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Electric Scotland News
I've been studying Scotland's history from the point of view of Independence and confess that I've now changed my mind on my stance on thinking Scotland should be an Independent country.
I now believe we should stick to being a devolved government. I changed my mind on this based on that report I posted up the other week on how Scotland has had a very poor record in teaching children about the history of Scotland.
As a result of that report I thought I should look more closely at the history of our relations with England and then went on to do further research on how Scottish the Scots actually are.
For example, Scotland has seen migration and settlement of many peoples at different periods in its history. The Gaels, the Picts and the Britons have their respective origin myths, like most medieval European peoples. The Venerable Bede tells of the Scotti coming from Spain via Ireland and the Picts coming from Scythia.
Germanic peoples, such as the Anglo-Saxons, arrived beginning in the 7th century, while the Norse invaded and colonized parts of Scotland from the 8th century onwards. In the High Middle Ages, from the reign of David I of Scotland, there was some emigration from France, England and the Low Countries to Scotland. Some famous Scottish family names, including those bearing the names which became Bruce, Balliol, Murray and Stewart came to Scotland at this time.
I intend to do a video on this topic shortly and I look forward to getting your thoughts on this.
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 as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in newspapers such as the Guardian, Scotsman, Courier, etc. 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.
Stronger for Scotland or a chance to rejoin political reality?
by Grant Simpson in Think Scotland
Read more at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkpo...ead_full=13153
Defend Defence
There is a dangerous and widening gap between government rhetoric and the reality of armed forces running on empty
Read more at:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/c...ence-982fxrw3r
MSPs voice very serious concerns over police board
Holyrood's public audit committee has written to the justice secretary saying SPA chairman Andrew Flanagan appeared to have behaved inappropriately
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-39896398
Durham University unveils plaque to Scottish Battle of Dunbar prisoners
A new plaque has been unveiled to commemorate 17th Century Scottish soldiers who died in Durham after being captured in battle.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-39900459
Experts rush to huge midge swarm at Loch Leven
Nature-lovers are being urged to go to Loch Leven in Fife to see an unusually large swarm of midges that have emerged from the ground.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...-fife-39898684
Concern over decision to axe key Scots pupil survey
The SNP’s decision to scrap the SSLN, conducted every year since 2011, meant the chance to keep tabs on standards in reading and writing in Scotland’s schools was being thrown away
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/educati...rvey-1-4444645
Iain is taking Arbroath smokies back to their ancient roots
Iain, the founder of Original Smokies from Arbroath, explains: I believe the process came over with the Viking settlers and slowly evolved over many years into the smokie we all know and love today.
Read more at:
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/life...ancient-roots/
Fiona Hill, from Scotsman reporter to Theresa May’s right-hand woman
As a former Scotsman journalist protects Theresa May from hostile colleagues and close public scrutiny, Dani Garavelli asks why Fiona Hill wields such power
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...oman-1-4445037
Hands up who has a plan for failing schools
The SNP must carry the can for the decline in literacy and numeracy, but without a radical new strategy their opponents can do no better, writes Euan McColm
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...ools-1-4445039
Report Confirms BBC was strongly biased against Brexit
The analysis by monitoring group News-Watch looked at Radio 4's flagship morning news programme Today and concluded that there was overwhelming negativity about Leaving the EU.
Read more at:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/politi...-eu-referendum
Drop the irrational fear and embrace nuclear power
by Tony Trewavas in Think Scotland
Read more at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkpo...ead_full=13159
SNP marks 10 years in power at Scottish Parliament
Nicola Sturgeon has admitted the Scottish Government’s record is not perfect and said there was more work to be done as she marked a decade of the SNP in power.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/snp-mar...ment-1-4447210
Fracking offers a green alternative to wind power
by Jack Ponton in Think Scotland
Read more at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/todays-...ead_full=13161
Poppies tribute to Battle of Arras fallen and wounded
Poppyscotland has released 46,000 poppy petals from the top of the National Wallace Monument to commemorate the end of the Battle of Arras.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...ntral-39934105
Electric Canadian
Chronicles of Canada
Added Volume 31: All Afloat: A Chronicle of Craft and Waterways
I might add that I've found text copies of these volumes so have added a link to them on the page. I also found a page where you can get audio copies so have placed a link to these as well.
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...cles/index.htm
The Women's Canadian Historical Society
Added Transactions 2 The Battle of Queenston Heights October 13th, 1812 By Mrs. S. A. Curzon, First President With a Sketch of her Life and Work by Lady Edgar
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...historical.htm
The History of the 16th Battalion (The Canadian Scottish)
Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1919 By H. M. Urquhart, D.S.O., M.C., A.D.C. (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/forc..._Battalion.pdf
Conrad Black
I've always had a lot of time for Conrad Black and so as he writes from Canada on a number of issues of interest from around the world I'm intending to include links to his writings for you to view. This week we have
Maxime Bernier is the man of the hour
http://www.conradmblack.com/1293/max...an-of-the-hour
Trump needs to change his tone and get serious
http://www.conradmblack.com/1294/tru...nd-get-serious
Electric Scotland
The Forfar Directory and Year Book
A most interesting publication with lots of wee stories and articles. I have now added the 1905 edition which you can read at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/forfar/direct/
The Making of Matches
The story is told against the Scotsman that he only uses his own matches when he has ascertained that all his fellow travellers have none; but when it is noted that one hundred gross of boxes of matches can be made for a labour cost of 13s. 6d., it seems remarkable that any English fellow-traveller should not have a box! Here the introduction of machine methods has decreased the cost of manufacture to one-eighth the cost in 1844. In the machine process machines are used to cut the wood into splints, to place them in the dipping frame, to dip them in the sulphur and composition, and to remove them from the frame, and even to put them into boxes. This marvellous series of operations is done for 1,440,000 matches in less than eight hours, and then the packing, done by six women, takes 21 hours 42 minutes. The chief expense lies in the packing.
Worry as a Success-Killer
Perhaps there is nothing else so utterly foolish and unprofitable as a habit of worrying. It saps the nervous energy and robs us of the strength and vitality necessary for the real work of life. It makes existence a burden and weariness, instead of a perpetual joy and blessing, as it should be. Poise and serenity are necessary to the complete development of character and true success. The man who worries is never self-centerd, never perfectly balanced, never at his best; for every moment of mental anxiety takes away vitality and push, and robs him of manhood and power.
Worrying indicates a lack of confidence in our strength; it shows that we are unbalanced, that we do not lay hold of the universal energy which leaves no doubt, no uncertainty.
The man who does not worry, who believes in himself, touches the wires of infinite power. Never doubting, never hesitating, he is constantly reinforced from the Omnipotence that creates planets and suns. The habit of worry is largely a physical infirmity; it is an evidence of lack of harmony in the mental system. The well-poised soul, the self-centerd man, never wobbles or hesitates. The infinite balance- wheel preserves him from all shocks, and all accident or uncertainty. Enough vital energy has been wasted in useless worry to run all the affairs of the world.
The History of the Union between England and Scotland
By Daniel De Foe (1786)
You will have to work a bit to read this book as the letter f is used instead of the letter s but you quickly get used to it. The thing about this book is that the author was actually there in both Scotland and England when this was all playing out which is why I decided to make this available.
You can read it at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...cles/union.htm
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree
Got up Section 2 of the June 2017 issue and you can read it at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
John Henderson dies of a brain Tumour.
Got a message in today telling me he died of a brain tumour on 4th April 2017.
As the regulars will know John contributed a lot to our site over a number of years. You can see his work at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/poet...rson/index.htm
My condolences to his family... I will certainly miss him.
Scottish History on Electric Scotland
A new video on YouTube which you can watch at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/show...ctric-Scotland
George Aitken Clark
Manufacture and philanthropist which we've added to our Significant Scots section which you can read about at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...orgeaitken.htm
Barclays of Urie
A genealogical record over 700 years. Added a link to this book at the foot of our Barclay page
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...on/barclay.htm
Battle of the Ridges
Arras - Messines March - June 1917 by Frank Fox, R.F.A.
You can read this book at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...esofridges.pdf
A Voice to the United States of America
From the Metropolis of Scotland; Being an Account of Various Meetings held in Edinburgh on the Subject of American Slavery upon the return of Mr. George Thompson from his mission to that Country
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/america/usa.pdf
The Story
I made use of Wikipedia this week to bring you this story of how Scotland developed and where the Scots went around the world.
Ethnic groups of Scotland
In the Early Middle Ages, Scotland saw several ethnic or cultural groups mentioned in contemporary sources, namely the Picts, the Gaels, the Britons, and the Angles, with the latter settling in the southeast of the country. Culturally, these peoples are grouped according to language. Most of Scotland until the 13th century spoke Celtic languages and these included, at least initially, the Britons, as well as the Gaels and the Picts. Germanic peoples included the Angles of Northumbria, who settled in south-eastern Scotland in the region between the Firth of Forth to the north and the River Tweed to the south. They also occupied the south-west of Scotland up to and including the Plain of Kyle and their language, Old English, was the earliest form of the language which eventually became known as Scots.
Use of the Gaelic language spread throughout nearly the whole of Scotland by the 9th century, reaching a peak in the 11th to 13th centuries, but was never the language of the south-east of the country. King Edgar divided the Kingdom of Northumbria between Scotland and England; at least, most medieval historians now accept the 'gift' by Edgar, in any case, after the later Battle of Carham the Scottish kingdom encompassed many English people, with even more quite possibly arriving after the Norman invasion of England in 1066. South-east of the Firth of Forth, then in Lothian and the Borders (OE: Loðene), a northern variety of Old English, also known as Early Scots, was spoken.
As a result of David I, King of Scots' return from exile in England in 1113, ultimately to assume the throne in 1124 with the help of Norman military force, David invited Norman families from France and England to settle in lands he granted them to spread a ruling class loyal to him. This Davidian Revolution, as many historians call it, brought a European style of feudalism to Scotland along with an influx of people of Norman descent - by invitation, unlike England where it was by conquest. To this day, many of the common family names of Scotland can trace ancestry to Normans from this period, such as the Stewarts, the Bruces, the Hamiltons, the Wallaces, the Melvilles, some Browns and many others.
The Northern Isles and some parts of Caithness were Norn-speaking (the west of Caithness was Gaelic-speaking into the 20th Century, as were some small communities in parts of the Central Highlands). From 1200 to 1500 the Early Scots language spread across the lowland parts of Scotland between Galloway and the Highland line, being used by Barbour in his historical epic The Brus in the late 14th century in Aberdeen.
From 1500 on, Scotland was commonly divided by language into two groups of people, Gaelic-speaking "Highlanders" (the language formerly called Scottis by English speakers and known by many Lowlanders in the 18th century as "Irish") and the Inglis-speaking "Lowlanders" (a language later to be called Scots, often considered a dialect of English). Today, immigrants have brought other languages, but almost every adult throughout Scotland is fluent in the English language.
The Scottish diaspora
Consists of Scottish people who emigrated from Scotland and their descendants. The diaspora is concentrated in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, England, New Zealand, Northern Ireland and to a lesser extent Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
United States
In the 2013 American Community Survey 5,310,285 identified as Scottish and 2,976,878 as of Scots-Irish descent. Americans of Scottish descent outnumber the population of Scotland, where 4,459,071 or 88.09% of people identified as ethnic Scottish in the 2001 Census.
The number of Americans of Scottish descent today is estimated to be 20 to 25 million (up to 8.3% of the total US population), and Scotch-Irish, 27 to 30 million (up to 10% of the total US population), the subgroups overlapping and not always distinguishable because of their shared ancestral surnames. The majority of Scotch-Irish originally came from Lowland Scotland and Northern England[citation needed] before migrating to the province of Ulster[citation needed] in Ireland (see Plantation of Ulster) and thence, beginning about five generations later, to North America in large numbers during the eighteenth century.
Canada
As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and amongst the first Europeans to settle in the country, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times. According to the 2011 Census of Canada, the number of Canadians claiming full or partial Scottish descent is 4,714,970, or 15.10% of the nation's total population.
Many respondents may have misunderstood the question and the numerous responses for "Canadian" does not give an accurate figure for numerous groups, particularly those of British Isles origins. Scottish-Canadians are the 3rd biggest ethnic group in Canada. Scottish culture has particularly thrived in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia (Latin for "New Scotland"). There, in Cape Breton, where both lowland and highland Scots settled in large numbers, Canadian Gaelic is still spoken by a small number of residents. Cape Breton is the home of the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts. Glengarry County in present-day Eastern Ontario is a historic county that was set up as a settlement for Highland Scots, where many from the Highlands settled to preserve their culture in result of the Highland Clearances. Gaelic was the native language of the community since its settlement in the 18th century although the number of speakers decreased since as a result of English migration. As of the modern 21st century, there are still a few Gaelic speakers in the community.
Australia
By 1830, 15.11% of the colonies' total population were Scots, which increased by the middle of the century to 25,000, or 20-25% of the total population. The Australian Gold Rush of the 1850s provided a further impetus for Scottish migration: in the 1850s 90,000 Scots immigrated to Australia, far more than other British or Irish populations at the time. Literacy rates of the Scottish immigrants ran at 90-95%. By 1860, Scots made up 50% of the ethnic composition of Western Victoria, Adelaide, Penola and Naracoorte. Other settlements in New South Wales included New England, the Hunter Valley and the Illawarra.
Much settlement followed the Highland Potato Famine, Highland Clearances and the Lowland Clearances of the mid-19th century. In the 1840s, Scots-born immigrants constituted 12% of the Australian population. Out of the 1.3 million migrants from Britain to Australia in the period from 1861–1914, 13.5% were Scots. Just 5.3% of the convicts transported to Eastern Australia between 1789 and 1852 were Scots.
A steady rate of Scottish immigration continued into the 20th century and substantial numbers of Scots continued to arrive after 1945. From 1900 until the 1950s, Scots favoured New South Wales, as well as Western Australia and Southern Australia.[citation needed] A strong cultural Scottish presence is evident in the Highland Games, dance, Tartan Day celebrations, clan and Gaelic-speaking societies found throughout modern Australia.
According to the 2011 Australian census, 130,204 Australian residents were born in Scotland, while 1,792,600 claimed Scottish ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry. This is the fourth most commonly nominated ancestry and represents over 8.9% of the total population of Australia.
New Zealand
Significant numbers of Scottish people also settled in New Zealand. Approximately 20 percent of the original European settler population of New Zealand came from Scotland, and Scottish influence is still visible around the country.[47] The South Island city of Dunedin, in particular, is known for its Scottish heritage and was named as a tribute to Edinburgh by the city's Scottish founders.
Scottish migration to New Zealand dates back to the earliest period of European colonisation, with a large proportion of Pākehā New Zealanders being of Scottish descent. However, identification as "British" or "European" New Zealanders can sometimes obscure their origin. Many Scottish New Zealanders also have Māori or other non-European ancestry.
The majority of Scottish immigrants settled in the South Island. All over New Zealand, the Scots developed different means to bridge the old homeland and the new. Many Caledonian societies were formed, well over 100 by the early twentieth century, who helped maintain Scottish culture and traditions. From the 1860s, these societies organised annual Caledonian Games throughout New Zealand. The Games were sports meets that brought together Scottish settlers and the wider New Zealand public. In so doing, the Games gave Scots a path to cultural integration as Scottish New Zealanders. In the 1961 census there were 47,078 people living in New Zealand who were born in Scotland; in the 2013 census there were 25,953 in this category.
United Kingdom
Many people of Scottish descent live in other parts of the United Kingdom. In Ulster particularly the colonial policies of James I, known as the plantation of Ulster, resulted in a Presbyterian and Scottish society, which formed the Ulster-Scots community. The Protestant Ascendancy did not however benefit them much, as the English espoused the Anglican Church. The number of people of Scottish descent in England and Wales is difficult to quantify due to the many complex migrations on the island, and ancient migration patterns due to wars, famine and conquest. The 2011 Census recorded 708,872 people born in Scotland resident in England, 24,346 resident in Wales and 15,455 resident in Northern Ireland.
Rest of Europe
Other European countries have had their share of Scots immigrants. The Scots have emigrated to mainland Europe for centuries as merchants and soldiers. Many emigrated to France, Poland, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands. Recently some scholars suggested that up to 250,000 Russians may have Scottish ancestry.
Africa
A number of Scottish people settled in South Africa in the 1800s and were known for their road-building expertise, their farming experience, and architectural skills.
Latin America
The largest population of Scots in Latin America is found in Argentina, followed by Chile, Brazil and Mexico.
Netherlands
It is said that the first people from the Low Countries to settle in Scotland came in the wake of Maud's marriage to the Scottish king, David I, during the Middle Ages. Craftsmen and tradesmen followed courtiers and in later centuries a brisk trade grew up between the two nations: Scotland's primary goods (wool, hides, salmon and then coal) in exchange for the luxuries obtainable in the Netherlands, one of the major hubs of European trade.
By 1600, trading colonies had grown up on either side of the well-travelled shipping routes: the Dutch settled along the eastern seaboard of Scotland; the Scots congregating first in Campvere—where they were allowed to land their goods duty-free and run their own affairs—and then in Rotterdam, where Scottish and Dutch Calvinism coexisted comfortably. Besides the thousands (or, according to one estimate, over 1 million)[citation needed] of local descendants with Scots ancestry, both ports still show signs of these early alliances. Now a museum, 'The Scots House' in the town of Veere was the only place outwith Scotland where Scots Law was practised. In Rotterdam, meanwhile, the doors of the Scots International Church have remained open since 1643.
Russia
The first Scots to be mentioned in Russia's history were the Scottish soldiers in Muscovy referred to as early as in the 14th century. Among the 'soldiers of fortune' was the ancestor to famous Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov, called George Learmonth. A number of Scots gained wealth and fame in the times of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. These include Patrick Gordon, Paul Menzies, Samuel Greig, Charles Baird, Charles Cameron, Adam Menelaws and William Hastie. Several doctors to the Russian court were from Scotland, the best known being James Wylie.
The next wave of migration established commercial links with Russia.
The 19th century witnessed the immense literary cross-references between Scotland and Russia. A Russian scholar, Maria Koroleva, distinguishes between 'the Russian Scots' (properly assimilated) and 'Scots in Russia', who remained thoroughly Scottish.
There are several societies in contemporary Russia to unite[clarification needed] the Scots. The Russian census lists does not distinguish Scots from other British people, so it is hard to establish reliable figures for the number of Scots living and working in modern Russia.
Poland
From as far back as the mid-16th century there were Scots trading and settling in Poland. A "Scotch Pedlar's Pack in Poland" became a proverbial expression. It usually consisted of cloths, woollen goods and linen kerchiefs (head coverings). Itinerants also sold tin utensils and ironware such as scissors and knives. Along with the protection offered by King Stephen in the Royal Grant of 1576, a district in Kraków was assigned to Scottish immigrants.
Records from 1592 mention Scots settlers granted citizenship of Kraków, and give their employment as trader or merchant. Fees for citizenship ranged from 12 Polish florins to a musket and gunpowder, or an undertaking to marry within a year and a day of acquiring a holding.
By the 17th century, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Scots lived in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Many came from Dundee and Aberdeen. Scots could be found in Polish towns on the banks of the Vistula as far south as Kraków. Settlers from Aberdeenshire were mainly Episcopalians or Catholics, but there were also large numbers of Calvinists. As well as Scottish traders, there were also many Scottish soldiers in Poland. In 1656, a number of Scottish highlanders who were disenchanted with Oliver Cromwell's rule went to Poland to join the service of the King of Sweden in his war against it.
The Scots integrated well and many acquired great wealth. They contributed to many charitable institutions in the host country, but did not forget their homeland; for example, in 1701 when collections were made for the restoration fund of the Marischal College, Aberdeen, Scottish settlers in Poland gave generously.
Many royal grants and privileges were granted to Scottish merchants until the 18th century, at which time the settlers began to merge more and more into the native population. "Bonnie Prince Charlie" was half Polish, since he was the son of James Stuart, the "Old Pretender", and Clementina Sobieska, granddaughter of Jan Sobieski, King of Poland. In 1691, the City of Warsaw elected the Scottish immigrant Aleksander Czamer (Alexander Chalmers) as its mayor.
Italy
By 1592, the Scottish community in Rome was big enough to merit the building of Sant'Andrea degli Scozzesi (English: St Andrew of the Scots). It was constructed for the Scottish expatriate community in Rome, especially for those intended for priesthood. The adjoining hospice was a shelter for Catholic Scots who fled their country because of religious persecution. In 1615, Pope Paul V gave the hospice and the nearby Scottish Seminar to the Jesuits. It was rebuilt in 1645. The church and facilities became more important when James Francis Edward Stuart, the Old Pretender, set up residence in Rome in 1717, but were abandoned during the French occupation of Rome in the late 18th century. In 1820, although religious activity was resumed, it was no longer led by the Jesuits. Sant'Andrea degli Scozzesi was reconstructed in 1869 by Luigi Poletti. The church was deconsecrated in 1962 and incorporated into a bank (Cassa di Risparmio delle Province Lombarde). The Scottish Seminar also moved away. The Feast of St Andrew is still celebrated there on 30 November.
Gurro in Italy is said to be populated by the descendants of Scottish soldiers. According to local legend, Scottish soldiers fleeing the Battle of Pavia who arrived in the area were stopped by severe blizzards that forced many, if not all, to give up their travels and settle in the town. To this day, the town of Gurro is still proud of its Scottish links. Many of the residents claim that their surnames are Italian translations of Scottish surnames. The town also has a Scottish museum.
Scottish Argentines
Are Argentine citizens of Scottish descent or Scottish-born people who reside in Argentina. A Scottish Argentine population has existed at least since 1825. There are an estimated 100,000 Argentines of Scottish ancestry, the most of any country outside the English-speaking world. Frequently, Scottish Argentines are wrongly referred to as English.
The first Argentine woman to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree was Cecilia Grierson, of Scottish ancestry. Two schools in Argentina have been founded by Scottish immigrants: St. Andrew's Scots School in 1838 and Balmoral College in 1959. In addition, the association football club Club Atlético Douglas Haig is named after the Scottish military commander Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig.
Argentine President Juan Domingo Peron had Scottish ancestry on his father's side. His great-grandmother, Ann Hughes Mc Kenzie, traced her roots to Scotland.
There have been Scottish Gaelic classes in Buenos Aires for over ten years now, and they are taken by Guillermo Santana MacKinlay, who is himself a Scottish Argentine.
Introduction of football
The so-called "father of Argentine football" was a Glaswegian schoolteacher, Alexander Watson Hutton, who first taught football at St. Andrew's Scots School in Buenos Aires in the early 1880s. On 4 February 1884 he founded the Buenos Aires English High School [sic] where he continued to instruct the pupils in the game. In 1891 Hutton established the Association Argentine Football League, the first football league outside of the British Isles. Five clubs competed but only one season was ever played.
His son Arnold Watson Hutton (1886–1951) was an Argentine football striker for the Argentina national team. He also played cricket, tennis and waterpolo for Argentina.
Scottish Brazilians
(Portuguese: Escoto-brasileiro) refers to Brazilians of full, partial, or predominantly Scottish ancestry, or Scottish-born people residing in Brazil.
Charles William Miller (24 November 1874 – 30 June 1953; Portuguese pronunciation: was a Brazilian sportsman, who is considered to be the father of football in Brazil. He was born in São Paulo to John Miller, a Scottish railway engineer and Brazilian mother of English descent, Carlota Fox.
Scottish Chileans
Are Chileans of Scottish descent who came from Scotland and in some cases, Scots-Irish people from Northern Ireland. A large proportion of Scottish Chileans are sheep farmers in the Magallanes region of the far south of the country, and the city of Punta Arenas has a large Scottish foundation dating back to the 18th century.
A famous Scot, Thomas, Lord Cochrane (later 10th Earl of Dundonald) formed the Chilean Navy to help liberate Chile from Spain in the independence period. Chile developed a strong diplomatic relationship with Great Britain and invited more British settlers to the country in the 19th century.
The Chilean government land deals invited settlement from Scotland and Wales in its southern provinces in the 1840s and 1850s. The number of Scottish Chileans is still higher in Patagonia and Magallanes regions.
The Mackay School, in Viña del Mar is an example of a school set up by Scottish Chileans. The Scottish and other British Chileans are primarily found in higher education as well in economic management and the country's cultural life.
Scottish Chileans also played a prominent role in the annexation of Easter Island/Rapa Nui by Chile. The Williamson-Balfour Company, a Scottish Chilean firm, controlled many aspects of island life, and in 1903 they created a subsidiary, Compania Explotadora de la Isla de Pascua (CEDIP), up until it was handed over to the Chilean Navy.
Scottish Jamaicans
Are Jamaican people of Scottish descent. Scottish Jamaicans include those of European and mixed Asian and African ancestry with Scottish ancestors, and date back to the earliest period of post-Spanish, European colonisation.
An early influx of Scots came in 1656, when 1200 prisoners of war were deported by Oliver Cromwell. There was also a later migration at the turn of the 18th century, after the failed Darien colony in Panama. In 1707, when the Act of Union took place, Scots gained access to England's preexisting colonies.
We have lots of information on the Scots Diaspora which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/world.htm
And that's it for this week and I hope you all have a good weekend.
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
I've been studying Scotland's history from the point of view of Independence and confess that I've now changed my mind on my stance on thinking Scotland should be an Independent country.
I now believe we should stick to being a devolved government. I changed my mind on this based on that report I posted up the other week on how Scotland has had a very poor record in teaching children about the history of Scotland.
As a result of that report I thought I should look more closely at the history of our relations with England and then went on to do further research on how Scottish the Scots actually are.
For example, Scotland has seen migration and settlement of many peoples at different periods in its history. The Gaels, the Picts and the Britons have their respective origin myths, like most medieval European peoples. The Venerable Bede tells of the Scotti coming from Spain via Ireland and the Picts coming from Scythia.
Germanic peoples, such as the Anglo-Saxons, arrived beginning in the 7th century, while the Norse invaded and colonized parts of Scotland from the 8th century onwards. In the High Middle Ages, from the reign of David I of Scotland, there was some emigration from France, England and the Low Countries to Scotland. Some famous Scottish family names, including those bearing the names which became Bruce, Balliol, Murray and Stewart came to Scotland at this time.
I intend to do a video on this topic shortly and I look forward to getting your thoughts on this.
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 as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in newspapers such as the Guardian, Scotsman, Courier, etc. 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.
Stronger for Scotland or a chance to rejoin political reality?
by Grant Simpson in Think Scotland
Read more at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkpo...ead_full=13153
Defend Defence
There is a dangerous and widening gap between government rhetoric and the reality of armed forces running on empty
Read more at:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/c...ence-982fxrw3r
MSPs voice very serious concerns over police board
Holyrood's public audit committee has written to the justice secretary saying SPA chairman Andrew Flanagan appeared to have behaved inappropriately
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-39896398
Durham University unveils plaque to Scottish Battle of Dunbar prisoners
A new plaque has been unveiled to commemorate 17th Century Scottish soldiers who died in Durham after being captured in battle.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-39900459
Experts rush to huge midge swarm at Loch Leven
Nature-lovers are being urged to go to Loch Leven in Fife to see an unusually large swarm of midges that have emerged from the ground.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...-fife-39898684
Concern over decision to axe key Scots pupil survey
The SNP’s decision to scrap the SSLN, conducted every year since 2011, meant the chance to keep tabs on standards in reading and writing in Scotland’s schools was being thrown away
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/educati...rvey-1-4444645
Iain is taking Arbroath smokies back to their ancient roots
Iain, the founder of Original Smokies from Arbroath, explains: I believe the process came over with the Viking settlers and slowly evolved over many years into the smokie we all know and love today.
Read more at:
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/life...ancient-roots/
Fiona Hill, from Scotsman reporter to Theresa May’s right-hand woman
As a former Scotsman journalist protects Theresa May from hostile colleagues and close public scrutiny, Dani Garavelli asks why Fiona Hill wields such power
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...oman-1-4445037
Hands up who has a plan for failing schools
The SNP must carry the can for the decline in literacy and numeracy, but without a radical new strategy their opponents can do no better, writes Euan McColm
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...ools-1-4445039
Report Confirms BBC was strongly biased against Brexit
The analysis by monitoring group News-Watch looked at Radio 4's flagship morning news programme Today and concluded that there was overwhelming negativity about Leaving the EU.
Read more at:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/politi...-eu-referendum
Drop the irrational fear and embrace nuclear power
by Tony Trewavas in Think Scotland
Read more at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkpo...ead_full=13159
SNP marks 10 years in power at Scottish Parliament
Nicola Sturgeon has admitted the Scottish Government’s record is not perfect and said there was more work to be done as she marked a decade of the SNP in power.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/snp-mar...ment-1-4447210
Fracking offers a green alternative to wind power
by Jack Ponton in Think Scotland
Read more at:
http://www.thinkscotland.org/todays-...ead_full=13161
Poppies tribute to Battle of Arras fallen and wounded
Poppyscotland has released 46,000 poppy petals from the top of the National Wallace Monument to commemorate the end of the Battle of Arras.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...ntral-39934105
Electric Canadian
Chronicles of Canada
Added Volume 31: All Afloat: A Chronicle of Craft and Waterways
I might add that I've found text copies of these volumes so have added a link to them on the page. I also found a page where you can get audio copies so have placed a link to these as well.
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...cles/index.htm
The Women's Canadian Historical Society
Added Transactions 2 The Battle of Queenston Heights October 13th, 1812 By Mrs. S. A. Curzon, First President With a Sketch of her Life and Work by Lady Edgar
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...historical.htm
The History of the 16th Battalion (The Canadian Scottish)
Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1919 By H. M. Urquhart, D.S.O., M.C., A.D.C. (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/forc..._Battalion.pdf
Conrad Black
I've always had a lot of time for Conrad Black and so as he writes from Canada on a number of issues of interest from around the world I'm intending to include links to his writings for you to view. This week we have
Maxime Bernier is the man of the hour
http://www.conradmblack.com/1293/max...an-of-the-hour
Trump needs to change his tone and get serious
http://www.conradmblack.com/1294/tru...nd-get-serious
Electric Scotland
The Forfar Directory and Year Book
A most interesting publication with lots of wee stories and articles. I have now added the 1905 edition which you can read at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/forfar/direct/
The Making of Matches
The story is told against the Scotsman that he only uses his own matches when he has ascertained that all his fellow travellers have none; but when it is noted that one hundred gross of boxes of matches can be made for a labour cost of 13s. 6d., it seems remarkable that any English fellow-traveller should not have a box! Here the introduction of machine methods has decreased the cost of manufacture to one-eighth the cost in 1844. In the machine process machines are used to cut the wood into splints, to place them in the dipping frame, to dip them in the sulphur and composition, and to remove them from the frame, and even to put them into boxes. This marvellous series of operations is done for 1,440,000 matches in less than eight hours, and then the packing, done by six women, takes 21 hours 42 minutes. The chief expense lies in the packing.
Worry as a Success-Killer
Perhaps there is nothing else so utterly foolish and unprofitable as a habit of worrying. It saps the nervous energy and robs us of the strength and vitality necessary for the real work of life. It makes existence a burden and weariness, instead of a perpetual joy and blessing, as it should be. Poise and serenity are necessary to the complete development of character and true success. The man who worries is never self-centerd, never perfectly balanced, never at his best; for every moment of mental anxiety takes away vitality and push, and robs him of manhood and power.
Worrying indicates a lack of confidence in our strength; it shows that we are unbalanced, that we do not lay hold of the universal energy which leaves no doubt, no uncertainty.
The man who does not worry, who believes in himself, touches the wires of infinite power. Never doubting, never hesitating, he is constantly reinforced from the Omnipotence that creates planets and suns. The habit of worry is largely a physical infirmity; it is an evidence of lack of harmony in the mental system. The well-poised soul, the self-centerd man, never wobbles or hesitates. The infinite balance- wheel preserves him from all shocks, and all accident or uncertainty. Enough vital energy has been wasted in useless worry to run all the affairs of the world.
The History of the Union between England and Scotland
By Daniel De Foe (1786)
You will have to work a bit to read this book as the letter f is used instead of the letter s but you quickly get used to it. The thing about this book is that the author was actually there in both Scotland and England when this was all playing out which is why I decided to make this available.
You can read it at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...cles/union.htm
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree
Got up Section 2 of the June 2017 issue and you can read it at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
John Henderson dies of a brain Tumour.
Got a message in today telling me he died of a brain tumour on 4th April 2017.
As the regulars will know John contributed a lot to our site over a number of years. You can see his work at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/poet...rson/index.htm
My condolences to his family... I will certainly miss him.
Scottish History on Electric Scotland
A new video on YouTube which you can watch at:
http://www.electricscotland.org/show...ctric-Scotland
George Aitken Clark
Manufacture and philanthropist which we've added to our Significant Scots section which you can read about at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...orgeaitken.htm
Barclays of Urie
A genealogical record over 700 years. Added a link to this book at the foot of our Barclay page
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...on/barclay.htm
Battle of the Ridges
Arras - Messines March - June 1917 by Frank Fox, R.F.A.
You can read this book at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...esofridges.pdf
A Voice to the United States of America
From the Metropolis of Scotland; Being an Account of Various Meetings held in Edinburgh on the Subject of American Slavery upon the return of Mr. George Thompson from his mission to that Country
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/america/usa.pdf
The Story
I made use of Wikipedia this week to bring you this story of how Scotland developed and where the Scots went around the world.
Ethnic groups of Scotland
In the Early Middle Ages, Scotland saw several ethnic or cultural groups mentioned in contemporary sources, namely the Picts, the Gaels, the Britons, and the Angles, with the latter settling in the southeast of the country. Culturally, these peoples are grouped according to language. Most of Scotland until the 13th century spoke Celtic languages and these included, at least initially, the Britons, as well as the Gaels and the Picts. Germanic peoples included the Angles of Northumbria, who settled in south-eastern Scotland in the region between the Firth of Forth to the north and the River Tweed to the south. They also occupied the south-west of Scotland up to and including the Plain of Kyle and their language, Old English, was the earliest form of the language which eventually became known as Scots.
Use of the Gaelic language spread throughout nearly the whole of Scotland by the 9th century, reaching a peak in the 11th to 13th centuries, but was never the language of the south-east of the country. King Edgar divided the Kingdom of Northumbria between Scotland and England; at least, most medieval historians now accept the 'gift' by Edgar, in any case, after the later Battle of Carham the Scottish kingdom encompassed many English people, with even more quite possibly arriving after the Norman invasion of England in 1066. South-east of the Firth of Forth, then in Lothian and the Borders (OE: Loðene), a northern variety of Old English, also known as Early Scots, was spoken.
As a result of David I, King of Scots' return from exile in England in 1113, ultimately to assume the throne in 1124 with the help of Norman military force, David invited Norman families from France and England to settle in lands he granted them to spread a ruling class loyal to him. This Davidian Revolution, as many historians call it, brought a European style of feudalism to Scotland along with an influx of people of Norman descent - by invitation, unlike England where it was by conquest. To this day, many of the common family names of Scotland can trace ancestry to Normans from this period, such as the Stewarts, the Bruces, the Hamiltons, the Wallaces, the Melvilles, some Browns and many others.
The Northern Isles and some parts of Caithness were Norn-speaking (the west of Caithness was Gaelic-speaking into the 20th Century, as were some small communities in parts of the Central Highlands). From 1200 to 1500 the Early Scots language spread across the lowland parts of Scotland between Galloway and the Highland line, being used by Barbour in his historical epic The Brus in the late 14th century in Aberdeen.
From 1500 on, Scotland was commonly divided by language into two groups of people, Gaelic-speaking "Highlanders" (the language formerly called Scottis by English speakers and known by many Lowlanders in the 18th century as "Irish") and the Inglis-speaking "Lowlanders" (a language later to be called Scots, often considered a dialect of English). Today, immigrants have brought other languages, but almost every adult throughout Scotland is fluent in the English language.
The Scottish diaspora
Consists of Scottish people who emigrated from Scotland and their descendants. The diaspora is concentrated in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, England, New Zealand, Northern Ireland and to a lesser extent Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
United States
In the 2013 American Community Survey 5,310,285 identified as Scottish and 2,976,878 as of Scots-Irish descent. Americans of Scottish descent outnumber the population of Scotland, where 4,459,071 or 88.09% of people identified as ethnic Scottish in the 2001 Census.
The number of Americans of Scottish descent today is estimated to be 20 to 25 million (up to 8.3% of the total US population), and Scotch-Irish, 27 to 30 million (up to 10% of the total US population), the subgroups overlapping and not always distinguishable because of their shared ancestral surnames. The majority of Scotch-Irish originally came from Lowland Scotland and Northern England[citation needed] before migrating to the province of Ulster[citation needed] in Ireland (see Plantation of Ulster) and thence, beginning about five generations later, to North America in large numbers during the eighteenth century.
Canada
As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and amongst the first Europeans to settle in the country, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times. According to the 2011 Census of Canada, the number of Canadians claiming full or partial Scottish descent is 4,714,970, or 15.10% of the nation's total population.
Many respondents may have misunderstood the question and the numerous responses for "Canadian" does not give an accurate figure for numerous groups, particularly those of British Isles origins. Scottish-Canadians are the 3rd biggest ethnic group in Canada. Scottish culture has particularly thrived in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia (Latin for "New Scotland"). There, in Cape Breton, where both lowland and highland Scots settled in large numbers, Canadian Gaelic is still spoken by a small number of residents. Cape Breton is the home of the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts. Glengarry County in present-day Eastern Ontario is a historic county that was set up as a settlement for Highland Scots, where many from the Highlands settled to preserve their culture in result of the Highland Clearances. Gaelic was the native language of the community since its settlement in the 18th century although the number of speakers decreased since as a result of English migration. As of the modern 21st century, there are still a few Gaelic speakers in the community.
Australia
By 1830, 15.11% of the colonies' total population were Scots, which increased by the middle of the century to 25,000, or 20-25% of the total population. The Australian Gold Rush of the 1850s provided a further impetus for Scottish migration: in the 1850s 90,000 Scots immigrated to Australia, far more than other British or Irish populations at the time. Literacy rates of the Scottish immigrants ran at 90-95%. By 1860, Scots made up 50% of the ethnic composition of Western Victoria, Adelaide, Penola and Naracoorte. Other settlements in New South Wales included New England, the Hunter Valley and the Illawarra.
Much settlement followed the Highland Potato Famine, Highland Clearances and the Lowland Clearances of the mid-19th century. In the 1840s, Scots-born immigrants constituted 12% of the Australian population. Out of the 1.3 million migrants from Britain to Australia in the period from 1861–1914, 13.5% were Scots. Just 5.3% of the convicts transported to Eastern Australia between 1789 and 1852 were Scots.
A steady rate of Scottish immigration continued into the 20th century and substantial numbers of Scots continued to arrive after 1945. From 1900 until the 1950s, Scots favoured New South Wales, as well as Western Australia and Southern Australia.[citation needed] A strong cultural Scottish presence is evident in the Highland Games, dance, Tartan Day celebrations, clan and Gaelic-speaking societies found throughout modern Australia.
According to the 2011 Australian census, 130,204 Australian residents were born in Scotland, while 1,792,600 claimed Scottish ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry. This is the fourth most commonly nominated ancestry and represents over 8.9% of the total population of Australia.
New Zealand
Significant numbers of Scottish people also settled in New Zealand. Approximately 20 percent of the original European settler population of New Zealand came from Scotland, and Scottish influence is still visible around the country.[47] The South Island city of Dunedin, in particular, is known for its Scottish heritage and was named as a tribute to Edinburgh by the city's Scottish founders.
Scottish migration to New Zealand dates back to the earliest period of European colonisation, with a large proportion of Pākehā New Zealanders being of Scottish descent. However, identification as "British" or "European" New Zealanders can sometimes obscure their origin. Many Scottish New Zealanders also have Māori or other non-European ancestry.
The majority of Scottish immigrants settled in the South Island. All over New Zealand, the Scots developed different means to bridge the old homeland and the new. Many Caledonian societies were formed, well over 100 by the early twentieth century, who helped maintain Scottish culture and traditions. From the 1860s, these societies organised annual Caledonian Games throughout New Zealand. The Games were sports meets that brought together Scottish settlers and the wider New Zealand public. In so doing, the Games gave Scots a path to cultural integration as Scottish New Zealanders. In the 1961 census there were 47,078 people living in New Zealand who were born in Scotland; in the 2013 census there were 25,953 in this category.
United Kingdom
Many people of Scottish descent live in other parts of the United Kingdom. In Ulster particularly the colonial policies of James I, known as the plantation of Ulster, resulted in a Presbyterian and Scottish society, which formed the Ulster-Scots community. The Protestant Ascendancy did not however benefit them much, as the English espoused the Anglican Church. The number of people of Scottish descent in England and Wales is difficult to quantify due to the many complex migrations on the island, and ancient migration patterns due to wars, famine and conquest. The 2011 Census recorded 708,872 people born in Scotland resident in England, 24,346 resident in Wales and 15,455 resident in Northern Ireland.
Rest of Europe
Other European countries have had their share of Scots immigrants. The Scots have emigrated to mainland Europe for centuries as merchants and soldiers. Many emigrated to France, Poland, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands. Recently some scholars suggested that up to 250,000 Russians may have Scottish ancestry.
Africa
A number of Scottish people settled in South Africa in the 1800s and were known for their road-building expertise, their farming experience, and architectural skills.
Latin America
The largest population of Scots in Latin America is found in Argentina, followed by Chile, Brazil and Mexico.
Netherlands
It is said that the first people from the Low Countries to settle in Scotland came in the wake of Maud's marriage to the Scottish king, David I, during the Middle Ages. Craftsmen and tradesmen followed courtiers and in later centuries a brisk trade grew up between the two nations: Scotland's primary goods (wool, hides, salmon and then coal) in exchange for the luxuries obtainable in the Netherlands, one of the major hubs of European trade.
By 1600, trading colonies had grown up on either side of the well-travelled shipping routes: the Dutch settled along the eastern seaboard of Scotland; the Scots congregating first in Campvere—where they were allowed to land their goods duty-free and run their own affairs—and then in Rotterdam, where Scottish and Dutch Calvinism coexisted comfortably. Besides the thousands (or, according to one estimate, over 1 million)[citation needed] of local descendants with Scots ancestry, both ports still show signs of these early alliances. Now a museum, 'The Scots House' in the town of Veere was the only place outwith Scotland where Scots Law was practised. In Rotterdam, meanwhile, the doors of the Scots International Church have remained open since 1643.
Russia
The first Scots to be mentioned in Russia's history were the Scottish soldiers in Muscovy referred to as early as in the 14th century. Among the 'soldiers of fortune' was the ancestor to famous Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov, called George Learmonth. A number of Scots gained wealth and fame in the times of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. These include Patrick Gordon, Paul Menzies, Samuel Greig, Charles Baird, Charles Cameron, Adam Menelaws and William Hastie. Several doctors to the Russian court were from Scotland, the best known being James Wylie.
The next wave of migration established commercial links with Russia.
The 19th century witnessed the immense literary cross-references between Scotland and Russia. A Russian scholar, Maria Koroleva, distinguishes between 'the Russian Scots' (properly assimilated) and 'Scots in Russia', who remained thoroughly Scottish.
There are several societies in contemporary Russia to unite[clarification needed] the Scots. The Russian census lists does not distinguish Scots from other British people, so it is hard to establish reliable figures for the number of Scots living and working in modern Russia.
Poland
From as far back as the mid-16th century there were Scots trading and settling in Poland. A "Scotch Pedlar's Pack in Poland" became a proverbial expression. It usually consisted of cloths, woollen goods and linen kerchiefs (head coverings). Itinerants also sold tin utensils and ironware such as scissors and knives. Along with the protection offered by King Stephen in the Royal Grant of 1576, a district in Kraków was assigned to Scottish immigrants.
Records from 1592 mention Scots settlers granted citizenship of Kraków, and give their employment as trader or merchant. Fees for citizenship ranged from 12 Polish florins to a musket and gunpowder, or an undertaking to marry within a year and a day of acquiring a holding.
By the 17th century, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Scots lived in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Many came from Dundee and Aberdeen. Scots could be found in Polish towns on the banks of the Vistula as far south as Kraków. Settlers from Aberdeenshire were mainly Episcopalians or Catholics, but there were also large numbers of Calvinists. As well as Scottish traders, there were also many Scottish soldiers in Poland. In 1656, a number of Scottish highlanders who were disenchanted with Oliver Cromwell's rule went to Poland to join the service of the King of Sweden in his war against it.
The Scots integrated well and many acquired great wealth. They contributed to many charitable institutions in the host country, but did not forget their homeland; for example, in 1701 when collections were made for the restoration fund of the Marischal College, Aberdeen, Scottish settlers in Poland gave generously.
Many royal grants and privileges were granted to Scottish merchants until the 18th century, at which time the settlers began to merge more and more into the native population. "Bonnie Prince Charlie" was half Polish, since he was the son of James Stuart, the "Old Pretender", and Clementina Sobieska, granddaughter of Jan Sobieski, King of Poland. In 1691, the City of Warsaw elected the Scottish immigrant Aleksander Czamer (Alexander Chalmers) as its mayor.
Italy
By 1592, the Scottish community in Rome was big enough to merit the building of Sant'Andrea degli Scozzesi (English: St Andrew of the Scots). It was constructed for the Scottish expatriate community in Rome, especially for those intended for priesthood. The adjoining hospice was a shelter for Catholic Scots who fled their country because of religious persecution. In 1615, Pope Paul V gave the hospice and the nearby Scottish Seminar to the Jesuits. It was rebuilt in 1645. The church and facilities became more important when James Francis Edward Stuart, the Old Pretender, set up residence in Rome in 1717, but were abandoned during the French occupation of Rome in the late 18th century. In 1820, although religious activity was resumed, it was no longer led by the Jesuits. Sant'Andrea degli Scozzesi was reconstructed in 1869 by Luigi Poletti. The church was deconsecrated in 1962 and incorporated into a bank (Cassa di Risparmio delle Province Lombarde). The Scottish Seminar also moved away. The Feast of St Andrew is still celebrated there on 30 November.
Gurro in Italy is said to be populated by the descendants of Scottish soldiers. According to local legend, Scottish soldiers fleeing the Battle of Pavia who arrived in the area were stopped by severe blizzards that forced many, if not all, to give up their travels and settle in the town. To this day, the town of Gurro is still proud of its Scottish links. Many of the residents claim that their surnames are Italian translations of Scottish surnames. The town also has a Scottish museum.
Scottish Argentines
Are Argentine citizens of Scottish descent or Scottish-born people who reside in Argentina. A Scottish Argentine population has existed at least since 1825. There are an estimated 100,000 Argentines of Scottish ancestry, the most of any country outside the English-speaking world. Frequently, Scottish Argentines are wrongly referred to as English.
The first Argentine woman to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree was Cecilia Grierson, of Scottish ancestry. Two schools in Argentina have been founded by Scottish immigrants: St. Andrew's Scots School in 1838 and Balmoral College in 1959. In addition, the association football club Club Atlético Douglas Haig is named after the Scottish military commander Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig.
Argentine President Juan Domingo Peron had Scottish ancestry on his father's side. His great-grandmother, Ann Hughes Mc Kenzie, traced her roots to Scotland.
There have been Scottish Gaelic classes in Buenos Aires for over ten years now, and they are taken by Guillermo Santana MacKinlay, who is himself a Scottish Argentine.
Introduction of football
The so-called "father of Argentine football" was a Glaswegian schoolteacher, Alexander Watson Hutton, who first taught football at St. Andrew's Scots School in Buenos Aires in the early 1880s. On 4 February 1884 he founded the Buenos Aires English High School [sic] where he continued to instruct the pupils in the game. In 1891 Hutton established the Association Argentine Football League, the first football league outside of the British Isles. Five clubs competed but only one season was ever played.
His son Arnold Watson Hutton (1886–1951) was an Argentine football striker for the Argentina national team. He also played cricket, tennis and waterpolo for Argentina.
Scottish Brazilians
(Portuguese: Escoto-brasileiro) refers to Brazilians of full, partial, or predominantly Scottish ancestry, or Scottish-born people residing in Brazil.
Charles William Miller (24 November 1874 – 30 June 1953; Portuguese pronunciation: was a Brazilian sportsman, who is considered to be the father of football in Brazil. He was born in São Paulo to John Miller, a Scottish railway engineer and Brazilian mother of English descent, Carlota Fox.
Scottish Chileans
Are Chileans of Scottish descent who came from Scotland and in some cases, Scots-Irish people from Northern Ireland. A large proportion of Scottish Chileans are sheep farmers in the Magallanes region of the far south of the country, and the city of Punta Arenas has a large Scottish foundation dating back to the 18th century.
A famous Scot, Thomas, Lord Cochrane (later 10th Earl of Dundonald) formed the Chilean Navy to help liberate Chile from Spain in the independence period. Chile developed a strong diplomatic relationship with Great Britain and invited more British settlers to the country in the 19th century.
The Chilean government land deals invited settlement from Scotland and Wales in its southern provinces in the 1840s and 1850s. The number of Scottish Chileans is still higher in Patagonia and Magallanes regions.
The Mackay School, in Viña del Mar is an example of a school set up by Scottish Chileans. The Scottish and other British Chileans are primarily found in higher education as well in economic management and the country's cultural life.
Scottish Chileans also played a prominent role in the annexation of Easter Island/Rapa Nui by Chile. The Williamson-Balfour Company, a Scottish Chilean firm, controlled many aspects of island life, and in 1903 they created a subsidiary, Compania Explotadora de la Isla de Pascua (CEDIP), up until it was handed over to the Chilean Navy.
Scottish Jamaicans
Are Jamaican people of Scottish descent. Scottish Jamaicans include those of European and mixed Asian and African ancestry with Scottish ancestors, and date back to the earliest period of post-Spanish, European colonisation.
An early influx of Scots came in 1656, when 1200 prisoners of war were deported by Oliver Cromwell. There was also a later migration at the turn of the 18th century, after the failed Darien colony in Panama. In 1707, when the Act of Union took place, Scots gained access to England's preexisting colonies.
We have lots of information on the Scots Diaspora which you can read at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/world.htm
And that's it for this week and I hope you all have a good weekend.
Alastair
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