Share page on FacebookJane Duncan at Cromarty
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The Cromarty Courthouse Museum 2010 exhibition celebrates the life and work of Black Isle author Jane Duncan in the centenary of her birth. Jane Duncan leapt to fame in the 1950s when seven of her novels were accepted by Macmillan publishing, a feat almost unheard of in publishing circles at that time and which attracted national press coverage. The novels echo Jane Duncan’s own life story with settings in lowland Scotland, southern England and Jamaica. But it is probably her novels set on the Black Isle and featuring her beloved uncle George that have retained the strongest following, and it is these novels that have inspired the Courthouse’s exhibition. Jane Duncan’s detailed and evocative descriptions focus on rural life at the Colony, just above Jemimaville, and ‘Ardcraggan’ an imaginary village with elements of Jemimaville and Cromarty. Family and farm life is warmly portrayed, representing an ideal to Jane Duncan, but the wider community life is by no means a simple rural idyll, with poverty, suicide and madness all part of the storyline. The descriptions of life from around 1915 to the 1930’s caught the imagination of the Courthouse trustees and have been blended with historic fact to provide an insight into rural life at that time, including descriptions of harvest homecoming, celebrations at the big house, meeting the coal boat with clydesdales and farm carts all cleaned and polished for the occasion and Bella Beagle, the fish-seller, travelling the district to sell her wares. Chair of the Courthouse Trustees, Caroline Vawdrey commented: “It is exciting to see the past so vividly brought to life by Jane Duncan’s descriptions and incredible to think how much has change in the past century. For all those many changes the Black Isle still has a strong sense of community and I think that visitors to the exhibition will warmly relate to the life she evokes. After all who could resist her description of going to the coal boat ‘The big Clydesdales would be shining to the last hair, their manes and tails plaited and tied with golden straw, their harnesses glittering, their carts bright blue with red wheels and every cart with its brass plate gleaming...’ We are extemely grateful to the Highland Culture Programme and European Leader in their assistance in funding this exhibition, which has been designed by local artist, John McNaught, who also designed our highly acclaimed ‘From the Fishertown’ exhibition.” |
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In putting together the exhibition Courthouse trustees have been working closely with Jane Duncan’s niece, nephews and their families and are extremely grateful for the archive photos that they have allowed them to reproduce. The niece and nephews, Shona, Neil, Donald and Iain all became know to her followers through Jane Duncan’s ‘Cameron’ childrens’ stories, one of which, ‘Camerons on the Train’ was made into a film which the family hope to get the chance to show again in public. The family are also working with Millrace Publishing to produce a beautiful new hardback edition of ‘My Friends the Miss Boyds’ which they will be launching in Cromarty at the end of June. In June fans of Jane Duncan can also look forward to a guided walk of Jemimaville, visiting the places she lived in and described in her novels. This will be led by local history expert Jim Mackay, with funds raised going to the Kirkmichael Trust for the restoration of Kirkmichael Church, in whose grounds she is buried. Jim Mackay enthuses: "Jane Duncan regarded the area as her creative source, and through the tour we will be trying to see it through her eyes." The Courthouse is open Sunday to Thursday 11.00 - 4.00 until the end of September, and if you’d like to go on the tour of Jemimaville keep a look out in the local press and on their website www.kirkmichael.info |
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