George Rainy facts for kids

George Rainy (born 1790, died 1863) was a Scottish businessman and landowner. In the early 1800s, he became involved with sugar plantations in the Caribbean. These plantations used enslaved African people for labor. Rainy became a partner in a powerful Scottish company called Sandbach, Tinne & Company. This company was very rich and important in British Guiana (now Guyana).

After slavery was abolished in the British Empire in the 1830s, Rainy bought islands in Scotland. He used money he received as compensation for losing his enslaved workers. He then forced many families, known as Highland Gaels, off their land. This was part of a historical event called the Highland Clearances. Rainy did this to make space for sheep farming, which caused many people to lose their homes.

Biography

Early Life and Family Connections

George Rainy was born in 1790 in Creich, Sutherland, Scotland. His father, also named George Rainy, was a minister in the Church of Scotland. George had several siblings. His sister, Margaret Rainy, married Charles Parker. Parker was a major figure in Sandbach, Tinne & Company. This company managed sugarcane plantations in Demerara, a region in Guiana.

Another brother, Gilbert Rainy, also went to Guiana to work in the sugar trade. These family connections helped George Rainy later join the same business.

Involvement in Caribbean Plantations

George Rainy followed his brother Gilbert into the sugar trade in Guiana. He joined Sandbach, Tinne & Company, a company based in Liverpool, England. This company was founded in 1790. It became one of the most successful trading companies in the Caribbean. They dealt with sugar plantations in the Caribbean where enslaved African people were forced to work.

The company was so wealthy and influential that people called them the "Rothschilds of Demerara." George Rainy became a partner in this powerful company.

Many plantations in Demerara owed money to Sandbach, Tinne & Company. These plantations relied on the company to ship their sugar. After the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 was passed, the British government paid money to former slave owners. This was called the Slave Compensation Act 1837.

George Rainy received a large payment of £146,295 (which would be worth a lot more today). He had claims related to 2,793 enslaved people in Guiana. Some newspapers have reported that Rainy received one of the largest payouts among all slave owners. His largest plantations included Leonora and Zeelandia.

Role in the Highland Clearances

When the Atlantic slave trade ended, George Rainy returned to Britain. In 1846, he bought the islands of Raasay, Rona, and Fladda. These islands are located in the Scottish Highlands. The islands had been owned by Clan MacLeod for many centuries. However, the last owner, John Macleod, was in debt. He sold the islands to Rainy for 35,000 guineas and moved to Tasmania.

During this time, many landowners in the Scottish Highlands wanted to "improve" their estates. This often meant removing the native Highland Gaels from their homes. They were forced to move to cities or other countries. This was done to make way for sheep farming, which was seen as more profitable. This period is known as the Highland Clearances.

When Rainy took control of Raasay, he continued this process. He has been described as a "cruel landlord." He cleared twelve townships, forcing ninety-four Highland Scots families off the island. This caused a huge loss of population and displacement.

One person, Donald MacLeod, spoke about Rainy's actions in 1883. He said that Rainy made a rule that no one on the island should marry. This was to prevent the local population from growing. MacLeod described an incident where a man who married against Rainy's rule was punished severely. The Scottish poet Sorley MacLean, who was from Raasay, wrote a famous poem called Hallaig about the difficult years under Rainy's ownership.

Personal Life

George Rainy was married three times. His first wife was Margaret Jessie Louisa Darroch. She passed away in 1840 without having children. His second wife was Elizabeth Haygarth. They had one son, George Haygarth Rainy (born 1845). Sadly, his son died in his 20s without having children.

Rainy's third wife was Isabella Rudlin. They did not have any children together. After his son's death, the lands Rainy owned in the Inner Hebrides were sold. George Rainy also had two daughters who were born in Demerara. They moved to England with him in 1837 and later emigrated to Australia.