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Weekly Mailing List Archives
16th May 2008


Alastair McIntyreElectric Scotland's Weekly Email Newsletter

Electric Scotland - The No.1 Scottish History Site Aois - The Celtic Community
The Electric Scotland Article Service

Dear Friend

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/rss/whatsnew.php 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  It's your Electric Scotland newsletter meaning the weekend is nearly here :-)

CONTENTS
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Electric Scotland News
Scotland on TV
The Flag in the Wind
Article Service
The Scottish Nation
Clan and Family Information
Poetry and Stories
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1845)
Book of Scottish Story
Good Words - Edited by the Rev Norman MacLeod
Household Encyclopaedia
Antiquarian Scottish Books in Adobe Reader format
The History of the Highland Clearances
Scotland's Influence on Civilization
Arbroath and its Abbey
Sketches of Early Scotch History
The Emigrants Statue


ELECTRIC SCOTLAND NEWS
----------------------
Pleased to say we're moving ahead with our Aois Community and this week we've added several new features. We have a more personal greeting when you join depending on the time of day. You can select what mood you're in, and get your own daily horoscope.

We've also added 305 arcade games for you to play, most with high score tables. Of course as I'm testing things out I'm naturally the champion right now but suspect that won't last long :-)

We've also got the radio & TV stations running. So far have managed to plug in the BBC News, NBC News and the 2 STV news bulletins along with a couple of other TV stations. On the radio front we have BBC Scotland and BBC Ulster programs, Celtic Music and a few others. There are also a number of other music stations that came with the system which we'll likely prune out as we get things organised. And do feel free to contribute by providing us with the streaming urls for any radio stations you enjoy listening to :-) This facility comes up in a new window so if you are listening to radio you can continue listening by minimising the window and thus continue with what you were doing.

We got a live chat facility up but Steve's discovered a much better one and so we'll be replacing that in the not too distant future. As Steve tells me this will be an Instant Messenger (IM) type chat system which can also interface with Yahoo, Google, ICQ, etc. So looking forward to seeing it.

So do give it a go and let us know what you think of our efforts to date at http://www.scotchat/vbull

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Now that Steve is in full working mode it seems he is of the opinion that we need to update our site and see where we can go with it on a technical level. This means that we'll likely be soliciting your help to complete a very large survey, the results of which will be taken into account to move the site forward. We'll be inviting all our newsletter readers to participate and also placing a banner or something on the site so our other visitors can get involved.

An example of one question we will be asking is if you'd like us to split up chapters of books onto several pages rather than one large page. Up to now I've mostly post up a chapter per page.

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Due to all the storms moving through our area in the USA we have had a couple of down periods due to power lines going down and also our Internet cable being cut in one storm. So sorry for that but obviously not in our control when these things happen.

We're also getting firmer on the date for our move to Michigan which looks to be around 20th June. When we do the move we will be down for at least 12 hours. It means us unplugging our servers, loading them into the car, and then driving some 12 hours to Michigan and then plugging them in when we get there. I might add that as we will be working with new IP addresses in Michigan it will mean that domain name servers will need to update and that can take anything from 1 - 24 hours and so depending on where you are in the world it could be up to 36 hours before you can get to us.

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As you know I've been making available some .pdf books on the site. Mostly this was due to them being very difficult to ocr into normal web pages. The last one I wanted to add is now up for which see below. This will now complete this project although I might add another book or two to that section but no longer one a week.

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I have also taken time to better organise our old Desktop page. I decided that it would be better to bring up a single application at a time so that you could get to them quicker. And so the Desktop can now be found under our "Services" menu. When you go down the page you'll see Desktop with links under it for...

Driving Directions
World Time Server
Roman Numeral Calculator
Measuring Worth
Calculators
Weather
Daily Crossword
UK Street Maps
Flight Status
Dictionary
Calendar
Track IP Address, ISP, Country, Proxy
Live TV Channels
US Zip Code Lookup
Mahjong
Patience

You can get to these at http://www.electricscotland.com/services/index.htm

-----

For those of you around Toronto or prepared to travel there is an outstanding historical event about the Scottish Associational Culture in the Diaspora.

This one day conference will bring together an international gathering of scholars to focus on the origins, membership and role of as socialional and philanthropic groups making claim to Scottish national identity. An emphasis will be placed on St Andrew's Societies in Scotland, North America and New Zealand, but other clan, religious. Celtic and Highland groups will be investigated. Contributors include:

R. J. Morris (University of Edinburgh). 'The Scottish Contribution to Nineteenth Century Associational Culture - enlightenment and the Thistle?'

Tanja Built Mann (Victoria University of Wellington). The Case of the Forgotten Saint? Scottish Associational life in New Zealand to 1910'

Graeme Morton (University of Guelph). 'Philanthropy and National Identity in Scotland"

Kim Sullivan (University of Ontgo). 'Associations! Culture in 19th century Australia'

Shannon O'Connor (University of Guelph). The St. Andrew's Societv of Toronto: Scottish ethnic associational culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries"

Kevin James (University of Guelph). 'Associational Culture in 19th-century Canada'

Gus Noble (Chicago). The St Andrew's Society of Illinois: Chicago's First Charily"

Greg Gillespie (Brock University). 'Ritualized Scottishness: Robert Burns Suppers and Associational Culture"

Andrew Hinson (University of Guelph). The Scots in Toronto: a spatial analysis of Presbyterian Church membership in the late 19th century"

Venue: Emmanuel College, University of Toronto 75 Queen's Park Crescent E, Toronto, ON M5S 1K7 (Rm 1)

Registration fee (including lunch): $40 for members of the Scottish Studies Foundation and any St Andrew's Society. $45 for non-members.
(cheques payable to 'University of Guelph').
Special $15 Student Rate.

To help us arrange catering, please confirm attendance in advance to:

Centre for Scottish Studies Department of History. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. N1G 2W1 Tel: 519 824 4120. ext 53209 Email: Scottish@uoguelph.ca  Web: http://www.uoguelph.ca/scottish  

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Finally... next week will see us starting on a new book, "The History of Curling".  I do know curling is popular in Scotland, Canada, USA and New Zealand so hope you'll enjoy a read of this book.


ABOUT THE STORIES
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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 or on our site menu.


Scotland on TV
--------------
Visit their site at http://www.scotlandontv.tv 

Scotland on TV is based within the stv (Scottish television) building on Glasgow's brand new Pacific Quay, alongside the River Clyde. All around us is a very new look Glasgow. The riverside has been opened up and where there were old warehouses, there are now 21st century office buildings and luxury flats.

But the development is so new and ongoing that we sometimes feel cut off from the things you take for granted in cities - like food shops and restaurants; however, this week, that all changed. The food came to us and most importantly, it was Scottish produce.

Stephen Jardine, one of the presenters of one of our local shows - the five thirty show, has been on a mission to eat nothing but Scottish food : from Burns Night to St Andrew's Day. And this week Stephen got the whole company in on the act and a number of Scottish food producers came along to Pacific Quay and tempted us with some delightful Scottish products. The award for the most impact tho' has to go to Iain R. Spink, the producer of the Scottish delicacy - the Arbroath Smokie. The guys turned up, lit their fire and smoked that morning's catch in front of us. Delicious! And you can find out more about this most yummy of Scottish foods here http://www.scotlandontv.tv/scotland_on_tv/video.html?vxSiteId=60fdd544-9c52-4e17-be7e-57a2a2d76992&vxChannel=Food%20Recipes&vxClipId=1380_SMG2153&vxBitrate=300 and also from their website http://www.arbroathsmokies.net.


THE FLAG IN THE WIND
--------------------

This weeks Flag is compiled by Jennifer Dunn with her first ever compilation. Jennifer is an SNP Councillor and she tells us a bit about her work along with other interesting items of news in the Scottish Political scene.

In Peter's cultural section we get from his Quotations sections...

Having had the good fortune to have spent decades travelling the Borders, Highlands and Islands at all heights and seasons, I am in the position, I think, to make comparisons with other countries. The only thing I am disappointed in is that we don’t run our own affairs as does Norway. We have the resources, and history shows we have the people. England has its own problems for its fifty million or so to contend with. With only five million Scots we can manage ours, and I think the same goes for Wales. I hope I shall live long enough to see it happen, and another age of enlightenment dawn.

(Weir’s World – An Autobiography of Sorts 1994)

We also get some interesting information on the Isle of Man...


Castle Rushen

This week we follow in the footsteps of King Robert I, King of Scots, 695 years ago and cross the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man. He went with the intent and outcome of restoring the Isle of Man to Scottish rule after the English had taken over the island early in the long Wars of Independence. The Isle of Man first came into Scottish hands when the Norwegians ceded it and the Hebrides to Scotland in the Treaty of Perth in 1266. Prior to this treaty, the Isle of Man had been at the centre of Viking rule over the Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish seaways with its own parliament Tynwald. With the Treaty of Perth, Mann came under the rule of Alexander III, King of Scots (1249-1286), known as ‘The Peaceable’. It was a less peaceable face that the Manx had to face nine years later when Alexander sent a fleet of armed men to the island. On 8 October 1275 Scottish forces put down a Manx rebellion in the Battle of Ronaldsway, the site of the modern Isle of Man Airport. The Manx had refused peace terms the previous day and before dawn were routed with more than five hundred slain. Monks at Rushen Abbey recorded in ’The Chronicles of the Kings of man and the Isles’ that -

‘Ten times 50, three times 10, and five and two did fall,
O Manx race beware lest future catastrophe you befall.’

On a happier note it was during the reign of Alexander that the famous symbol of the Isle of Man – The Three Legs – which proudly flies on the Manx flag came into being. You will see the Manx flag flying all over the island, not just on official buildings, but in ordinary homes. Scots would do well to follow their example with the Saltire.

From the days of Robert I the Isle of Man was to continue to pass from Scottish to English control until the Scots gave up. But our Gaelic speaking cousin have been able to hold to their own way over the centuries and their 1,000 year-old parliament – Tynwald – still has far more control over Manx affairs, both at home and abroad, than the devolved matters reluctantly given by Westminster, to the fledgling Scottish Parliament. Scottish Minister Linda Fabiani was the first representative from the Scottish Government, earlier this year (March 2008), to officially visit Tynwald, and hopefully the Scots will learn much from Manx contacts.

By the time you read this, the Wright part of The Flag team will be holidaying on the island and tracing the route Robert I took from Ramsey, first to the island capital Douglas, where he stayed in the Nunnery, then on to Castletown, where he took the Castle of Rushen and destroyed it. Visiting Man is very much akin to journeying up the west of Scotland - bonnie scenery, mountains, glens and rivers (albeit on a smaller scale) are all a reminder of home. Little wonder that Mann has long proved to be a popular holiday destination from Scotland.

Most visitors to the Isle of Man try their renowned Kippers or scallop delicacies Queenies, but no visit to Man is complete without having a few slices of Bonnag – absolutely delicious with a fly-cup!

Plain Bonnag

Ingredients: 8 oz plain flour; 1-2 oz butter; pinch of salt; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda; 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Method: Sift flour and salt into a bowl and rub in butter. Mix together with buttermilk, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Gradually add liquid and mix with a fork to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board and knead the dough until smooth. Shape into a round and place on a greased baking tray. Mark into sections and brush top with milk. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 to 40 minutes until well-risen and golden brown.

And you can now purchase a Scots Independent T-Shirt, Scottish Flags and books at http://www.scotsindependent.org/shopping_mall.htm

You can read the Flag, listen to the Scots Language, enjoy the Scots Wit and lots more at http://www.scotsindependent.org


Christina McKelvie MSP's weekly diary for the past 2 weeks is at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/mckelvie/080515.htm

The Article Service
-------------------
Got in an interesting wee story of "A Llama Named Michaela" along with other interesting articles from Donna and others.

On a technical note the customisation of the Article Service is now complete and so authors can now edit their own articles and also add images to them. To do this you must be logged in and when you do log in the Login Panel is replaced by your own authors panel on the top right of the screen. One of those links is to "My Articles" and when clicked will bring up all your articles. Against each article you'll see "Edit" and "Images".

The Edit option allows you to edit your article and change any formatting.

The Images option allows you to upload an image into your article from your local hard disk. I might add here that if the image is on the web you can insert that while creating your article but you couldn't insert one if it wasn't already on the web. And so this option fills this need if you only have the picture on your own hard disk.

You can get to our Article Service at http://www.electricscotland.com/article


The Scottish Nation
-------------------
My thanks to Lora for transcribing these volumes for us.

We are now onto the N's with Nichol, Nicholson, Nicoll, Nicolson, Niddrie, Nimmo, Nisbet and Nithsdale added this week.

I was interested in one biography...

NICOLL, ALEXANDER, D.C.L., an eminent oriental scholar, was the youngest son of John Nicoll, Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, where he was born, April 3, 1793. His parents belonged to the Scottish Episcopal communion, in the principles of which he was strictly educated. He received the first rudiments of learning at a private seminary; and, after being for some time at the parish school, he was sent in 1805 to the grammar school of Aberdeen. Having soon after obtained a small bursary, he attended the classes of Latin and Greek at the Marischal college of that city; and, at the close of his first session at college, he gained the prize of the silver pen, bestowed on the best Greek scholar in the first class. In 1806 he entered the class of mathematics, then taught by Dr. Hamilton, the celebrated writer on finance, and also attended the prelections of Professor Beattie in natural and civil history.

In 1807 he went to Oxford, having been informed that there was a vacancy at Baliol college, in one of the exhibitions on Snell’s foundation. He carried with him a letter of recommendation from Bishop Skinner of Aberdeen to Dr. Parsons, the Master of the college, and was at once elected to the vacant exhibition. For the next four years he prosecuted his studies with great diligence and success, and in 1811 obtained the degree of B.A. In 1813 he turned his attention to the oriental languages, and of these soon acquired an extensive knowledge, on account of which he was appointed one of the sub-librarians of the Bodleian library, with the salary of about £200 a-year. In 1817 he received deacon’s orders, and became curate of one of the churches in Oxford.

He now applied himself to cataloguing the oriental manuscripts in the Bodleian, a very arduous task, when it is considered that these amounted to about thirty thousand. After preparing and publishing a catalogue of the MSS. Brought from the east by Dr. E. D. Clarke, he set himself to complete the unfinished general catalogue of the eastern MSS., which had been begun about a hundred years before by Uri, the celebrated Hungarian. His first fasciculus of this great work made his name known throughout Europe. He had made himself master of so many of the modern languages, that it was commonly said of him that he could walk to the great wall of china without requiring an interpreter.

In June 1822, on the promotion of Dr. Richard Lawrence to the archbishopric of Cashel, Nicoll was, without solicitation on his part, appointed regius professor of Hebrew in the university of Oxford, to which chair was attached the canonry of Christ church. In the letter in which the earl of Liverpool, then prime minister, announced the appointment, he said, that it had been conferred by his majesty on account of his high reputation as an oriental scholar and the value attached to his labours. His income was now about £2,000. He soon after took the degree of doctor of civil law. He died of bronchitis, September 24, 1828, in the 36th year of his age. He was twice married; first to a Danish lady, who died in 1825; secondly, to Sophia, daughter of the Rev. J. Parsons, editor of the Oxford Septuagint, who wrote a Memoir of Dr. Nicoll, prefixed to a posthumous volume of his Sermons. By his second wife he had three daughters, who survived him.
END.

Looking at what he achieved in his 36 years you can't help wonder what else he might have done had he lived much longer.

You can read the other entries at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/index.htm


Clan and Family Information
---------------------------
Clan Shaw have a new web site...

Ceud Mhille Failté! One Hundred Thousand Welcomes to the tribal website outlining the history, culture, heritage and lands of the worldwide Scottish Highland family of THE CLAN SHAW – ‘CLOINN NA SI’EACH’

A Brief Foreword

As the Celtic clan ethos was and is inclusive, we warmly embrace all Shaws and their descendants from throughout the globe regardless of national origin, race, colour or creed. Wherever you may come from in this beautiful world of ours - we are all connected by blood, history and land. We are all one family.I hope this homespun little site encourages you to renew, strengthen and celebrate your knowledge of your own family heritage, history, culture and the lands your ancestors sprang from. Suas Na Si’each! ~WSEL.

You can get to their web site at http://www.theclanshaw.org/


Poetry and Stories
------------------
Donna sent in "An Evil Wind" which is Chapter 2 of Donna's book "Chief" which you can read at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/america/donna/chief/chapter2.htm

John Henderson sent in "Nae Mair Whusky" a new doggerel which you can read at http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerel261.htm


New Statistical Account of Scotland (1845)
------------------------------------------
The first volume I am dealing with is the one on Aberdeenshire. There are some 85 parishes in this volume and a write up on each.

This week have added...

Parish of Drumoak

Here is a wee bit from the account...

The estate of Drum, which at present constitutes one-half of the parish, was originally part of a royal forest, and one of the hunting-seats of the Kings of Scotland. The park of Drum formed part of the chase, and a powerful spring, at the north-east end of the loch, is still known by the designation of the King's Well. This estate has long been possessed by the family of the present proprietor, Irvine of Drum, being a name which is recorded with honour in the national annals. William de Irwin, the first of that line, (who belonged to the family of Irwin of Bonshaw, in Dumfries-shire, and is supposed by some to have been its chief), was chosen by Robert Bruce, when struggling with Edward I. for the Crown of Scotland, to be his armour-bearer, receiving, at the same time, the device which Bruce himself had borne as Earl of Carrick, viz. three bunches of holly leaves, supported by two savages, wreathed, with the motto, "Sub sole, sub umbra virens;" and having accompanied his royal master in his wanderings, participated in his narrow escapes, and attended him while performing those deeds of desperate valour which have thrown an air of romance around his history, was rewarded by him for his great zeal and fidelity with a grant, by charter under the Great Seal, of the forest of Drum, anno 1323. [This charter of the forest of Drum (for the park of Drum was reserved by Robert Bruce, and not conveyed with the forest lands to William de Irwin), is still extant, and is dated, "Apud Berwicura super Tweddam, primo die Februarii anno Regni nostri septimo decimo." Among the family papers, there is another charter by Robert I., dated at Kynros, 4 October, eighteenth year of his reign, in which are the expressions, "Cum furca et fossa soc et sac thol et them et infangandthef."]
END.

I've often thought that if you are going to one of these areas on holiday it would be useful reading through these accounts and then you can likely amaze the locals by telling them stories of their locality :-)

You can read the rest of this account at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/statistical/drumoak.htm

On the index page of this volume you can see a list of the 85 parishes and also a map at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/statistical/volume12.htm 


Book of Scottish Story
----------------------
Our thanks to John Henderson for sending this in for us.

This week have added...

The Ladder-Dancer and here is how it starts...

It was a lovely evening in summer, when a crowd hallooing and shouting in the street of L——, a village of the north of Scotland, at once disturbed my reveries, and left me little leisure again to yield myself to their wayward dominion. In sooth, I had no pretence for indifference to a very singular spectacle of a something-like human being moving in mid—air ; and although its salutatory gambols in this unusual situation could scarcely be called dancing, it was certainly intended to be like it, however little the resemblance might be approved. A something between a male and female in point of dress—a perfect hermaphrodite in regard to costume—had mounted herself on gigantic stilts, on which she hopped about, defying the secrecy even of the middle floors of the surrounding houses, and in some cases giving her a peep into the attic regions of less lofty domiciles. In this manner, stalking about from side to side, like a crane among the reeds, the very Diable Boiteux himself was never more inquisitive after the domestic concerns of his neighbours, or better fitted to explore them by his invisibility, than she was by her altitude. Her presence in mid-air, in more than one instance, was the subject of alarm to the sober inmates of the street, who, little suspicious of such intrusion, might perhaps be engaged in household cares which did not court observation, or had sunk into the relaxations of an undress, after the fatigues and heat of the day. Everywhere the windows might be heard thrown up with impatient haste,—the sash skirling and creaking in its ascent with the violence of the effort, and immediately after, a head might be seen poked forward to explore the "whence”` and "wherefore,”—in short, to ask in one word, if it could be so condensed, the meaning and purpose of this aerial visitor.

You can read the rest of this story at http://www.electricscotland.com/books/story/story49.htm

The other stories can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/books/story/index.htm


Good Words - 1860 Edition
-------------------------
Edited by Rev. Norman MacLeod

You should note that as this is a weekly publication you'll find larger articles are continued week by week.

This week have added articles on...

Kidnapping (Pages 493-495)
Good Words for Every Day of the Year (Pages 495-496)

Here is a wee bit from Kidnapping chapter...

Instead of onward steps, there has been backsliding in reference to slavery and the slave-trade during the last ten years. This mournful fact has been one of the consequences of the nocturnal surprise which, by surrounding the National Assembly of France with cannon, and locking up the newspaper offices in the early morning of the 2d of December 1851, transformed an American republic into a Roman Empire, and a President into a Caesar.

Arago, as minister for the colonies, proposed, and the Provisional Government unanimously and by acclamation, decreed, the abolition of slavery in 1848. This decree was very eloquently worded, and after passing it, the members embraced each other. The Constituent Assembly, while ratifying the decree by a law, fixed a day, in 1852, for emancipating all the slaves in the French colonies; but long before the day of freedom came, the day of despotism, and the imperial government, instead of abolishing slavery, re-established it permanently. Slavery has, indeed, often been abolished in law, but never in fact, by our continental neighbours. Tinder every symbol of party power which has been uppermost during the last seventy years, except the bees of the Bonapartes under the lilies and red bonnets, the white cockades and the tricolour cockades, slavery has been abolished by a series of laws; but I cannot say that, in virtue of them, any negro has ever ceased to be a slave.

You can read the rest of this article at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/goodwords/goodwords226.htm

You can read the other articles at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/goodwords/index.htm 


Household Encyclopaedia
-----------------------
Got up another four pages this week which contained...

Calliopsis, Call Sign, Calomel, Calumba, Cam: In Mechanics, Cambrian Ware, Cambric, Camel Hair, Camellia, Camembert, Cameo, Cameras, Camomile, Camomile Tea, Campanula, Camphor, Camphorated Chalk, Camphorated Oil, Campine Fowl, Campion, Camp Stool.

Should you wish you can check out previous pages at http://www.electricscotland.com/household/


Antiquarian Scottish Books in Adobe Reader format
-------------------------------------------------
I said I'd do my best to add a book each week but this one will be the last one for a while anyway. And so this week I've added...

Baronial and Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Scotland

This is an older book in 4 volumes where there are some outstanding drawings (almost picture quality) of some of Scotland's best buildings.

You can read this at http://www.electricscotland.com/books/pdf/baronial.htm

The index page for this section can be reached at http://www.electricscotland.com/books/pdf/index.htm


The History of the Highland Clearances
--------------------------------------
By Alexander MacKenzie (1914)

This week we've added...

Ross-Shire
Kintail
Coigeach
Strathconon
The Black Isle
The Island of Lewis
Mr. Alexander Mackenzie on the Leckmelm Evictions
Lochcarron
The 78th Highlanders

Here is how the chapter on Mr. Alexander Mackenzie on the Leckmelm Evictions starts...

This small property, in the Parish of Lochbroom, changed hands in 1879, Mr. A. C. Pixie, paper manufacturer, Aberdeen, having purchased it for £19,000 from Colonel Davidson, now of Tulloch. No sooner did it come into Mr. Pixie's possession than a notice, dated 2nd November, 1879, in the following terms, was issued to all the tenants:-

"I am instructed by Mr. Pixie, proprietor of Leckmelm, to give you notice that the present arrangements by which you hold the cottage, byre, and other buildings, together with lands on that estate, will cease from and after the term of Martinmas, 1880; and further, I am instructed to intimate to you that at the said term of Martinmas, 1880, Mr. Pixie purposes taking the whole arable and pasture lands, but that he is desirous of making arrangements whereby you may continue tenant of the cottage upon terms and conditions yet to be settled upon. I have further to inform you that unless you and the other tenants at once prevent your sheep and other stock from grazing or trespassing upon the enclosures and hill, and other lands now in the occupation or possession of the said Mr. Pirie, he will not, upon any conditions, permit you to remain in the cottage you now occupy, after the said term of Martinmas, 1880, but will clear all off the estate, and take down the cottages."

This notice affected twenty-three families, numbering above one hundred souls.

You can read the rest of this chapter at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/clearances/18.htm

The other chapters can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/clearances/index.htm


Scotland's Influence on Civilization
------------------------------------
By The Rev. Leroy J. Halsey, D.D., LL.D.

We've added the following chapters this week...

Chapter IV
Grand Results of the Conflict for Liberty

Chapter V
The Two Principal Cities

Chapter VI
The Pulpit of Scotland

Chapter VII
Scotland's Literature and Authorship

Here is how Chapter VI - "The Pulpit of Scotland" starts...

IF the Scottish pulpit, in the wide fields of its influence upon the national character and upon the world's civilization, it is difficult to speak here with that fullness which the intrinsic importance of the theme demands. Of the manifold agencies which had their share in working out the historic destiny of Scotland, forming the character of her people and giving them a strong hold upon the attention of other nations, far from being the least potential was her Christian pulpit. In truth, it is not going too far to say that in all these respects the bold, fearless, educated and evangelical ministry of Scotland, faithful to truth, to duty and to God, can be regarded as holding no second place. The history of Scotland and her influence upon the march of civilization could not have been what they were without such a ministry. No man can read or faithfully write that history without recognizing on every page the powerful guiding hand of the pulpit.

For more than three hundred years it has been a throne of power in the land. It has attained an excellence and it has gained an influence over the whole home-population, and at the same time commanded a respect abroad, not often equalled, and certainly never excelled, in other Christian countries. It has moulded the national character of Scotland and controlled public opinion among an intelligent reading people whom it largely, more than any other single agency, helped to educate. It has for generations made its voice heard as an authority in the exposition of God's word, in every family of the land, and in the daily lives of the people. It has also made that voice heard through all the ramifications of private business, through the halls of literature, science and philosophy, as well as in all the departments of the public service. It has been, and it still is, one of the essential factors in all the practical problems of popular education. Its influence has been felt for good not alone within the narrow boundaries of her eastern and western shores, but in all lands where the Anglo-Saxon tongue has been. Scotland could not exist without her pulpit: she would no more be Scotland.

You can read the rest of this chapter at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/influence/chapter6.htm

The index page of the book where we have the first three chapters up is at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/influence/index.htm


Arbroath and its Abbey
----------------------
By David Miller

This week we've added...

Chapter IV - Arbroath from 1440 to 1640
Depression of Scotland in the Fifteenth Century: Civil broils: Chamberlain Aires: Subjects of Investigation: Condition of Craftsmen: Arbroath at the Reformation, and after its Erection into a Royal Burgh.

Chapter V - Erection and Style of the Abbey Buildings
Date of commencement: Mixture of Norman and Early English Architecture: Stages in the progress of building: Succeeding styles of Architecture shewn in the buildings.

Chapter IV starts...

WE have to regret the scanty notices afforded for the history of Arbroath during the dominion of the Romish Church, when the little burgh was overlooked in consequence of the contiguity of its gorgeous neighbour the monastery. Boyce, the historian, who was born in Dundee about 1465, does not even so much as name Arbroath in his general description of Scotland.

The period which intervened from the reign of Robert Bruce till the Reformation may be fitly termed the dark ages of Scottish history, when, instead of the surplus wealth with which the country abounded before the death of Alexander III. (as shewn by the sumptuous abbeys and cathedrals erected previous to that melancholy event), the demon of war ravaged the land, followed by its never-failing attendants, famine and pestilence. During these unhappy times, the population decreased, trade became almost unknown, lands formerly cultivated were allowed to run waste, all improvement was arrested, and the central government became weak and contemptible through. the poverty of the royal estate, and the short reigns and comparatively long minorities of the kings of the Stuart line. And, as the royal power was diminished, the irregular and usurped powers of the great barons increased; and they, being generally wholly illiterate, unable to fill up their spare time by reading or other polite studies, and despising, through fashion, every peaceable occupation, were never pleased except when engaged in the prosecution of some feud or broil.

You can read the rest of this chapter at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/arbroath/chapter4.htm

The other chapters can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/arbroath/


Sketches of Early Scotch History
--------------------------------
By Cosmo Innes

Our thanks to Alan McKenzie for scanning this in for us and he's now completed this publication with its Appendi which includes...

I.—Preservation of the Records of the Bishopric of Glasgow (p. 29),
Scots College pillaged in the French Revolution—Abbe McPherson—Papers of Cardinal York—Information collected by Mr. Dennistoun—Adventures of Robert Watson.

II.—Oath of a Suffragan to his Archbishop (p. 63),
Henry Bishop-elect of Whithern takes the oath to the Archbishop of Glasgow, 1530—Terms of the Oath.

III.—Early Scotch (p. 109),
Reference to Scotland in the Middle Ages, p. 260.

IV.—Serfs: Colliers and Salters (pp. 125, 193), . .498 Fugitive Slaves—Their Gaelic Name—Early Serfs—Colliers and Salters—Stair's law—Erskine's—Hugh Miller's Account of a Collier Village-—Lord Cockburn's History of the Law of Colliers and Salters—Extract from Weekly Mercury, 1778.

V.—The Complaint of the Abbot of Arbroath, 1460-1470 (p. 170),
Written Pleading in Scotch against Encroachments of Lairds of Meldrum on the Abbey Lands of Tarves, etc.

VI.—Family Jewels and Valuables of Glenurchy, entailed, 1640 (p. 379),
Jewels—Plate—Arms and Armour—Beds and hangings— Arras—Damask linen—Holland—Pewter and tin—Pans and pots—Pictures—The Great Genealogy—Clocks—Organs— Harpsichords—Brewing Vessels—Furniture of Charter Room —Cattle—Mares—Cursours—Sheep—Chandlers.

VII.—Letters at Taymouth (p. 387),
Letter to the Keeper of Kilchurn, 1570—From the King, requesting game for the Baptism of Prince Henry. From Sir D. Murray—Eagles for Sport—a Horse from the Prince. From the Earl of Mar—Fox hunting—Earth clogs. From the Lord Treasurer—Venison and game for the King's visit, 1633. From John Dickson—Capercailzie—Valuables sent to the Highlands for Safety, 1651. From James VI.—The White Hind of Corrichiba. From Sir P. Murray—The same. From the King—The same. From Charles I.—Levying Bowmen for the French War, 1627. From the Lords of Council—Muster of Highlandmen in their country habit and Arms, .1633. From the Earl of Lauderdale—Fir seed— From the same. From the Marchioness of Hamilton—Planting Fir—Lord Lindsay, a great planter. From Jameson the Painter—From the same—His Prices —His Despatch. From William Bowie, the writer of the Black Booh—Account of his Pupils, 1619.

VIII. The Thane of Cawdor's Western Journey, 1591
(p. 414),Note of Expense in Travelling—In Taylone—Inverary—Dun-deraw—Lochgoilhead—The Carrick—Dunoon-—Ferry at Finlayston—At the Water of Leven—Dumbarton—Glasgow —Servants' Wages—Horse Corn and Bread—Lodging— Food—Drink—Payments to the Piper—Player on the Lute —Lowland Harper—Linlithgow—Edinburgh—Linlithgow —Stirling—Doune—Stirling—Leith—Stirling—Edinburgh, 7th November 1591.

IX. The Murder of John Campbell of Cawdor (p. 414),
Quarrel between Cawdor and Ardkinglas—Cawdor murdered—Ardkinglas accused as guilty—Uses Witchcraft—Threatened with torture, confesses, and accuses others as accomplices— Later, recalls his Declaration—Little weight to his Testimony—His mock Trial—Diet deserted.

X. How the Thane of Cawdor won Islay (p. 416),
Isla; of fabulous fertility; much coveted by the Western Highlanders—His claim over it sold by Angus M'Donald to Sir John Campbell of Cawdor—Angus dies—Isla seized by Antrim — Cawdor commissioned to recover it—Advice of Privy Council as to his proceeding—Royal Commission with power of fire and sword—Antrim's obligation to deliver up the Island— Royal approbation and indemnity—Sir James Macdonald escapes from the Castle of Edinburgh—Raises the Islesmen—Wins Isla and Kantyre—Defeated by Argyll —Sir James's adventures—Cawdor in full possession of Isla.

XI. Account of the Expenses of the Family op Cawdor about 1698 (p. 429),
Meal and Malt—Meat—Groceries—Wine and Brandy— Tobacco and Pipes—Bed and Table Linen—Dishes, &c.— Servants' Wages (including a Chaplain).

XII. Dr. Clephane's Journey to Kilravock, 1750 (p. 473),
Note of Miles— Leaves Scarborough—Helmsley—Northallerton—Rievaulx—Darlington—Durham—Newcastle — Tyne-mouth — Morpeth — Alnwic — Berwic — East Lothian — Edinburgh —-Dundee—Aberdeen — Bog-a-Gicht, miserably furnished—Elgin—A great deal of Building—Any Records? —Advantages of Moray.

You can read this at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/earlyhistndx.htm


The Emigrants Statue
--------------------

I got in a copy of the brochure issued at the unveiling of the Emigrants Statue in the Highlands. I've scanned it in as images and text for you to read at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/emigrants_statue.htm

The back page of the brochure says...

The Emigrants commemorates the people of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland who, in the face of great adversity, sought freedom, hope and justice beyond these shores. They and their descendants went forth and explored continents, built great countries and cities and gave their enterprise and culture to the world. This is their legacy. Their voices will echo forever thro the empty straths and glens of their homeland.


And that's it for now and hope you all have an enjoyable weekend :-)


Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com 

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