Napier Commission facts for kids
The Napier Commission was a special group set up by the British government in 1883. Its job was to look into the lives of crofters and cottars in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
Crofters were small farmers who rented land. Cottars were even poorer people who often worked for crofters or had very small plots of land. Many of these people were struggling. The Commission was named after its leader, Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier. It was created by William Gladstone's government and published its findings in a report in 1884.
The Commission had six members in total. Besides Lord Napier, they included:
- Sir Donald Cameron of Lochiel, a Member of Parliament.
- Sir Kenneth Mackenzie of Gairloch.
- Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, a Member of Parliament who supported the crofters.
- Alexander Nicolson, a legal expert.
- Professor Donald MacKinnon, a professor of Celtic studies.
Contents
Why the Commission Was Needed
The Napier Commission was formed because of growing problems and protests from crofters and cottars in the Highlands. These people were very unhappy about several things.
Crofters' Problems
Crofters faced many difficulties. Their rents were often too high, making it hard to make a living. They also had no real security, meaning they could be forced off their land easily by landlords. They felt they were losing their traditional rights to use land for farming and grazing.
Protests and Land Raids
To show their anger, crofters started to protest. They sometimes refused to pay their rents, which was called a rent strike. They also took part in "land raids." This meant they would occupy land that landlords had turned into large sheep farms or hunting areas called "deer forests." These protests became known as the Crofters' War.
Government Steps In
In the 1870s, there were small protests in places like Wester Ross and Lewis. By the early 1880s, the protests became much stronger in Skye and threatened to spread across the whole Highlands. The police struggled to control the situation. Because of this widespread unrest, the government decided it needed to act. That's why Gladstone's government set up the Napier Commission.
Impact on Future Laws
About three years after the Commission was formed, a very important law was passed: the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1886. This new law wasn't directly based on what the Napier Commission suggested. However, the Commission's work, including the evidence it gathered and its report, helped people understand the problems. It also led to many discussions in Parliament and the government, which eventually resulted in the new law.
The Crofters' Holdings Act gave crofters more rights. A historian named John Lorne Campbell called it the "Magna Carta of the Highlands and Islands." It gave small tenants two key things:
- Security of tenure: This meant they couldn't be easily removed from their land.
- Compensation for improvements: If they made improvements to their land, they would be paid for them if their tenancy ended.
How the Commission Worked
The members of the Napier Commission were chosen by the government. Lord Napier himself was interested in history and people's cultures. Two members, Alexander Nicolson and Donald MacKinnon, knew a lot about the Gaelic language, which was important for speaking with the crofters. The other members included landlords and a Member of Parliament who supported the crofters' cause.
Gathering Information
The Commission had to decide what "crofter," "cottar," and "Highlands and Islands" actually meant, as these terms weren't clearly defined. They also had to decide where and from whom to collect information. They started their work in the Hebrides, where the protests were most active.
The Commission traveled around the Highlands and Islands, listening to many people. They heard from crofters, landlords, and others. The stories from the crofters were often very similar, which some people thought meant they were being coached by groups like the Highland Land League. On the other hand, some crofters worried that landlords might punish them for speaking out.
Napier's Report and Its Ideas
The members of the Commission didn't all agree on everything in their final report. Many of the main ideas came from Lord Napier himself.
Key Recommendations
For tenants who paid more than £6 a year in rent, Napier suggested:
- Security of tenure: They would have the right to stay on their land for 30-year periods, called "improving leases." An improving lease meant the tenant agreed to make improvements to the land.
- Township organisation: This idea was about bringing back a system where grazing land was managed by the whole community.
For tenants who paid less than £6 a year, Napier suggested they should be helped to move away to other countries, which was called "voluntary assisted emigration."
The report's release brought some temporary calm to the Highlands, but this peace did not last for long.
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