!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS --
THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section II, Edinburgh, The Clan MacLeod
Society, 1968, p. 96.
Succeeded as III of Harris and VIII of Berneray. He seems to have had
some legal training for he acted as a stipendiary in Jamaica for a time.
His estate in Harris was prosperous due to the kelp industry and sheep
farmers were making tempting offers for parts of his estate. Despite
warnings, he made Donald Stewart "a hireling shepherd", from Park,
Lewis, and who had originally come from Athole, his factor in Harris.
The new factor turned out to be as ruthless as he was ambitious and
Alexander Norman MacLeod fell very much under his influence with dire
results for the people of Harris. The factor, Donald Stewart, was
determined to get the farm of Luskintyre: the tenants of Berneray
offered double the rent of the farm to keep if from him. Alexander
Norman unfortunately gave the farm to his factor. According to John
MacLeod, [Crofters'' Commission Report 1883.] Airdhasaig, in 1883, the
factor now cleared seven townships in Harris at a stroke (Huishinish,
Govaig, Luachair, Leosavay, Cravadal, Deirisgir and Amhuinnsuidhe).
These were given to a relative of his own, Alexander Macrae. The factor
now cleared the Borves in West Harris and among the evicted were the
widows of James MacLeod, Malcolm Morrison and Angus MacGillespie,
who were killed fighting for Britain at the battle of Waterloo, 1815. The
evicted were cleared into the Bays of Harris or into the wilds of Canada.
In 1817, at Middleton in Linlithgow, Alexander Norman married Richmond
Margaret, daughter of William Inglis, W.S. When the newly married
couple arrived at Rodel, 20 local women met them and danced a reel.
Within 12 months, Rodel was cleared, the houses being unroofed and the
fires quenched. For a couple of years, Alexander Norman held this farm
in his own hands and thereafter it was occupied by the factor.
Meanwhile nemesis was on the way so far as the proprietor of Harris
was concerned. The Tory Government was under constant pressure from
traders and industrialists in the south to repeal the duties on the
importation of foreign barilla. These duties protected the kelp
industries and their repeal was bound to have appaling social and
economic results in the Hebrides. Alexander Norman wrote to Lord
Glenelg warning the Government that the repeal of these duties would
ruin the proprietors and tenants in the Isles. The Government paid no
heed: the kelp industry was practically destroyed and Alexander Norman
lost fully three-quarters of his annual income. In addition, there is
every reason to believe that he was in any case extravagant. By 1830 his
accumulated debts axceeded th total value of his estates and his
creditors were bound to take action. In 1834 his Trustees sold Harris to
Lord Dunmore for £60,000 and £500 for the right of patronage, a sum
that hardly covered his debts. Alexander Norman, now a poor man, died
shortly afterwards and his widow received a pension from Lord Dunmore.
He had issue.