It's your Electric Scotland newsletter meaning
the weekend is nearly here :-)
You can view what's new this week on Electric Scotland at
http://www.electricscotland.com/update.html and you can unsubscribe to
this newsletter by clicking on the link at the foot of this newsletter.
See our Calendar of Scottish Events around the world at
http://www.electricscotland.com/familytree/calendar_help.htm
CONTENTS
-----------------
Electric Scotland News
The Flag in the Wind
The Scottish Nation
Raiderland, All about Grey Galloway
Beth's New Fangled Family Tree (New)
Poems and Stories
Scottish Canadian Newspaper
Proceedings of the Scotch-Irish Third Congress at Louisville, Kentucky May
14 to 17, 1891
History of Scotland
Highlanders in Spain
Memoir of Norman MacLeod, D.D.
Stan's War Memorials in Grampian
Doug Ross's pictures from his Scottish Tour
ELECTRIC SCOTLAND
---------------------------------
Pleased to announce that Beth has brought back the Family Tree in .pdf file
format. It's now called "Beth's Newfangled Family Tree". I will be updating
our menu to reflect this during June and will be moving the old "Family
Tree" link to our Genealogy page as the archived information is well worth
keeping on the site but really no longer requires a high profile link on our
menu. More about Beth's Newfangled Family Tree below.
I just heard today that Billy Robb died of cancer on Sunday, May 27th. As
some of you may remember I lived with the Robbs in Kimberley, BC for a
couple of months in 2004 when I first came to Canada. I did a storyboard of
him and Debbie making some of their products at
http://www.electricscotland.net/canada/040312-1.htm
Ranald Alasdair MacDonald of Keppoch, Chief of the Honourable Clan Ranald of
Lochaber Mac Mhic Raonuill asked if I could post up a questionnaire for him
and so clan members can see this at
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/keppoch_message.htm
Attended the AGM of the Scottish Studies Foundation and Society in Toronto
this week. Both are doing well and we now look forward to the Sail Past
coming up in September.
Got in information on "The MacKy Family in New Zealand". This is a
transcription of the book of the MacKy or MacKay family with information on
the name in history. You can view this at
http://macky.net/history.html
Come to the Texas Scottish Festival and meet the author of Dark Birthright!
Jeanne Treat who will be a featured author and takes place in Maverick
Stadium in Arlington, Texas on June 1st – June 3rd. There will be Highland
Games, workshops, crafts, and music featuring Bad Haggis, the Kildares,
Tullamore, Beyond the Pale, and many more. Jeanne can be found in the
Craftsman area in the authors tent where Dark Birthright will be featured
along side the Rebel King Series. Meet the author, get a signed copy, and
attend a reading.
Learn more about her book at
http://www.darkbirthright.com and learn more about the Texas Scottish
Festival at
http://www.texasscottishfestival.com/
ABOUT THE STORIES
-----------------
Some of the stories in here are just parts of a larger story so do check out
the site for the full versions. You can always find the link in our "What's
New" section at the link at the top of this newsletter and pick up poems and
stories sent into us during the week from Donna, Margo, Stan, John and
others.
THE FLAG IN THE WIND
------------------------------------
Mind that The Flag is now in two sections (1) Political and (2) Cultural.
This weeks Flag is compiled by Jim Lynch and likely a reading of the Flag on
a regular basis will provide us with more information on how the SNP are
getting on in governing Scotland. The Flag is on issue 365 and here is what
Jim has to say in this issue...
Well here we are at Issue No 365 of the Flag in the Wind, and it is 7 years
since the Flag started. The first issue was on 9th June 2000, so I suppose I
am a bit previous with my comment, but it is worth noting that the Flag has
been updated every single week for those 7 years – no passes!
What is the old saying? “Keep a thing for 7 years and you’ll find a use for
it.”
It is in my mind that the Flag will become even more the weekly Scots
Independent, as we now have a Scottish National Party Government, and Yes,
the name Scottish Executive is no longer extant, and we will be politically
correct and use the term Government; Alex Salmond is no Henry McLeish to be
bullied out of the use of this name by London Labour.
The new Ministers in the Parliament will go by the title Secretary, and I
was astonished to read in the electronic Scotsman fulsome praise for John
Swinney, in his meetings with Standard Life, the Scottish Tourist Board and
COSLA; I am beginning to realise that we won!
Jim also notes that...
And strangely, at the time of writing, neither the Prime Minister in the
exit lounge, nor the Prime Minister in the foyer, have found time to pick up
the telephone and congratulated Alex Salmond on winning the election; Her
Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, found time to helicopter in with her good wishes,
but not the petulant pair. Tsk tsk.
Peter is discussing beer in this issue...
Brewing in Scotland has a long history and part of that rich tradition will
be celebrated later this month at the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Scottish
Traditional Beer Festival in the Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street,
Edinburgh, from Thursday 14 June to Saturday 16 June 2007. Beers in Scotland
are still referred to as 60/- (Light), 70/- (Heavy), 80/- (Export) and 90/-
(Strong Wee Heavy). This dates back to the excise duty levied on each barrel
in the 19th century. One of the CAMRA festival highlights will be the
‘Shilling Experience’ which will celebrate the remaining examples of
Scotland’s traditional beer style. The ‘Shilling Experience’ will feature a
range of traditional Shilling Ales including Belhaven 60/-, 70/-, 80/- &
90/- and Caledonian 80/- plus a selection of newer interpretations from
smaller new breweries including Exciseman’s 80/- from Broughton, Fowler’s
Prestonpans 80/- and Stewart’s 80/-.
Now in its fifth year the event showcases 120 of Scotland’s finest cask ales
and for the first time NO beers from England will be on sale – some cider,
perry and a selection of German bottled beers will however appear in the
Assembly Rooms. A surprisingly large number of the real ales on show will
come from Scottish islands. During the festival the CAMRA Champion Beer of
Scotland will be judged and as in past years competition show prove strong.
Opening hours are – Thursday 4-11pm; Friday & Saturday noon-11pm - and
Admission £4 Non-members, £3 Members, except for Friday after 6pm - £5
Non-members, £4 Members. Go along and enjoy a real Scottish pint.
This week’s recipe combines the excellence of Scottish trout and beer and is
aptly – Trout in Beer!
Trout in Beer
Ingredients: 2 trout; 1 cup light beer; 1 cup dry white wine; ½ cup vinegar;
4 slices of lemon; parsley to serve
Method: Clean and prepare trout and place in a shallow saucepan. Mix beer,
vinegar and white wine together and pour over fish. Bring to the boil and
simmer till cooked. Drain and garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Delicious served with new potatoes. Serves 2.
You can read the Flag, listen to the Scots Language, enjoy the Scots Wit and
lots more at
http://www.scotsindependent.org
The Scottish Nation
----------------------------
My thanks to Lora for transcribing these volumes for us.
Now on the G's and added this week are Granger, Grant and Gray.
The Grant entry is quite large here is a wee bit from it...
The badge of the Clan Grant was the pine or cranberry heath, and their
slogan or gathering cry, “Stand fast, Craigellachie!” the bold projecting
rock of that name (“the rock of alarm”) in the united parishes of Duthil and
Rothiemurchus, being their hill of rendezvous. The Grants had a long
standing feud with the Gordons, and even among the different branches of
themselves there were faction fights, as between the Ballindalloch and
Carron Grants. The clan, with few exceptions, was noted for its loyalty,
being generally, and the family of the chief invariably, found on the side
of government. In Strathspey the name prevailed almost to the exclusion of
every other, and to this day Grant is the predominant surname in the
district, as alluded to by Sir Alexander Boswell, baronet, in his lively
verses:
“Come the Grants of Tullochgorum,
Wi’ their pipers gaun before ‘em,
Proud the mothers are that bore ‘em.
Next the grants of Rothiemurchus,
Every man his sword and durk has,
Every man as proud’s a Turk is.”
There is also an excellent account of...
GRANT, CHARLES, an eminent philanthropist and statesman, was born in the
north of Scotland in 1746. His father was slain at the battle of Culloden
only a few hours after his birth, and the care of his youth in consequence
devolved upon an uncle, at whose expense he received a good education in the
town of Elgin. In 1767 he sailed in a military capacity for India, and on
his arrival he was taken into the employment of Mr. Richard Becher, a member
of the Bengal council. In 1770 he revisited his native country, where he
married a lady of the name of Fraser. In May 1772, accompanied by his wife
and some of her relatives, he again went to India as a writer on the Bengal
establishment. In the course of the voyage he formed an intimacy with the
Rev. Christian Frederick Swartz, the celebrated missionary, after whose
death, on Mr. Grant’s recommendation, a monument was erected to his memory
in St. Mary’s church at Fort St. George, at the expense of the East India
Company.
Soon after Mr. Grant’s arrival at Calcutta, he was, June 23, 1773, promoted
to the rank of factor, and shortly afterwards was appointed secretary to the
Board of Trade. In 1781 he was stationed as commercial resident in charge of
the company’s valuable silk factory at Malda, on the Ganges, in the
immediate vicinity of the stupendous ruins of the once magnificent city of
Gour, the ancient capital of Bengal. In June 1784 he obtained the rank of
senior merchant, and in February 1787 he was recalled to Calcutta, to occupy
the seat of the fourth member of the Board of Trade, conferred on him by
Lord Cornwallis. In less than three years after, the impaired health of his
family compelled him suddenly to quit India; and his return to England was
accompanied by unusually strong expressions of the high satisfaction with
which the Government regarded his zealous and faithful services in the
commercial department.
While in the east Mr. Grant distinguished himself by his regard to religion,
and his exertions to promote the cause of Christianity. He not only
contributed liberally to the rebuilding of St. John’s church, Calcutta, but
redeemed from ruin the Protestant mission church, styled Beth-Tephillah, or
“House of Prayer;” at a personal expense to himself of ten thousand rupees,
after which he vested it in trust for sacred and charitable purposes for
ever.
In May 1794 Mr. Grant was elected one of the directors of the East India
Company, in which capacity he was instrumental in effecting various
essential measures of economy. He also supported the projects in agitation
for the opening of the trade of India, and for preventing the abuse of the
patronage of the Company. In April 1804 he was elected deputy chairman of
the Court of Directors, and in April 1805 succeeded to the chair, which he
filled, either as chairman or deputy chairman, in rotation, till April 1816.
In 1802 he had been elected a member of the House of Commons for the
Inverness burghs, and in 1804 was returned for the county of Inverness. In
his place in parliament he invariably opposed the measures of Lord
Wellesley’s administration in India; and, on April 5, 1805, gave his support
to the resolution brought forward by Sir Philip Francis, “That to pursue
schemes of conquest and extension of dominion in India are alike repugnant
to the wish, the honour, and the policy of this nation.” His opinions on all
questions relative to India were received with great attention in the House
of Commons, where he ever proved himself to be the zealous and powerful
supporter of the Company, and the indefatigable friend and advocate of the
native population of British India. The education of the Company’s servants
destined for India was with Mr. Grant a question of vital importance, and
the plan of the college at Haileybury, in Hertfordshire, is said to have
originated with him.
Mr. Grant had in 1792 written and printed, for private circulation, a most
valuable tract, entitled ‘Observations on the State of Society among the
Asiatic Subjects of Great Britain.’ this pamphlet he laid before the court
of directors in 1797, accompanied with an introductory Letter, recommending
some measures for communicating Christianity to the natives of India, by
granting permission for missionaries to proceed thither. In June 1813 this
paper was called for by the House of Commons, and ordered to be printed for
the use of the members. The results of Mr. Grant’s persevering and
benevolent exertions for the improvement of the intellectual and moral
condition of the inhabitants of India, appear to have been the augmentation
of the ecclesiastical establishment of British India, the grant of a
privilege to missionaries to visit that country, and the appropriation of a
sum for the promotion of education among the natives. In 1818 Mr. Grant was
elected chairman of the commissioners for the issue of exchequer bills. He
was also included in the commission appointed by parliament to superintend
the erection of new churches. He was, besides, a member of the Society in
London for Promoting Christian Knowledge, as well as of another Society of
the same name connected exclusively with the Highlands and Islands of
Scotland. He was elected a vice-president of the British and Foreign bible
Society upon its institution in 1804, and was connected with the church
missionary and other societies of a religious and charitable description. He
died October 31, 1823. By his wife, Jane, daughter of Thomas Fraser, Esq., a
younger son of Fraser of Balnain, Inverness-shire, he had three sons,
namely, Charles, created Lord Glenelg, 8th May, 1836; Robert, of whom a
memoir follows; and Thomas William Grant, who died 15th May 1848. One of his
daughters was married to Samuel March Phillipps, Esq., at one period under
secretary of state for the home department, and another to patrick Grant,
Esq. of Redcastle.
You can read the rest of this entry at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/grant.htm
You can read the other entries at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/index.htm
Raiderland, All about Grey Galloway
----------------------------------------------------
by S. R. Crockett (1902)
Our thanks to John Snyder for ocr'ing in this book for us
Pleased to say that John has resumed sending us in chapters from this book
and we have Chapter 10 and 11 up this week. As it's been some time since we
did chapters of this book here is the Foreword to read here...
IT is my desire, not so much to write a new book about Galloway, as to focus
and concentrate what I have already written for the use of Galloway-lovers
and Galloway-travellers. I am not making a guide-book, but rather a
garrulous literary companion to the guide-books which already exist, and to
those which may be written in the future.
Secondly, I write not of All Galloway, but only of the part best known to
me-that which has, in some degree, come to be called "The Raiders' Country"
about which traditions new and old have materialised themselves with
something of the concreteness and exactitude of history. In short, I have no
purpose before me, save that of saying what I wish to say in my own way,
acknowledging no law save my own fancy, and desiring only to give a true, if
incomplete, picture of the Ancient Free Province of Galloway, specially of
that more mountainous and easterly portion of it known as the Stewartry of
Kirkcudbright.
For a hitherto unfrequented province Galloway is well equipped with books
dealing with its history and topography. And these, too, are not stately and
costly tomes like the great English County histories, but compact and easily
obtainable volumes which may accompany the traveller on his journeyings, or
remind him in his easy-chair after his return of the wild land of bog-myrtle
and peat where he has been sojourning.
Of the former sort - those which every traveller ought to carry about with
him - there are, first of all, Mr. Malcolm Harper's admirable " Rambles in
Galloway," a book full of knowledge and sympathy, savouring alike of the
brown moors and of Galloway's oat-cakes and mutton-hams. The author has
quite recently brought it up to date, and made it more indispensable than
ever to all who wish to understand the history and antiquities of the
province.
To Mr. Harper's book ought to be added the excellent and very practical
"Guide to the Stewartry" by the late Mr. J. H. Maxwell of Castle-Douglas,
the father of a family of journalists, whose writings have been more widely
read than those signed by many more famous names.
To these I hope that the smaller edition of "Raiderland" may be added, as a
record of the more poetical and imaginative interests of Galloway, as these
appear to the present writer.
Of books which may occupy a place in the library of the lover of our
mountainous southland, there are many. A full list of them may be found at
the end of Sir Herbert Maxwell's excellent "History of Dumfriesshire and
Galloway." Of these, my own private shelf contains the following : to wit,
two chronicles - Mackenzie's old-fashioned but most readable "History of
Galloway" and (what is indispensable for the critical student), Sir Herbert
Maxwell's aforesaid History, in which he applies modern methods to many a
good old hoary fiction concocted by the romancers of the times of eld, and
leaves his pages plain and truth-telling as mine (fair warning!) are
romance-laden and imaginative.
However, I object entirely to the tacking our free and ancient province to
the tail of Dumfriesshire. And though Sir Herbert, like a patriotic
Gallovidian, generally allows the tail to wag the dog throughout his terse
and knowledgeable chapters, still he owes it to his native heather that he
should write the History of Galloway more at large, leaving all the
Johnstones and Jardines of Annandale and the Border to settle their own
moss-trooping affairs.
To the histories ought to be added quaint John Mactaggart's "Galloway
Encyclopaedia" and Dr. Trotter's two excellent books of "Galloway Gossip."
Nothing more racy, more characteristic of the older Galloway now passing
away, has ever been put on paper than Dr. Trotter's reminiscences of an old
Scottish housewife, with her prejudices, her opinions and opinionatedness,
her scraps of old rhymes and proverbial catchwords. We cannot have too much
of such folk-lore put into concise and racy dialect.
To these must be added Professor H. M. B. Reid's "A Cameronian Apostle," a
very remarkable and honourable achievement in sympathetic biography, full of
digested knowledge, reaching past the outer husk of MacMillan's life to the
inner kernel of the man. It is, in my opinion, by far the best Galloway
biography ever written, setting a good man's life in the very atmosphere of
his time and thinking.
If the shelf be not too full by this time, then the late Sir Andrew Agnew's
interesting "Hereditary Sheriffs of Galloway" ought to be added, together
with an excellently edited and comprehensive selection from "The Bards of
Galloway," published by Mr. Harper in 1889.
So much by way of supplement to these random personal chronicles and
impressions of mine included in "Raiderland." For the rest, my book has
nothing to do with modern improvements or facilities of travel. Railway
timetables and livery stables will supply these. The seeing eye and a good
map will point out the castles and mansions of the great. I have not yielded
to the advice of friends and booksellers to place a large map in "Raiderland"
- first, because maps unfolding out of volumes designed to be read in the
open air are temper-ruffling things, all too apt to give employment to the
recording angel as they flutter in the breeze. Then in the second place
Bartholomew's excellent hand maps can be bought at every book-stall and
stationer's counter throughout the province. My business is with the
Galloway of brown bent and red heather, of green knowe and grey gnarled
thorn, of long low-built farm-town and wild gipsy raid, of Levellers and
love-making, of sea-mew and whaup. And in particular and especial, it
concerns the Galloway of a certain dreamy long-legged callant who, with a
staff in his hand and a whang of soda-scone in his pocket, left few of its
farms unvisited and few of its fastnesses unexplored in his unhaltered
boyhood of twenty-five years ago.
If anything be found by the visitor of the twentieth century to have
changed, let him take for granted that it was as stated in the sixties and
seventies of the previous era. But of this I am not greatly afraid. Galloway
will long keep its own flavour, wild and keen as that of heather honey. It
is a far cry to Loch Enoch and the Spear of the Merrick. The depths of the
Murder Hole will not give up their secret yet a while-whether that secret be
the bones of wayfaring men or only of stray black-faced sheep. Nevertheless
the western wind will bring even to those who travel in railway haste, wafts
of peat-reek and muir-burn from the Clints of Drummore and the Dungeon of
Buchan.
Of Mr. Pennell's drawings I need say little. In their several places and
relations they will speak for themselves. I have long desired that Galloway
should be interpreted by Mr. Pennell's pencil and brush. And I resolved that
till my friend could undertake the work, I should not publish this book.
Now, however, events have conspired to produce this desirable consummation,
and the result is before men's eyes in this volume. It may be interesting to
say that I did nothing to guide Mr. Pennell in his choice of subject. I
supplied him with a route-plan merely. But it was in all cases his own
artist's eye which chose the subject and his own incommunicable touch which
interpreted it. As Mr. Pennell had never been in Galloway before, and came
to it after a world-wide experience of the beautiful in all lands, I believe
that the result will be found singularly fresh and unconventional.
S. R. CROCKETT
You can read this book at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/raiderland/index.htm
Beth's New Fangled Family Tree
-----------------------------------------------
As I mentioned above Beth has brought back the Family Tree and will deliver
it each month in 3 sections as .pdf files. She is doing it this way so that
people can print it out if they wish. We would be interested if you'd like
to receive this publication as an actual newspaper.
I should note that this is the same Beth Gay that produced the Odom Library
Family Tree newspaper for some 15 years :-)
She intends to publish these on the first day of each month and you can read
the first issues three sections at
http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/
Here is her first Editor's Letter that appears in the first issue...
You all know that I've enjoyed doing a publication for you for a very long
time. It's wonderful now to be producing
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree to bring you all news of the Scottish
community, the historical community and the genealogical community. I hope
we will become "the hometown newspaper" of the worldwide Scottish community
and the others too.
This will be a monthly publication with an entire new issue put up the first
of each month. There is, of course, no charge. I sincerely hope that you
will patronize our loyal advertisers and thank them for sponsoring this
effort.
I solicit your photos and articles and news. If your group is up to
something you'd like everyone to know about, just email <bethscribble@aol.com>
or send things to BNFT, Beth Gay, 347 Rocky Knoll Rd., Walhalla, SC 29691.
I'm doing just fine - happy as I can be in the foothills of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to live where I can
see mountains - and I can see them from every window in my house.
My horses are happy here. Brendah Sue Louise has a friend, Ruby Lou Begonia
- and the two mares enjoy each other and even the infrequent snow that
graces this country. (You should have seen the involuntary long snow angel I
made going down the slope in the pasture last winter! I swear, the horses
laughed.)
My family of cats - Narra The Wonder Cat, Sylvester Highway, Peggie Hairy
and (the 'new kid') Biket (Biscuit) have settled in to enjoy the scenery,
the flowers - the mountain rhododendrons are in bloom now - and the lovely
weather and our little house almost at the top of Rocky Knoll. I'm almost
moved in...just painting and a few carpentry chores yet to do.
I hope you'll be a part of BNFT. If you could be sure I'm on the mailing
list for your Scottish Clan or historical or genealogical society...that
would be wonderful. Just use the USPS address to the left.
If you have a family reunion or have a query you'd like to have a wider
audience...or if you have an event in your family - both the happy ones and
the sad ones - we'd be glad to let everyone know.
I always think of my readers as dear friends...and I must thank you all for
your kindnesses over the past few years. I will be honest and tell you that
I would not have made it through if it had not been for my loving friends.
Thank you all.
This is going to be an adventure for me and I invite you to come along for
the ride!
Love
Beth
Poems and Stories
----------------------------
Donna sent in a gardening article, Red Bud Trees, Junipers, Purple Sage at
http://www.electricscotland.com/gardening/gardening1.htm
Scottish Canadian Newspaper
--------------------------------------------
Added another issue of this newspaper...
July 30, 1891 at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/canada/scotscan/issue36.htm
This issue carries an article about Huntingtower on the front page and on
the second page an interesting article on MacPherson's Ossian by Professor
MacKinnon.
You can see all the issues to date at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/canada/scotscan/index.htm
Proceedings of the Scotch-Irish Third Congress at Louisville, Kentucky May
14 to 17, 1891
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now working on the Third Congress and this week as well as completing the
summary proceedings have added...
Louisville's Greeting to Erin's Sons.
A poem by Mr. Wm. McCready
The Scotch-Irish of the Bench and Bar at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotsirish/congress3-14.htm
By Hon. A. E. Stevenson, of Bloomington, Ill
Patriotism of the Scotch-Irish at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotsirish/congress3-15.htm
By Prof. George Macloskie, of Princeton, N. J.
I am struck how much poetry is used in all the old publications that I post
up on the web site and so here is...
LOUISVILLE'S GREETING TO ERIN'S SONS.
They are coming—the clans are all coming;
The pibroch is sounding, they're coming in force;
From the East and the West, from the North and the South,
They're coming, they're coming from every source.
From the Foyle and the Shannon, from the
Boyne and the Tweed, the clans will be here.
Sons of brave sires, the pride of our race,
We shall take to our hearts without rival or peer.
From Scotia and Erin our brothers are coming,
From Down and from Derry, as brave as of old;
From the field and the forum, the pulpit and bench,
Our kinsmen are coming as sterling as gold.
Throw open your gates, "Falls City," to-day,
That heroes may enter and partake of thy cheer;
Let Kentucky give welcome with unstinted hand
To those leaders of men who are now gathered here.
On the wings of the past let memory come
To bring back again the thoughts that have slept,
To give back to us now in those heroes we greet
The sires o'er whose graves all patriots wept;
To bring back to our day the courage and will,
The manhood that shines in the darkest of hours,
The endurance that braved when all seemed as lost,
And cultured the wilds with the bloom of the flowers.
In the name of the past and all that it holds,
In the name of the valor your example inspires,
For the lessons of wisdom you have given to man,
We greet you as the sons of time-honored sires.
— William McCready, an Ulsterman.
You can read more of this volume at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotsirish/congress3ndx.htm
History of Scotland
----------------------------
In 9 volumes By Patrick Fraser Tytler (1828)
I have now completed the fourth volume and made a start at the fifth volume.
Here is what has been added this week...
Chapter 3 (Pages 332 - 385)
James the Fourth (1488)
Notes and Illustrations (Pages 389 - 426)
And from Volume 5...
Contents
Chapter 1 (Pages 1 - 85)
James the Fourth (1497)
Here is the Preface from the 5th volume...
In the present volume, the History of Scotland is brought down from the year
1497, where the fourth volume concluded, to the year 1546, a period
embracing the greater part of the reign of James the Fourth, the regency of
Albany, the whole of the reign of James the Fifth, and a portion of the
minority of Mary. In various parts of this volume, but more particularly in
the view given of the regency of the Duke of Albany, the author has differed
essentially from Pinkerton, one of the latest and most acute of our
historians, and to whose previous researches, in the unpublished treasures
of the British Museum, he has been much indebted. The reasons for this
difference are fully stated in the text; and it is certainly curious, that
while Pinkerton has frequently opened new ground, he should have failed to
perceive the contradiction which was given by the tenor of his narrative to
those loose assertions of Buchanan and other historians, which he has not
hesitated to repeat.
It is, however, in the latter portion of this volume, which embodies the
regency of the Earl of Arran, and the first rise of the Reformation, that
the author trusts the historical student will be most interested. It is
written almost exclusively from original letters and public muniments
preserved in His Majesty's State Paper Office. These rich materials have
lain unexamined by any of our general historians for a period of nearly
three centuries; and it is not too much to say, that they throw a clear and
useful light on a period of our annals hitherto very dark and contradictory.
To demonstrate their value, it is only necessary to point out the
elucidations which they afford of the conduct and motives of some
individuals of the Scottish aristocracy who were in the interest of England;
the manner in which they illustrate the violent and often unprincipled
policy of Henry the Eighth, and the extraordinary and revolting views which
they open into the conspiracy for the assassination of Cardinal Beaton. On
these, and on many other subjects, the materials preserved in the State
Paper Office contribute information, which is new in the history of the
country; and if, in the course of this volume, the author has spoken with
severity of the conduct of various members of the Scottish nobility, who
have been eulogized by other historians, it is to be remembered, that the
proceedings upon which he animadverts are proved under their own hand, and
that the motives held up to reprobation are taken from their own lips.
The exposure of such transactions is a grave, though not a grateful
duty—and, undoubtedly, the prevailing feeling ought to be, satisfaction at
the complete, though tardy, discovery of the truth. In the volume of
Scottish correspondence during the reign of Henry the Eighth, which is soon
to be published by Government, those original letters and public papers,
from which extracts have been given in this part of the work, will appear in
their entire state; and the author begs to express his obligation to Lord
Melbourne, for the liberality which allowed him the use of these most
valuable documents previous to their publication; and to Mr. Hobhouse, for
the courtesy with which the order was carried into effect. But most of all
are his thanks due to his friend, Mr. Lemon, Deputy-keeper of the State
Paper Office,—a gentleman to whose exertions the country mainly owes that
admirable arrangement which now distinguishes this great repository of our
national muniments; and from whose intimate acquaintance with ancient
manuscripts and records he has repeatedly derived assistance.
London, April 11, 1834.
As all the chapters are .pdf files I'll just point you at the index page of
this publication where you can read the chapters at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotland/historyndx.htm
Highlanders in Spain
------------------------------
By James Grant (1910)
Now up to Chapter 42 and here is how chapter 40 starts...
Chapter 40 - An Out-Picket Adventure
To prevent the French from possessing themselves of the Maya heights,
Wellington directed the Earl of Dalhousie, with his division, to threaten
them by moving on San Estevan; while Sir Rowland Hill, with the first and
three others of his brigades, made a similar demonstration, by marching
through the wild and romantic pass of Lanz.
Along the whole line of march from Vittoria to the Pyrenees, a distance of
about one hundred miles, the roads were strewed with dead or abandoned
horses, broken waggons, dilapidated carriages, military caissons, and
clothing of every kind; uniforms of officers, rich dresses, laces, veils,
and gloves of ladies, which were torn forth from mails and imperials by the
rude hands of guerillas and cacadores, and scattered about everywhere;
thousands of French commissariat returns, bundles of bank-notes, and packets
of letters, written to many who then lay cold beneath the tun at Vittoria,
were scattered over the ground by which the French had retired. Many poor
stragglers, disabled by wounds or starvation, fell into the hands of the
conquerors, and with others many ladies of Joseph's court, who on escaping,
when the carriages were taken by Graham's division, had attempted to make
their way to the Pyrenees by passing through wild and unfrequented places.
Many of these unfortunate creatures fell into the power of the Spaniards,
and were treated in a manner too barbarous to relate; and others were seen
by the gentler British, fainting, expiring, or dead by the wayside,
barefooted, almost naked, and reduced to the most pitiable condition. All
who were found alive were sent under an escort to the rear, to be placed
among the other prisoners.
The great chain of the Pyrenees was now before the victors, and on the 3rd
of July, Hill, with his four brigades, began to ascend the heights. After a
harassing march through that deep gorge among the mountains which takes its
name from the town of Lanz, they came in view of the out-pickets of General
Gazan's corps, and arrangements were made to drive them in forthwith. Led by
Fassifern, the first brigade moved through the most solitary passes of the
mountains by a village named Almandos, and took up a position on the left of
Gazan's outposts, upon which Sir Rowland gave orders to attack them in
front. On finding that Cameron had turned their flank so effectually, they
retired, firing by the way, and reached their main body at Barreta, where a
sharp skirmish took place, in which the Condé d'Amarante's Portuguese
suffered considerably.
Next day Gazan retired precipitately through Elizondo, followed by the
Portuguese, who were eager to revenge the slaughter of their comrades in the
preceding day's skirmish, and the troops resumed their march towards the
heights of Maya.
'Cheerily now, Highlandmen!' cried Campbell, flourishing his cudgel, as he
spurred his horse past the heavily-accoutred sections, who were toiling up
the mountains; 'hold cheerily on, my lads! Set a stout heart to a stey
brae,—ye mind the old saying at home: ye'll soon see the high road to
Britain, the way we must all go, ere we see the curl of our ain peat-reek.'
A few hours' march brought them to the summits of the Pyrenees, and afar off
was seen the ocean, which they had not beheld for so long. It was the way to
their homes, and from a simultaneous feeling which inspired every man, three
hearty cheers awoke the echoes of the mountains; caps and bonnets were
tossed into the air,—the bands struck up 'Rule Britannia,' and the pipers
blew till their faces grew purple and black. The brigades halted for a few
minutes, and a dead silence succeeded the first outbreak of their joy. Every
man's breast seemed swelling with emotions which he found it impossible to
communicate; but he read in the faces of his comrades the same joy which
quickened the pulses of his own heart. The sea,—the same deep-heaving sea
which swept around the rocks and shores of their own country, now spread its
broad bosom before them; and long and wistfully they gazed on the white
sails of the solitary British cruisers, which here and there dotted the
dark-blue waters of the Bay of Biscay. The green ridges of the Lower
Pyrenees, the fertile plains and wooded vales of France, lay spread at their
feet like a brightly-tinted map. Saint Jean de Luz, the famous and opulent
Bayonne, and a thousand minor towns and villages, were seen from those lofty
summits, now trod by British soldiers for the first time. Behind them lay
sunny Espana, through which they had toiled and fought their way, and where
many a comrade had found his grave,—but no man looked to the rear. Every eye
was turned to the north,—on France, which lay below them. But stern and
bloody work was awaiting them, and many a one whose heart then bounded with
thoughts of his native home, and with a thousand inexpressible hopes,
wishes, and fond anticipations, was doomed to find his last resting-place on
these very heights of Maya. That night the troops bivouacked on the
mountain-side, a league in front of Elizondo. As it was generally his luck,
after any march which had been particularly long and tiresome, Ronald Stuart
had command of an advanced picket, forming one of the chain thrown out in
the direction of Gazan's division, which had taken up a position lower down
the mountains, with the determination to dispute every inch of ground that
led to la belle France,—a resolution which the Marquis of Wellington
determined to put to the test next day. Stuart's orders were to visit his
sentries every hour throughout the night, to keep them on the alert; a duty
which proved very harassing after so long a march, as it was almost
impossible to sleep in the short intervals between the rounds. However,
fretting would not have bettered the affair, and rolling himself up in his
cloak, he resolved to make himself as comfortable as he possibly could. A
huge fire lighted by the soldiers lessened the cold, and counteracted the
effects of a heavy wetting dew, which falls amid these mountains at almost
every season.
You can read the rest of this chapter at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/spain/romance40.htm
You can read the other chapters at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/spain/romancendx.htm
Memoir of Norman MacLeod, D.D.
-------------------------------------------------
Minister of Barony Parish, Glasgow; one of Her Majesty's Chaplains; Dean of
The Chapel Royal; Dean of The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of The
Thistle.
By his brother The Rev. Donald MacLeod, B.A. (1876)
Got up five chapters this week covering...
1845. - North America
Evangelical Alliance, and Tour in Prussia and Silesia
Last Years at Dalkeith. - 1848 - 1851
1851—1856
1857—1859
Here is how the 1845 - North America chapter starts...
THE General Assembly of 1845 having determined to send a deputation to
British North America, to visit the congregations connected with the Church
of Scotland in these colonies, the late Dr. Simpson of Kirknewton, Dr. John
Macleod, of Morven, and Norman Macleod, of Dalkeith, were appointed
deputies. They accordingly sailed from Liverpool in June, and were absent on
this duty for five months. The purpose of the deputation was to preach to
the many congregations which had been deprived of their clergy during the
recent ecclesiastical troubles, and to explain, when called upon, the views
which had determined the policy of those who had remained by the Church of
their fathers. They determined not to utter a disrespectful word regarding
their Free Church brethren, and while firmly vindicating their own Church,
to do nothing likely to interfere with the usefulness of any other Christian
body.
Their labour—travelling, preaching, and addressing meetings—was severe. As a
specimen of the work which fell to him in common with the others, he records
what was done during one week. "On Friday, I preached and travelled sixteen
miles; Saturday, preached once; Sunday, preached and gave two addresses to
communicants at the Lord's Table; Monday, preached again; Tuesday, travelled
thirty-two miles and spoke for an hour and a half; Wednesday, travelled
forty-three miles and spoke for two hours; Thursday, preached and travelled
twenty-five miles!"
The following extracts are taken from the letters he wrote during his
sojourn in America:—
To his Sister Jane:—
"On board the Commodore, going to "Liverpool, 1845.
"We had a happy dinner at Glasgow, Mother sad, until 'I calmed her fears and
she was calm.' Don't you love your mother? What is she? Not a nice body—she
is too large in soul and body for that. Not a nice soul—she has too much
sense and intelligence for that. Not a nice woman —she has too much
enthusiasm and also piety for that. A lady is not the word—for my mother's
income was always small, good soul; and though she could furnish ten ladies
with what is lady-like and keep to herself what would serve to adorn a
minister's house, lady is not the word. My mother! That's it; and don't you
love her? I do; and let me tell you that in these days the fact is worth
knowing.
"Liverpool, Half-past eleven p. m.—The Bell Buoy struck me much. As the
waves rise the bell rings. I cannot tell you the effect it had on my
imagination when I first heard it. The sun was setting, attended by a
glorious retinue of clouds. Ships in full sail and pilot boats were sailing
in relief, and crossing and recrossing between us and the red light. I heard
a most solemn and touching chime; then silence; and the ding dong again came
over the sea. I can hardly express the strange thoughts it suggested. One
could not but think of it in nights of storm and darkness ringing its note
of warning to the sailor, and its note of welcome too, and perhaps its
funeral dirge. It was so on the awful 7th of January, when the New York
Liner was shipwrecked on these banks; when the fine fellow of a captain got
deranged as he discovered that the light-ship, his only guide, was driven
from her moorings! I could not but think it was alive and cold and lonely :
that it had all the feeling of being deserted on a waste of waters like what
poor Vanderdecken had, who hailed every ship, but no one came to his aid;
and so the bell chimed and chimed for company, but it only proved a warning
to all who heard it to sail away!"
"At Sea.
When I looked into Dr. Simpson's cabin, I saw a poor emaciated man,
evidently dying of decline, in one of the berths. I spoke kindly to him, and
found he was an American who had left Boston for his health, thinking a sea
voyage would do him good. But he was now returning in a dying state. In the
evening, the captain seeing how ill he was, removed him to a berth nearer
the air. I saw him again in the evening and got into conversation with him
about the state of his soul. He seemed very ignorant but teachable. He had
attended a Unitarian Chapel I promised to read with him and to come to him
any hour he wished; gave him my name and told him I was a clergyman. He
seemed very grateful. He said his father was alive, but his mother was dead;
and she used to speak to him every day on these things. Poor fellow !
Perhaps it was in answer to her prayers, that in his last hours he had
beside him those who spoke to him the truth.
"Saturday, 21st.—Poor------was speechless this morning. He died at nine
o'clock. I am very thankful that I did not delay speaking to him.
"Sabbath, 22nd.—Rose early. The morning was breezy. The coffin was covered
by a flag and placed on a plank near the port. The sailors who attended were
dressed in their white trousers, and many of the passengers were gathered
round. We read together the Church service for the burial of the dead. When
we came to the portion of the service when the body is committed to the
deep, the plank was shoved forward with the coffin on it, and one end being
elevated, the coffin slid down and plunged into the ocean; a splash, and his
remains were concealed forever till the day that the sea shall give up its
dead.
"I read the Church of England service in the forenoon to an excellent
congregation, and John preached on the text, 'How shall we escape?"
You can read the rest of this chapter at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/macleod/chapter10.htm
The index page for the book is at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/macleod/index.htm
Stan's War Memorials in Grampian
---------------------------------------------------
As you likely know Stan is the Bard of Banff and as well as sending us in
some of his poetry he has also sent in a huge number of pictures for our
Grampian page in our Historic Scotland section. Well this week he has
started to send us in features on War Memorials in this same region and so
far you can view .pdf files of...
New Pitsligo War Memorial at
http://www.electricscotland.com/historic/New%20Pitsligo%20war%20memorial.pdf
Ardallie War Memorial at
http://www.electricscotland.com/historic/ardallie_war_memorial.pdf
Auchindor Parish War Memorial at
http://www.electricscotland.com/historic/auchindor_parish_war_memorial.pdf
You can also see the Grampian section at
http://www.electricscotland.com/historic/grampian.html
Stan also send in a picture .pdf file of the 2007 Maritime Exhibition in
Banff at
http://www.electricscotland.com/historic/2007%20exhibition%20intro%20photos.pdf
Doug Ross's Pictures from Scotland
----------------------------------------------------
Doug and Pat Ross had a great holiday in Scotland and now they are back home
in Canada they have been sending me in pictures from their tour. I know we
all enjoy pictures so have created a section for Doug and Pat which we'll
add to as more pictures come in :-)
I might add that all the pictures are thumbnailed down to 294 pixels but if
you click on any of the pictures you'll get a larger version. Doug also made
a point of doing a higher resolution pictures where there was an
informational picture board at a site.
So far he has three sections up for...
Burns National Park at Alloway in Ayr
Hadrian's Wall - Cawfield, Northumbria
Jedburgh Abbey
You can see this section at
http://www.electricscotland.com/pictures/ross/index.htm
And that's all for now and hope you all have a good weekend :-)
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com
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