The St Kilda post
Over the next few issues of Am Pàipear, I hope to write some short articles or ‘snapshots’ on aspects of postal history communications between islands and within islands, long before the days of remote, digital and virtual communication.
The snapshots will be based on some letters and postcards from some interesting places and to some interesting destinations connected to our island communities. Some examples include information about past events and, in the case of posted items, postmarks and other marks applied to letters and cards can add another dimension to the story.
Given that I am beginning with the September issue, my first example shows a couple of postcards connected with the evacuation of St Kilda, the 92nd anniversary of that historic event having just passed a few days ago, on 29th August.
Both cards display a very clear pre-evacuation St Kilda postmark. These are clear, well-preserved examples which are not particularly common or easy to find.
One card is from Neil Ferguson to his son Donald John, living in Glasgow at the time. The card is dated 12th July, 1930 and passes on a significant piece of news concerning plans for the final evacuation of St Kilda. At that time, Donald John was employed as a tweed traveller, working alongside his brother, Alexander Gillies Ferguson, who had left St Kilda in the late 1800s to set up a shop in Glasgow. Donald John later joined the lighthouse service.
Neil’s message reads: “Mr Johnston, Under Secretary, was here today by Mina definitely arranged now will be away in 6 weeks or so. Dunara is not here yet.” Your loving Father.
(Tom Johnston (1881 – 1965) was a Labour Minister and Under Secretary of State for Scotland, despatched to St Kilda on 10 June 1930 to assess arrangements for the evacuation. The Dunara was the Martin Orme & Co steamship SS Dunara Castle which plied between Glasgow and the west coast islands, carrying passengers and cargo).
The second card ties in with this same trip made by the Fishery Cruiser “Mina” and was posted by a member of the crew to his daughter back home in Oban. This card also displays a very clear pre-evacuation St Kilda postmark.
So, what happened to the St Kilda postmark following the evacuation? More on that next month.
Alasdair MacEachen
