Second Shetland Truck System Report Part 405

WALKER, John (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 402). Formerly gave evidence before the commissioners, under the Act of 1870, in Edinburgh, 15,920; re-affirms all evidence then given, and explains as to the value of wool in a shawl, 15,921; contradicts that merchants have no profit on hosiery, as he believes they often have an extremely large one, 15,922; a great deal of land in Shetland is under-rented for the purpose of binding fishermen, 15,936; men are afraid to come forward to give evidence before the commissioner, 15,940; witness has been instrumental in starting a large Limited Liability Company, to afford Shetlanders the means of prosecuting fishing free from the oppression of truck, 15,941; the old system of payments to be adhered to, but men to be paid in cash--in order to provide for outfits, the accounts to be paid by Company whenever the ship leaves with the men on board -- and advances to be made to families, 15,947; manages chromate of iron quarries at Unst, 15,969; wages not paid in truck, 15,970; but were formerly, 15,971; since the abolition of truck in parishes with which he is connected, the poor-rates have been reduced considerably, 15,975; merchants often commence business without any capital, and so trade on that of the fishermen, 15,982.

-- (recalled, p. 406). Messrs. Hay's establishment is the largest of the kind in Lerwick, 16,024; men are ready to sign or do anything they are bid by the curers, 16,027.

WANT of change and money, 10,767, 14,042, 14,064, 14,289.

WANT of independence, 3717 (none), 5992, 8050, 9946, 10,650, 13,877, 14,739.

WARNING too short, 4688, 8055.

WEEKLY or monthly payments (see Short Settlements).

WHALE and Seal Fishery, statements as to, 3991, 7088, 9136, 9609, 10,799, 10,931, 12,506, 13,695, 13,735, 14,080, 14,163, 14,293, 14,509, 14,522, 14,762, 14,815, 15,277, 15,489, 15,547, 15,600, 15,871, 16,221, 16,343, 16,390, 16,530.

WHALES driven ash.o.r.e by men, one-third of oil taken by landlord, 657, 764, 861, 4405, 11,856, 13,479.

WHALING Agents (see Whale and Seal Fishery).

WILLIAMSON, Charles (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 963), fisherman at Cullivoe in North Yell, 10,769; does a good deal in winter fishing, 10,773; makes more by it than most men, 10,774; large boats are not so good for it, 10,788; but he intends to make a trial in one, 10,789; was at whale fishing in 1864, 10,799; men commonly paid in cash unless they require goods, 10,811; does not see any advantage in monthly payments; in his own case, gets money whenever he requires it, 10,827.

WILLIAMSON, Mrs. Christina (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 4), knits, 150; uses her own wool, 152; often asked for money, but cannot get it, 160-165; sells a shawl, and opens an account with dealer, 175-186.

WILLIAMSON, Mrs. C. (recalled, p. 356). Corrects her former evidence (p. 4) to the effect that it was not Mr. Laurenson but Mr.

Laurence to whom she sold a shawl, 14,291.

WILLIAMSON, George (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 121), fisherman and tenant, Eastsh.o.r.e, Dunrosness, 4888; free in fishing till twelve years since, then bound to fish for tacksman, 4901; corroborates William Goudie (p. 105) and others, 4904; can always get money, 4905.

WILLIAMSON, George (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 232), fisherman at Mid Yell; goes to whale and seal fishing, 9609; in whale fishing month's wages paid in advance, and allotment notes given, 9613.

WILLIAMSON, Gideon (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 202), fisherman at Muckle Roe, 8333; fishes for Mr. Inkster, 8335; is settled with at Hallowmas yearly, 8336; deals at Mr. Inkster's store, 8337; does not wish to deal elsewhere, 8342; never knew men change employers because of being in debt, 8348.

WILLIAMSON, Gilbert (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, 253), princ.i.p.al storekeeper to Spence & Co., Haroldswick, 10,448; knows nothing of hosiery purchases, as they are made by Mrs. Spence, 10,450; gets lines by her from women, 10,452; and always pays them in goods, 10,455.

WILLIAMSON, Mrs. Grace (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 201), lives in Muckle Roe, 8253; knits and makes cloth, 8254; uses her own wool for the cloth, 8256; gets either money or goods in payment as she requires, 8257; her husband fishes for Mr. Inkster, 8274; she has no separate account at shop from her husband, 8277.

WILLIAMSON, Henry (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 153), fisherman at Stenness, 6248; tenant at Tangwick, 6249; free in fishing, 6251; fishes for dealer, 6252; deals princ.i.p.ally at his shop, 6253; gets advances during season if required, 6265; is satisfied with price and quality of goods at shop, 6266; thinks the fixing of a price for fish at the beginning of the season would be a great disadvantage to men, 6267; people are often supported by merchants in bad seasons, 6274-6277; kelp, 6325.

WILLIAMSON, Laurence (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 218), merchant at Linkhouse, Mid Yell, 8993; men free to fish to any one, 8998; formerly engaged to fish for him, but had to break their engagements by order of their landlord (see William Stewart's evidence, p. 216), 9000; deals a little in hosiery, 9052; pays chiefly in goods, 9053; has occasionally liquidated debts of fishermen coming into his employment, 9074.

WILLIAMSON, Margaret (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 202), lives in Muckle Roe, 8308; knits and makes some cloth, 8309; knits her own wool, 8310; is always paid in goods, cannot get money, 8314; paid for cloth in money if required, 8328.

WILLIAMSON, Thomas (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 228), merchant and fish-curer at Seafield, 9463; previously shopman to Magnus Mouat, 9464; his system of business, 9469-9486; purchase of cattle, 9489; supplying of fishermen the princ.i.p.al support of his business, 9495-9500; would not wish men to fish for him unwillingly, 9523; gives for fish the current price as fixed by the princ.i.p.al merchants, 9538; deals a little in hosiery and yarn, 9547; sells it in Lerwick for goods, 9548; hosiery and worsted are bad speculations, 9552.

WILLIAMSON, Walter (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 15), fisherman at Burra, 762; tenant, 763; complains that men are bound to fish for landlord or pay liberty money, and that price not fixed till end of season; cannot get leases, and owing to the nature of the settlements must deal at landlord's shop; one-third of oil from whales driven on sh.o.r.e is taken by landlord; daughters who knit cannot get payment in money (these statements made in a letter signed by witness and twelve others), 764; not under written obligation to fish for landlord, 775; but bound verbally, 776; cannot obtain liberty, 784; would prefer to fish on his own account, 788; but would be ejected if he did, 790; long settlements, 807; would prefer the price to be fixed at the beginning of season, if fixed honestly, 860; whales, 861-4; Faroe fishing, 876; ejection for giving evidence, 900; rents, 911; farm produce, 939; men have the advantage of credit in bad seasons, 954; but if they had liberty, would not require it, 955; quality and price of store goods, 956; men occasionally are obliged to cure and sell fish secretly to obtain money, 967-970.

WILLIAMSON, William (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 250), fisherman at Snarravoe, Unst, and tenant, 10,320; supposes he is quite free in fishing, 10,324; and to deal [Page 456] at any shop, 10,325; once fished for fixed price, and got more at the end of the season, 10,330; price fixed always in the herring fishery, 10,336; does not know whether monthly payments would be an advantage, 10,341.

WILSON, Laurence (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 426), is a fisherman at Kirkwall; was born and lived in Fair Isle until 1869; left because he expected to be evicted; prices were too high in Fair Isle, 16,659.

WILSON, Thomas (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 424), weaver at Kirkwall; born in Fair Isle, and lived there until lately; population about 30 or 40 families; they live chiefly by fishing, and that princ.i.p.ally in the summer; have always been bound to deliver their fish to proprietor; men were settled with year]y, and never could get cash; previously prices at store were much higher than charged by hawkers who came to the island, 16,656.

WINTER Fishing, 7212, 7802, 8033, 8815, 8847, 8904, 9328, 9887, 10,001, 10,062, 10,083, 10,633, 10,773, 11,312, 11,703, 12,279, 12,478, 12,764, 12,879.

-Possibility of extending.

WINWICK, Catherine (a.n.a.lysis of her evidence, p. 1), knits for Mr. Linklater, 2; uses his wool, 5; and is paid for her knitting, 7; partly in money, partly in goods, 8; price fixed by merchant, 9; keeps no pa.s.sbook, 12; does not think she could have got payment entirely in money, but never tried, 15; is always content, 19; only needs money for rent or provisions, 20; always got whatever money she asked, 22; but would have liked more, 29; knits a shawl in about a month, 31; gets 10s. in money and goods, 33; wool usually supplied, and women paid for the knitting, 44-46; dealers will not sanction any other arrangement, 60.

WOOD, John (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 203), is a fisherman at Muckle Roe, 8360; to Mr. Inkster, 8361; corroborates Gideon Williamson (p. 202), 8363; men's debts usually transferred to new merchant, 8373.

WOOL and worsted, 449, 1154, 1423, 1515, 1571, 1671, 1717, 1890, 1955, 2288, 2463, 2752, 2783, 2897, 3087, 3188, 3269, 3486, 6462, 7317, 8486, 8897, 9058, 9412, 9547, 9715, 9723, 9734, 10,183, 11,507, 11,571, 13,815, 14,005, 14,053, 15,396, 15,921, 16,043, 16,116.

WORSTED a ready-money article, 449, 1720, 11,545, 11,579.

YOUNG, Charles (a.n.a.lysis of his evidence, p. 143), fisherman at Stenness, 5773; holds no land, 5775; goes to home fishing, 5777; deals with merchant, 5789; can get advances of money during season, 5791; meal, 5799; goods as good and cheap at merchant's store as at any other shop, 5801; not bound to fish, 5804; would like price fixed at beginning of season, 5814; but thinks there might be some difficulty in getting fishermen to abide by their bargain, 5819; men in debt to curer expected to fish for him, 5829.