch: A Land and Labour Pioneer
103:, including his son, the famous Gaelic
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747:2, Summer 1975, pp. 14 & 15,
179:who had been evicted from his farm in
830:Resistance to the Highland Clearances
349:, The Crofters' War, hearings of The
650:The Making of the Crofting Community
607:The Making of the Crofting Community
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147:In the 1840s Murdoch spent time in
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835:Scottish Gaelic language activists
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709:James Young, "Murdoch, John", in:
414:. He stood unsuccessfully for the
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815:History of the Scottish Highlands
566:Domhnall Uilleam Stiúbhart (ed),
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534:2, Summer 1975, pp 14 & 15,
476:The Companion to Gaelic Scotland
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416:Scottish Land Restoration League
159:where he came into contact with
840:Scottish human rights activists
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72:. He served as an exciseman in
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361:, was nothing less than "the
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68:, completing his training in
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357:of 1886, which according to
171:landlords, land agents, and
119:by the Laird's creditors to
7:
686:, Birlinn Limited. Page 97.
478:,(Glasgow: Gairm, 1994)p206
123:, and the beginning of the
10:
866:
266:Scottish Gaelic literature
743:, in Burnett, Ray (ed.),
682:Roger Hutchinson (2010),
661:Frederick G. Rea (1997),
620:Clanship to Crofters' War
530:, in Burnett, Ray (ed.),
517:, (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1986)
250:Charles Fraser-Mackintosh
142:
101:Walter Frederick Campbell
820:Land reform in Scotland
810:History of human rights
592:Dòmhnall Eachann Meek,
194:, where he encountered
631:Marcus Tanner (2004),
301:linguistic imperialism
113:Highland Potato Famine
107:and literary scholar,
37:
26:
633:The Last of the Celts
432:Scottish Labour Party
424:1885 general election
367:Highlands and Islands
283:similar to the Irish
277:Highlands and Islands
24:
845:Scottish journalists
739:Young, J.D. (1975),
526:Young, J.D. (1975),
474:Derrick S. Thomson,
353:, and the resultant
347:Highland Land League
224:Alexander Carmichael
850:Scottish socialists
795:Celtic nationalists
359:John Lorne Campbell
331:Murchadh na Feilidh
246:Mairi Mhòr nan Oran
216:Charles Gavan Duffy
125:Highland Clearances
399:sought to use the
386:Church of Scotland
371:security of tenure
273:Scots property law
210:under the synonym
137:Scots property law
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579:Ewan A. Cameron,
553:Ewan A. Cameron,
351:Napier Commission
196:Irish nationalism
163:and the views of
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790:1903 deaths
785:1818 births
428:Keir Hardie
383:Established
363:Magna Carta
228:Argyllshire
226:, a fellow
169:Anglo-Irish
109:Iain Òg Ile
779:Categories
722:0710813198
459:References
337:Later life
320:Pan-Celtic
208:The Nation
185:Haslingden
157:Lancashire
105:folklorist
78:Lancashire
44:Early life
805:Georgists
770:0307-2029
753:0307-2029
540:0307-2029
453:Ardrossan
445:Saltcoats
412:socialist
393:landlords
86:Inverness
70:Edinburgh
762:Calgacus
745:Calgacus
532:Calgacus
449:Ayrshire
379:minister
289:dùthchas
285:Land War
212:Finlagan
204:Land War
198:and the
161:Chartism
50:Ardclach
669:. Page
422:at the
420:Partick
381:of the
365:of the
82:Ireland
74:Kilsyth
62:Paisley
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297:Chiefs
192:Dublin
153:Ulster
149:Armagh
143:Career
760:, in
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401:Bible
343:Gaels
309:Gaels
117:Islay
97:Islay
58:Islay
54:Nairn
766:ISSN
749:ISSN
717:ISBN
536:ISSN
293:clan
181:Mayo
80:and
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