The Abduction (October 1739)

In October 1739, Norman MacLeod (then 24 years old) led a party of five kidnappers to the Isle of Skye and the Bays of Harris. Their goal was to capture men, women, and children to be transported as “human cargo” and sold into slavery in the American cotton plantations.

Commanding the ship William, MacLeod snatched families from their crofts during the night. The vessel, which became known as Soitheach Nan Daoine, set sail with over 100 prisoners. Along the way, several people were off-loaded due to age or illness:

• Rum: Five children were put ashore for being too young.

• Canna: Four people and the body of a young woman who died on board were landed.

• Jura: An “old sick man” and “two big-bellied women” were off-loaded.

Arrival and Escape in Ireland

On October 20, 1739, after surviving a storm, the William docked at Donaghadee, Ireland, with 96 prisoners. While the ship underwent repairs, the captives were locked in two barns—men in one, women and children in the other—guarded by MacLeod and the ship’s master, William Davison.

On the night of November 4, 1739, the prisoners managed to escape. MacLeod and Davison pursued them, capturing a small group near Bangor and driving them back to the ship with “cruel blows.” However, the escape had alerted local authorities. The Magistrates of Donaghadee issued warrants for MacLeod and Davison, but both men fled before they could be arrested.

The Investigation

The Irish Magistrates conducted a thorough enquiry using interpreters. They discovered:

• Nearly 30 women and children were brought before the court; many were under ten years old.

• The victims were described as “the most helpless creatures” who had been forced from their homes with “inhuman violence.”

• None had ever been tried for a crime or sentenced to transportation.

The survivors were temporarily housed at Herdstown House. Most eventually settled on the lands of the Earl of Antrim, while very few ever managed the difficult journey back to the Hebrides.

High-Level Conspiracy

Research reveals the kidnapping was a concerted plan involving powerful figures:

• Donald MacLeod of Berneray (“Old Trojan”), Norman’s father.

• Norman MacLeod of Dunvegan.

• Sir Alexander MacDonald of Sleat.

The Chiefs initially claimed the victims were “convicted thieves.” However, investigations found that only four or five had ever been accused of sheep stealing, and none were convicted. The conspiracy was driven by a desire to profit from human trafficking and to clear “pests” from their estates.

Both MacDonald and MacLeod avoided prosecution by pledging their support to Duncan Forbes, Lord President of the Court of Session, and his anti-Jacobite policies.

Aftermath and Later Life

Norman MacLeod of Unish remained in hiding in Ireland for several years. He returned to Skye in 1745, joining Government forces during the Jacobite Rising and receiving a captaincy.

Following the death of his father in 1783, he became the Tacksman of Berneray. In his later years, he was known as an “enlightened” farmer who introduced agricultural improvements and the kelp industry. It is said he was deeply ashamed of the 1739 kidnapping and angrily resisted any mention of it.

He died in May 1803 at the age of 88. Having lost all five of his children in infancy, he left no surviving male issue. The practice of forced transportation and the Highland Clearances continued in Scotland until 1881.