|
 Electric
Scotland's Weekly Email Newsletter
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
--------
Electric Scotland News
Scotland on TV
The Flag in the Wind
Article Service
The Scottish Nation
Poetry and Stories
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1845)
Book of Scottish Story
Good Words - Edited by the Rev Norman MacLeod
Household Encyclopaedia
The History of the Highland Clearances
Scotland's Influence on Civilization
Arbroath and its Abbey
History of Curling (New Book)
Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland
The Newsletter of the Singapore St. Andrews Society
The Edinburgh, Leith, Glasgow and North British Commercial
and Literary Advertiser, March 8, 1834
Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Kent, Ontario
ELECTRIC SCOTLAND NEWS
----------------------
I see we have a new King of the Arcade, "St Monance", who has
obviously been working hard at a range of our 305 arcade games in
the Aois service. And a last minute attack by "Blonde Angel" has
gotten into the top scores :-)
The vast majority of these games are easy to play for just about
everyone so do join in the fun and perhaps you too could get into
the top scores! We have the old favourites like Mah-jong, Solitaire,
Space Invaders, Golf, Bridge, and loads more.
You can join up at
http://www.scotchat.org/vbull
----
This week we've purchase our own site search engine and hope to have
it running during this coming week. We do have over 200,000 web
pages on the site and I found that Google were indexing some 29,000
of our pages and Live Search 129,000 and so obviously a lot of our
pages were not being found when you did a site search. So this new
software will solve this problem and hopefully you will discover
something new when you use the service.
----
We have now firmed up on our move from Kentucky to Michigan and now
looks to be June 20th. We have made a last minute change to our T1
supplier in that we were to move to Verizon but they hiked there
price up just as were about to sign the agreement. We have thus
stayed with our current supplier and to our delight they even
offered a better price :-)
----
I didn't mention the date of the event in Toronto I mentioned last
week. It was in fact 7th June and you can view the flyer for it at
http://www.electricscotland.com/ssf/associational.pdf
----
Started a new book on The History of Curling for which see more
below.
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 or on our site menu.
THE FLAG IN THE WIND
--------------------
This weeks Flag is compiled by Jim Lynch where he is telling us of
the Lancastria Medal. The medal has been commissioned in recognition
of the supreme sacrifice paid by the estimated 4000 victims of the
troopship Lancastria (400 of them Scots) which was sunk during enemy
action on the 17th of June 1940 whilst embarking troops of the
British Expeditionary Force and refugees from St. Nazaire, France.
The medal also recognises the endurance of survivors who continued
to struggle on in the hours following the sinking, whilst coming
under sustained enemy attack.
The loss of the Lancastria remains Britain’s worst ever maritime
tragedy, claiming more lives than the Titanic and Lusitania
disasters combined. It is also the worst single loss of life for
British forces in the whole of World War 2. On learning of the loss
of the Lancastria the then British Government, led by Winston
Churchill, banned all news coverage of it, fearing the impact on
British public morale. The result has led to decades of silence and
the scale of the disaster has remained largely unknown and forgotten
by history and the wider public.
For more information on the disaster visit:
http://www.lancastria.org.uk
A picture from the Isle of Man where
Peter is on holiday
In Peter's cultural section we
get...This week our visitor attraction takes us to the Burgh of
Ceres, 2 ½ miles by road from Cupar, in the Kingdom of Fife. The
Fife Folk Museum, this year is the 40th anniversary of it’s funding,
celebrates the domestic and working lives of the people of Fife. The
diverse collections are housed in attractive listed buildings in the
heart of the historic burgh. Artifacts include agricultural
machinery, an extensive collection of weights and measures housed in
the original 17th century Weigh House, beautiful textiles, including
shawls and patchwork bedspreads costume and accessories, domestic
pottery, paintings, furniture and craftmen’s tools, which tells us
about daily life in rural Fife. All the items in this fascinating
museum have been donated, and the museum was created by the
dedication and generosity of local people. The Fife Folk Museum
opens from April to September and the entry charge is very
reasonable – Adults £2.50; Concessions £2.00 and Accompanied Bairns
are granted FREE entry. Visit
http://www.fifefolkmuseum.org for more details.
If visiting Ceres don’t miss The Bannockburn Monument, overlooking
the Bow Butts, which pays tribute to the men of Ceres who fought at
Bannockburn in 1313. The monument was erected in 1914 to mark the
600th anniversary of the historic Scottish victory when Robert I,
King of Scots, defeated the much larger army of King Edward II of
England. On their return to Ceres the men held a Games to celebrate
the magnificent victory, and that celebration has continued every
year, in June, ever since. It now takes the form of the Ceres
Highland Games and has the usual mix of piping, dancing, wrestling,
cycling, running, and heavy events, with one great bonus – entrance
is FREE for all spectators. Log on to
http://www.ceresgames.co.uk
for further information.
The exhibits in the Fife Folk Museum come from a when people didn’t
nip into supermarkets for a ready-made meal but cooked for
themselves. Last-Minute Carrot Pudding is an easily made and far
better than anything that you can buy over the counter!
Last-Minute Carrot Pudding
Ingredients: 100 g (4 oz) plain flour; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1
tsp of mixed spice; 100 g (4 oz) each of suet, raisins, currants,
breadcrumbs, and demerara sugar; 100 g (4 oz) each of potatoes and
carrots, grated; 25 g (1 oz) glace cherries, chopped; 1 large egg
Method: Mix flour, bicarbonate of soda and spice together. Add all
other ingredients except egg. Mix well. Add egg – the mix will bind
together, but if it’s a little too stiff add a little milk as well.
Pour into a large greased pudding basin, leaving space at the top as
the mix will expand during cooking. Cover with a double layer of
greaseproof paper and tie with string. Steam for three hours. Serve
with custard or cream.
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 this week can be found at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/mckelvie/080522.htm
The Article Service
-------------------
This week Donna is telling us about 4 Square gardening which sounds
like an easy way to grow fruit and vegetables :-)
Got some interesting information you want to provide? Do use our
Article service and the subjects can be anything at all.
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 have now completed the N's with Northesk and now move onto the
O's with Ochiltree,
Ochterlony and Ogilby.
I note in the Ogilby page that...
On the coronation of Charles II. in 1661, Ogilby was employed to
supply the poetical part of the pageantry, including the speeches,
emblems, mottoes, and inscriptions. He accordingly wrote ‘The
Relation of his Majesty’s Entertainment passing through the City of
London to his Coronation,’ &c., in ten sheets folio. This work,
afterwards, by his majesty’s command, published in a large folio
volume on royal paper, with five engravings, is said to have been
found useful in succeeding coronations.
Under the Ochiltree name we find...
Andrew Thomas Stewart of Stewart Hall, county Tyrone, the
great-great-grandson of the Hon. Colonel Robert Stewart above
mentioned, at the election of a Scots representative peer, 26th
October 1768, appeared and answered to the title of Lord Ochiltree,
but the clerks refusing to receive his vote, he took a protest
against them. In 1774 he presented to the lord-lieutenant of Ireland
a petition claiming the title of Lord Castle Stuart, which had been
dormant since 1684. It was referred to the Irish house of peers, and
their lordships, on 24th May 1774, declared that he had fully proved
his right to the same. He voted as Lord Ochiltree at the election of
Scots peers, 24th July 1790, but it was decided in a committee of
privileges of the house of lords, 16th April 1793, that he had not
made out his right. He was created Viscount Stuart in 1793, and earl
of Castle Stuart, 29th December 1800, and died 20th August 1809,
leaving issue. This family have adopted the spelling of Stuart, as
being a branch of the royal house of that name, descended from the
regent duke of Albany. The possessor of the title of earl of Castle
Stuart is also a baronet of Nova Scotia, of date 1637.
You can read these entries at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/index.htm
Poetry and Stories
------------------
Donna has created a new story called "Chief" and we now have up the
first 19 chapters for you to read at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/america/donna/chief/index.htm
Another doggerel from John Henderson called Ack The Richt Gate which
you can read at
http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerel262.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...
Nothing.... sorry about that but I'll ensure we bring you one next
week!
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 Elder's Death-Bed and here is how it starts...
It was on a fierce and howling day that I was crossing the dreary
moor of Auchindown, on my way to the manse of that parish—a solitary
pedestrian. The snow, which had been incessantly falling for a week
past, was drifted into beautiful but dangerous wreaths, far and
wide, over the melancholy expanse ; and the scene kept visibly
shifting before I me, as the strong wind that blew from every point
of the compass struck the dazzling masses, and heaved them up and
down in endless transformation. There was something inspiriting in
the labour with which, in the buoyant strength of youth, I forced my
way through the storm ; and I could not but enjoy those gleamings of
sunlight that ever and anon burst through some unexpected opening in
the sky, and gave a character of cheerfulness, and even warmth, to
the sides or summits of the stricken hills. Sometimes the wind
stopped of a sudden, and then the air was as silent as the snow—not
a murmur to be heard from spring or stream, now all frozen up over
those high moorlands. As the momentary cessations of the sharp
drift, allowed my eyes to look onwards and around, I saw here and
there, up the little opening valleys, cottages just visible beneath
the black stems of their snow-covered clumps of trees, or beside
some small spot of green pasture kept open for the sheep. These
intimations of life and happiness came delightfully to me in the
midst of the desolation; and the barking of a dog, attending some
shepherd in his quest on the hill, put fresh vigour into my limbs,
telling me that, lonely as I seemed to be, I was surrounded by
cheerful, though unseen company, and that I was not the only
wanderer over the snows. As I walked along, my mind was insensibly
filled with a crowd of pleasant images of rural winter life, that
helped me gladly onwards over many miles of moor. I thought of the
severe but cheerful labours of the barn—the mending of farm-gear by
the fireside—the wheel turned by the foot of old age less for gain
than as a thrifty pastime—the skilful mother making "auld claes look
amaist as weel’s the new” the ballad unconsciously listened to by
the family all busy at their own tasks round the singing maiden—the
old traditionary tale, told by some wayfarer hospitably housed till
the storm should blow by—the unexpected visit of neighbours on need
or friendship—or the footstep of lover undeterred by snow-drifts
that have buried up his flocks ;—but above all, I thought of those
hours of religious worship that have not yet escaped from the
domestic life of the peasantry of Scotland—of the sound of psalms
that the depth of the snow cannot deaden to the ear of Him to whom
they are chanted—and of that sublime Sabbath-keeping which, on days
too tempestuous for the kirk, changes the cottage of the shepherd
into the temple of God.
You can read the rest of this story at
http://www.electricscotland.com/books/story/story50.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...
A Woman's Work (Pages 497-500)
The Soul's Parting (Page 500)
The Gold Thread (Pages 500-504)
Song (Page 504)
The Fatherless One (Page 504)
Here is a wee bit from A Woman's Work...
On Tuesday, the 5th of the April of last year, at an early hour of
the morning, a stranger in Hamburgh, passing through one of its
squares, might have observed with some surprise standing at the door
of a corner-house, the simple bier destined to carry paupers to
their churchyard-rest. And stopping for a moment, while the coffin,
formed of four black, rudely joined boards, was laid upon that bier,
and borne away by the appointed parish officials, we can imagine
such a stranger inquiring how it came to pass that the inmate of
that comfortable-looking house should have no other than a pauper's
funeral. The answer made to him would have been that the departed,
the friend and lover of the poor throughout her life, had loved them
to the end; and knowing, from her long experience among them, how
painfully to many of them the privations of their latter years were
embittered by the prospect of a parish burial, she had not only
often expressed her wishes on the subject, but left written
directions that hers might be a pauper's funeral, in the hopes thus
to diminisn a prejudice too strong to be reasoned away, and to
reconcile some of her poor friends to the rude bier on which her own
honoured remains had lain. Struck by such a reply, we can further
imagine our stranger following the quick tread of the bearers to the
Horn Cemetery, where they deposit their light burden on the church
steps and retire. There crowds of rich and poor, young and old,
friends and acquaintances, pupil and fellow-workers, are waiting for
it; the unsightly boards are soon covered with wreaths and
spring-flowers, and eight brothers of the Rauhe Haus carry it to the
family vault. Hymns are sung, and solemn words spoken; the coffin
lowered, all eagerly press round for one last look more, aged eyes
drop tears, and little hands fling flowers into the grave, and then
all disperse with faces sorrowful indeed, and yet rejoicing too.
Again we imagine the question put: Who then was this Amelia
Sieveking that Hamburgh mourns to-day? Was she the centre of a happy
home, distinguished by position, wealth, genius? No, she was an
unmarried woman of the middle class; of small means and fair average
intellect, nothing more. And yet her influence was not only a power
in her native town, but it has radiated far beyond it. In Sweden,
Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, many have arisen who call her
blessed, not only among the poor, who reap the benefits of a more
considerate and comprehensive charity, but still more amongst women
of her own class, who have been stirred up by her example to such a
career of systematic and successful beneficence as would scarce have
been practicable but for the charitable organization of which she in
Hamburgh was the founder.
You can read the rest of this article at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/goodwords/goodwords228.htm
You can read the other articles at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/goodwords/index.htm
I will just add that this now completes this book. From what we
could see from our statistics not many of you were reading these
stories and as we now have a good collection up on the site we've
decided to stop at this point.
Household Encyclopaedia
-----------------------
Got up another four pages this week which contained...
Camp Stool, Camshaft, Canada Balsam, Canape, Canary, Canary Creeper,
Canary Grass, Canary Pudding, Cancer, Candelabrum, Candied Peel,
Candle, Candleshade, Candlestick, Candy, Candytuft, and Cane.
Should you wish you can check out previous pages at
http://www.electricscotland.com/household/
The History of the Highland Clearances
--------------------------------------
By Alexander MacKenzie (1914)
This week we've added...
Ross-Shire
The Rev. Dr. John Kennedy on the Ross-shire Clearances
Inverness-Shire
Glengarry
Strathglass
Guisachan
Glenelg
Glendesseray and Locharkaig
The Hebrides
North Uist
Boreraig and Suisinish, Isle of Skye
Here is how the chapter on Glengarry starts...
Glengarry was peopled down to the end of last century with a fine
race of men. In 1745, six hundred stalwart vassals followed the
chief of Glengarry to the battle of Culloden. Some few years later
they became so disgusted with the return made by their chief that
many of them emigrated to the United States, though they were almost
all in comfortable, some indeed, in affluent circumstances.
Notwithstanding this semi-voluntary exodus, Major John Macdonell of
Lochgarry, was able in 1777, to raise a fine regiment—the 76th or
Macdonald Highlanders—number being 1086 men, 750 of whom were
Highlanders mainly from the Glengarry property. In 1794, Alexander
Macdonnell of Glengarry, raised a Fencible regiment, described as "a
handsome body of men," of whom one-half were enlisted on the same
estate. On being disbanded in 1802, these men were again so shabbily
treated, that they followed the example of the men of the
"Forty-five," and emigrated in a body, with their families, to
Canada, taking two Gaelic-speaking ministers along with them to
their new home. They afterwards distinguished themselves as part of
the "Glengarry Fencibles" of Canada, in defence of their adopted
country, and called their settlement there after their native glen
in Scotland. The chiefs of Glengarry drove away their people, only,
as in most other cases in the Highlands, to be themselves ousted
soon after them.
You can read the rest of this chapter at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/clearances/22.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 VIII
The Science and Philosophy of Scotland
Chapter IX
The Women of Scotland
Chapter X
The Influence of Scottish Song
Chapter XI
The Scottish Universities and Reviews
Here is how Chapter IX - "The Women of Scotland" starts...
IN tracing the influence of any one country upon the general
civilization of the world, the view would scarcely be complete
without some mention of its women. The present survey of Scotland
thus far has brought to notice only the part borne by her sons. What
now shall be said of her daughters? Theirs, too, is a glorious
record of woman's sufferings, of heroic endeavor and patient
endurance unto death.
High on that list stand the noble Isabella, countess of Buchan, who
set the crown on the head of Robert Bruce; Catherine Douglas, who
sacrificed her right arm to save her king; Agnes of Dunbar, who
defended her castle to the last extremity; Flora McDonald, who saved
the life of the Young Pretender—styled by one "the fairest flower
that ever bloomed in the rough pathway of a prince's hard fortune;"
the noble martyrs Margaret Wilson and Margaret McLaughlan, who were
bound on the seashore and drowned by the rising tide; and, in later
times, those two bright examples of woman in her lofty sphere of
home influence and Christian philanthropy, the accomplished Lady
Janet Colquhoun, and Elizabeth, last duchess of Gordon,
distinguished alike for their beauty and their beneficence. Still
later, even in our own times, we have seen Mary Somerville, daughter
of a distinguished naval officer, by the simple force of her own
wonderful genius and industry, achieve a distinction in the higher
walks of mathematics and astronomy which placed her in the foremost
ranks of the savans and scientists of this advanced nineteenth
century, and will send her name down through all time as one of the
most remarkable women in the world's history—remarkable for an
eminence in scientific attainments which but few men have surpassed,
combined with that grace of character which is the crowning glory of
womanhood.
You can read the rest of this chapter at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/influence/chapter9.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 VI - History of the Abbey Buildings
Accidents to Great Church during the Romish Period: Contract for
roofing the Choir: Damage done at the Reformation: Greater
destruction since that Period: Other Conventual Buildings,
Ecclesiastical, and Civil: Precinct walls and towers: Ruin of the
Buildings.
Chapter VII - Subsidiary Alters in Abbey Church
1. Altar of St Catherine. 2. Altar of St Peter. 3. Altar of St
Lawrence. 4. Altar of St Nicholas. 5. Altar of St Mary the Virgin.
6. Altar of St James. Appearance of Church on Festivals.
Chapter VIII - District Chapels in Arbroath and Neighbourhood
1. Chapel of St Vigian at Conon. 2. Chapel of St John Baptist at
Hospitalfield. 3. Chapel of St Michael in the Almory. 4. Chapel of
St Ninian at Seaton Den. 5. Lady Chapel of Arbroath, with the Altars
of St Nicholas and St Dupthacus. 6. Chapel of St Lawrence at
Kinblethmont. 7. Chapel at Whitefield of Boysack. 8. Chapel at Boath,
Panbride Parish. 9. Chapel at Panmure Castle. 10. Chapel at Kelly
Castle. 11. Chapel of St Lawrence at Backboath. 12. Chapel of St
Mary at Carmylie.
Chapter VIII starts...
UNDER this head it is intended to give some notices of several
chapels which existed in Roman Catholic times at Arbroath and in the
neighbouring parishes, so far as authentic information has reached
us. But it is not to be understood that these embrace the whole
number of such chapels, even in this district. For example, chapels
are said to have stood at Inverpeffer and Bolshan, and they probably
existed at other places, concerning which few or no reliable
statements can be made. And a number of chapels were connected with
the large possessions of the Abbey elsewhere, which cannot be here
specially alluded to.
Almost the whole of these chapels were of a later foundation than
the parish churches of the Ante-Reformation period; and in some
instances, as at Carmylie, the chapel has formed the nucleus of a
modern parish. The chapels here noticed seem to have depended on the
Abbey of Arbroath, excepting two or three which were dependent on
the bishopric of Brechin; and, with the exception of the chapel of
Grange of Conon, and perhaps also the chapel of Kinblethmont, they
were founded after the establishment of Arbroath Abbey. Their
endowments were generally very limited. They were small in size,
perhaps hardly extending to forty feet in length, and twenty in
breadth, and were generally surrounded by a small burying-ground,
often circular in form, and a field of a few acres, which served as
a glebe to the incumbent, who, in those chapels which depended on
Arbroath, was a monk of the Abbey. The duty of the incumbent of such
a chapel, in the earlier periods, was chiefly to conduct religious
services for the inhabitants of the barony or district with which
the chapel was connected, on Sabbaths and holidays when they were
not disposed, or when the distance, or the then impassable state of
roads in winter, did not permit them to attend public worship in the
parish church.
As the Romish doctrine of purgatory gradually obtained belief in
Scotland up to the first quarter of the sixteenth century, many of
these chapels came into view in the chartularies, in consequence of
the foundation of altars within them by persons who had made vows
while under distress, or in the prospect of death. These writings
conveyed lands or rents to be employed in payment of priests to sing
masses for the delivery of the souls of such benefactors and their
friends from the pains of purgatory, on certain days throughout the
year, in all time thereafter, according to the missals and other
rules which were specified in the letters of foundation. The next
half century witnessed the complete alienation of every one of these
endowments from the original purposes, which had often been
prescribed with much care and anxiety.
You can read the rest of this chapter at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/arbroath/chapter8.htm
The other chapters can be read at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/arbroath/
History of Curling
------------------
By John Kerr (1890)
This is a new book we've started from and hope the many curlers out
there will enjoy it :-)
Here is the Preface for you to read here and we do have 2 chapters
up already!
IN view of the Fiftieth Annual
Meeting of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club in 1888, a Special
Committee was appointed at the Meeting of the previous year to
consider what should be done in the way of celebrating the Club's
Jubilee. Among the suggestions sent up in the Report of this
Committee, and adopted by the Club, was one to this effect:-- "That
a Literary Committee be appointed, with powers, for the purpose of
preparing a sketch of the Royal Club's history during the last fifty
years." Of this Literary Committee, the Rev. John Kerr was appointed
Convener, and the preparation of the volume was thereafter entrusted
to him to be carried through under the Committee's supervision.
Some words are necessary to explain how a work thus primarily
intended to be a sketch of the history of the Royal Caledonian
Curling Club should gradually have developed into a "History of
Curling." The story of the Royal Club was obviously but the
concluding chapter of a long history which had yet to be written. It
was thus very early seen that, to do justice to the subject, it
would require to be treated more fully than was at first
contemplated. At the Jubilee Dinner in 1888, Lord Balfour of
Burleigh said "that one of the wants which might reasonably be
filled in the Jubilee year of the Club was a really good painstaking
history of the game, which would hand down to posterity all that was
known of it at the present time." That want, it is hoped, has now
been supplied; at all events, every effort has been made to do so.
To all who have assisted in the work hearty thanks are due—to the
Secretaries of local Clubs for their answers to the queries sent out
by the Committee; to Professor Forster Heddle for his valuable
contribution; to T. Thorburn, Beith, for the great amount of trouble
he has taken to give us information of a practical kind on
stone-manufacture; to Messrs Kay & Keanie for similar information
and last, but certainly not least, to Mr William Douglas, the son of
the esteemed publisher, who has in every possible manner done his
best to make the volume worthy of the subject.
All curlers will join in an expression of regret that while the work
was being written three noble veterans have been removed from the
ranks--Mr Charles Cowan, Admiral Maitland-Dougall, and Sir John
Ogilvy.
The volume having greatly exceeded the limits originally designed,
it has been found necessary to omit a Glossary of Curling Words and
Phrases, also a large collection of Songs and Humorous Stories
marked as worthy of preservation. The ground having been so far
cleared by this "History," justice may yet be done to the other
subjects referred to, in a second volume, which will be forthcoming
whenever an earnest demand is made for its production. The trouble
and anxiety connected with the preparation and publication of a work
such as this commemorative volume is have been great; but these, it
is believed, will soon be forgotten if by its means a fresh
enthusiasm be inspired in a game which develops all that is manly
and good in social life, and unites in one brotherhood all ranks and
conditions of men.
EDINBURGH, 15th April 1890.
You can read the first two chapters at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/curling/index.htm
Transactions of the Highand and Agricultural Society of Scotland
----------------------------------------------------------------
I have added the Agriculture of Renfrew from the 1887 edition.
The account is of some 100 book pages and here is how it starts...
The small industrial county of Renfrew has a circumference of some
80 miles. With an area of about 254 square miles, it stands
twenty-seventh among the thirty-three Scotch counties, and in order
of valuation it ranks sixth. Its total acreage is 162,428, of which
2021 acres are foreshores, and 3621 acres covered by water; while it
has a gross valuation of £676,101, inclusive of railways and other
public undertakings. Of the land area nearly two-thirds are under
cultivation, the remainder being hill grazings, waste grounds, or
occupied by buildings and lying between 55° 40' 40" and 55° 58' 10"
N. lat., and 40° 13' and 4° 52' 30" W. long., the county assumes an
irregular oblong form, the axis of which runs parallel to the river
Clyde. It skirts Lanarkshire on the east and north-east, Ayrshire on
the south, and it is separated from Dumbartonshire on the north and
Argyllshire on the west by the Firth of Clyde.
It embraces sixteen parishes—which we shall have occasion to name
afterwards—inclusive of small portions of Beith and Dunlop parishes
attaching on the south side, and Govan on the north-east. Though
somewhat uneven, its surface is less rugged than that of the
neighbouring counties. There are no hills of sufficient height to
rank as mountains. The southern and western districts, however, are
interspersed with lochs and mosses, and dotted with hills of various
heights. Four peaks in the parish of Eaglesham average well-nigh
1000 feet, but the loftiest summits are Mistylaw and Hydall, in the
parishes of Lochwinnoch and Kilmalcolm, the former rising to 1663
feet and the latter to 1244 feet above sea-level. Irrespective of
height, the most clearly defined ranges are those of Fereneze and
Gleniffer, which extend from Levern Valley, in Neilston, through the
Abbey parish to the western border of Lochwinnoch. This formation
renders the climate generally moist, though by no means severe. To
the scenery, too, it lends variety, and the county is thus possessed
of something more than objects of mere historical interest. It
participates in the finest of Scottish scenery, and from several of
the hills, notably those in Inverkip and in the neighbourhood of
Greenock, magnificent views are obtained.
Like most maritime counties, Renfrewshire might be classified in two
divisions—low-lying and upland—but agriculturally it resolves itself
more strikingly into three districts; that is to say, its
agricultural resources can best be described as we find them
regulated by the elevation, character, and quality of the land. The
three divisions—hilly, gentle-rising, and the flat— differ
materially not only in character of surface and soil, but also in
the modes of farming adopted. The hilly district is chiefly bleak
moorland, the gentle-rising division embraces many well cultivated
as well as good pastoral farms and finely-wooded heights, while the
flat district, known locally as the "Laich Lands," has for many
years produced magnificent crops of grain, fodder, and roots.
You can read this account at
http://www.electricscotland.com/agriculture/page71.htm
Other accounts can be read at
http://www.electricscotland.com/agriculture/
The Newsletter of the Singapore St. Andrews Society
---------------------------------------------------
To my surprise a copy of this publication arrived in my mail box
this week and I noted a comment made by the Editor of my work at
trying to tell the story of Scots in Singapore. I thought you might
be interested in reading this issue to see what Scots are getting up
to in that part of the word. I have thus scanned this into a pdf
file so you can also print it out if you wish.
You can read this at
http://www.electricscotland.com/asia/singapore_mayjun2008.pdf
and it's 4.29Mb in size.
The Edinburgh, Leith, Glasgow and North British Commercial
and Literary Advertiser, March 8, 1834
-------------------------------------
I acquired the above copy of this newspaper but as it's a broadsheet
publication I've had to scan it in sections to enable you to read
it. What I found of particular interest were the ship adverts
stating places in the world they were sailing to. This is a 4 page
newspaper.
You can read this at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/advertiser1834.htm
Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Kent, Ontario
------------------------------------------
Got in another entry from this records about John Campbell...
JOHN CAMPBELL has passed all his life on the farm in Howard township
which he is now cultivating, having been born there in August, 1856.
He is a son of Donald and Margaret Campbell, and a grandson of Angus
and Katie Campbell, who came to Canada from their native, Scotland,
in a very early day. Five sons and one daughter accompanied them to
the New World and the family settled in Howard township, County of
Kent, Ontario, their first location being on Lot 13, Concession 10,
where they began in the woods like the other pioneers. The children
were Duncan, Archie, Donald, James (who now lives out in the
Northwest), Robert and Flora, the last named the wife of John Beaton.
You can read the rest of this account at
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/canada/kent/campbell_john.htm
And that's it for now and hope you all have an enjoyable weekend :-)
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com
OUR NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
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