A good crowd gathered in the hall to hear Murdo MacDonald – the Argyll and Bute Archivist – bring to light more tales from the archives such as the party of Achinduin residents who went over to Morvern in 1851 to collect birchwood for ‘culinary and other purposes’, believing they had a right to do so (due to the lack of peat on Lismore). However, the son of the owner of Ardtornish Estate, acting as factor for his father, disagreed and reported it to the Fiscal in Tobermory. The outcome was not related.
Archie Knox Pewter
Ann Carmichael with Archibald Knox artefacts
More heartening was the story of Archie Knox, the renowned silver- and pewter-smith to Liberty’s of Regent Street, and contemporary of Charles Rennie Macintosh whose mother was Ann Carmichael, daughter of Dugald and Christy MacColl of Baligrundle. Although Liberty’s never disclosed the names of their artists and craftsmen, his work, in the art nouveau style, is stamped with TUDRIC. Tudric pewter was better quality and this differentiated it from other pewters. It had higher content of silver. other pewter is traditionally known as “the poor man’s silver”.