1949 Sunday Post - 150 Young Men Went out to Seek Their Fortune (15/May/1949)

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Publication The Sunday Post
Originator / Author  
Date 15/May/1949
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50 Young Men Went Out To Seek Their Fortune


If you know a more remarkable village, we’ll be glad if you’ll tell us about it.


HAVE you ever heard of Embo? It’s a village on the east coast of Sutherland. It has three shops, two telephones, and a wee school. The nearest church is in Dornoch, three miles away.


Barely 200 families live in Embo. But there’s probably no village in Scotland with such a remarkable story.


Thirty-five years ago, 150 young men of Embo went to war with the Royal Naval Reserve. Their fishing boats became mine-sweepers. Not a man was lost. But their livelihood was. Because, when the men returned, boats cost so much they couldn’t be replaced.


In the long rows of fisher houses every family faced a choice. Parents could keep their young folk at home to help them scrape a living, or let them go out into the world to seek their fortunes. In most cases there was only one answer. Every week sons and daughters, singly or together, packed up. They were all in their twenties. They had no jobs to go to. But they took ship to all parts of the world, determined to succeed.


AND what a send-off they got.


As each one’s turn came, the family and all their friends escorted them to the station. There the whole party men, women and children—boarded the train and travelled the seven miles to The Mound, the main line station. Not till then were the final good-byes said.


Many families took part in several such scenes. For as months went by, word came for brothers and sisters to follow. And so the exodus went on. Now there’s not a fishing boat left on the golden beach on the Dornoch Firth. But in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and America there are thriving families of Scots to whom Embo is still home.


And not one of them has failed to keep in touch. Every week, letters or parcels reach Embo from overseas since rationing began, not a village in Scotland has received so many parcels.


Before the war there was an even happier link. Captain Jack Phimister, of the Merchant Navy, son of a former schoolmaster, sailed all over the world. Everywhere he went he looked for Embo exiles. He took them the news of home and brought back news of them to their home firesides.


Far-Flung Family


HOW have they got on?


Five daughters and two sons of Mr and Mrs Dan Cumming, Mizpah House, emigrated to Seattle.


Bella and Alexina have a clothing business. Thomasina is secretary. Christina was a hospital matron. She resigned to serve with the Forces in the Pacific, and is now a district nurse. Jessie is married.


Brother George has a real estate business in Florida. Donald, with the sea in his blood, is a ship’s steward.


A third son, James, went to Australia, and was badly wounded with the Anzacs. He’s now head janitor of an Edinburgh school.


Another family of Cummings settled in Boston. They are the three sons and three daughters of the late Mr and Mrs Adam Cumming. The sons are building contractors, the daughters married.


One is married to Mr Sandy Macfarlane, well known as author of the Highland lilt, “Grannie’s Hieland Hame.” The home of which he wrote stood in Embo, overlooking the firth.


Donald Cumming, son of Mr Donald Cumming, 7 School Street, also went to Boston. He’s a designer there. He’s also well known as a broadcaster, and has a dance band composed entirely of his own family.


Still another Cumming, David, went to China and became a superintendent in Shanghai Police. He has now settled in Vancouver.


There he’s well fixed for neighbours from home. Seven sons and three daughters of Mr and Mrs Ken Ross, Bank Street, Embo, all went to Vancouver. They run a thriving fishing industry. And associated with them is Alec Mackay, who also went from Embo.


Other Ross’s, from Springwell Cottage, went to Boston. The sons are commercial chemists, the daughters married. They’ve a name of their own for Boston— “Little Embo.”



Sunday Post - Sunday 15 May 1949

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