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Newsletter 31st October 2014

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  • Newsletter 31st October 2014

    To see what we've added to the Electric Scotland site view our What's New page at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/whatsnew.htm

    To see what we've added to the Electric Canadian site view our What's New page at:
    http://www.electriccanadian.com/whatsnew.htm

    For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/

    Electric Scotland News
    On reviewing this newsletter I have wondered if you'd like me to include one complete story in here each week? To illustrate what I mean by this I've included a story of The Highland Emigration of 1770 which is a 15 page article from The Scottish Historical Reviewand so a decent read.

    The above is what I put up in the last newsletter and I got three positive responses on this so not really sure if you want me to do this or not. On balance I've decided not to do it unless many more of you get in touch to say you want this as I can't really inflict this on everyone on the list unless I get a much clearer response.

    -----

    There are continued discussions going on in Scotland about membership of the EU. I read the NewsnetScotland article about Nicola Sturgeon calling for a veto if the UK votes to leave so Scotland can retain membership. I posted a comment to the article which said...

    I think it is time a news organisation such as this one takes up the challenge to decide if Scotland should be in the EU or not. Like a couple of years ago I was quite ok about being in the EU but then I read a paper that changed my mind and now I don't think it is in Scotland's interest to be in the EU. So why don't we invite Sturgeon to list out her reasons for why Scotland should be in the EU and then lets examine each point she raises and see if it stands up to scrutiny. I have spent weeks researching this and I now feel we'd be better being outside the EU but I also don'r pretend to be clever enough to know all the answers which is why we need a good honest investigation into the facts.

    ... I am minded that Nicola Sturgeon had already ruled out any referendum on EU membership if the YES side had won. The article can be read at
    http://www.newsnetscotland.scot/inde...-labour-leader

    I really don't know why our newspapers and all our news media haven't yet explored this whole question.

    Electric Canadian
    A History of the County of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
    By Rev. J. R. Campbell (1876)

    Have now completed this book and you can read the final chapters at
    http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...outh/index.htm

    Reports on the Scottish Crofter Emigration to Canada
    This is a set of nine reports in which many names are mentioned and how they are doing in Canada. I will say that these pdf scans are very poor but for researchers they could be an invaluable resource. Essentially this was an agreement with Canada to help emigrants from the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland to settle in the North West Territories of Canada. In them are a lot of names and reports on how they were getting on.

    You can read these at http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...er_reports.htm

    Fruit Ranching in British Columbia
    A
    n interesting book on a family emigrating from the UK with the intention of building a Fruit Ranch in BC. It actually reminded me of the book "10 Acres enough". This was clearly a profitable enterprise but you'll note that firstly the family did great research before proceeding and they also had to work very hard for the first couple of years to establish what is now a very profitable venture.

    You can read this at http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...00bealuoft.pdf

    The Year Book of British Columbia
    This is for the year 1903 and can be downloaded from
    http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...00victuoft.pdf

    Thunder Bay, Formerly Fort William
    I found 2 volumes of the Thunder Bay Historical Society. I will say the scan of these volumes are very faint which is certainly a draw back. This means you will need to zoom in quite a bit to be able to read them but the effort to do so is certainly worth while. I also found another more readable short report and added several videos of the area.

    You can get to this at http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...hunder_bay.htm

    Delaware Religion
    I found a pdf book giving details on their religion and so added it to our Delaware page at:
    http://www.electriccanadian.com/history/first/delaware/

    The Flag in the Wind
    This weeks issue was compiled by Grant Thoms.

    It seems to me that The Flag has become an SNP publication rather than an Independence publication. Given that the online newspaper Newsnet Scotland is doing the same where does that leave people that want independence but don't want the SNP?

    You can read this issue at http://www.scotsindependent.org and there is no Synopsis this week.

    Electric Scotland
    Enigma Machine
    Added puzzle 85.

    An alternative to your crossword puzzle and created by a Scots Canadian, Doug Ross.

    You can join with others in our community trying to complete these at:
    http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...le-amp-Whistle

    You can get to the puzzles at http://www.electriccanadian.com/lifestyle/enigma/

    Henry Dryerre
    As we've now completed the book about the Worthies I thought I'd also add a link to his book "Love, Idylls, Ballads and Other Poems" which you can download from http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/dryerre/

    Highland Rambles
    And Long Legends to Shorten the Way by Thomas Dick Lauder (1837).

    Now made a start at Volume 2 with the first 4 stories up for you to read which include...

    Feudal Heroes
    Glengary's Revenge
    Long Yarns
    The Legend of the Building of Ballindalloch

    You can read these articles at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...uder/index.htm

    The Life of Andrew Murray of South Africa
    By J Du Plessis. A new book we're starting.

    PREFACE
    SOME years before his death Dr. Andrew Murray is understood to have indicated the Rev. Professor Marais, of the Stellenbosch Theological Seminary, and the present writer, as persons to whom the preparation of his biography might be entrusted. After his decease, early in 1917, his executors definitely requested these gentlemen to undertake the duty. Professor Marais, however, while continuing to display the greatest interest in the progress of the biography, found his physical strength unequal to the task of collaboration; and it was left to the undersigned to carry through the work. That he has been able to complete it, in both the English and Dutch languages, is a matter for which he desires to give abundant thanks to God.

    At the same time he is gravely conscious of many shortcomings. To portray the life and character of such an one as Andrew Murray, who lived uninterruptedly in a region so remote from our common unspiritual life, is a task which might well appal. And yet the trust could not well be declined ; and the writer has therefore endeavoured, though with many qualms and misgivings, to fulfil it to the best of his small ability. It has seemed to him that he could do no better than let Andrew Murray speak himself ; and a large portion of this volume will be found to consist of unpublished letters, or of articles that have been retrieved from the pages of religious journals and fugitive tracts.

    Sincere acknowledgments for invaluable assistance are due to the Misses Murray, daughters of the subject of this Life, and especially to Miss Annie Murray, for placing at the author's disposal a mass of correspondence and other material, without which this Biography must have been very much more imperfect than it is. Similar acknowledgments must be made to Miss Charlotte Murray and Miss Ella Neethling, nieces of Dr. Murray, for the loan of letters and photographs in the possession of the families of the late Professor John Murray and the late Rev. J. H. Neethling respectively. And finally, heartfelt thanks are tendered to Mr. Charles Murray, M.A., late acting Superintendent-General of Education, Cape Province, for kindly reading through the bulk of the manuscript, and serving the author with most valuable criticisms and suggestions ; and to the Rev. D. S. B. Joubert, B.D., Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, Cape Town, for the very elaborate Bibliography which enriches this work.

    May the blessing of God Almighty attend the perusal of this Life, and may it send thousands to a fresh study of Andrew Murray’s writings, where they may learn the open secret of that faith-life in which God is all in all.

    J. DU PLESSIS.
    Stellenbosch,
    25th July, 1919.

    You can read this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...rray/index.htm

    Jan Stepek story
    Got in this story of Jan Stepek who came from Poland and settled in Scotland. His son made a video of his life and we've added this to our Poland page. However we also featured it in our community and to this has been added an audio recording of one of the family reminiscing about the old days.

    I might add the actual video can't be viewed in the community but if you click the link on it you can view it on a third party site.

    You can view and read the accounts at
    http://www.electricscotland.org/show...ghlight=Stepek

    The Diocese and Presbytery of Dunkeld 1660-1689
    Added this 2 volume publication to our Dunkeld page at
    http://www.electricscotland.com/history/dunkeld/

    Scotland's Stolen Sea
    An updated version of the National Borders of Scotland paper. (pdf)

    Scotland’s national borders comprise one terrestrial border with England and several sea borders, one with England and several with other countries (the Isle of Man, Ireland, Faeroe, Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands). In 1999 the government of the United Kingdom made a flagrantly illegal change to the North Sea border between Scotland and England. This purported change was arbitrary as well as being unfavourable and insulting to Scotland.

    The purposes of this paper are:

    1. To provide the Scottish people with complete information on Scotland’s true national North Sea border with England, including information on historic and more modern illegal attempts to change it.

    2. To expose in detail the UK Government's illegal 1999 manoeuvre to change the true Scotland-England North Sea border and thereby transfer 6,255 statute square miles (5,540 nautical square miles) of Scottish waters to English jurisdiction (see Figures 4 and 5).
    3. To expose the Scottish Government’s dereliction of its duty to the people of Scotland by not having taken constant and unceasing official action against this patently illegal UK Government action.
    4. To expose the European Union’s undemocratic, bureaucratic, imperialistic and often recklessly incompetent intrusions into Scotland’s territorial waters.

    You can download this paper at
    http://www.electricscotland.com/inde...sStolenSea.pdf

    Memoir of Angus McCuish, "Catechist", and the North Uist Worthies
    By Donald John McCuish in the Gaelic Language (1911) (pdf)

    I added this to our Gaelic texts page at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/gaelic/

    Scottish Land Names
    Added this book to our Place Names page at
    http://www.electricscotland.com/books/placenames

    Archaelogical Notes on Early Scotland
    By W. G. Don. (pdf)

    THE following notes, having their origin in a cursory survey of some points in the Rev. Mr Ouickshank's valued "Historic Footprints in Stracathro," were first written in letter form to a correspondent, and not intended for publication. But, at the suggestion of friends they appeared, somewhat altered and enlarged, in a series of articles in the Brechin Advertiser; and now, again, by request, have been much extended and entirely recast into more permanent book form.

    Added this book to the foot of our pdf books page at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/books/pdf/

    Bid to save Union Chain Bridge for bicentenary
    According to Gordon Miller, an architect and former sapper in the Royal Engineers who carried out a survey of the bridge in the 1970s, it is the first successful road bridge in the world.

    You can read more about this at
    http://www.electricscotland.org/show...or-bicentenary

    Hamelt Gargunnock
    A new song from John Henderson which you can read at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerel553.htm

    The Scots in France
    This is a review of the 2 volume book about the Scots in France which is in the French language and I've never found an English translation of it so this review being in English is a useful insight into what it covers.

    You can read this at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...e-scotland.pdf

    A Genealogical Account of the Highland Families of Shaw
    By Alexander MacKntosh Shaw (1877) (pdf). Have added this book to our Shaw page at:
    http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/stoz/shaw.html

    Will Fyffe and Harry Lauder
    By John Henderson

    John was doing some corrections on an article about these two gentlemen and so took the opportunity to extract the chapter about them and has share this with us. You can read this account at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...cles/fyffe.htm

    Lands and Lairds of Larbert and Dunipace Parishes
    By John C. Gibson (1908) (pdf).

    Funny how things happen. I just happened to notice a reference to this book and had found a copy of it and had it downloaded to add to the site. The next day John Henderson sent it to me as he'd also noticed it and downloaded it and cleaned it up and sent it to me for inclusion on the site. This means you can now read this at http://www.electricscotland.com/council/stirling.htm where I've added a link to it from that page.

    And Finally...

    Some more stories from The Book of Scottish Anecdote...

    A STURDY DAME

    1798. There is living in the parish of Urr, a woman of the name of Margaret Nish, at the advanced age of ninety; what is very singular, she can support a burden of seven stones weight upon her back, and will walk with it for several miles with the most apparent ease and freedom.

    OLD SOLDIERS IN SKYE

    There are so many old soldiers settled in Skye, receiving pensions for wounds and length of service, that the circulation of so much ready money is no small advantage to their native isle. The collectors of excise, who usually pay these pensions, sometimes find their collection of duties too small to meet the military payments, which have amounted to more than £800 at one half yearly collection. While so many old soldiers returned home to enjoy their countries reward for their services, it is also certain that an equal number settled in other parts of the kingdom, after their discharge. Yet, notwithstanding this, Dr Macculloch has the assurance, in the face of all historical fact, to assert that,

    "Skye, with a population of 16,000, has not a man in the army."

    The doctor has the hardihood also to say, that "if recruits should be raised in the islands, they would be found in Islay, not in Skye, or in the Long Island."

    Now it is shown by Colonel Stewart that 732 men were enlisted for the 78th Regiment, on one landlord's estate. Such a defiance of truth as Dr Macculloch's libel on the inhabitants of the western isles, it would not be easy to find. - Dr Browne.

    CHIEF 0' SCOTIA'S FOOD

    The common people live on oatmeal porridge twice a-day. It is the most wholesome and palatable of all their food, being purely vegetable; notwithstanding the reflection in Johnson's Dictionary', that "oats are eaten by horses in England, and in Scotland by men." Such food makes men strong like horses, and purges the brain of pedantry. It produces hardy Highlanders, who by their strength and dress are so formidable to their enemies, that they call them "Les diables des Montagues" - Stat. Account.

    A TRUE PATRIOT

    About the end of August 1786, one Roderick Mackinnon, aged 97 yean; was drowned at the fishing, betwixt the islands of Skye and Uist. It is remarkable that in the year 1746, this same man fell overboard, near the place where he ended his days, while he was piloting the pretender; aneI being with difficulty brought to life, and congratulated by his friends on his escape, he replied in Gaelic - "What signifies my life? I had rather that I and 10,000 more had died, if my prince had gained his end." This same Mackinnon is taken notice of by Voltaire.-Scots Mag.

    That's it for this week and hope you all enjoy your Halloween weekend.

    Alastair

  • #2
    Re: Newsletter 31st October 2014

    It should be noted that the city of Thunder Bay is an amalgamation of the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur.

    Cheers,

    Hugh

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Newsletter 31st October 2014

      And it also included McIntye county as well I happened to note <grin> Mind you couldn't find out anything about McIntyre country which would have made an interesting article for the McIntyre clan.

      Alastair

      Comment

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