1 Elizabeth Ross aged 22, daughter of Alexander Ross, tenant, at Amat-na-tuath, was struck most violently on the head with a baton, and was kicked on the breast and shoulders, while lying on the ground. There is a deep cut, three inches and a quarter long, on the crown of the head, which shattered the skull, and destroyed a portion of the frontal and parietal bones, causing concussion and compression of the brain. There is another cut in an opposite direction on the top of the head, and in the direction from ear to ear. It is fully 2 inches and a quarter long, and very deep. She has also severe bruises on her arms and shoulders. The marks of the tacks of the policemen’s boots were still visible on the breast and shoulders of this girl. The kicks were given to her after she was lying on the ground. Her clothing was completely red with her blood. Pieces of the skin of her head were stripped off with the batons of the police, and her long hair, clotted with blood, could be seen in quantities spread over the ploughed land. Elizabeth was a tall, pretty young woman. She was well known in the district as a quiet and respectable girl; and most dutiful and kind to her parents. From the horrible treatment she received at the hands of the police, there is no prospect of her ever recovering***. She in new pining away—suffering from intense pain in the head, causing aberration of intellect and fever, together with a debility which is sure to terminate her existence. It does not require much medical chill to for see the result in such a case as this.

***Her Grandnephew recalls she survived to old age, Prebble

2 Margaret Ross aged 25, sister of Elizabeth (1 above), was beat violently on the head. Her cap was cut, and the parietal bone shattered, exhibiting an ugly cut two three-eight inches long. There is another deep cut behind the left ear, two inches and a half long. The occipital bone is fractured, and both concussion and compression of the brain was the result. She was struck violently after she fell—lost a great deal of blood, and now suffers from great debility, and a complete disorganization of the whole system, which will shortly produce fever, and in all likelihood death. This young woman was carried away off the ground, weltering in her blood, was handcuffed, and brought to the jail of Tain, a distance of 20 miles. Her head was not bandaged, and her face, arms, breasts, and shoulders were all red with her blood. She was kept in jail far 24 hours. Alienation of the mental faculties are very perceptible in this case. There is a tearing frontal headache, vomitings, and cold and sudden perspiration. Like her sister, Elizabeth, this girl bore a very excellent character, and was much respected and esteemed by a large circle of friends, neighbours, and acquaintances.  

3 Christy Ross, aged 40, residing in Amat-na-tuath, unmarried, went to see the policemen out of mere curiosity. She was not standing among the crowd at all, but at a little distance. The police, however, followed her, struck her violently several times on the head. Still Christy pursued her flight and the police after her, until at last, weak with the loss of blood, she fell on her face on the ground. After she was down, the brutish cowards struck her violently on the shoulders and kicked her on the side; and then left her in a state of excruciating pain. In the evening she was carried off the ground, and her wounds dressed up. She has a bad cut over the sphenoidal bone, and a severe swelling in the left side, ever the linea. She labours under difficulty of breathing, tremor, oppression, and isolated startings of the body, and convulsions in the limbs. Christy has a very good character from all her neighbours and acquaintances.

4 Margaret Ross, aged 18 years, daughter of Thomas Ross, tenant, Amat-na-tnath, was most shamefully and brutally used by the police. Margaret was a very nice young girl, healthy and active, and a general favorite in the district. On hearing that the police were on their way to Greenyard, Margaret ran away from her father’s house, and, being swift of feet, she was not long in reaching Greenyard, and, falling in with the other females who went out to meet the police, she then took up her place in the crowd. When the police rushed in upon the defenseless females, striking them with their batons, Margaret had nothing to defend herself with but her bare arms. She soon saw a number of her companions leveled to the ground with the blows given by the police; and just when trying to assist a women who lay weltering in her blood, she was attacked by the police, one of whom struck her three violent blows with his baton across the breasts. Notwithstanding this, she ran across a field, pursued by the police; but, her strength failing her, she plunged into a thicket, where the police followed her, but could not use their batons, owing to the bushes. One of them, however, kicked her in the head with his shoe, another kicked her feet, and, being most inhumanly tortured in this manner, she crept out from beneath the bushes and tried again to escape. But the police pursued her, and one of them struck her three or four times with his baton across the shoulders, which brought her prostrate to the ground, and there she lay gasping for breath! The police now proceeded to put handcuffs upon her, and one of them actually placed his knee upon her breast, while adjusting and holding up her hands, while another put them in irons. Reader, do not fancy that I exaggerate in the least. Exaggeration is impossible, far the savage brutality with which the police acted cannot be described. The marks of the batons on the breast and across the shoulders of this young female were like drills. The flesh was mangled, and the shoulder blade shattered. Margaret at the time had no corset on, and nothing intervened between her flesh and the hard ash batons of the police, but her shift and a thin cotton morning gown. On the 14th instant, when I visited this girl in her father’s house, I found her in a recumbent position on a couch, and very weak. Her face is very pale, and she is frequently annoyed with vomiting of blood of a blackish colour. It is perfectly evident in this case that the internal organs of the chest have been ruptured, so that, however long this young women may linger on, she will never recover from the injuries she received.

Margaret did survive, she married a Macleod 12 years later at Strathcarron Schoolhouse and emigrated to South Australia in 1867, where she had 3 sons. She died in 1918 aged 81 - Ross Macleod

5 Janet Ross or Mackenzie, wife of John Mackenzie, tenant at Amat-na-tnath, had gone after her sisters (1 & 2) to Greenyard to induce them to come home. The first thing she saw was two policemen booting her sister Elizabeth—one of them pummeling her with a baton, the other kicking her on the back and shoulders, and that while she was lying weltering in her blood. Mrs. Mackenzie, as might be expected, ran forward to protect her sister; but no sooner had she come within the reach of the batons of the police, than she also was most brutally attacked. Her head was severely cut—her arms and shoulders were literally thrashed; and one of the police struck her across the shinbone, above the ankle, and then rolled her over into the ploughed land; and there she was with her face in the earth, the blood gushing from the wounds in her head and shoulders, her strength entirely gone, and no one to assist her, and nothing heard around but the moans, and groans, and cries of the bruised end the wounded.

6 Catherine Graham, aged 22 years, daughter of Hugh Graham, tenant, Amat, was in the very centre of the gathering when the Sheriff and policemen arrived. Catherine is a strong, active girl; and although she had got several blows on the head and shoulders, from the police, she was not put off her feet. One of the police pursued her with a broken baton in his hand, and attempted to strike her, but she intercepted the blows and twisted the broken baton out of his hand! After this she ran away to the hills, and remained there until night, and then returned home. Her head is still bandaged, and although the wounds and cuts are partially heeled, and although she is able to walk about and do house work, she is far from being past danger.

Catherine died of Palsy 34 years later in 1888

7 Helen Ross, aged 46 years, wife of William Macgregor, tenant, Greenyard, ran after two of her children to the march of Greenyard, and she was on the spot just when the Sheriff and the police arrived. She was very near the Sheriff, and knew him well. She declares that she heard the Sheriff most distinctly ordering the police to “knock them (the women) down.” That he had a yellow stick in his hand at the time, and brandished it over the heads of the women. Immediately after the Sheriff said ‘knock them down,” the police ran in among the women, and beat them meet unmercifully with their batons. They struck them on the head first, and then on all parts of the body, after they were down. A policeman came and struck her a violent blow with his baton on the head; after which she wheeled around, got stunned, and fell ever a bank. Another policeman came up and struck her on the side and shoulders, after she was down. A large patch of the skin was torn off the side of her head by a blow given her with a baton; and after she was pummeled until her back and shoulders were blue, she was left on the field as dead. She was brought home on a litter, and, for the space of eight days thereafter, she could not move her hands or feet. She is now labouring under nervous excitement, inflammation of the neck, shortness of breath, and vomiting tinged with blood.

8 Margaret Macgregor, or Ross, aged 47 years, wife of William Ross, tenant, Greenyard. This poor woman met with savage treatment at the hands of the police. She wanted to reason with the Sheriff on the impropriety of his conduct, because Mr. Munroe, the tacksman, as already stated, had denied all knowledge of the application for warrants of removal; but the answer she got was a blow on the shoulder, and then on the left ear with a baton. The blow was so violent that it cut up the gristle of the ear, broke the skull, and shattered the temporal and sphenoid bones, causing both concussion end compression of the brain. The force used was so great, and the blow so destructive, that the poor woman was instantly felled to the ground, and the blood flowed copiously from both of her ears. Even after she was on the ground, the police struck her with their batons and with their feet, and then left her with her head in a pool of blood! When I was in Greenyard, on the 14th instant, there was not the smallest hope of her recovery, and I much fear that, before what I now write can appear in print, Margaret Macgregor has ceased to exist. She it the mother of seven helpless children, and as the poor little things went backward and forward, and ” toddled” and wandered round her sick bed, looking with sorrow at her death-like ‘visage,- it was a most painful and heart-rending sight. The few sentences which the poor woman spoke, went clearly to show that she wan barbarously treated; and my own firm conviction is, from what I saw and heard, that she is as cruelly murdered as if a policeman had deliberately shot her on the links at Tain!

9 Ann Ross, aged 40 years, residing at Greenyard—a stout, active woman—was among the very first who had gone to meet the Sheriff, not for the purpose of obstructing him or the Sheriff-officer, but to ascertain if they had Mr. Munroe’s authority for their proceedings. She spoke to a policeman, and requested him to ask the Sheriff; but she had scarcely spoken, when the policeman, with one blow, leveled her to the ground. When she put her hand to her head and found the blood gushing out. she cried “murder,” Another policeman came up and said, “I will put you from crying,” and he beat her most unmercifully with his baton. She still cried out, and then another two policemen came, and after giving her several blows over the knuckles, they placed her wrists together, and handcuffed her, and then left her to roll or tumble an she pleased. She was afterwards made a prisoner, and lodged in jail.

10 Christina Ross, aged 50 years, wife of John Ross, tenant, Greenyard, and the mother of eight children, was most shamefully and inhumanly treated. Her husband is one of the tenants who was summoned to remove. He paid £10 lOs.6d. of yearly rent for 26 years, and is not one farthing in arrears. Mrs. Ross was most anxious to see if the Sheriff had any written authority from Mr. Munro for serving them with summonses, and she was for showing to him a letter written by Munro, and addressed to Major Robertson, the proprietor, denying that he ever authorised, or would be responsible for these removals. Labouring under the impression that the Sheriff would listen to her, she went out, and was the first to meet him at the march. She essayed to speak, but was not listened to, and in less than a minute she had three batons beating on her heed; her mutch was cut through, and her face, breast, and shoulders were red with blood. She got a severe kick on the back of the head, which raised a large lump on it, and she had other serious bruises and cuts on other parts of her body. After she had lain on the field for nearly half-an-hour, the police came round, and made a prisoner of her, and lodged her in jail. Independent of the personal injuries sustained in this case, reason has been thrown completely off her seat, and the victim is now insane - in short, a maniac.

Christina died in 1886 aged 84. She is buried with her husband in Kincardine Cemetery. It is very likely she was the mother of Peter Ross who was later Jailed for his involvement in the evictions. Although no mention was ever made of this relationship at the time.

11 Naomi Ross, aged 24 years, daughter of Hugh Ross, tenant in Langwell, Strathcarron, was fearfully cut on the head and shoulders. The fact is, the scalp is completely battered in; besides, she has three or four most ugly cuts on the front and side of her head. After the poor girl was knocked down, a monster of a policeman kicked her. Nothing in savage life could exceed the brutality of the police in this case, for, although this girl was covered with blood, and the ground around her red with it, no mercy was shown to her; on the contrary, she was most violently kicked on the breast, and also in the most delicate part of her person. She was carried off the field, and has never left her since; and it is my firm belief that she will never recover from the injuries she received. The testimony of her neighbours, and of many respectable people in the district, respecting her, goes to confirm this, that a more innocent, more, inoffensive, or a more respectable, young girl, could not be found within the range of their acquaintance. Had poor Naomi been wandering on the banks of the Danube, and had been ill-used there, I could understand it, but in Christian Scotland to be butchered alive, who can think of it without a blush of shame coming over his cheek?

Naomi died in 1877

12 Catherine Ross, aged 30 years, residing at Langwell, on seeing a crowd of people over at Greenyard, ran across the river to see what was going on. On entering the field, the first sight she saw was Naomi Ross lying weltering in her blood. Catherine immediately turned her over and wiped the earth from her mouth and eyes, and was just in the act of tying a napkin round her head in stop the bleeding, when a policeman came up quietly behind, and struck her a most violent blow on the head with his baton, which cut her to the very bone. He then struck
 her several blows on the back, and, as it were, to give a climax in his brutality, he closed up by kicking her on the spine. The poor woman is most seriously injured, and will take with her to the grave the marks of the policemen’s batons and shoes. This is what she got for her humane and commendable conduct, towards a sister in distress. Oh, Man’s inhumanity to woman!

13 Ann Ross, aged 56 years, unmarried, resides at Hilltown, Langwell—like Catherine Ross, before mentioned, ran across the river to see what was going on in Greenyard. She had no more thought of resisting the police than she has at this moment of going in join the insurgents in Greece! She was not, however, three minutes on the ground, when two policemen came up to her, and thrashed her with their batons, until her bones ware cracking. At first they beat her an the head; but one of them—a humane and tender fellow—said, “Oh! she’ll not stand that, it will kill her—beat her on the bank and shoulders”; and this the other fellow did, until his baton was broken over the poor creature’s shoulders! Her mutch was riddled with the blows she got on the head her blue derry gown was torn into ribbons over her back and shoulders, and her elbow was broken. The figure that poor “Annie” presented after she was taken off the field, with her head, shoulders, and back cut up and covered with blood, was most shocking. Had she been attacked in a den of tigers she could not have bean in a worse state.

14 Catherine Ross, aged 24 years, wife of Donald Ross, tenant, Langwell, on hearing at her own door the blows given by the police with their batons on the heads of the women at Greenyard, and seeing some of them lying as if dead on the field, and knowing that some of her own friends were there, ran down to the river, and quietly crossed the ford. Her intention was to assist the wounded. She had, however, scarcely crossed when two policemen, who were concealed among the bushes, sprung upon her like tigers; and one of them, seizing her by the throat, dashed her on the stones. Her head came in contact with a large stone, which shattered it, and caused compression of the brain. After she was prostrate, and her head bleeding, the police, with their knees on her breast, lifted up her hands, and were in the act of putting handcuffs on her when she fainted. On seeing this, one of them said, ‘Let her alone, she is dead” and then they immediately left her and ran back to the wood. She was insensible for nearly half-an-hour. The fright she got (independent altogether of the injuries she received on the breast) has been productive of serious mischief, not only in seriously affecting her mental faculties, but in destroying her health, and rendering her for a time unfit for domestic duties. She has a child only four months old.

15 Ann Ross, aged 43 years, wife of William Ross, alias Griasaich, tenant in Langwell, ran up on the bank of the river, and crossed at a wide ford, where the water was only about knee-deep—as the channel was very wide. After landing on Greenyard, else heard the awful moaning and groaning of the bleeding and, wounded females who were lying on the field, and she ran to assist them. She had only time to tear her apron into stripes for bandaging the broken and bleeding heads, when she saw two policemen making for her like blood-bounds. The poor woman got frightened, and ran for her life. At first she out-ran the police by jumping over some ditches and drains, and was likely to get beyond their reach and hide herself in a wood; but, just as she was near it, she saw a policeman on his knees, watching her like a cat. She now turned to the right, and ran towards the river. The police, however, followed and came up to her, and beat her several times on the bead, and on the back and shoulders, with their batons; still she kept her feet, although the blood was gushing from every wound—forming a trail after her—still the police pursued, up one hill, and down another; still she ran, still she was met, and chased out of one bush or thicket into another—still the batons beat on her head—still she hoped to escape, until at last, like the stag in the chase, her vision was failing—her bloodshot eyes and streaming nostrils are telling that she is hotly pursued by the blood-hounds. She is now frantic with despair—the police are close upon her—the river rapid and deep before her—there is not a moment to choose—a chance, a slender chance of escape is still left; and eyeing the gurgling pool with a confidence worthy of a heroine, she plunged in, and was carried along the stream! While the police were pursuing her on the Greenyard side of the river, the people on the north side of it were not idle spectators. They ran down by the riverside and watched every motion; and some of them attempted to cross and rescue her; but the river was too deep, and rapid, and they had to desist Others ran up to the ford, but this was before she plunged into the stream. Among those who ran and watched on the north bank of the river was William Ross, the husband of the pursued woman. He did not know that she had gone across, but after she came to the bank of the river he knew it was her by her shawl. He saw her plunge into the stream, and in the twinkling of an eye he jumped in after her; and, gliding down with the current. he caught hold of her; and after great exertions and no small’ risk of life, he managed to bring bar to land. She sank completely beneath the surface three times before her husband reached her; but the Almighty was kind towards her, and saved her must wonderfully. After she was brought to land it was thought she was dead, but in a few minutes she rallied, and her husband and others carried her home. She is the mother of six young children; and, I presume, I need not state here what must be apparent to all, the state of feeling ever since in her family, and the serious consequences to the poor woman’s health.

16 Grace Ross aged 20 years, daughter of William Ross, Ca-dearg, a very respectable young girl, and noted in the district for her clean and tidy appearance, as well an for her good conduct and amiable disposition. Grace had not the remotest idea of offering resistance to any human being, and her appearance at Greenyard at all at the time was purely accidental. She was looking on, a mere spectator, when a fierce-looking policeman came up and struck her a savage blow with his baton on the forehead, which felled her, as if a common shot had gone through her heart. Such was the force with which the blow was given that it caused a cut four inches long, exposing the skull, shattering the frontal bone, and carrying into the fissures pieces of the cap that was on the poor girl’s head. This blow caused concussion and compression of the brain, and for a few minutes she lay quite insensible. After she was able to crawl, she moved away in the direction of a wood; but the police, on noticing her, came back, and began again to beat her. She was struck several times on the back and shoulders; and being fearfully wounded by the blows she received, she ran into the river until the water reached her waist, and there she stood. The police remained at a distance watching her. Her clothing, such of it was appeared above the water, was completely red with blood; and her appearance was one of the most melancholy sights ever seen is a Christian country. At last the police moved away, and then the poor girl got out of the river; but she was so exhausted that she fell prostrate upon a sand bank, and appeared so if dead. Parties who had come now to the Langwell side of the river, seeing Grace lying on a bank on the opposite side, joined hands and plunged into the stream, and waded their way over. They lifted her up and brought her over, and thence they conveyed her to her father’s house. She is still in a dangerous state.

Grace Ross married George Mackay in 1866, had 6 children and died at Cawdearg in 1913 aged 80

17 Margaret Ross, aged 40 years, wife of Alexander Ross, Cornhill, Strathcarron, had been in Greenyards on business, and on her way to the ford, saw a crowd of people and ran up to them, went into the very heart of the crowd, and was quite close to the Sheriff. Heard the Sheriff say “knock them down.” Saw two women knocked down quite near her, and, in a minute after, a policeman struck herself a brutal blow with a baton, on the back of the head, which staggered her, and threw her off her feet. But she was soon up again, and ran for her life. Two policemen, however, followed hard after her, and one of them struck her twice with his baton on the back, and the other, coming along in a fury, struck her a violent blow on one of her legs, which took the skin down, and bruised and blackened it sadly. It is now in a bad state with ulcers. After this she got several blows so the side and shoulders, and was then left on the field for dead! She was carried off the field in the evening. This is a very bad case, where both the mental and constitutional functions of the patient are in a state of complete disorder. 

18 Ann Munro, residing at Cornhill, Langwell, a stout active young woman, heard that the police were coming, and went across the river to tell the tenants. By the time that she reached over, the police were on the ground, and a crowd of women were near the march. She immediately fell into the rank, and in a minute or two she was facing the police. Ann was in the best possible humour, and asked the police why they had come out against a few females, with batons and staves, as if they were savages? She got no answer, but heard the Sheriff cry “knock them down.” The police struck right and left with their batons, and a score or two women were thrown down. A policeman rushed at Ann, but missing his mark, he went head foremost into a drain. Another policeman came, and aimed a blow at her head, which she prevented by catching the baton with her hand, and pitching it into the river. Ann was so far successful, hat three policeman now closed in upon her, and gave her some terrible blows but all three did not succeed in putting her to the ground, and, although they pursued her like savages, they could not catch her; for the poor girl on finding herself so keenly pursued, jumped off the bank into the deepest pool in the river, and swam over to the opposite aide like a duck. After reaching dry land, she shook herself, and sat down to rest. The savage cowards that pursued her, could now only look on, gnash their teeth, and shake their fists at her; that was all. Ann has a very quiet and amiable look, but here she acted more like a heroine than a mild unassuming country lass

19 Janet MacKenzie, residing at Cornhill, Langwell, was in the heart of the crowd, and in the heat of the battle, and came in contact with several of the police, yet she escaped without loosing a single drop of blood. She was pummeled most unmercifully by the police; but being clever, and remarkably fast, she soon escaped out of their hands.