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Got a note from Martin MacIntyre saying... I was looking for mention of the fact that upon having the MacGregor name abolished, a large number of MacGregors took the name MacIntyre. If you were to go to the cemetary where Rob Roy is buried, you will find that there are more MacIntyres buried there than MacGregors!!
He also sent me a picture of the MacIntyre Cairn which you can see at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...ntyrecairn.htm
--------
MyHeritage Launches MyStories
A New Service to Turn Cherished Memories into a Printed Keepsake Book
Learn more at:
https://blog.myheritage.com/2025/02/...keepsake-book/
---------
Donald Trump's tariff threat to Canada has sparked a huge response which looks to be of great benefit to Canadians. Seems we've woken up to what a great country Canada is and also woken us up to what we need to do to make us even greater.
So many thanks to the President for this but shame it is also likely to make the US poorer as a result.
Why do I say this? Well it seems to have woken us up to the fact we need to get our resources to the coasts so the pipe line through Quebec might actually come about. Also there is talk of building refineries and of removing barriers between Provinces and all of this could add billions to the economy. It also means that we would be able to export our oil and other natural resources to countries other than the US meaning we'd be getting more money for our energy.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
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 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.
Here is what caught my eye this week...
Shetland skies set alight in Europe's largest fire festival
Shetland has once again celebrated its annual fire festival - the largest of its kind in Europe. Up Helly Aa has been held for over 140 years in Lerwick to celebrate Shetland's Norse heritage.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/czrl1yn3032o
Finding true north
Quite unintentionally, Trump has provoked a revival in Canadian nationalism
Read more at:
https://thecritic.co.uk/finding-true-north/
Brexit was not a failure
Despite all the sound and fury of the Brexit years, being outside the EU now seems... kind of normal. Things haven't gone perfectly in the past few years, but we forget how bad they used to be. And the truth is, all our biggest problems predate Brexit. Now have the freedom to solve them ourselves.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/SU0mk
In response to President Trumps 25% tariff on Canada’s imports, the BC Premier will stop purchasing liquor from RED STATES.
Some implications from this announcement
Watch this at:
https://x.com/i/status/1885859109854908433
Conrad Black: Trump bulldozes the leftist nonsense of the last four years
Canada risks getting left behind as the U.S. president fundamentally reshapes global politics
Read more at:
https://archive.is/T33dx
Brexiteer says there's at least 75 benefits from leaving EU and shares full list
Friday marked the fifth anniversary of Britain quitting the bloc - but the arguments over the benefits and drawbacks have not abated
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...r-keir-starmer
Reform tops major national poll for first time
The survey marks the first time the leading polling company has put Reform in the lead.
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...rm-yougov-poll
Trump has SUNDAY MELTDOWN as Canada STANDS UP
A YouTube video which shows Canada's reaction to the tariff threat from the USA.
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/uTvSodcPlMk?si=gBbP4heOuG6QALLR
Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson on US-Canada energy cooperation
From the Atlantic Council meeting.
Watch this at:
https://www.youtube.com/live/aNCRCCF...7L7Ri7u0yLHAO2
Trump has misread US history
Regardless of their politics, most economists will tell you that Donald Trump's trade wars would make everyone - including his own citizens - poorer. So why is Trump’s new administration pushing tariffs so aggressively? Besides wanting to punish Mexico and Canada, it comes down to his misreading of America's Gilded Age.
Read more at:
https://capx.co/trump-has-misread-us...-pay-the-price
WHY Nigel Farage & Reform Are SURGING In The Polls
The latest YouGov poll is a political earthquake – Nigel Farage and Reform UK are now the most popular party in Britain, beating both Labour and the Conservatives. Reform is now leading among the working class, men, and disillusioned voters who have had enough of mass immigration, broken borders, and economic decline. The political establishment is panicking because the British people want their country back. This is more than just a poll – this is the beginning of a revolution.
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/ALpIRPzuanQ?si=vP3dzG4cuTRHYh1c
Why Do Provincial Trade Barriers Still Exist?
February 1 is the day Donald Trump declared the U.S. will impose import tariffs on Canadian products. In the meantime, leaders at the federal and provincial level have been debating responses to those tariffs. One idea that has cropped up again... and it's by no means a new one... is bringing down interprovincial trade barriers. Why do they still exist and what could easing them mean for the Canadian economy?
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/qjQm4C27Fjs?si=vAsepVpCRXTk8iLB
The Ukrainian minerals myth
Has Donald Trump been misled about the value of Ukrainian rare earth deposits?
Read more at:
https://thecritic.co.uk/the-ukrainian-minerals-myth
The game has changed in British politics
Badenoch and the Tories do not seem to have appreciated that the country’s very sense of itself is unravelling
Read more at:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...enoch-starmer/
Ban on mobile phones in schools having positive impact
Schools across the country are engaged in a battle. And it is not about the ever-present concerns of funding cuts and declining grades, but a fundamental fight for their students’ attention.
Read more at:
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/mobile-phones-in-schools/
Teenage racing driver Chloe Grant is aiming for the top in motorsports
When 11-year-old Chloe Grant got behind the wheel of a 60mph kart for the first time, she knew driving was her calling.
Read more and watch the video at:
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/chloe-...racing-driver/
Conrad Black: Though Postponed, Tariff Threat Presents a Range of Opportunities for Canada
The imposition of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports now suspended for a month by President Trump was an outrage, but it is also an opportunity.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/bq16E#selection-621.0-621.148
Conrad Black: What Defines Canada’s Unique Identity
The recent rather cavalier comments by Donald Trump that Canada should simply throw in the towel as an independent country because it doesn’t really pay for its own defence and outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau allegedly telling him that the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on exports to the United States would destroy our economy has been a primary topic of discussion.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/04p7Z#selection-677.0-677.377
Does Scotland actually want to ban cats?
A report published by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) about cat ownership has produced a flurry of headlines over an alleged cat ban (a purrge, perhaps) in Scotland.
Read more at:
https://www.cityam.com/does-scotland...nt-to-ban-cats
Electric Canadian
The World's Work
Added volume 5 where they discuss how the magazine is progressing and an interesting article on tariffs.
You can read this volume at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/maga...worldswork.htm
The Canadian Album
Men of Canada or Success by Example in Religion, Patriotism, Business, Law, Medicine, Education and Agriculture; containing portraits of some of Canada's chief business men, statesmen, farmers, men of the learned professions, and others. Also an authentic sketch of their lives. Object lessons for the present generation and examples to posterity edited by Rev. Wm. Cochrane, D.D. in five volumes.
You can read these volumes at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/make...adianalbum.htm
Blockade of Quebec in 1775-1776 by the American Revolutionists (Les Bastonnais) Published by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec and edited by Fred C. Wurtele, Librarian (1906) (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...quebec02wr.pdf
The Anglo-American Magazine
Added Volume 3 and the first article is about the war between Great Britain and the United States in 1812, 1813 and 1814 starting with chapter 6 which continues the account from the last volume.
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/maga...loamerican.htm
Thoughts on a Sunday Morning - the 2nd day of February 2024 - Pick-Me-Ups
By the Rev. Nola Crewe
You can watch this at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...24-pick-me-ups
The Beaver Magazine
Added Volume 4 No. 3 (pdf)
You can read this edition at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...cember1923.pdf
Electric Scotland
Life of John Kennedy, D.D.
By Rev. Alexander Auld (1887) (pdf)
You can read about him at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/L...hn-Kennedy.pdf
Ministers and Men in the Far North
Second Edition by The Rev. Alexander Auld, Author of “Life of John Kennedy, D.D.,” &c. (1891) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/M..._Far_North.pdf
People of the croft: Visualising land, heritage and identity
This short photographic essay emerges from the recognition that identity, landscapes, and heritage landscapes in particular, are rarely configured and conceptualised wholly linguistically.(pdf)
You can view this at:
https://electricscotland.com/agricul...ublication.pdf
Valley of the Upper Maumee River
With Historical account of Allen County and the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The story of its progress from savagery to civilization by various authors in two volumes (1889)
You can read these volumes and a more recent Introduction which includes a map at:
https://electricscotland.com/history/america/maumee.htm
Memorial for
Mrs Alison Cunningham, only daughter of the deceared John Cunningham of Balboogie, and now spouse to Captain Robert Mudie of Leith, the said Captain Mudie for his interest, chargers; Against The Trustees of the deceased John Cunningham of Balbougie, Suspenders. (1771) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...lison_1771.pdf
Rothsey
Added a video to our page about the town.
You can get to this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history.../chapter07.htm
Scotland's Archaeology Strategy
Read the 2024 magazine and learn more about them at:
https://electricscotland.com/histori...-Strategy.html
Clan MacIntyre Cairn
Information on the Cairn
You can read about this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...ntyrecairn.htm
Lightfoot the Deer
By Thornton W. Burgess With Illustrations by Harrison Cady (1921) (pdf)
A children's story which you can read at:
https://electricscotland.com/kids/st...er0000thor.pdf
Lectures on the History of the Church of Scotland
Delivered in Edinburgh in 1872 by Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, D. D., Dean of Westminster (1872) (pdf)
You can read these at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/l...0arth_i5d8.pdf
Labour in the Coal Mining Industry (1914 — 1921)
By G. D. H. Cole (author of ‘trade unionism and munitions’, ‘workshop organization’, etc.) (1923) (pdf). Added this book to the foot of the page at:
https://electricscotland.com/history.../industry1.htm
Bumper Year Ahead in Prospect for Venture Capital Activity In Scotland
KPMG reports VC interest significantly up "despite challenging economic backdrop".
An article by Bill Magee which you can read at:
https://electricscotland.com/magee/article0025.pdf
The Rise and Fall of Kilmarnock
Added this video to our Kilmarnock page.
You can view this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...nock/index.htm
Stuart McFarlane
Poet. Added a page for him as he's just sent in a second poem for us to enjoy, Johnny Died a Soldier.
You can find his new poem at:
https://electricscotland.com/poetry/...mcfarlanel.htm
History of Rhode Island
By Rev. Edward Peterson (1853) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...hodeisland.pdf
Historical Notices of St. Anthony's Monastry, Leith
And Rehearsal of Events Which occurred in the North of Scotland from 1635 to 1645 in relation to the National Covenant. Edited from a Contemporary MS. by the Rev. Charles Rogers LL.D, Historiographer io the Royal Historical Society; Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; Fellow of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, Copenhagen; Member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Member of the Historical Society of Quebec; and Corresponding Member of the Historical and Genealogical Society of New England (1877) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/H...-monastery.pdf
W. E. Gladstone
By Osbert Burdett (1927) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
https://electricscotland.com/history/men/gladstone.pdf
Hardscrabble Heritage
This paper explores a particular materialisation of the relationship between landscape, heritage and identity By Iain James McPherson Robertson (2015) (pdf)
You can read this paper at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...referee_v3.pdf
The State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill
The funeral of Sir Winston Churchill on 30 January 1965 was broadcast live on the BBC and seen around the world. It was the first state funeral of a politician in the century and the biggest national event since the Coronation of 1953. The BBC chose Richard Dimbleby as the sole presenter for over 4 hours of television coverage. Dimbleby's grave and informed coverage was widely praised, and he received 1600 letters from viewers. The BBC positioned 36 cameras along the route of the cortege, which went from Westminster Hall to St Paul's and then back along the river from Tower Hill to the Festival Hall, before departing by train from Waterloo for Bladon. They recorded the full ceremonial but also captured the unexpected, such as the moment the dockside cranes were lowered in salute. Dimbleby covered the whole event from the control room in St Paul's Cathedral.
You can watch this at:
https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/...ston-churchill
Note: If you are not in the UK you can watch a smaller version on YouTube at:
https://youtu.be/5H5Pjb_-Fyc?si=EbHm0WGGjpKirUSW
Story
Neil McNeill of Ardnacross, J.P.
The M’Neills of Kintyre
From early times the M‘Neills have been numerous and influential in Kintyre. In the clan conflicts which kept this romantic land in a turmoil for so many generations, the M‘Neills are understood not to have allowed much of the excitement to pass their own doors. When claymores were bared to decide a quarrel, depend upon it there was a Gigha, Carskey, or Tirfergus right in the centre of the trouble. They were, as Neil Munro aptly puts it, “bonnie fighters.” It is a pity that the history and traditions connected with these old martial families of the clan have never been written, for they should certainly occupy a prominent place in the annals of the district. But their fame and deeds are not entirely forgotten in their homeland. The story is still told how, when the Campbells and Macdonalds were disputing for the possession of the ancient castle of Dalaruan (now the site of the Castlehill Church, the pulpit of which was, in recent times, filled by an Ardnacross M‘Neill), Hector M‘Neill of Uarskey settled the matter by throwing a sword of Clan Diarmid over the walls, which they must follow to find. And when Elizabeth, Duchess of Argyll, attempted to introduce English sermons into the Highland church in Campbeltown, and came in great state with a numerous retinue to enforce her views, MacNeal of Ugadale met her at the door with a drawn sword, and informed her that, while her sex entitled her to admission into the church, he would take good care that none of her “ tail ” (followers) would cross the doorstep. So the English Duchess built the Lowland church, and curiously enough, the present popular head of the ancient house of Ugadale and Amide, Captain Hector MacNeal, took an active part in the recent restoration of this interesting old edifice. Thus the cen turies meet.
In the Covenanting days everyone in Kintyre had to take sides, the M‘Neills mostly supporting the Marquis of Argyll, and in 1618 Carskey held Kilkerran Castle for the government. But in earlier times they followed the banner of the great Macdonalds, Lords of the Isles. I have handled a small fragile manuscript, a Bond of Manrent and Friendship, signed at Killeonane, 18th July, 1594, between Hector M‘Neill of Carskey, on behalf of his “whole kin and surname,” and Sir James Macdonald of Smerby, son of Angus, Lord of the Isles, which was endorsed by no fewer than eleven gentlemen of the Clan M‘Neill of Kintyre. But in later days, when the targe and dirk had to be put aside for the plough and the scythe, Kintyre was considered by many no suitable place for a man of spirit and energy to live in, so, dazzled by the glamour of the Americas, many of the M‘Neills, led by a Hector M‘Neill, sailed in 1739 for North Carolina, where they expected to find routh of gold and jewels, and such adventure and glory as kept a Highland gentleman in congenial and active occupation. The M‘Neills soon made their neighbours and enemies respect them; but what was their amazement on reaching this remote country, to find a clansman, “Bluff Hector M‘Neill,” from Kintyre, settled there before them, and a man of considerable importance. Without doubt the two Hectors must have had a late ceilidh that night, and Kintyre would not have been out of their thoughts!
M‘Neills of Ardnacross
Pages might be occupied with old-time tales of this gallant race, but the special intention of this paper is to put on record a brief history of one of the only two ancient landed families of the clan which still hold their possessions in Kintyre. The MacNeals of Ugadale (who still possess the historic “ Bruce Brooch ”) were dealt with in two early volumes of the Celtic', the other are the M‘Neills of Ardnacross, who, if they do not now follow the profession of arms, do great credit to the old name in commercial and professional circles. Between them they keep the Clan Neill flag still flying in Ceann-tir. Ardnacross, or, as it is given in the vernacular, Ard-na-Chroish, which signifies the cross on the promontory, probably derived its name from a Celtic cross erected oyer the grave of a priest, who may have been a member of the great monastic institution at Saddell, founded by Reginald Macdonald of the Isles. It is recorded that in 1647 Ardnacross was in the possession of the Mackays, and an interesting story is told of how young Mackay, a nephew of the famous General Alistair Macdonald, followed his uncle in his campaign in the north in support of Montrose, and /ell at the battle of Auldearn in that year.
The exact date when the M‘Ncills came into possession of this romantic property seems to be unknown, but in 1752, a deed is signed by Neil M‘Neill of Ardnacross. The Ardnacross family, like the Carskeys, are descended from the M‘Neills of Gigba, chiefs of the clan in Kintyre, who themselves trace their origin to the M‘Neills of Barra, chiefs of the whole clan and race of Neill.
Neil M‘Neill, above referred to, was one of the large family of M‘Neill of Tarbet, Gigha, another member of which, Hector M‘Neill of Drumdrishaig, afterwards acquired the estate of Saddell. Neil was succeeded by his son Captain Gorrie M‘Neill, a large silver bowl, dated 1785, which was presented to the Captain in token of the assistance which he rendered to a ship-wrecked crew on the coast, being still in possession of the family. This head of the house was of a roving disposition, and travelled a great deal abroad. His younger brother, Major Hector M‘Neill, who in 1791 owned the estate, had a distinguished military career in the service of one of the Native Indian Princes. He married a daughter of Donald Campbell of Sunderland, Islay (whose grave may be seen in Kilkerran graveyard, ampbeltown,) and had one son, who predeceased him.
It is perhaps interesting to mention that Captain Gorrie M‘Neill had a son Donald, who, moved by the spirit of adventure, went abroad, and was knighted by the Portuguese government, and died in Glasgow as Sir Donald M‘Neill.
On the death of Major M‘Neill, about 1824, the land passed to his nephew, Neil M‘Neill, who was succeeded by his son John, who had been engaged in commercial pursuits, and was a partner in the well-known firm of Maclaine, Watson & Co., in Batavia. He married his cousin, Catherine Campbell of Melfort, (a prominent Argyllshire family) and bought the estate of Glenmore in the parish of Kilmelfort, where he died. His family by this marriage predeceased him. He secondly married Agnes Loudon, and had two daughters, the youngest of whom is the present Miss M‘Neill of Glenmore. The estate, being entailed in the male line, passed to the Rev. Hector M‘Neill, who was born in 1807, and educated at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. He was minister of the Hope Street Gaelic Church, Glasgow, and eventually of the Castle Hill Church, Campbeltown. He “came out” at the Disruption in 1843, and was ordained to the Lowland Free Church, Campbeltown, which position he held till 1878, when declining years caused him to retire. He married, in 1847, Mary Jane, only daughter of George MacNeal of Ugadale, D.L., and dying in 1879, was succeeded in Ardnacross by his son George, who, on his decease in 1893, was followed in the ownership of the estate by his brother,
Neil M‘Neill, J.P.,
the present popular proprietor. He was born in 1856, and coming to Glasgow in the early seventies, entered the employment of the well-known firm of Messrs James Watson & Co., Iron and Steel Merchants, of which he eventually became a partner, and is a prominent figure in all circles connected with the trade. In 1883 he went to Swansea to open and manage a branch office of the firm, and remained there till 1894, when he returned to Glasgow. He married in 1886 Marjorie Cameron, daughter of the late Mr. Neil Sinclair, a gentleman who for many years took a deep interest in all matters relating to his native Highlands, and was a leading office-bearer in the various Celtic Societies in this city. Mr. M‘Neill has three sons, Hector Loring, Ian Douglas, and Nigel Lorne, who share their parents’ love for the Highlands. Mr. M‘Neill is a Justice of the Peace for the County of Argyll. He is a conservative in politics, and is a member of the New Club, and Conservative Club, Glasgow, and also a life-member of the Kintyre Club, and the Celtic Society. His recreations are cricket and golfing.
The portrait is reproduced from a photograph by Messrs. Lafayette, Ltd., Glasgow.
Editor.
END.
Weekend is almost here and hope it's a good one for you.
Alastair
PS Our newsletter archives can always be found at:
https://electricscotland.com/newsletter/index.htm
Got a note from Martin MacIntyre saying... I was looking for mention of the fact that upon having the MacGregor name abolished, a large number of MacGregors took the name MacIntyre. If you were to go to the cemetary where Rob Roy is buried, you will find that there are more MacIntyres buried there than MacGregors!!
He also sent me a picture of the MacIntyre Cairn which you can see at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...ntyrecairn.htm
--------
MyHeritage Launches MyStories
A New Service to Turn Cherished Memories into a Printed Keepsake Book
Learn more at:
https://blog.myheritage.com/2025/02/...keepsake-book/
---------
Donald Trump's tariff threat to Canada has sparked a huge response which looks to be of great benefit to Canadians. Seems we've woken up to what a great country Canada is and also woken us up to what we need to do to make us even greater.
So many thanks to the President for this but shame it is also likely to make the US poorer as a result.
Why do I say this? Well it seems to have woken us up to the fact we need to get our resources to the coasts so the pipe line through Quebec might actually come about. Also there is talk of building refineries and of removing barriers between Provinces and all of this could add billions to the economy. It also means that we would be able to export our oil and other natural resources to countries other than the US meaning we'd be getting more money for our energy.
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
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 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.
Here is what caught my eye this week...
Shetland skies set alight in Europe's largest fire festival
Shetland has once again celebrated its annual fire festival - the largest of its kind in Europe. Up Helly Aa has been held for over 140 years in Lerwick to celebrate Shetland's Norse heritage.
Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/czrl1yn3032o
Finding true north
Quite unintentionally, Trump has provoked a revival in Canadian nationalism
Read more at:
https://thecritic.co.uk/finding-true-north/
Brexit was not a failure
Despite all the sound and fury of the Brexit years, being outside the EU now seems... kind of normal. Things haven't gone perfectly in the past few years, but we forget how bad they used to be. And the truth is, all our biggest problems predate Brexit. Now have the freedom to solve them ourselves.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/SU0mk
In response to President Trumps 25% tariff on Canada’s imports, the BC Premier will stop purchasing liquor from RED STATES.
Some implications from this announcement
Watch this at:
https://x.com/i/status/1885859109854908433
Conrad Black: Trump bulldozes the leftist nonsense of the last four years
Canada risks getting left behind as the U.S. president fundamentally reshapes global politics
Read more at:
https://archive.is/T33dx
Brexiteer says there's at least 75 benefits from leaving EU and shares full list
Friday marked the fifth anniversary of Britain quitting the bloc - but the arguments over the benefits and drawbacks have not abated
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...r-keir-starmer
Reform tops major national poll for first time
The survey marks the first time the leading polling company has put Reform in the lead.
Read more at:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...rm-yougov-poll
Trump has SUNDAY MELTDOWN as Canada STANDS UP
A YouTube video which shows Canada's reaction to the tariff threat from the USA.
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/uTvSodcPlMk?si=gBbP4heOuG6QALLR
Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson on US-Canada energy cooperation
From the Atlantic Council meeting.
Watch this at:
https://www.youtube.com/live/aNCRCCF...7L7Ri7u0yLHAO2
Trump has misread US history
Regardless of their politics, most economists will tell you that Donald Trump's trade wars would make everyone - including his own citizens - poorer. So why is Trump’s new administration pushing tariffs so aggressively? Besides wanting to punish Mexico and Canada, it comes down to his misreading of America's Gilded Age.
Read more at:
https://capx.co/trump-has-misread-us...-pay-the-price
WHY Nigel Farage & Reform Are SURGING In The Polls
The latest YouGov poll is a political earthquake – Nigel Farage and Reform UK are now the most popular party in Britain, beating both Labour and the Conservatives. Reform is now leading among the working class, men, and disillusioned voters who have had enough of mass immigration, broken borders, and economic decline. The political establishment is panicking because the British people want their country back. This is more than just a poll – this is the beginning of a revolution.
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/ALpIRPzuanQ?si=vP3dzG4cuTRHYh1c
Why Do Provincial Trade Barriers Still Exist?
February 1 is the day Donald Trump declared the U.S. will impose import tariffs on Canadian products. In the meantime, leaders at the federal and provincial level have been debating responses to those tariffs. One idea that has cropped up again... and it's by no means a new one... is bringing down interprovincial trade barriers. Why do they still exist and what could easing them mean for the Canadian economy?
Watch this at:
https://youtu.be/qjQm4C27Fjs?si=vAsepVpCRXTk8iLB
The Ukrainian minerals myth
Has Donald Trump been misled about the value of Ukrainian rare earth deposits?
Read more at:
https://thecritic.co.uk/the-ukrainian-minerals-myth
The game has changed in British politics
Badenoch and the Tories do not seem to have appreciated that the country’s very sense of itself is unravelling
Read more at:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...enoch-starmer/
Ban on mobile phones in schools having positive impact
Schools across the country are engaged in a battle. And it is not about the ever-present concerns of funding cuts and declining grades, but a fundamental fight for their students’ attention.
Read more at:
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/mobile-phones-in-schools/
Teenage racing driver Chloe Grant is aiming for the top in motorsports
When 11-year-old Chloe Grant got behind the wheel of a 60mph kart for the first time, she knew driving was her calling.
Read more and watch the video at:
https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/chloe-...racing-driver/
Conrad Black: Though Postponed, Tariff Threat Presents a Range of Opportunities for Canada
The imposition of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports now suspended for a month by President Trump was an outrage, but it is also an opportunity.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/bq16E#selection-621.0-621.148
Conrad Black: What Defines Canada’s Unique Identity
The recent rather cavalier comments by Donald Trump that Canada should simply throw in the towel as an independent country because it doesn’t really pay for its own defence and outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau allegedly telling him that the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on exports to the United States would destroy our economy has been a primary topic of discussion.
Read more at:
https://archive.is/04p7Z#selection-677.0-677.377
Does Scotland actually want to ban cats?
A report published by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) about cat ownership has produced a flurry of headlines over an alleged cat ban (a purrge, perhaps) in Scotland.
Read more at:
https://www.cityam.com/does-scotland...nt-to-ban-cats
Electric Canadian
The World's Work
Added volume 5 where they discuss how the magazine is progressing and an interesting article on tariffs.
You can read this volume at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/maga...worldswork.htm
The Canadian Album
Men of Canada or Success by Example in Religion, Patriotism, Business, Law, Medicine, Education and Agriculture; containing portraits of some of Canada's chief business men, statesmen, farmers, men of the learned professions, and others. Also an authentic sketch of their lives. Object lessons for the present generation and examples to posterity edited by Rev. Wm. Cochrane, D.D. in five volumes.
You can read these volumes at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/make...adianalbum.htm
Blockade of Quebec in 1775-1776 by the American Revolutionists (Les Bastonnais) Published by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec and edited by Fred C. Wurtele, Librarian (1906) (pdf)
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...quebec02wr.pdf
The Anglo-American Magazine
Added Volume 3 and the first article is about the war between Great Britain and the United States in 1812, 1813 and 1814 starting with chapter 6 which continues the account from the last volume.
You can read this at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/maga...loamerican.htm
Thoughts on a Sunday Morning - the 2nd day of February 2024 - Pick-Me-Ups
By the Rev. Nola Crewe
You can watch this at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/foru...24-pick-me-ups
The Beaver Magazine
Added Volume 4 No. 3 (pdf)
You can read this edition at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...cember1923.pdf
Electric Scotland
Life of John Kennedy, D.D.
By Rev. Alexander Auld (1887) (pdf)
You can read about him at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/L...hn-Kennedy.pdf
Ministers and Men in the Far North
Second Edition by The Rev. Alexander Auld, Author of “Life of John Kennedy, D.D.,” &c. (1891) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/M..._Far_North.pdf
People of the croft: Visualising land, heritage and identity
This short photographic essay emerges from the recognition that identity, landscapes, and heritage landscapes in particular, are rarely configured and conceptualised wholly linguistically.(pdf)
You can view this at:
https://electricscotland.com/agricul...ublication.pdf
Valley of the Upper Maumee River
With Historical account of Allen County and the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The story of its progress from savagery to civilization by various authors in two volumes (1889)
You can read these volumes and a more recent Introduction which includes a map at:
https://electricscotland.com/history/america/maumee.htm
Memorial for
Mrs Alison Cunningham, only daughter of the deceared John Cunningham of Balboogie, and now spouse to Captain Robert Mudie of Leith, the said Captain Mudie for his interest, chargers; Against The Trustees of the deceased John Cunningham of Balbougie, Suspenders. (1771) (pdf)
You can read this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...lison_1771.pdf
Rothsey
Added a video to our page about the town.
You can get to this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history.../chapter07.htm
Scotland's Archaeology Strategy
Read the 2024 magazine and learn more about them at:
https://electricscotland.com/histori...-Strategy.html
Clan MacIntyre Cairn
Information on the Cairn
You can read about this at:
https://electricscotland.com/webclan...ntyrecairn.htm
Lightfoot the Deer
By Thornton W. Burgess With Illustrations by Harrison Cady (1921) (pdf)
A children's story which you can read at:
https://electricscotland.com/kids/st...er0000thor.pdf
Lectures on the History of the Church of Scotland
Delivered in Edinburgh in 1872 by Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, D. D., Dean of Westminster (1872) (pdf)
You can read these at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/l...0arth_i5d8.pdf
Labour in the Coal Mining Industry (1914 — 1921)
By G. D. H. Cole (author of ‘trade unionism and munitions’, ‘workshop organization’, etc.) (1923) (pdf). Added this book to the foot of the page at:
https://electricscotland.com/history.../industry1.htm
Bumper Year Ahead in Prospect for Venture Capital Activity In Scotland
KPMG reports VC interest significantly up "despite challenging economic backdrop".
An article by Bill Magee which you can read at:
https://electricscotland.com/magee/article0025.pdf
The Rise and Fall of Kilmarnock
Added this video to our Kilmarnock page.
You can view this at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...nock/index.htm
Stuart McFarlane
Poet. Added a page for him as he's just sent in a second poem for us to enjoy, Johnny Died a Soldier.
You can find his new poem at:
https://electricscotland.com/poetry/...mcfarlanel.htm
History of Rhode Island
By Rev. Edward Peterson (1853) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...hodeisland.pdf
Historical Notices of St. Anthony's Monastry, Leith
And Rehearsal of Events Which occurred in the North of Scotland from 1635 to 1645 in relation to the National Covenant. Edited from a Contemporary MS. by the Rev. Charles Rogers LL.D, Historiographer io the Royal Historical Society; Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; Fellow of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, Copenhagen; Member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Member of the Historical Society of Quebec; and Corresponding Member of the Historical and Genealogical Society of New England (1877) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
https://electricscotland.com/bible/H...-monastery.pdf
W. E. Gladstone
By Osbert Burdett (1927) (pdf)
You can read this book at:
https://electricscotland.com/history/men/gladstone.pdf
Hardscrabble Heritage
This paper explores a particular materialisation of the relationship between landscape, heritage and identity By Iain James McPherson Robertson (2015) (pdf)
You can read this paper at:
https://electricscotland.com/history...referee_v3.pdf
The State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill
The funeral of Sir Winston Churchill on 30 January 1965 was broadcast live on the BBC and seen around the world. It was the first state funeral of a politician in the century and the biggest national event since the Coronation of 1953. The BBC chose Richard Dimbleby as the sole presenter for over 4 hours of television coverage. Dimbleby's grave and informed coverage was widely praised, and he received 1600 letters from viewers. The BBC positioned 36 cameras along the route of the cortege, which went from Westminster Hall to St Paul's and then back along the river from Tower Hill to the Festival Hall, before departing by train from Waterloo for Bladon. They recorded the full ceremonial but also captured the unexpected, such as the moment the dockside cranes were lowered in salute. Dimbleby covered the whole event from the control room in St Paul's Cathedral.
You can watch this at:
https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/...ston-churchill
Note: If you are not in the UK you can watch a smaller version on YouTube at:
https://youtu.be/5H5Pjb_-Fyc?si=EbHm0WGGjpKirUSW
Story
Neil McNeill of Ardnacross, J.P.
The M’Neills of Kintyre
From early times the M‘Neills have been numerous and influential in Kintyre. In the clan conflicts which kept this romantic land in a turmoil for so many generations, the M‘Neills are understood not to have allowed much of the excitement to pass their own doors. When claymores were bared to decide a quarrel, depend upon it there was a Gigha, Carskey, or Tirfergus right in the centre of the trouble. They were, as Neil Munro aptly puts it, “bonnie fighters.” It is a pity that the history and traditions connected with these old martial families of the clan have never been written, for they should certainly occupy a prominent place in the annals of the district. But their fame and deeds are not entirely forgotten in their homeland. The story is still told how, when the Campbells and Macdonalds were disputing for the possession of the ancient castle of Dalaruan (now the site of the Castlehill Church, the pulpit of which was, in recent times, filled by an Ardnacross M‘Neill), Hector M‘Neill of Uarskey settled the matter by throwing a sword of Clan Diarmid over the walls, which they must follow to find. And when Elizabeth, Duchess of Argyll, attempted to introduce English sermons into the Highland church in Campbeltown, and came in great state with a numerous retinue to enforce her views, MacNeal of Ugadale met her at the door with a drawn sword, and informed her that, while her sex entitled her to admission into the church, he would take good care that none of her “ tail ” (followers) would cross the doorstep. So the English Duchess built the Lowland church, and curiously enough, the present popular head of the ancient house of Ugadale and Amide, Captain Hector MacNeal, took an active part in the recent restoration of this interesting old edifice. Thus the cen turies meet.
In the Covenanting days everyone in Kintyre had to take sides, the M‘Neills mostly supporting the Marquis of Argyll, and in 1618 Carskey held Kilkerran Castle for the government. But in earlier times they followed the banner of the great Macdonalds, Lords of the Isles. I have handled a small fragile manuscript, a Bond of Manrent and Friendship, signed at Killeonane, 18th July, 1594, between Hector M‘Neill of Carskey, on behalf of his “whole kin and surname,” and Sir James Macdonald of Smerby, son of Angus, Lord of the Isles, which was endorsed by no fewer than eleven gentlemen of the Clan M‘Neill of Kintyre. But in later days, when the targe and dirk had to be put aside for the plough and the scythe, Kintyre was considered by many no suitable place for a man of spirit and energy to live in, so, dazzled by the glamour of the Americas, many of the M‘Neills, led by a Hector M‘Neill, sailed in 1739 for North Carolina, where they expected to find routh of gold and jewels, and such adventure and glory as kept a Highland gentleman in congenial and active occupation. The M‘Neills soon made their neighbours and enemies respect them; but what was their amazement on reaching this remote country, to find a clansman, “Bluff Hector M‘Neill,” from Kintyre, settled there before them, and a man of considerable importance. Without doubt the two Hectors must have had a late ceilidh that night, and Kintyre would not have been out of their thoughts!
M‘Neills of Ardnacross
Pages might be occupied with old-time tales of this gallant race, but the special intention of this paper is to put on record a brief history of one of the only two ancient landed families of the clan which still hold their possessions in Kintyre. The MacNeals of Ugadale (who still possess the historic “ Bruce Brooch ”) were dealt with in two early volumes of the Celtic', the other are the M‘Neills of Ardnacross, who, if they do not now follow the profession of arms, do great credit to the old name in commercial and professional circles. Between them they keep the Clan Neill flag still flying in Ceann-tir. Ardnacross, or, as it is given in the vernacular, Ard-na-Chroish, which signifies the cross on the promontory, probably derived its name from a Celtic cross erected oyer the grave of a priest, who may have been a member of the great monastic institution at Saddell, founded by Reginald Macdonald of the Isles. It is recorded that in 1647 Ardnacross was in the possession of the Mackays, and an interesting story is told of how young Mackay, a nephew of the famous General Alistair Macdonald, followed his uncle in his campaign in the north in support of Montrose, and /ell at the battle of Auldearn in that year.
The exact date when the M‘Ncills came into possession of this romantic property seems to be unknown, but in 1752, a deed is signed by Neil M‘Neill of Ardnacross. The Ardnacross family, like the Carskeys, are descended from the M‘Neills of Gigba, chiefs of the clan in Kintyre, who themselves trace their origin to the M‘Neills of Barra, chiefs of the whole clan and race of Neill.
Neil M‘Neill, above referred to, was one of the large family of M‘Neill of Tarbet, Gigha, another member of which, Hector M‘Neill of Drumdrishaig, afterwards acquired the estate of Saddell. Neil was succeeded by his son Captain Gorrie M‘Neill, a large silver bowl, dated 1785, which was presented to the Captain in token of the assistance which he rendered to a ship-wrecked crew on the coast, being still in possession of the family. This head of the house was of a roving disposition, and travelled a great deal abroad. His younger brother, Major Hector M‘Neill, who in 1791 owned the estate, had a distinguished military career in the service of one of the Native Indian Princes. He married a daughter of Donald Campbell of Sunderland, Islay (whose grave may be seen in Kilkerran graveyard, ampbeltown,) and had one son, who predeceased him.
It is perhaps interesting to mention that Captain Gorrie M‘Neill had a son Donald, who, moved by the spirit of adventure, went abroad, and was knighted by the Portuguese government, and died in Glasgow as Sir Donald M‘Neill.
On the death of Major M‘Neill, about 1824, the land passed to his nephew, Neil M‘Neill, who was succeeded by his son John, who had been engaged in commercial pursuits, and was a partner in the well-known firm of Maclaine, Watson & Co., in Batavia. He married his cousin, Catherine Campbell of Melfort, (a prominent Argyllshire family) and bought the estate of Glenmore in the parish of Kilmelfort, where he died. His family by this marriage predeceased him. He secondly married Agnes Loudon, and had two daughters, the youngest of whom is the present Miss M‘Neill of Glenmore. The estate, being entailed in the male line, passed to the Rev. Hector M‘Neill, who was born in 1807, and educated at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. He was minister of the Hope Street Gaelic Church, Glasgow, and eventually of the Castle Hill Church, Campbeltown. He “came out” at the Disruption in 1843, and was ordained to the Lowland Free Church, Campbeltown, which position he held till 1878, when declining years caused him to retire. He married, in 1847, Mary Jane, only daughter of George MacNeal of Ugadale, D.L., and dying in 1879, was succeeded in Ardnacross by his son George, who, on his decease in 1893, was followed in the ownership of the estate by his brother,
Neil M‘Neill, J.P.,
the present popular proprietor. He was born in 1856, and coming to Glasgow in the early seventies, entered the employment of the well-known firm of Messrs James Watson & Co., Iron and Steel Merchants, of which he eventually became a partner, and is a prominent figure in all circles connected with the trade. In 1883 he went to Swansea to open and manage a branch office of the firm, and remained there till 1894, when he returned to Glasgow. He married in 1886 Marjorie Cameron, daughter of the late Mr. Neil Sinclair, a gentleman who for many years took a deep interest in all matters relating to his native Highlands, and was a leading office-bearer in the various Celtic Societies in this city. Mr. M‘Neill has three sons, Hector Loring, Ian Douglas, and Nigel Lorne, who share their parents’ love for the Highlands. Mr. M‘Neill is a Justice of the Peace for the County of Argyll. He is a conservative in politics, and is a member of the New Club, and Conservative Club, Glasgow, and also a life-member of the Kintyre Club, and the Celtic Society. His recreations are cricket and golfing.
The portrait is reproduced from a photograph by Messrs. Lafayette, Ltd., Glasgow.
Editor.
END.
Weekend is almost here and hope it's a good one for you.
Alastair
PS Our newsletter archives can always be found at:
https://electricscotland.com/newsletter/index.htm