496 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



by the Barra people, both for his own sake and that of the 

 ancient family whose name he worthily bore. It is believed 

 that the family is now represented by Roderick Macneill, 

 Prince Edward Island, great-grandson of Roderick Mac- 

 neill of Brevaig, who emigrated in 1802. Brevaig was a 

 son of Gilleonan, younger son of Roderick Macneill, who, 

 according to the late Dr. Fraser Mackintosh, obtained a 

 Crown charter of Barra in 1688. At the present day, Barra 

 is owned by Lady Gordon-Cathcart, who, on the death of 

 her first husband, Mr. John Gordon, son of Colonel Gordon, 

 married Sir Reginald Cathcart. 



South Uist and Benbecula followed Barra. One after 

 the other, the estates of Clanranald were disposed of by 

 Ranald George Macdonald, who succeeded to the property 

 when a child. In 1839 and 1840, his properties in the Long 

 Island were sold, and by 1845, the whole of South Uist and 

 Benbecula had passed into the hands of Colonel Gordon, the 

 purchase price, including that of Barra, being ; 163,799 on a 

 rental of 8,223. The property bought by Colonel Gordon 

 is now owned almost entirely by Lady Gordon-Cathcart. 



North Uist was the last of the group to change hands. 

 In 1856, Lord Macdonald sold the island to Sir John 

 Powlett Orde, whose son, Sir John Campbell Orde, about 

 1886, sold Rona to Captain Alexander Macdonald of 

 Waternish ; and in 1894, sold Balranald, Paiblesgarry, and 

 Peinmore, to Alexander Macdonald of Balranald, who died 

 in 1901, and was succeeded by his son, Ranald Alexander. 

 Sir John Campbell Orde died in 1899, and left the greater 

 part of his North Uist property to his eldest son, Sir Arthur 

 Campbell Orde, and a smaller part to his second son, Colin 

 Ridley. The latter, in 1901, sold his portion, comprising 

 Vallay, Griminish, Scolpaig, and Balelone, to Mr. Erskine 

 Beveridge of Dunfermline. The Islands of Boreray, Heisker, 

 and Grimisay are included in Sir Arthur Orde's possessions. 



It was not by a mere coincidence that these islands 

 passed away from the native heritors. The causes of the 

 various sales had a common root, which will be specified in 

 the concluding chapter of this history. 



