Records of the lives of Highland and Island crofters and cottars who fought for their rights more than 140 years ago are online for the first time.
Around 16,000 entries from the landmark Napier Commission have been published by National Records of Scotland on its website Scotland's People.
The Napier Commission was a public inquiry established in 1883 to investigate the grievances of crofters and cottars in the Highlands and Islands. The evidence it gathered provides a unique rural census for the period.
The Commission was set up in response to the ‘Crofters’ War’, which was marked by widespread protests and rent strikes. The people wanted land rights, fair rents, and secure tenure, following a period of hardship.
Following the Highland Clearances, the records reveal how people survived and maintained traditional ways of life tied to the land. The Commission gathered detailed returns from over 60 estates to investigate living conditions.
The returns list the names of crofters and cottars on each estate. They also detail the land they held, rent paid and animals kept. They show how crofters took on seasonal work like knitting stockings, gathering whelks, and boat building.
The Commission proved a turning point in Highland and Island history. In 1886, the government passed the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act. This granted crofters more security through improved land rights and rents. It also established the Crofters Commission to rule on disputes between landlords and crofters.
Veronica Schreuder, NRS archivist said:
"The Commission captured ordinary people's voices and ensured they were heard within the corridors of power. These records are an unparalleled record of lived experiences in the Highlands and Islands.
"The details captured show how communities survived. They reveal multi-generational family arrangements, support systems and women’s economic roles. They will help family historians, academics and social researchers alike. It's exciting to see them released online and available for people around to world to search."
To learn more about the records read our long-read article.
Image: NRS catalogue ref GD433/2/234/15 from a file labelled views of Strathconan
