Biography

Angus Graham (Am Misean), Aonghas Dhòmhnaill Mìcheil, was born in Borve on the west side of Lewis in 1905. His mother was Mary Smith from Tolsta. There was another Angus in the family, older than him, and to distinguish between them their mother gave him the nickname Am Misean. He was too young to sail on boats when he first went to work at sea, and so he used his brother Angus's identity card. He worked at sea for nearly fifty years, and spent many years working at the New Zealand Shipping Company. In fact, he did not settle onshore until he was 67 years old.

Although he was interested in learning songs and liked singing at New Year and home gatherings, it wasn’t until later in life that that he began singing before an audience. He was then often heard in the Legion in Stornoway and in Barvas Hall.

In 1938 he married Mary Murray, also from Borve, and they had six children, four daughters and two sons. One of the boys died aged five from diphtheria. Today, two from the family live in Borve, two in Stornoway, and Dena, a well-known singer, lives in Inverness.

Angus worked for a while at the sugar industry in Cupar, Fife, a job he did not like at all. When his wife Mary died in 1961, he stayed at home for a while, looking after the family. He remarried in 1968 and he and his wife, Betty Dale, lived in the Clydebank area. Betty often went to sea with him as he trained young sailors. When he retired, they went to Lewis, to live in Barvas.

Angus died in 2004.