ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) has announced that the late 19th century Napier Commission returns are to be added to ScotlandsPeople in November.
"Two fascinating new record sets are landing this autumn. The Napier Commission returns arrive in early November, offering a unique window into Highland crofting life in the 1880s. In December, we’ll add over 1,000 maps and plans, giving you new ways to explore the places your ancestors called home."
The Napier Commission from 1884, more formally known as the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Condition of Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands and Islands, and reporting to Lord Napier, was set up in response to demand for land reform in the predominantly Gaelic speaking Highland and Islands of Scotland. It led to the subsequent Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) of 1886, providing security of tenure for crofters, although this was only the first step.
It is unclear at present precisely what ScotlandsPeople is preparing to put online, but the published version of the records can be accessed at present in PDF format via the University of the Highland and Islands website at https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/cultural/centre-for-history/research/resources/the-napier-commission/. The published version contains oral testimony from many witnesses, although these have been translated into English from Gaelic.
Chris
Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.
