Acc. 11044 Gaelic
Manuscripts from the Cluny Charter Chest.
© Catalogue record by National Library of Scotland
A collection of Gaelic verse, mostly of poets from the Badenoch area. It was written down in the late 18th century, with some later additions at the end. It was originally part of the papers of the family of Macpherson of Cluny and was in the hands of Ewan Macpherson of Cluny ("Old Cluny", 1804-1884) and his son when it was examined by the Rev. Thomas Sinton for his article "Gaelic poetry from the Cluny charter chest", Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness XXIII (1898-1899), pp. 247-281. The collection then became the property of the Rev. Dr. Neil Ross of Laggan (d. 1843), the home parish of the Cluny Macphersons.
Most of the songs are published in Sinton's article in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness (referred to below as "Sinton, TGSI"), and again in The Poetry of Badenoch (Inverness 1906) by the same author.
The collection was compiled by several hands, none of which have been identified. Items 1 and 8 were written on the blank verso pages of letters, 1799 and 1801, which may allow conclusions concerning the identity of some of the scribes. Item no. 8 was written on the back of a letter addressed to Mr. Paul Kennedy, Castle Gavel, Perth, who may be the scribe of this song as well as a number of others in the same hand.
Bought, 1994.
(1) Mary Clark née Macpherson, Bean Torra Dhamh (ca. 1740-1815).
Three hymns of Mary Macpherson, all written in the same late-18th-century hand. Accompanied by the envelope in which they were formerly kept, inscribed "MSS Gaelic hymns composed by Mrs. Clark who lived near Glentruim (née Macpherson) she was born 1720", with a note underneath, "Above in the handwriting of the last Cluny who died Jany 1932 Neil Ross". The songs listed here were published by Sinton, TGSI, and again by Rev. Alexander MacRae (ed.), Mary Macpherson (Mrs Clark) Bean Torra Dhamh, the religious poetess of Badenoch. Her poems and life (Arborath [1935?]).
f.
1
'Smile mharbhaisg orst a shioail / Scarrach baiolach do Chlachagh.
16 stanzas of 8 lines. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 258-261 (without the
11th stanza); A. MacRae (ed.), Mary Macpherson, pp. 61-66.
ff. 2 - 3 Ceol cha nail Lehm Pibe na clarsach / binish ghaltrump s heid. 16 stanzas of 8 lines. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 255-258; A. MacRae (ed.), Mary Macpherson, pp. 45-50.
ff. 4 - 5 A Jehobha ard riogh na fhlais / cai bhin an ceol leum bhidh laibhaird air tainm. Headed "Isaiah 12 and 2 verse"; 16 × 8. Written on the back of a letter, 1801, entirely crossed out, of Angus and James Macpherson to their brother, who was possibly the scribe of these hymns. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 252-255; A. MacRae (ed.), Mary Macpherson, pp. 39-44.
(2) Songs by Lachlan Macpherson, Fear Srath Mhathaisidh, and other authors.
A small booklet, 16 pp., paginated by the scribe and written by the same hand throughout, ca. 1790s. Containing the following:
Ossianic verse :
pp. 1 - 4 A chlerich a sheinneas na Sailm / Har leam fein gur bath do chial.
Headed "Comhraig Fheinn agus Mhanuis"; 25 stanzas of 4 lines. Note at the
end: "le Ossian Mac Fheinn". Cf. J. F. Campbell, Leabhar na Feinne (London 1872), p. 72ff. See also no. 7 below.
MacQueen, Sergeant :
pp. 5 - 7 As da 'm chadal, cha bheag m' airsneal / Gach achdain a Ghraidh. Headed "Oran leis an t-Sheartshain Mac Cuimhne da Leannan"; 9 stanzas of 8 lines. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 266-267.
Anonymous :
pp. 8 - 11 'S ach Isobail donn nighean Donuil sin, / Bu dheonach linn nan geillidh tu. Headed "Oran a rinn fleasgach og da Leannan"; 11 stanzas of 8 lines. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 267-269.
Macpherson, Lachlan, Fear Srath Mhathaisidh (c. 1723-1767) :
pp. 11 - 13 'S a's bochd an caraibh dhaoine / A's t-saoghal bhi cogadh ris. Headed "Oran an airgid, air fonn Cabair feidh; le fear Sthrath Mhaasidh" ; 8 stanzas of 8 lines. Cf. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 363-365.
Macpherson, Lachlan, Fear Srath Mhathaisidh (c. 1723-1767) :
pp. 13 - 14 Thainig oiche airid den t-sheachduin, / Dias dem chairdin gam fhaicin. Headed "Oran le fear Straith Mhaise do Mhinistear agus Sagairt air dhoibh tighn ga Shealltuin"; 4 stanzas of 8 lines each (written as two sets of 4 lines). Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 262-263.
Anonymous :
pp. 14 - 15 Moch sa mhaidin smi 'm dhuisg / Gu bheil m' aigne gun sund. Headed "Marbhran do Mhac mhic Aillen a chaidh mharbhadh air sliabh-an t-siorradh", 12 stanzas of 3 lines, plus the last line of each verse repeated. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 276-277; see also C. Ó Baoill and D. MacAulay, Scottish Gaelic vernacular verse to 1730: a checklist, rev. ed. Aberdeen 2001, no. 495.
Anonymous :
p. 16 Feasgar la air di domhnuich, / Fhuaras nuaidheachd chuir bhon oirn. Headed "Marbhrann do Lauchlain Sthrath mhaasidh"; 3 stanzas of 7 lines, plus the last line repeated. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, p. 265.
(3) Songs by Neil Kennedy (Nìall Mac Ualraig) and Angus Campbell.
A small booklet, 7 + [1] pp., paginated by the scribe, in the same hand as the preceding. Two of the songs are dated 1791 and 1792 respectively.
Kennedy, Neil :
pp. 1 - 2 Nam bhitheadh tu nach Uachdaran, / Bu mhaith an ceann don tuaithidh thu.
Headed "Oran do dh'Alasdair Mac a phearsain ann am Faicham. 1791 le Niail
Mac Ualric"; 9 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain of four lines, beg. Gum a Slan don Phearsanach. * Cf. Sinton, TGSI, *pp. 273-274.
[Campbell, Aonghas (ca. 1740-ca. 1814)] :
pp. 2 - 3 Tha mulad mor tha pramh orm, / Nach faoid mi dhol don airimh. Headed "Oran a rinneadh do nighin oig le leannan"; 8 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain (marked 'fonn') of 4 lines, beg. Mo chaillin ghrinn mhealshuileach dhu. This version printed in Sinton, TGSI, p. 271; cf. also Angus Campbell,Orain nuadh Ghaidhleach (Edinburgh 1785), pp. 140-143; Co-chruinneachadh nuadh do dh'orannibh Gaidhealach (Inverness 1806), pp. 188-190; James Munro, An t-oranaiche Gaelach (Glasgow 1829), pp. 14-15.
Kennedy, Neil :
pp. 4 - 5 Gum bheil mise fu mhulad, / Ge nach innis me dhuin' e. Headed "Oran a rinneadh do dh'Alastair Achadh Uine agus a bhrathair le Niail Mac Ualric – 1792"; 8 stanzas of 4 lines with a refrain (marked 'fonn') of 4 lines, beg.Tha mi trom duilich trom, / Arsneulach cianail. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 272-273.
Kennedy, Neil :
pp. 5 - 7 Tha recruiteacaidh an drasd / Anns gach ait tha mi faineachdain. Headed "Oran do Mhac Mhic Alasdair agus do chuiddeachd le Nial McUalric"; 8 × 4 plus refr. (marked 'fonn') of 4 lines, beg.Hil u hilin o ro, / Hil u hil o gun dhealaich sinn. Cf. Sinton, TGSI, pp. 275-276.
p. [8] Blank.
(4) [MacDonald, Iain Lom].
Bifolium, much perished, containing verses beg. A bhean nach leasaich thu 'n stop dhuin, headed "Oran do Mhac Dhomhnuil na'n Eilean". 18 stanzas of 6 lines, the last line in each stanza to be repeated. This version published in Sinton, TGSI, pp. 277-281. Cf. A. Mackenzie, Orain Iain Luim (SGTS 1964), pp. 146-150; C. Ó Baoill and D. MacAulay, Scottish Gaelic vernacular verse to 1730: a checklist, rev. ed. Aberdeen 2001, no. 115.
(5) Macintyre, Calum Dubh and Lachlan Macpherson, Fear Srath Mhaithisidh.
One sheet, folded into three sections and written in three columns on each side, containing:
[Macintyre, Calum Dubh] :
f. 1r - 1v Chan ionadh mise a bhi duach / bheir fheasgar a ghrian le bruach. Headed "Oran do Chaptain Balachroain", 15 stanzas of 8 lines, numbered 1-10 and 12-16 by the scribe. Published in Sinton, TGSI, pp. 248-251, headed there "Call Ghadhaig".
[Macpherson, Lachlan, Fear Srath Mhaithisidh] :
f. 1v Ach camir hug iad speis do dhol / bisten gun airgaid gun or. Headed "Oran nan luuch". Written in a different hand from the foregoing song. An incomplete version of a rat/mice satire attributed to Lachlan Macpherson; cf. R. Black, An Lasair (Edinburgh 2001), p. 475 and J. A. Morrison, "'Drumming tunes': a study of Gaelic rat satires", TGSI LVII, pp. 273-364, Appendix.
(6) Anonymous.
Single sheet, containing (recto and verso ): 'S mor mo bhulad s' mo smuirin, / Bhon a dhealleach mo runn rium Diluan. Headed "Oran chath dhineadh do Bhan uasal arid, air fonn oran Ion bhain Pitouridhe", 6 stanzas of 8 lines. Published in Sinton, TGSI, pp. 269-271.
(7) Ossianic verse.
Large single sheet, possibly from a sample book for decorative paper, folded into three sections and showing on the recto side a floral pattern headed "No. 112 price 16 pence". On the verso : A Chlerich a henas na Sealm / horlum fein gor bath do Cheal. Headed "Laoidh air na fhinibh", 25 stanzas of 4 lines, verses 15-25 written in a different hand from the rest. Cf. J. F. Campbell, Leabhar na Feinne (London 1872), p. 72ff. See also no. 2 above.
(8) Anonymous.
Single sheet, containing on the recto side a letter, 1799, of Ann Kennedy to her father Paul Kennedy, Castle Gavel, Perth. On the verso : S oiche shamridh dhom m charish / an goinie galtin rim Leanan / bata gerantinta galinta dhomhsa i. Headed "Oran goil". 12 stanzas of 3 lines, each verse to be sung twice with the exception of the first, where the instruction is only to repeat the last line.
(9) [Mackellar, Mary].
Song written on both sides of an envelope addressed to Rev. Neil Ross: 'S gur mise tha dhe cianail / Smi ri taobh Lochiall gun mhire. Without a title. 7 stanzas of 2 lines.
(9a) Anonymous.
Single sheet, containing verses headed "Continue to prosper, or may you continue to prosper", beg. Gu'n soirbhich leat mar 'chleachd / Gu'n soirbhich leat a ghnàth. Note on the verso : "Gaelic Proverb".
(10) Letter, 1932, of Alexander MacRae to Miss MacKay.
Letter of one sheet, in which MacRae expresses his interest in Mary Macpherson, Bean Torra Dhamh, whose poetry he later published in his book Mary Macpherson (Mrs Clark) Bean Torra Dhamh, the religious poetess of Badenoch. Her poems and life (Arborath [1935?]) .
(11) Anonymous.
Quarto booklet of 13 ff. (the last detached) containing poem, early 20th century (?), beg. Is lionmhor iad 's an talla so an nochd. Headed "Bhi 'gan cuimhneachadh 's 'gan iunndrain".