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For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
https://electricscotland.com/scotnews.htm
Electric Scotland News
Found a supplier of Ox Tongue and it's "British Corner Shop" in the UK. From what I can see they seem to have a better online shop than many I have looked at. You can visit their site at:
www.britishcornershop.co.uk
--------
Added two stories this week both from the Aberdeen Journal Notes and Queries which I hope you'll enjoy.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland and world news stories that can affect Scotland and as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines it becomes a good resource. I might also add that in a number of newspapers you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish which I do myself from time to time.
There’s nothing inclusive about avoiding the word Christmas
The notion that using the word Christmas runs counter to 'inclusivity' is an idea so daft that only a government official could have come up with it. Worst of all, it implies that other religious minorities are constantly on the lookout for offence, when most just want to enjoy the festive season like everyone else.
Read more at:
https://capx.co/theres-nothing-inclu...ord-christmas/
Scotland: Making its way in the world
The amount workers produce per hour is the main driver of our standard of living, and it's been growing very slowly or stagnating
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-59514202
10,000 more people waiting for NHS tests since June
More than 125,500 people were waiting to be seen for eight key diagnostic tests as of September 30 -an increase of over 10,000 since three months’ earlier. This figure is 22 per cent higher than it was on the same date in 2020, and 42 per cent higher than it was in the year before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/health/covi...e-june-3477015
The big nuclear waste myth
Radioactive waste is the ace in the hole for opponents of nuclear power, the catch-all for why they won't support a safe, dependable, carbon-free source of energy. But in doing so, these people reveal their ignorance. For nuclear waster in the form of spent uranium fuel rods is not really waste at all.
Read more at:
https://www.realclearscience.com/blo...te_804987.html
The Scot trekking across Canada to help restore Highland forests
A kilted Scot and his dog have trekked the width of Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic in an effort to help rewild the Scottish Highlands.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-scotland-59556036
The Canadian city to visit this winter
After some of the longest and strictest restaurant lockdowns of any city of the world, Toronto is moving towards lifting all pandemic restrictions by March 2022.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/2...it-this-winter
NHS Lothian criticised over late diagnosis of deaf children
The society's chief executive, Susan Daniels, said: "The horrendous findings in this report represent a real-life nightmare for the families involved. They placed their trust in a service that was supposed to help, only to be completely let down.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland...-fife-59590610
The tomatoes at the forefront of a food revolution
As global temperatures increase and extreme weather events become more common, can gene editing help to tweak our food plants so they can cope with the changes?
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...ood-revolution
Foula: Britain's most remote inhabited island
Just 30 permanent residents live on Foula, which lays claim to being Britain's most remote inhabited island and operates on a different calendar to the rest of the UK.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/2...habited-island
UK and Canada join diplomatic boycott of China Winter Olympics
The UK and Canada have become the latest nations to announce a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, due to be held in February 2022.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59582137
Union Connectivity Review makes the case for joined-up action
ON 26TH NOVEMBER, the day that Storm Arwen brought a rare red weather warning to the east coast of Scotland and north-east England, we were reminded in more ways than one how important connectivity between the nations of the UK is for business.
Read more at:
https://thinkscotland.org/2021/12/un...d-up-action-2/
Biggest increase in alcohol-related deaths for 20 years
Deaths from alcohol in 2020 were up almost 19% compared with the previous year, according to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2021/12/bigge...-for-20-years/
Electric Canadian
Canada Descriptive Atlas
Issued by direction of Hon. James Alexander Robb, Minister of Immigration and colonization (1923) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...mmigration.pdf
Book Collecting
By M. A. Buchanan, University of Toronto (pdf)
An interesting account which can be read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...collecting.pdf
Helping Canadians Grow
By Agriculture Canada (1988) (pdf)
We have shaped the land, but the land has also shaped us. The history of Canada is in
many ways a history of our relationship with the soil. This can be read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...canadagrow.pdf
Schooling in Canada
From the 1981 census (pdf)
This brief report takes a look at some of the recently released 1981 Census of Canada schooling information in the light of three main questions. First, how much schooling or education do Canadians have? Another way of phrasing this question is to ask what is Canada's stock of educated human resources, or is it possible to take an educational inventory of Canada? Second, how much schooling is actually going on in any given school year? In other words, how many people are attending school? And the third and last question this report attempts to answer is: How is schooling related to economic factors such as unemployment and to social characteristics such as ethnicity and religion?
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...ngincanada.pdf
Electric Scotland
Beth's Video Talks
December 8th 2021 - Scottish Holidays and septs and allied families
You can watch this at:
https://electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
British Painters
With eighty examples of their work engraved on wood (1881) (pdf)
A number of Scots painters are included and you can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/lifesty...shpainters.pdf
Pluscarden Abbey
Added a half hour video about life at this abbey which can view at:
https://electricscotland.com/history/moray/nairn02.htm
Family Record of the Name of Dingwall Fordyce in Aberdeenshire
Showing descent from the first known progenitor of either name - both direct and collateral with Appendex contaning notices of individuals and families incidentally referred to compiled by Alexander Dingwall Fordyce (Fergus, Ontario, Canada) (1885) (pdf) Volume II Addenda to Main Record of Volume 1 and Appendix (1888) (pdf)
You can read these on the page at: https://electricscotland.com/history/nation/fordyce.htm
Aberdeen Journal
Notes and Queries - a collection of small articles on all kinds of topics.
You can read volume 1 at: https://electricscotland.com/history...en_journal.htm
Girdles
Their Origin and Development, particularly with regard to their Use as Charms in Medicine, Marriage, and Midwifery by Walter J. Dilling, M.B., Ch.B., Lecturer in Pharmacology, Aberdeen University (1914) (pdf)
You can read this at: https://electricscotland.com/history...al/girdels.pdf
Churches of Aberdeen
Historical and Descriptive by Alexander Gammie (1909)
You can read this at: https://electricscotland.com/history...ofaberdeen.htm
Story
Retreat of the Jacobite Army from Stirling to Inverness
The siege of Stirling Castle having failed, and the rebel army being unfit to face the approaching troops of the Government, it was resolved to retreat to Inverness. The retreat began on February 1 (old style), 1746, and Crieff was reached the first day. Next day. Prince Charles Edward Stuart reviewed his army, which probably did not exceed 5000; and a plan of retreat was adopted. The Duke of Cumberland reached Stirling that same day. and no time had to be lost.
It was arranged that the horse and Lowland regiments should go through Dundee and take the coast route to Aberdeen; that the Ogilvies, originally 600 strong, and the Farquharsons, originally 90 strong, should go by Coupar-Angus and Glenesk. and cross the mountains by the Capel horse-path; and that the clansmen, accompanied' bv the Prince, should take the Highland road by Blair-Atholl, Kingussie. Aviemore, Carr Bndge. and Moy. This detachment reached Inverness February 18, and two days later Inverness Castle surrendered to the Prince. The only incidents worth mentioning on the march from Crieff to Inverness were the capture of Ruthven Barracks, near Kingussie, by old Gordon of Glenbucket, with an advance party, and an attempt to capture the Prince by Lord Loudon at Moy. Here he received recruits to the number of two or three thousand.
The Ogilviee and Farquharsons reached Cortachy on February 4, and got leave to visit their homes and friends. They reached Clova on the 9th, and were detained two days there by a snowstorm, but after that they never stayed two nights in the same place till they reached Keith. Their halting places were— Spital of Glenmuick. Glenmuick Kirk, Coldstone. Tarland, Rhynie Kirk, Keith. They crossed the Spey, and arrived at Elgin on the 21st. This was the immediate object of the march, and here they were joined by the other divisions.
The eastern division kept together till they reached Aberdeen. There the difficulty of obtaining food for man and beast made them split up into parties, who took different routes through Aberdeenshire on their way to Banff. The foot soldiers had taken the shortest ways, and the horsemen had gone by Ellon and Peterhead. Help was expected from France, and on February 21 some French soldiers arrived at Peterhead, and on the 22nd some French horsemen, but without horses, arrived at Aberdeen. On the 23rd the whole of the rebel army had cleared out of Aberdeen.
Lord Pitsligo had joined Prince Charles at Edinburgh after Prestonpans with 132 horsemen and 248 foot, and on the way from Peterhead to Banff many of them would have been able to visit their friends. In the north part of Buchan, they would have been hospitably entertained, but the soldiers were not welcome guests everywhere. A party of horsemen rode up to a farm to forage. Taking the bits out of their horses’ mouths, and turning their heads to a hay-stack, they began to search the premises for provisions. Their approach had been foreseen, and the farmer had secreted in the hay-stack all the cheeses he had in his house, and had made the stack look as it had been before. When the horsemen went to remount, they found that their horses had eaten so much hay that the cheeses had come out, and they carried them with them.
The great object of the rebel army was to prevent the Government forces from crossing the Spey, and the greater part of March was spent near the Spey, but excursions were made from Inverness in various directions.
The Duke of Cumberland was within a day’s march of the rebel army when they left Stirling, but he did not hurry after them. He arrived at Aberdeen on February 27. and remained there till April 8th; but a part of his army had gone on before to Strathbogie. The Duke went by Balgownie. Oldmeldrum. Auchterless, Turriff, and King-Edward, to Banff. The roads then were not adapted for wheel traffic, and when crossing a burn in King-Edward, a passage for cannon had to be cut in a steep brae on the north side. This the writer showed to an army officer, who said it was what was technically called a ramp. There was not a bridge at Banff, and the troops crossed the Deveron by boats.
There is a tradition at Banff that a herd lad who had been looking on when the soldiers were crossing the river, was made prisoner, and a throwing-stick with notches on it. representing what is told in the story of “Jockie and His Owsen,” being found in his possession, he was supposed to be a spy. The river had been crossed on the night of April 10th. and on leaving Banff, the supposed spy was hanged from the point of the roof-tree of a cottage, which projected a little. The owner of the cottage, going out in the morning before daylight, saw what he thought was a man standing at the head of the house, and spoke to him, asking him to go in and warm himself. Getting no answer, he took hold of him and got a fright on finding that he was swinging from the rooftree.
The Duke pushed on to take the rebels unawares and get across the Spey. He gathered his forces at Cullen on the 11th, and crossed the Spey by wading on the afternoon of the 12th. The rebels had not prevented his passage. and retired before his army to Nairn, which Cumberland reached on the 14th, and there he rested one day. On the night of the 15th, the Prince’s army set out to surprise the Royal army, but on approaching Nairn they heard drums beating, and knew that they were too late. They retired to Culloden, and waited the approach of the Royalists. They were attacked on the 16th April at. 1 o’clock, and the fight was over in 25 minutes.
The remains of the rebel army fled the same night to Corry borough, where the Highland road crosses the Findhorn, and next day they passed Aviemore, and reached Ruthven Barracks on the 18th. There a message from Prince Charles announced that all was over, and advised them to disperse. The Ogilvies, however. stuck together, and made for Glen Clova by Glen Feshie. They halted a night at Balmoral, and next day they crossed the Capel and reached' Clova on the 20th. Next day they retired to their own homes, and the Jacobite Rebellion was at an end.
END.
The Snowstorm of 1838-9.
The “Aberdeen Daily Journal” recently published the following interesting communication from a correspondent—
Seeing so much written about the late snowstorm and the blocking of the railways throughout the country, and the fear of famine of bread, beef, and milk in town and country, I would give you my experience of the great snowstorm of 1838-9—seventy years ago—when the roads were blocked up for nearly ten weeks. The village near where I lived [Tarland] was 30 miles from Aberdeen; and at that time goods were carried in carrieres carts or farm carts that went in with grain. There were no great stores to tide over a storm. I have heard it stated for a fact that there was neither tea, sugar, tobacco, nor flour bread in the village for more than nine weeks. Of course, these were luxuries, little used at that time except by the well-to-do.
I was a boy of seven years old, and lived with my mother in a little thatched house with “timmer lums.” The third day after the storm came on, our house was completely snowed up, and in the morning my mother could not get out. We were in perfect darkness. I remember saying, “Sic a lang nicht! I’m so hungry!” The snow had come down the “lum” and drowned out the turf that kindled the fire in the morning. There were no matches then. My mother said we would have to wait till my uncles dug us out—my grandfather was close by; my mother was a widow. One of my uncles came and shouted down the “lum,” “Are you both living?” asking if we had food. My mother said we had just meal, bread, and some water, but could light no fire. He said we would have to wait till next day, as it had taken them all day to dig out the horses, cattle, pigs, and hens and give them food and water. He put a long fork shaft down the “lum” for my mother to push through the snow to let them see where the door was. Next day we were dug out, after being imprisoned two days on just bread and water, but none the worse.
How we lived after I can hardly tell. Our food—mine at least—was porridge and raw sowens for breakfast and “brochan” for dinner; potatoes, bread, and water for supper. Sometimes there was malt ale. Some people that had not their meal girnals full before the storm were hard put to it, as there was no getting to the mills, and the mill dams were filled with snow; and when people tried to clear them, they filled again with snow worse than ever. There was scarcely a day that there was not drifting more or less. The people borrowed from each other; and when that came to an end, the men carried grain to the mills, one or two bushels at a time, to get a little meal.
I don’t remember hearing of any deaths from starvation, but I heard of several people that perished in the snowdrifts, and a great number of sheep were lost. But as there were no newspapers to be had, people knew of nothing but what happened in their own neighbourhood. The “Aberdeen Journal” was the only paper that came to the district as far as I know. It came once a week, and I think it cost sevenpence a copy. I remember my grandfather regretting the want of the paper, saying he had never wanted news so long from the outside world since—I think he said 1900, but I am not sure of the year. He kept files of the “Journal” for 60 years. He used to get the paper the last, by paying half the price. As for letters. there were none—the isolation was complete.
I saw my uncle digging out turnips for some cows. They had steps down to them, and as they dug them out I carried them up the steps to a bag. No other beast got any. How they lived through the long snowstorm 1 know not, but I heard of no deaths.
Looking across the country, one could see no house except on a brae face—just the smoke rising up from mounds of snow. I don’t know what would happen now if there were such a continuance of a snowstorm. There was a much larger rural population then than there is now. There was a great number of cottar houses, but these are now all away.
END.
And that's it for this week and hope you all have a great weekend.
Alastair
https://electricscotland.com/scotnews.htm
Electric Scotland News
Found a supplier of Ox Tongue and it's "British Corner Shop" in the UK. From what I can see they seem to have a better online shop than many I have looked at. You can visit their site at:
www.britishcornershop.co.uk
--------
Added two stories this week both from the Aberdeen Journal Notes and Queries which I hope you'll enjoy.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland and world news stories that can affect Scotland and as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines it becomes a good resource. I might also add that in a number of newspapers you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish which I do myself from time to time.
There’s nothing inclusive about avoiding the word Christmas
The notion that using the word Christmas runs counter to 'inclusivity' is an idea so daft that only a government official could have come up with it. Worst of all, it implies that other religious minorities are constantly on the lookout for offence, when most just want to enjoy the festive season like everyone else.
Read more at:
https://capx.co/theres-nothing-inclu...ord-christmas/
Scotland: Making its way in the world
The amount workers produce per hour is the main driver of our standard of living, and it's been growing very slowly or stagnating
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-59514202
10,000 more people waiting for NHS tests since June
More than 125,500 people were waiting to be seen for eight key diagnostic tests as of September 30 -an increase of over 10,000 since three months’ earlier. This figure is 22 per cent higher than it was on the same date in 2020, and 42 per cent higher than it was in the year before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/health/covi...e-june-3477015
The big nuclear waste myth
Radioactive waste is the ace in the hole for opponents of nuclear power, the catch-all for why they won't support a safe, dependable, carbon-free source of energy. But in doing so, these people reveal their ignorance. For nuclear waster in the form of spent uranium fuel rods is not really waste at all.
Read more at:
https://www.realclearscience.com/blo...te_804987.html
The Scot trekking across Canada to help restore Highland forests
A kilted Scot and his dog have trekked the width of Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic in an effort to help rewild the Scottish Highlands.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-scotland-59556036
The Canadian city to visit this winter
After some of the longest and strictest restaurant lockdowns of any city of the world, Toronto is moving towards lifting all pandemic restrictions by March 2022.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/2...it-this-winter
NHS Lothian criticised over late diagnosis of deaf children
The society's chief executive, Susan Daniels, said: "The horrendous findings in this report represent a real-life nightmare for the families involved. They placed their trust in a service that was supposed to help, only to be completely let down.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland...-fife-59590610
The tomatoes at the forefront of a food revolution
As global temperatures increase and extreme weather events become more common, can gene editing help to tweak our food plants so they can cope with the changes?
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...ood-revolution
Foula: Britain's most remote inhabited island
Just 30 permanent residents live on Foula, which lays claim to being Britain's most remote inhabited island and operates on a different calendar to the rest of the UK.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/2...habited-island
UK and Canada join diplomatic boycott of China Winter Olympics
The UK and Canada have become the latest nations to announce a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, due to be held in February 2022.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59582137
Union Connectivity Review makes the case for joined-up action
ON 26TH NOVEMBER, the day that Storm Arwen brought a rare red weather warning to the east coast of Scotland and north-east England, we were reminded in more ways than one how important connectivity between the nations of the UK is for business.
Read more at:
https://thinkscotland.org/2021/12/un...d-up-action-2/
Biggest increase in alcohol-related deaths for 20 years
Deaths from alcohol in 2020 were up almost 19% compared with the previous year, according to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Read more at:
https://sceptical.scot/2021/12/bigge...-for-20-years/
Electric Canadian
Canada Descriptive Atlas
Issued by direction of Hon. James Alexander Robb, Minister of Immigration and colonization (1923) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...mmigration.pdf
Book Collecting
By M. A. Buchanan, University of Toronto (pdf)
An interesting account which can be read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...collecting.pdf
Helping Canadians Grow
By Agriculture Canada (1988) (pdf)
We have shaped the land, but the land has also shaped us. The history of Canada is in
many ways a history of our relationship with the soil. This can be read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...canadagrow.pdf
Schooling in Canada
From the 1981 census (pdf)
This brief report takes a look at some of the recently released 1981 Census of Canada schooling information in the light of three main questions. First, how much schooling or education do Canadians have? Another way of phrasing this question is to ask what is Canada's stock of educated human resources, or is it possible to take an educational inventory of Canada? Second, how much schooling is actually going on in any given school year? In other words, how many people are attending school? And the third and last question this report attempts to answer is: How is schooling related to economic factors such as unemployment and to social characteristics such as ethnicity and religion?
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/life...ngincanada.pdf
Electric Scotland
Beth's Video Talks
December 8th 2021 - Scottish Holidays and septs and allied families
You can watch this at:
https://electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
British Painters
With eighty examples of their work engraved on wood (1881) (pdf)
A number of Scots painters are included and you can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/lifesty...shpainters.pdf
Pluscarden Abbey
Added a half hour video about life at this abbey which can view at:
https://electricscotland.com/history/moray/nairn02.htm
Family Record of the Name of Dingwall Fordyce in Aberdeenshire
Showing descent from the first known progenitor of either name - both direct and collateral with Appendex contaning notices of individuals and families incidentally referred to compiled by Alexander Dingwall Fordyce (Fergus, Ontario, Canada) (1885) (pdf) Volume II Addenda to Main Record of Volume 1 and Appendix (1888) (pdf)
You can read these on the page at: https://electricscotland.com/history/nation/fordyce.htm
Aberdeen Journal
Notes and Queries - a collection of small articles on all kinds of topics.
You can read volume 1 at: https://electricscotland.com/history...en_journal.htm
Girdles
Their Origin and Development, particularly with regard to their Use as Charms in Medicine, Marriage, and Midwifery by Walter J. Dilling, M.B., Ch.B., Lecturer in Pharmacology, Aberdeen University (1914) (pdf)
You can read this at: https://electricscotland.com/history...al/girdels.pdf
Churches of Aberdeen
Historical and Descriptive by Alexander Gammie (1909)
You can read this at: https://electricscotland.com/history...ofaberdeen.htm
Story
Retreat of the Jacobite Army from Stirling to Inverness
The siege of Stirling Castle having failed, and the rebel army being unfit to face the approaching troops of the Government, it was resolved to retreat to Inverness. The retreat began on February 1 (old style), 1746, and Crieff was reached the first day. Next day. Prince Charles Edward Stuart reviewed his army, which probably did not exceed 5000; and a plan of retreat was adopted. The Duke of Cumberland reached Stirling that same day. and no time had to be lost.
It was arranged that the horse and Lowland regiments should go through Dundee and take the coast route to Aberdeen; that the Ogilvies, originally 600 strong, and the Farquharsons, originally 90 strong, should go by Coupar-Angus and Glenesk. and cross the mountains by the Capel horse-path; and that the clansmen, accompanied' bv the Prince, should take the Highland road by Blair-Atholl, Kingussie. Aviemore, Carr Bndge. and Moy. This detachment reached Inverness February 18, and two days later Inverness Castle surrendered to the Prince. The only incidents worth mentioning on the march from Crieff to Inverness were the capture of Ruthven Barracks, near Kingussie, by old Gordon of Glenbucket, with an advance party, and an attempt to capture the Prince by Lord Loudon at Moy. Here he received recruits to the number of two or three thousand.
The Ogilviee and Farquharsons reached Cortachy on February 4, and got leave to visit their homes and friends. They reached Clova on the 9th, and were detained two days there by a snowstorm, but after that they never stayed two nights in the same place till they reached Keith. Their halting places were— Spital of Glenmuick. Glenmuick Kirk, Coldstone. Tarland, Rhynie Kirk, Keith. They crossed the Spey, and arrived at Elgin on the 21st. This was the immediate object of the march, and here they were joined by the other divisions.
The eastern division kept together till they reached Aberdeen. There the difficulty of obtaining food for man and beast made them split up into parties, who took different routes through Aberdeenshire on their way to Banff. The foot soldiers had taken the shortest ways, and the horsemen had gone by Ellon and Peterhead. Help was expected from France, and on February 21 some French soldiers arrived at Peterhead, and on the 22nd some French horsemen, but without horses, arrived at Aberdeen. On the 23rd the whole of the rebel army had cleared out of Aberdeen.
Lord Pitsligo had joined Prince Charles at Edinburgh after Prestonpans with 132 horsemen and 248 foot, and on the way from Peterhead to Banff many of them would have been able to visit their friends. In the north part of Buchan, they would have been hospitably entertained, but the soldiers were not welcome guests everywhere. A party of horsemen rode up to a farm to forage. Taking the bits out of their horses’ mouths, and turning their heads to a hay-stack, they began to search the premises for provisions. Their approach had been foreseen, and the farmer had secreted in the hay-stack all the cheeses he had in his house, and had made the stack look as it had been before. When the horsemen went to remount, they found that their horses had eaten so much hay that the cheeses had come out, and they carried them with them.
The great object of the rebel army was to prevent the Government forces from crossing the Spey, and the greater part of March was spent near the Spey, but excursions were made from Inverness in various directions.
The Duke of Cumberland was within a day’s march of the rebel army when they left Stirling, but he did not hurry after them. He arrived at Aberdeen on February 27. and remained there till April 8th; but a part of his army had gone on before to Strathbogie. The Duke went by Balgownie. Oldmeldrum. Auchterless, Turriff, and King-Edward, to Banff. The roads then were not adapted for wheel traffic, and when crossing a burn in King-Edward, a passage for cannon had to be cut in a steep brae on the north side. This the writer showed to an army officer, who said it was what was technically called a ramp. There was not a bridge at Banff, and the troops crossed the Deveron by boats.
There is a tradition at Banff that a herd lad who had been looking on when the soldiers were crossing the river, was made prisoner, and a throwing-stick with notches on it. representing what is told in the story of “Jockie and His Owsen,” being found in his possession, he was supposed to be a spy. The river had been crossed on the night of April 10th. and on leaving Banff, the supposed spy was hanged from the point of the roof-tree of a cottage, which projected a little. The owner of the cottage, going out in the morning before daylight, saw what he thought was a man standing at the head of the house, and spoke to him, asking him to go in and warm himself. Getting no answer, he took hold of him and got a fright on finding that he was swinging from the rooftree.
The Duke pushed on to take the rebels unawares and get across the Spey. He gathered his forces at Cullen on the 11th, and crossed the Spey by wading on the afternoon of the 12th. The rebels had not prevented his passage. and retired before his army to Nairn, which Cumberland reached on the 14th, and there he rested one day. On the night of the 15th, the Prince’s army set out to surprise the Royal army, but on approaching Nairn they heard drums beating, and knew that they were too late. They retired to Culloden, and waited the approach of the Royalists. They were attacked on the 16th April at. 1 o’clock, and the fight was over in 25 minutes.
The remains of the rebel army fled the same night to Corry borough, where the Highland road crosses the Findhorn, and next day they passed Aviemore, and reached Ruthven Barracks on the 18th. There a message from Prince Charles announced that all was over, and advised them to disperse. The Ogilvies, however. stuck together, and made for Glen Clova by Glen Feshie. They halted a night at Balmoral, and next day they crossed the Capel and reached' Clova on the 20th. Next day they retired to their own homes, and the Jacobite Rebellion was at an end.
END.
The Snowstorm of 1838-9.
The “Aberdeen Daily Journal” recently published the following interesting communication from a correspondent—
Seeing so much written about the late snowstorm and the blocking of the railways throughout the country, and the fear of famine of bread, beef, and milk in town and country, I would give you my experience of the great snowstorm of 1838-9—seventy years ago—when the roads were blocked up for nearly ten weeks. The village near where I lived [Tarland] was 30 miles from Aberdeen; and at that time goods were carried in carrieres carts or farm carts that went in with grain. There were no great stores to tide over a storm. I have heard it stated for a fact that there was neither tea, sugar, tobacco, nor flour bread in the village for more than nine weeks. Of course, these were luxuries, little used at that time except by the well-to-do.
I was a boy of seven years old, and lived with my mother in a little thatched house with “timmer lums.” The third day after the storm came on, our house was completely snowed up, and in the morning my mother could not get out. We were in perfect darkness. I remember saying, “Sic a lang nicht! I’m so hungry!” The snow had come down the “lum” and drowned out the turf that kindled the fire in the morning. There were no matches then. My mother said we would have to wait till my uncles dug us out—my grandfather was close by; my mother was a widow. One of my uncles came and shouted down the “lum,” “Are you both living?” asking if we had food. My mother said we had just meal, bread, and some water, but could light no fire. He said we would have to wait till next day, as it had taken them all day to dig out the horses, cattle, pigs, and hens and give them food and water. He put a long fork shaft down the “lum” for my mother to push through the snow to let them see where the door was. Next day we were dug out, after being imprisoned two days on just bread and water, but none the worse.
How we lived after I can hardly tell. Our food—mine at least—was porridge and raw sowens for breakfast and “brochan” for dinner; potatoes, bread, and water for supper. Sometimes there was malt ale. Some people that had not their meal girnals full before the storm were hard put to it, as there was no getting to the mills, and the mill dams were filled with snow; and when people tried to clear them, they filled again with snow worse than ever. There was scarcely a day that there was not drifting more or less. The people borrowed from each other; and when that came to an end, the men carried grain to the mills, one or two bushels at a time, to get a little meal.
I don’t remember hearing of any deaths from starvation, but I heard of several people that perished in the snowdrifts, and a great number of sheep were lost. But as there were no newspapers to be had, people knew of nothing but what happened in their own neighbourhood. The “Aberdeen Journal” was the only paper that came to the district as far as I know. It came once a week, and I think it cost sevenpence a copy. I remember my grandfather regretting the want of the paper, saying he had never wanted news so long from the outside world since—I think he said 1900, but I am not sure of the year. He kept files of the “Journal” for 60 years. He used to get the paper the last, by paying half the price. As for letters. there were none—the isolation was complete.
I saw my uncle digging out turnips for some cows. They had steps down to them, and as they dug them out I carried them up the steps to a bag. No other beast got any. How they lived through the long snowstorm 1 know not, but I heard of no deaths.
Looking across the country, one could see no house except on a brae face—just the smoke rising up from mounds of snow. I don’t know what would happen now if there were such a continuance of a snowstorm. There was a much larger rural population then than there is now. There was a great number of cottar houses, but these are now all away.
END.
And that's it for this week and hope you all have a great weekend.
Alastair