More Life on the Croft memories
Who remembers the "Rag rugs"? I remember we had slate on our kitchen floor before we moved up in the world and had some lino put down, my mother used to make "Ragrugs" out of old coats or blankets, I can still see her now sitting by the rayburn and tillie lamp in the kitchen platting the scraps together.
Isabel
I remember my grandmother making rag rugs. They were always on the floor in the large kitchen of her farmhouse. She lived in Canada and we stayed with her all summer every year to help her out on the farm. My mom, her daughter, came to the US with her sister at a young age and they would save old coats, suits, and wool of any kind and bring it with us when we came for the summer. Grandma used it for her lovely rugs. She also made all the quilts for the beds. An aunt of mine still has quilting bees in her home. Oh, how I loved those times.
Carol
Thanks everyone, I am really enjoying reading the emails on life on a croft. What a great insight into how our ancestors lived. I wonder what they would think of us today?
Thanks again.
Glenda in OZ
My grandfather always started every morning with brose. We grandchildren all tried it but my brother Robert was the only one who took a liking to it. Crowdie now I did enjoy, along with the home made butter and the oatcakes. I was reminding my brother this morning about the carnation milk. One of my great uncles in Clashnessie always had carnation milk for tea. We hated it but our mother insisted that we be polite and drink it without comment.
Marian Macleod
I have greatly enjoyed all the postings about life on a croft. Most of what has been written is new to me but greatly enjoyed and I know my mother would have loved reading it, too. I'm a 2nd generation American and never knew my grandmother as she died when I was only 2 and my grandfather never talked much about Scotland. Researching my ancestors in Scotland has been a journey as I had only the place of birth for my grandmother and not much in the way of names for anyone else. My mother was thrilled as I found each generation. I am still looking for the rest. Thank you all for your wonderful stories of the "crofts".
Jan, USA
I well remember my young days brought up on a croft. Every morning my father would boil the kettle on the fire, first adding water to his bowl of brose, putting a saucer over it to steam, filling the teapot and when waiting for his brose to cook, would fill the tin basin with the remaining water to wash and shave. I loved my pease meal brose. I can nearly taste it as I write.
My mother always salted a barrel of herring. We had a burn running beside the house and my mother used to gut the herring in the running water. I used to be afraid of the many eels which would appear and almost pull the fish out of her hands. She also salted a sheep every year which my father had killed from his flock [probably illegal but all the crofters did it]. Every part of the sheep was used, including the lovely black puddings which were also made.
Whenever I came home from school I had to help. In the summer it would be raking or turning the hay which my father cut by hand with the scythe. In the hot weather it would take a tin milk pail filled with cold water and a sprinkling of oatmeal in it to quench his thirst [no lemonade in those days] I also remember always finding something called bee’s nests when the hay had been cut. The honey tasted so sweet. My father carried the hay on his back tied with rope.
Many hours were spent at night searching for the cows to milk as they had the freedom of the
hills. We used to look for the freshest cow pats to follow. After the cows were milked, some of which was put in a basin and the cream collected for butter the next day, we had supper and if we were lucky we would put the wireless on for the news and perhaps listen to Radio Luxembourg if there was enough power left in the battery which had been in the oven of the Rayburn to boost it up. Then we had our bath in the tin bath [which is still in my loft] in front of the fire hoping that no one came to the door. No one ever did as I think it was customary for all families to bathe on Sunday night.
It was a very simple, hard working life which until this day I think has set most of the principles we Highlanders live by. Must go now and put my frozen curry in the microwave, switch on the TV and check my e-mails. A change for the better or not - who knows?
Muriel in Ross-shire
My grandmother Mary Morrison b 1870 at Oldshoremore, Eddrachillis came to Glasgow about 1910 and loved it but was always an innocent outsider looking in. My sister was telling me recently about Granny's sister Lexy Morrison born 1873 who was the only one of 14 siblings who never worked anywhere but on her parents croft at Badcall (Eddrachillis) or for one of her two husbands in Scourie and never really learned anything other than pidgeon English. She was a small wiry woman who usually trauchled about in an old tweed skirt and wellingtons and was no oil painting - goodness knows how she got two husbands!
Around 1940 my sister was aged 7 and living in Scourie for the war years when a parcel came from Canada containing some lovely shoes and a child's dress. The sender obviously knew my sister was living with Lexy at the time but Lexy being so unworldly thought it was a blouse for her and wore it around Scourie over the old skirt and boots. Cathy says that no one had the heart to tell her how ridiculous she looked with this little frilly child's dress on and she happily boasted to all and sundry about the good relatives they had abroad who never forgot them.
Marion, Renfrewshire
To end this fascinating series of memories I have kept this last note to the end – a lesson indeed.
I went to see a 94 year old woman from Kinlochbervie tonight in the local hospital and we were discussing 'life on the croft' as she remembered it when she was growing up. (She still lives on a croft). Most of the subjects mentioned in the last week or so came up in conversation. One thing she did add was that although none of the families had much, they were all in the same boat. Nobody was any richer or poorer than anyone else and that everyone helped each other. She also thought that although times were hard, everyone was more content than they are today.
There must be a lesson there for us all!!
Hector in Bonar Bridge
last updated 24th February 2009