Biography

In the autumn of 1886, Sheriff Officers in Skye tried to make crofters pay debts owed on rent and other things. These officers were under the direction of Sheriff William Ivory and there is no doubt he allowed some of his officers to do terrible things. For example, a man named Alexander MacDonald took a two-month-old baby from Mrs. MacRae in Peiness, because the family was in debt. When the same Alexander MacDonald tried to deliver court papers to crofters in Heribusta, they drove him away by throwing clods at him.

The first attempt to arrest the crofters of Heribusta was on the 27th of October 1886, but only two were caught. The others took to the hills but eventually, after police attacked their homes, most surrendered. Seven were brought before the High Court in Edinburgh on the 3rd of January 1887. They were found guilty and Donald Beaton, Alexander MacMillan, and John MacQueen got two months imprisonment each. William MacArthur, Charles MacIntosh, John MacKenzie and William Beaton got one month imprisonment each. William Beaton is thought to have written 'S muladach mi 'n-diugh 's mi 'g èirigh, but mentions himself in it, in a way that suggests he may not have.

List of compositions

'S Muladach Mi 'N-diugh 'S Mi 'g Èirigh