693: Bodach an t-Siabainn
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Bodach an t-Siabainn
Bodach an t-Siabainn. Ma tha sibh à Leòdhas no Na Hearadh, bidh fios agaibh cò tha mi a’ ciallachadh. Fear a rinn fhortan à siabann – am Morair Leverhulme. ’S ann leis-san a bha Leòdhas agus Na Hearadh tràth anns an fhicheadamh linn. Chaidh an t-ainm Beurla – Leverburgh – a chur air an t-Òb ann an ceann a deas na Hearadh. Dh’fheuch Leverhulme ri gnìomhachas iasgaich a stèidheachadh anns a’ phort sin.
Carson a tha mi ag ainmeachadh Leverhulme? Uill, o chionn beagan sheachdainean, bha mi air oighreachd eile a bhuineadh uaireigin don dearbh dhuine. Ach bha i fada bho na h-Eileanan Siar. Bha i ann an ceann an iar-thuath Shasainn faisg air Bolton.
Rugadh Uilleam Hesketh Lever ann am Bolton ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad ’s a h-aon (1851). Ann an ochdad ’s a còig (1885), thòisich e fhèin agus a bhràthair companaidh airson siabann a dhèanamh. Thug iad an t-ainm Sunlight Soap oirre.
Nuair a chaidh inbhe morair a bhuileachadh air, dh’atharraich e ainm gu Leverhulme mar chomharra air a bhean, Ealasaid Hulme. Nuair a cheannaich e Leòdhas, agus an uair sin Na Hearadh, bha e a’ tighinn faisg air deireadh a bheatha phroifeiseanta. Taobh a-staigh seachd bliadhna, bhiodh e marbh.
Am measg na rinn e, agus ’s iomadh rud sin, cheannaich e oighreachd Rivington Hall timcheall cnoc air a bheil Rivington Pike faisg air baile a bhreith. Thug e cothrom don Liverpool Corporation am fearann a cheannach an toiseach, oir bha am baile sin a’ faighinn uisge bho lochan aig bonn a’ chnuic. Ach dhiùlt Liverpool an cothrom. Chùm Lever (oir cha robh e na mhorair fhathast) ceathrad ’s a còig acaire dha fhèin. Thug e an còrr do Bholton Corporation. Bhiodh e tric a’ toirt seachad fearann don phoball. Tha fearann Urras Steòrnabhaigh fhathast ann an làmhan nan daoine. ’S e Leverhulme a thug seachad e.
Thòisich Lever air pàirc phoblach a chruthachadh air Rivington Pike. Gu h-annasach, ge-tà, dh’atharraich Liverpool Corporation am beachd air an fhearann. Bha iad ga iarraidh a-nise, airson na lochan uisge aca a dhìon. Thug iad a’ chùis don Phàrlamaid ann an Lunnainn. Aig a’ cheann thall, bha aig Liverpool ris am fearann a cheannach, agus a dhà uiread dhen phrìs air ’s a phàigh Lever. Ghlèidh Lever an taigh aige a-mhàin, agus an leas mu a thimcheall. Bha aig Liverpool ri pàirc phoblach a dhèanamh dheth, ge-tà – agus an t-ainm a chur oirre – Lever Park’. ’S e sin an t-ainm a th’ oirre fhathast.
Ann an naoi ceud deug is trì-deug (1913), chaidh an taigh fiodha a thog Lever anns a’ phàirc a losgadh gu làr a dh’aona-ghnothach fhad ’s a bha e fhèin ’s a bhean a’ gabhail dinnear leis an Rìgh agus Banrigh aig dachaigh Iarla Derby. ’S i Edith Rigby a chuir teine thuige. Bha Edith na tagraiche airson còraichean bhòtaidh do bhoireannaich.
Thog Lever taigh ùr cloiche air an làraich agus b’ e sin a dhachaigh shamhraidh gus an d’ fhuair e bàs ann an naoi ceud deug ’s còig air fhichead (1925). Thathar ag ràdh gun do ghabh e am fiabhras-clèibhe a thug bàs dha anns an taigh sin, ged a chaochail e ann an Lunnainn. Agus, le a bhàs, dh’atharraich eachdraidh Leòdhais is Na Hearadh, a bharrachd air Lever Park air Rivington Pike.
Faclan na Litreach: dhiùlt: refused; an còrr: the remainder; dh’atharraich: changed; fiabhras-clèibhe: pneumonia; chaochail: died.
Abairtean na Litreach: Bodach an t-Siabainn: The Soap Man (Leverhulme’s Gaelic nickname); a rinn fhortan à siabann: who made his fortune from soap; ri gnìomhachas iasgaich a stèidheachadh: to establish a fishing industry; air oighreachd eile a bhuineadh uaireigin don dearbh dhuine:on another estate that belonged at one time to the same man; nuair a chaidh inbhe morair a bhuileachadh air: when he was elevated to the peerage [when he was granted the status of a lord]; mar chomharra air a bhean: as a tribute to his wife; faisg air deireadh a bheatha phroifeiseanta: towards the end of his professional life; faisg air baile a bhreith: near the town of his birth; thug e cothrom do X am fearann a cheannach an toiseach: he gave X an opportunity to buy the land first; ceathrad ’s a còig acaire dha fhèin: 45 acres for himself; tha fearann Urras Steòrnabhaigh fhathast ann an làmhan nan daoine:the land of the Stornoway Trust is still in the people’s hands; pàirc phoblach: a public park; airson na lochan uisge aca a dhìon: to protect their reservoirs; thug iad a’ chùis don Phàrlamaid: they took the matter to Parliament; ghlèidh Lever an taigh aige a-mhàin, agus an leas mu a thimcheall: Lever only retained his house, and the garden around it; chaidh an taigh fiodha a thog X a losgadh gu làr a dh’aona-ghnothach: the wooden house X built was deliberately burned to the ground; fhad ’s a bha e fhèin ’s a bhean a’ gabhail dinnear:while he and his wife were dining; tagraiche airson còraichean bhòtaidh do bhoireannaich: a suffragette [lobbyist for the right of women to vote]; b’ e sin a dhachaigh shamhraidh: that was his summer house.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: bha aig Liverpool ris am fearann a cheannach, agus a dhà uiread dhen phrìs air ’s a phàigh Lever: Liverpool had to buy the land at twice the price Lever paid. Uiread a measure, certain amount, as much’ is used in such expressions as tha (a cheart) uiread agamsa ’s a th’ agadsa (I have just as much as you). But it can also be used in combination with a number to express multiples, with the numeral lenited. Tha a thrì uiread de dh’fhearann aige a-nise (he now has three times the amount of land). Tha a cheithir uiread de dhaoine a’ fuireach ann an Alba, seach Estonia (four times as many people live in Scotland as do in Estonia).
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: ’s iomadh rud sin: there were/many [things] of them.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 389
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