In the previous post, I described how on June 7, 1841, the census taker made his rounds through the village of Clachan. Just west of Archie and Mary Darroch’s house, on the other side of the creek, he found William and Mary McLeod and their three sons. I introduce them here, for they interacted with the Darroch family in Clachan and will have an unexpected influence on them in generations to come.
In the 1841 census, William McLeod recorded his occupation generically as "Miller." I have deduced was a carding miller--one who prepared wool for spinning into thread. I will give the logic for my deduction after the vignette. Until then, from the facts that exist, I will spin a yarn of my own (excuse the pun). This story is about Willie McLeod and 18-year-old John Darroch, set in Willie's mill in 1841.
Willie McLeod opened another sack of wool to put through his carding machine. Just then, the door swung open revealing the silhouette of a young man.
“Well good morning, young John. How are you?”
“Fine, Mr. McLeod, but I hear you have sad news to tell. The whole town is talking, so Father sent me to confirm whether the rumour is true. Are ye thinking of packing up and leaving?”
“I am afraid 'tis true. We’re moving. A small carding mill like mine can’t compete with the big mills in Paisley.”
“Where will you go?”
“Paisley. You know the saying—‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.’ How about your Dad? It’s as difficult for weavers as it is for millers.”
“Oh, he’ll stick it out here. I’ve heard him say a hundred times...,” John lowered his voice to do his best impression of his dad, “My forefathers came here 200 years ago, and I’ll nae be the first to leave.”
Willie laughed. “And you, my young friend? What’s keeping you here?”
“That’s just it—there’s nothing here for me. But Father doesn’t see that. He wants me to carry on his weaving business. I would rather apprentice as a blacksmith.”
Willie put down the wool and looked earnestly at John. “Pursue your ambitions, lad. You have to make up your own mind as to where you go and what you will do.”
John felt a wave of relief sweep over him. He had known Willie for as long as he could remember and admired his perspective on life. “I wish Father was more like you—willing to change with the times!”
“Don't be too critical of your father. From his outlook, it’s more about providing for a family and keeping body and soul together. But you are in a different circumstance, John—young and footloose—you can do what you will. Your dad wants you to stay so he can have his future grandchildren around him. But you need to fulfill your own dreams, not his. Follow your heart. Someday your father will forgive you. He may even thank you.”
“Thanks for the advice, Mr. McLeod. And good luck in Paisley!”
“All the best to you, young John. Who knows—maybe our paths will cross again!”
“I hope they do, Mr. McLeod. I hope they do!”
As I mentioned, in the 1841 census, William McLeod listed his occupation simply as "Miller." One might assume he milled grain. That isn't the case. My brother, Keith, found an 1811 agricultural survey showing the nearest grain mill to be on the Isle of Islay. It is unlikely that a mill was built after 1811, for rural mills were being displaced in the 19th century. So what type of miller was William? I believe he was a carding miller.
There is a second clue, found in Frank Darroch's red book. In describing the village of Clachan, he observed:
In olden times there may have been a dam with a water-wheel and a mill on the north bank of the stream. The burn, today, would not produce much power. The flow, while steady, is only a few feet wide and a few inches deep. [4]
The burn (creek) would not need to produce much power to run a carding mill. Carding mills can be small enough to be hand-operated with a crank and gears. Frank continued his observation by writing, "Possibly this part of the hamlet gores back much earlier than the rest because it was apparently called Sheanakill...." [5] Interestingly, the 1841 Census lists Willies occupation also shows his residence as “Shenikeil.”
When in Clachan, Keith and I stayed at a bed and breakfast, The Old Smithy. Thinking the Clachan smithy might have inspired John Darroch to go into blacksmithing, I asked the owners when it was built. They replied that it was established in 1887--about 45 years after John left Clachan. The owners then serendipitously added: "previously this site was a working mill." [6] Frank was right--the stream had supported a mill. And since it was not a grain mill, the most likely candidate is a small carding mill.
The final clue about Willie being a carding miller is that he moved from Clachan to Paisley, which had for years been recognized as the world center for weaving and thread-making. As such, he would naturally expect to increase his chances of employment as a carding miller. Admittedly, these are inferences but the documented facts are scant. Nonetheless, the facts we do have point to Willie likely being a carding miller.
The McLeod and Darroch families were neighbours. They couldn't help but know each other in a village of under 50 households, especially since their respective families had lived there for generations. Assuming William was a carding miller, he may have done business with Archie, for the wool supply chain went from carding miller to weaver. With such a direct link, and being in such a small community, it is possible Archie purchased carded wool from Willie.
Even though William and Mary would move their young family from Clachan, the McLeod and Darroch family paths would cross again half a century later. This event would tie their families together for generations. Due to the interactions in Scotland and in Canada, the McLeods and Darrochs are inextricably linked.
References:
https://archive.org/stream/historyofpaisley02brow/historyofpaisley02brow_djvu.txt (accessed May 19, 2014).
1841 Scotland Census, accessed through Ancestry.ca.
James Macdonald, General View of the Agriculture of the Hebrides (Edinburgh, 1811).
Frank Darroch, A Darroch Family in Scotland and in Canada (Harriston, Ontario, 1974), 57.
Ibid. 57.
Email from Kelvin and Moreen Moller, owners of The Old Smithy (January 10, 2022).