June 2023 Full Draft

#03June 2023

JamesDavidForbes

JamesDavidForbeswasaScottish physicistandglaciologist.He workedextensivelyonthe conductionofheat,glaciers,and seismology.

JamesDavidForbeswasbornon the20thApril1809inEdinburgh, Scotland.Hewastheyoungestchild ofSirWilliamForbesofPitsligoand WilliaminaBelchesofInvermay.

Hismotherpassedawayayearafter hewasbornandhewasbroughtup atthefamilyhomeofColinton House,andathisfather's townhouseat86GeorgeStreetand attendedtheVillageschoolat Colinton.

Twoofhisbrotherswentintothe armyandathirdintothefamily bankinEdinburgh.However,James unlikehisbrotherswasinterestedin thesciencesbutsincehisfather wantedhimtobecomealawyer,he keptthisasecretfromhisfamily.

In1825,attheageof16,James startedattendingtheUniversityof Edinburgh.In1826hebegan contributingpaperstothe EdinburghPhilosophicalJournal anonymouslywithDavidBrewster. Thedeathofhisfatherin1828 meantthatForbescouldnow abandonthisanonymityandfinally pursueacareerinscience.

Whenhewas19,hebecameafellow oftheRoyalSocietyofEdinburgh, andin1832waselectedtotheRoyal SocietyofLondon.In1833Forbes becameaprofessorofnatural philosophyattheUniversityin successiontoSirJohnLeslie.

Forbesandhisfamilymovedfrom ColintontoGreenhillaroundthis time.Helivedherewithhistwo sistersandtwosurvivingbrothers. Bothofhisbrothersgotmarried yearslaterandmovedout.Asa result,Forbesandhissistersmoved totheDeanHouse,closetothe NorthsideofEdinburgh.Hissister Elizadiedin1840andthefollowing yearForbesandhisremainingsister

JanehadtomoveoutoftheDean's House.

In1840ForbesmetLouisAgassiz,a Swisspalaeontologist,glaciologist, andgeologistinGlasgow.Theymet atameetingoftheBritish AssociationfortheAdvancementof Science.HereAgassizannounced hisglacialtheoryinwhichhealso proposedtheexistenceofpastice ages.Forbeswasintriguedandwent toSwitzerlandtoseeforhimselfand returnedconvincedofAgassiz's glacialtheory.

Hesubsequentlyspentthesummers of1841and1842intheAlps,andthe followingyearhepublishedabook, 'TravelsthroughtheAlpsofSavoy andotherpartsofthePenniniChain withObservationsandthe PhenomenaofGlaciers’.Thiswas thefirstbookinGreatBritainto promotetheglacialtheory.

In1843ForbesmarriedAlicia Wauchope,daughterofaLeithwine merchantwithwhomhehadthree daughters,Eliza,Williamina,and Alice,andtwosons,EdmundBatten andGeorge.

In1846Forbesbeganexperiments ontheearth'stemperatureat differentdepthsandindifferent soilsnearEdinburgh.

Laterhewentontoinvestigatethe lawsofheatconductioninbars.In hisfinalpieceofwork,hereported thatironconductsheatless efficientlyasitstemperaturerises. TheRoyalSocietyawardedhimthe

Rumfordmedalin1838andthegold medalin1843forhisworkonheat.

In1850ForbesreturnedtotheAlps andvisitedNorwayin1851.Herehe madenumerousminorascentsas wellasthefirstBritishascentofthe Jungfrau.HeemployedAuguste Balmattohelpwithresearchinto glaciermovement.Hewasalso involvedwithTyndallintheGreat glaciercontroversyinthe1850s.He alsobecamethefirstHonorary MemberoftheAlpineClub.

After1851,hishealthpreventedhim fromtakingtripstothemountains, andhestartedlosingenthusiasmfor sciencewithoutthestimulation providedbyfieldwork.

In1859hestartedworkingasa professorattheUnitedCollegeofSt Andrews.Heheldthispositionuntil heresignedduetoillhealthin October1868,twomonthsbefore hisdeath.JamesDavidForbesdied onthe31stDecember1868,aged59.

JohnLaw

JohnLaw

JohnLawwasbornin1671in Edinburgh,Scotland,intoafamilyof bankersandgoldsmithsfromFife. Atage14,JohnlefttheHighSchool ofEdinburghandjoinedthefamily business.Healsostudiedthe bankingbusinessupuntilhisfather diedin1688.

Afterhisfather'sdeath,John neglectedthefirminfavorof extravagantpursuitsandtraveledto London,wherehelostalotofhis moneygambling.

Lawwasarrestedon9thApril1694 inBloomsburySquare,London, afterhefoughtaduelwithEdward Wilson.HestoodtrialattheOld Baileyandwasfoundguiltyand sentencedtodeath.Lawmanaged toescapeprisonandfledto Amsterdam.Herehestudied bankingoperations.

In1705,Johnpublishedaproposal toestablishanewbankingsystem andtheproductionofpapermoney. Hewentontowriteabookthat foreshadowedtheseideas.Laws’

propositionswererejectedin Scotland,sohelefttopursuehis ambitionselsewhere.

Lawspentmanyyearsmoving betweenFranceandthe Netherlands,dealingwithfinancial problems.

IssueswithintheFrencheconomy presentedtheopportunitytoputhis systemintopractice.Hewantedto createabankfornationalfinance andastatecompanyforcommerce toexcludeallprivaterevenue.In turn,thiswouldcreatealarge marketoffinanceandtraderunby thestateandtheprofitswouldpay offthenationaldebt.

ThecouncilconsideredLaw's proposalbuteventuallyendedup rejectingthepropositionin1715. LawstayedinFranceduringthis timeandhostedandentertained variousParisiannoblestogain popularity.Hegainedtheattention ofTheDukeofOrleansandbecame acquaintedwithhim.

AfterthewarinFrance,thecountry wasinsignificantdebt.Therewasa

shortageofmetals,whichledtothe lackofcoinsincirculation.This limitedtheproductionofnewcoins.

TheDukeofOrleanspresentedLaw withtheopportunitytodisplayhis ideasofusingpapermoneyas France’seconomywasstagnantand thenationaldebtcrippling.

On1stMay1716,Lawconvincedthe Frenchgovernmenttoallowhimto setupBanqueGeneralePrivee,to developpapermoney.Aroundthis time,healsoestablishedthe Mississippicompany.

TheDukeofOrleans‘appointedLaw asControllerGeneralofFinances andeffectivelygavehimcontrolof tradebetweenFranceandits LouisianaandCanadiancolonies.

JohnLawsauthorityallowedhimto placehimselfandhis representativesineverypositionof power.HeappointedJohnBaptiste LeMoyne,SierdeBienvilleasthe governorandcommanderofthe region.

BienvilleknewLouisianawelland playedasignificantroleintheearly explorationofthearea.Hestarted tosuspectLawseffortswerean elaborateschemetoportray Louisianaashavingmaterialriches thatitdidnotpossess.

Bienvillerepeatedlytoldhis superiorsinParisaboutthelackof richesinLouisianaandurgedthe Frenchgovernmenttoabandonits searchandinsteadfocusonthe developmentofagricultureinthe

richlandofMississippiValley.They dismissedBienvilleandbelieved Law'spromiseoftheboundless wealthLouisianawouldhold.

Yearslaterin1721,theshareprices crashedasBienvillesuspectedand Lawbecamethearchitectofwhat wouldbelaterknownasthe Mississippibubble.Aneventthat wouldbeginwithmergingthe tradingcompaniesofLouisianainto asinglemarket.TheMississippi companyendedwiththecollapseof hisbankandsubsequentdevaluing oftheMississippicompany'sshares.

Therushtoconvertpapermoney backintocoinsledtosporadicbank hoursandriots.Squattersoccupied whereheoncelivedandopenly attackedthefinanciersthatwerein thearea.Thesecircumstancesled LawtoleaveParisandallhis substantialpropertyassetsin France.

Lawspentthenextfewyears movingandgamblingaround Europe.However,in1723Orléans diedsuddenly,andLawwasgranted permissiontoreturntoLondon, havingbeenpardonedin1719.

HelivedinLondonforfouryears andthenmovedtoVenice,wherehe contractedpneumoniaanddied poorin1729.ItisclearLawsideasof acentralizedbankthatwoulddeal inanewformofpapermoneywere yearsaheadofitstime.

JohnLydgate

JohnLydgate-Thecomplaintof theBlackKnight

JohnLydgatewasborninoraround theyear1370inthevillageofLigate, nearNewmarket,Suffolk.When Johnwasaboutfifteenyearsold,he becameanoviceattheBenedictine monasteryatBuryStEdmunds.He wasassociatedwiththisplacefor therestofhislife.

Hereceivedhiseducationfirstatthe monastery,wherehewaswell educatedanddevelopedliteracy ambitionsthankstotheir impressivelibrary.

In1389hebecameasubdeacon and,in1393,becameadeacon.In 1397hewasordainedasapriest.He isalsobelievedtohavefoundeda schoolofrhetoricatBurySaint Edmunds,wherehetutoredthe sonsofnoblefamilies.

ItisbelievedthatLydgatewenton tobecomeastudentatOxford Universitybetween1406and1408. Thisbeliefisbasedonaletterfrom HenryV.

Itwasduringthisperiodthat Lydgatestartedwritingsomeofhis earlyworks.

OneofLydgate'smostsignificant achievementswasthepoemhe wroteinthefirstdecadeofthe fifteenthcenturycalled‘The ComplaintoftheBlackKnight' (originallycalled,AComplayntofa LoveresLyfe),anallegorical romance.

Thispoemsawtheinfluenceof GeoffreyChaucer,whowasapoet admiredbymany,including Lydgate.Despiteneverknowing Chaucerpersonally,hewas acquaintedwiththepoet'sson, Thomas,andgranddaughter,Alice. ThomasChaucerwasaprominent figureonthepoliticalsceneofthe earlycentury.HelivedSouthof Oxfordandhishomewasthe gatheringplaceforthesocialand culturalelitetowhichLydgate belonged.

OnSeptember15th,1507,King JamesIVofScotlandgrantedWalter Chepman,anEdinburghmerchant,

andhisbusinesspartnerAndrew Mylar,abookseller,thefirstroyal licenseforprintinginScotland.The pairhadjustfinishedlearningtheir craftinFranceatthetime.

Thisgrantwasabigbreakthrough forthemandit'scleartheyhelped inthecontributiontoendingthe laborioustime-consumingpractice ofeverybookbeingwrittenand copiedbyhand.

Itisbelievedthatthelicensethey weregrantedwastoenablethe printingoftheAberdeenbreviary(a bookofScottishchurchpractices andthelivesoflocalsaints compliedbyWilliamElphinstone, BishopofAberdeen).However,on April4th,1508,inCowgate, Edinburgh,thefirstbookin Scotlandwasprinted.Itwas Lygates,‘TheComplaintoftheBlack Knight.’

Itremainstothisdaytheoldest survivingbookprintedinScotland. TheNationalLibraryofScotland holdstheonlyknowncopyofthe original29-page,680-linebook.

Printingspreadgradually throughoutScotlandafterLydgate's bookwasprinted.Itbecameamajor industryinEdinburghandthecity wasrecognisedasthecentreof excellenceforthetrade.

OnApril4th,2008,aplaque commemoratingtheeventwas unveiledandacelebratorydinner washeldtomarkthe500th anniversaryoftheprinting.The City'sCollegeofArtwasalsosetto

hosteventsandaseriesoflectures andconferenceswereheld throughouttheyear.

Lydgateisbelievedtohavediedin late1449or1450andwasinterred atBurySaintEdmunds.Hedieda veryrespectedpopularpoetand hadmassiveproductionofan estimated150,000linesofpoetry.

In2010,‘TheComplaintofTheBlack KnightwaschosenbyUNESCOto becomepartofitsMemoryofthe worldregister.Thisregister recognisesthedocumentary heritageofglobalsignificance.Its purposeistoinspirenationsand regionstoidentify,list,remember andpreservetheirretrospective documentaryheritageforthe collectivememoryofhumankind.

Malcolm111

MalcolmIII

MalcolmIII,otherwiseknownas MalcolmCanmore,wasbornin March1031inDunkeld,Scotland, theeldestsonofKingDuncan.

Duncanhadinheritedthethrone fromhisfather,CrinanAbbotof DunkeldwhofoundedtheHouseof Dunkeld,whichwouldgoontorule Scotlanduntil1286.

Duncan,however,provedtobea lesscapableruler,andhisfailureto expandhiskingdominScotlandand adisastrousattackonDurhamin Englandin1039testedtheloyaltyof hismostpowerfulallies.Oneof thesebeinghiscousinMacbeth.In 1040,attheBattleofBothganow, Duncanwasmurderedatthehands ofMacbeth.

AfterDuncan'sdeath,Macbethtook overthethroneandMalcolmhadto seeksafetyfromhim.Heandhis brotherDonaldfledthecountryand tookrefugeinNorthumberlandin

NorthernEngland.Herehewas lookedafterbySidward,Earlof Northumbria.Sidwardalsohad ambitionstoacquireterritoryin SouthernScotland.

BythetimeMalcolmhadmatured, hehadmetanotherevenmore powerfulally,theKingofEngland, EdwardtheConfessor.TheEnglish kingsawanopportunitytorestore theHouseofDunkeldtothethrone andmakeMalcolmhispuppetruler. Malcolmremainedinexilein Englanduntil1053.This subsequentlyallowedhimtobide histimeforrevengeonMacbeth.

In1054,Malcolm,Siward,and EdwardtheConfessoralljoined forces.Itwasthisyearwhenan EnglisharmyinvadedScotland. MacbethwasdefeatedatDunsinane inPerthshireon27thJulyand subsequentlylostcontroloverPerth andFife.

In1057Malcolm'stimehadfinally

arrived.Hedefeatedandkilled MacbethattheBattleof Lumphanan,Aberdeenshire.

Macbeth'sstepsonLulach succeededtothethrone,but Malcolm,whonowcontrolledmost ofSouthernScotland,hadLulach killedinanambushatEssiein StrathbogietheyearafterMacbeth died.Lulach’sdeathmeantthat MalcolmnowbecametheKingof Scotland.HewascrownedatScone Abbeyon25thApril1058.

In1059,Malcolmmarriedhisfirst wife,Ingibjorg,thewidowofEarl ThorfinnofOrkney.Themarriage helpedunifyNorthernandSouthern Scotland.Togethertheyhadthree children,Duncan,Donald,and Malcolm.Whenshedied,around 1070,MalcolmmarriedMargaret, thegreat-nieceofKingEdwardthe ConfessorofEngland.

Shehadfledhercountryfollowing theNormanconquestofEngland. Margarethadastronginfluence overherhusbandandeven encouragedhischildrentobegiven Saxonnamj;jkes,Edward,Edmund, David,andAlexander.Shewasalso akeensupporteroftheCatholic Church,andherpromotionofit continuedthedemiseofGaelic ChristianityinScotland.

Malcolm'sreignsawanincreasein Anglo-SaxoninfluenceinScotland. HeevenpermittedSaxontoreplace Gaelicasthecourtlanguage.

Margaretwasmadeasaintin1250 forhereffortstospreadRoman

Catholicismandcharityworkforthe poor.Thisiswhysheistodaybetter knownasSaintMargaretof Scotland.

Malcolm,whowasstilldetermined toextendhiskingdom,took advantageoftheupheavalcaused bytheNormanconquesttoinvade England.Theseraidsweretoleadto hisdemise.

In1072,Malcolmwasforcedby WilliamIofEnglandtosignthe TreatyofAbernethyandtobecome ‘theman’oftheking,giveuphis first-born,Duncan,asahostageas securityforhisfutureobediencenot toraidEngland.

However,in1093,Malcolmviolated hisfeudalobligationsandmadefive raidsintoEngland.Duringthelastof theseinvasions,Malcolmwaskilled bytheforcesofKingWilliamIIina BattleatAlnwick,Northumberland on13thNovember1093,aged62.

Hiseldestsonfromhissecond marriage,Edward,alsodiedofhis woundsjustafewdayslateronthe 16th.Thesameday,thenewswas broughttoEdinburghCastlesothat Margaretcouldbeinformedofher husband'sandson'spassing.She alsodiedthatverysamedaywhen shewasinformed.

Books,Music&More

Books,Music&More

Spotlighton Lossiemouth &Cullen

Words&pics tofollow

Spotlighton Lossiemouth &Cullen

Words&pics

EduardoPaolozzi

SirEduardoPaolozzi

SirEduardoPaolozziwasaScottish sculptorandartist.Heisconsidered aninfluentialpioneertothe60s Britishpopartmovement.Someof hismoreinfluentialpiecesofwork weredoneaslarge-scalepublic commissions.Thesetransformed spacesincludingtheBritishLibrary courtyardandtheLondon Underground.

EduardoPaolozziwasbornon March7th,1924,inLeithinNorth Edinburgh,Scotland.Hewasthe eldestsontoItalianimmigrantsand subsequentlyspokebothEnglish andItalian.Hisfamilywasfrom ViscusointheLazioregion,andthey rananicecreamshop.

Asayoungboy,hewouldspendhis summersathisgrandparents'place inMonteCassino.InJune1940, whenItalyenteredWorldWarII, Paolozziwasinterned.Hespent threemonthsatSaughtonPrison.

DuringthistimePaolozzi'sfather, grandfather,andunclewerealso interned.Theywereallonaship carryingthemtoCanadawhenit washitbyaGermanU-boat.Sadly, theyamongwith446otherItalians alldrownedwhentheshipwashit.

Afterbeingreleasedfrom internment,Paolozziwas conscriptedandservedayearinthe armybeforehefakedmadnessto secureadischarge.Hewentonto pursuehisdreamandchoseto studyatEdinburghCollegeofArtsin 1943,andthenattheSladeSchool ofFineArtatUniversityCollegeof Londonfrom1944to1947beforehe movedtoParis.

Oneofthefirstpieceshemadewas acollagecalled ‘Iwasarichman's plaything.’ Thiscollagewasdeemed oneofthefirstexamplesofPopArt. Paolozzididnotdisplaythework until1952whenhepresenteditwith over40othercollagesaspartonhis BUNKseries.

Thisbecameknownasthe independentgroup.Thegroupwas foundedbyPaolozziandother artists,includingphotographer NigelHendersonandsculptor RichardHamilton.Thegroup championedtheuseoffound objectsandpopularcultureinart.

PaolozzimovedbacktoLondonand eventuallyestablishedhisstudioin Chelsea.TogetherwithNigel Henderson,heestablishedHammer PrintsLimited,adesigncompany producingwallpapers,textiles,and ceramics.

Paolozzicontinuedworking prolificallythroughoutthe1960s.He taughtsculptureandceramicsat severalinstitutionsandcontinued todevelophisScreenprinting. Theseprintsarecharacterizedby popculturereferencesand technologicalimagery. ‘Asiswhen,’ a seriesofprintsinspiredbythe philosopherLudwigWittgensteinis oneofhismostnotablepiecesof workfromthistime.Healsobegan contributingtotheliterary magazine'Ambit'duringthisperiod, whichbeganalifelongcollaboration withthem.

In1980,theInstituteofChartered AccountantsinEnglandandWales (ICAEW)commissionedasetofthree tapestriesfromPaolozzito represent‘present-dayandfuture societiesconcerningtheroleplayed byICAEW’aspartoftheinstitute's centenarycelebrations.Thesestill currentlyhanginTheChartered Accountant'shall.

In1986,Paolozzigotpromotedto theofficeofHerMajesty'ssculptor inOrdinaryforScotland.Itwashere hecompletedoneofhisbest-known commissions,thevibrantmosaicsat TottenhamCourtRoadunderground station.

Afterhisdeath,therewerefearsthat themosaicswouldbepermanently removed.Thissparkedapublic petitiondemandingthedecisionto bereversed.

In1989,Paolozziwasknightedby QueenElizabethIIasaknight bachelorandbytheendofhislife wasoneofthebest-knownartists.

In1994PaolozzigavetheScottish NationalGalleryofModernArta largebodyofhisworksandmuchof thecontentofhisstudio.

In1999theNationalGalleriesof ScotlandopenedtheDeanGallery todisplaythiscollection.Thegallery displaysarecreationofPaolozzi's studio.

In2001,Paolozzisufferedanearfatalstroke,whichlefthim wheelchair-bound.InApril2005he diedinaLondonhospital.Hiswork continuestothisdaytobe influential.

GetinTouch

WewouldlovetohearyourScottishstories.They maybereminiscences,familyfolkloreorhistory, questionsyouneedanswered,photographs, anythingthattellsastoryofScottishness.

DoyoufeelScottish,howdoyouexpressyour Scottishness?Tellusyourtaleandhowyour ancestorsgottobewheretheysetrootsandhow youmaintainthatlink.

AreyouplanninganeventcelebratingScotlandor ourCelticlinksandbackgroundsendusthedetails andwecanhelpyoutellthewiderworld.

ThereisonlyoneScotlandbutitbelongstoso manypeopleallacrosstheworld,let’stellthat storyfarandwide.

editor@wittance.scot

ScotsWordsWithAlice

ScotsLanguages

ScotsisoneofthreelanguagesusedinScotlandtodayalongsideScottishGaelicand English.ItisacollectionofDoric,LallansandScotchalsoknownasBuchan,Dundonian, GlescaandShetland.

IthasbeenspokeninScotlandforcenturiesparticularlyintheEasternandSouthern parts,theLowlands,OrkneyandShetland.

TheScottishGovernmentis currentlycarryingoutapublic consultationbeforeconsideringa ScotsLanguagesBilltohelp supportallScotsLanguages.You canreadtheconsultation documenthere.

Consultation Document

ScotsWordsWithAlice

ScotsLanguages

ScotsisoneofthreelanguagesusedinScotlandtodayalongsideScottishGaelicand English.ItisacollectionofDoric,LallansandScotchalsoknownasBuchan,Dundonian, IthasbeenspokeninScotlandforcenturiesparticularlyintheEasternandSouthern

TheScottishGovernmentis currentlycarryingoutapublic consultationbeforeconsideringa ScotsLanguagesBilltohelp supportallScotsLanguages.You canreadtheconsultation

Consultation

Document

Sirius

Sirius(1837)

Siriuswasa703-tonsteamboat built-in1837bythecompany Menzies&Co.Ltd,theoldest shipbuildersinLeith,Scotland.She measured178andfourincheslong. Theholdmeasured18feet,3inches indepth,andshehadatonnageof 703tons.

Thetwo-cylindersteamengine drovetwopaddlewheelsthat delivered380horsepowerandgave amaximumspeedof12knots. Althoughshewasoriginallybuiltfor serviceintheIrishsea,shewas insteadcharteredbytheBritishand Americansteamnavigation company.

Thefollowingyearshehadherfirst voyagesettosailfromCork,Ireland onthe4thofApriltoNewYorkwith around45passengers.

AroundthetimeSiriuswas completed,twoothercompanies werebuildingsteamshipsfor transatlanticpassengerservice.

Rival‘GreatWestern’beingoneof theshipsthatwerebuiltwassetto sailaroundthesametimeasSirius. Withshipbuildingtechnologies advancingatasteadypace,there wasanunofficialcompetition amongshippingcompaniestosee whowouldbethefirsttotravelfrom EuropetoNewYorkusingsteam poweraloneandsubsequently establishthetransatlanticroute.

JustshortofreachingNewYork, towardstheendofan18-day voyage,Sirius’fuelranout.Despite this,thecaptaindeterminedto completethepassageundersteam alonerefusedtostopandinstead fedsparsandfurnitureintothe furnace.

Regardlessofthisproblem,Sirius stillmanagedtobeatthemuch largerGreatWesternshipbyjusta fewhoursandwasofficiallythefirst steamshiptocrosstheAtlanticfrom easttowest,againsttheflowofthe golfstreamusingonlysteampower. Hervoyagelastedatotalof18days, 4hours,and22minutes.

Thecaptain,inrecognitionofhis achievementswasawardedthe freedomofNewYork,Cork,and London.Theship’s accomplishmentscapturedthe publiconbothcontinents.

Newspaperswroteaboutit,one articleevenread ‘Nothingistalked ofinNewYorkbutaboutthisSirius’. TheNewYorkmayorevenvisited theshipalongwithsomeUSarmy andnavyofficialstopaytheir courtesytoit.

ThebuildingoftheSiriushelpedto pavethewayformanyothership makers.Afterhersuccess,many wantedtotakeupthechallengeof makingenginesforshipsinLeith. Theironywouldcomelater,inthat thesteamship,withitsabilitytogo anywhereatanytime,wouldleadto theeventualdemiseofthebusiest portinScotland.

Siriuswaslistedasthefirstholderof whatbecameknownastheBlue Riband,awardedforthefastest crossing.

Sheonlycompletedoneadditional roundtripbeforeshewasreturned toherownersasitwasclearshewas toosmallfortheCork-NewYork crossing.

SheresumedherregularStGeorge CompanyservicenowdoingaCork –Glasgowroute.TheStGeorge companydidbidforamonthlyCork -Halifaxservicewhichincluded Siriusandanotherforamonthly Cork-Halifax–NewYorkservicein 1839fortheBritishAdmiralty.

However,shewasrejected,aswas Greatwestern,andthecontractwas finallyawardedtoCunard.

In1847,Siriuswentonavoyage departingfromGlasgow,goingvia Dublin,andendingupinCork.It wasonthevoyagewhereshewas wrecked.

Shewasholdingcargoand passengerswhenshestruckrocks duringafoggynightinBallycotton Bay,Ireland.Theonlylifeboat launchedwasheavilyoverloaded andintheroughseas,twentylives weresadlylost.Inresponsetothe lossofSirius,theneedfora lighthousebetweenOldHouse KinsaleandHookHeadonIrelands southerncoastwasrecognized.

OverthefollowingyearsBallycotten lighthouse,onBallycottonisland wasconstructedanditwasfinallylit in1851.

ALetterto ThePopeinRome

DeclarationofArbroath

TheDeclarationofArbroathisa declarationofScottish independencewrittenon6thApril 1320.It’sseenbymanyasoneofthe mostfamousdocumentsinScottish historywithitswordscontinuingto inspiretheScottishindependence movement.

TheDeclarationconfirmed Scotland'sstatusasan independent,sovereignstateand defendeditsrighttousemilitary actionwhenunjustlyattacked. However,somepeopleclaimits purposewassimplytohelpthe hopefulfuturereignofKingRobert theBruce.

ItwasaprivatelettertoPopeJohn thatwasendorsedby39ofthemost powerfulScottishbaronsandearls. Itwasessentiallyanappealforhelp toendthewarofindependence withEnglandwhichhadbeengoing onfordecades.

ThebaronshopedthePopecould

putpressureonKingEdwardIIof Englandtoachievepeace.Aswellas this,itwasalsoasubtlediplomatic attempttogetthePopetorecognise RobertBruceasthelegitimateKing ofScotland.Theybothhaddisputes overseveralissuesandthePope wasseekingtoenforcehisexcommunication.Theletterappealed toliftthis.

Themostquotedlineinthe Declarationis, ‘Itisintruthnotfor glory,norriches,norhonorsthatwe arefighting,butforfreedom,forthat alone,whichnohonestmangivesup butwithlifeitself.'

Theonlysurvivingcopyofthe Declarationisonafragilesheepskin parchmentandisbeingcarefully preservedbytheNationalRecords ofScotland.

Theletterstartswithallthenames ofthebaronswhosupportit.Thisis thenfollowedbythemaintextof about800wordswhichtalksabout Scotland'slonghistoryasan independentcountyandthe

‘countlessevils’perpetratedby Englishkingscomparedwiththe heroicsofRoberttheBrucewho, theybelievedshouldholdtheright tobeking.

Itendswithapowerfulpleatothe Pope,threateninghim,sayingthat bloodwillbeonhishandsifhedoes nothelpintervene.

ThesignificanceoftheDeclaration ofArbroathtoScottishhistoryis muchdiscussedanddisputed. Thereislittlerecordofitinthe sourcesfromaroundthetimeitwas written,andthemajorhistoriansof the16thCenturydonotrefertoit.It wasonlyuntilthe1680sthatpeople beganthinkingitwasaparticularly importantdocument.

Thiswasaroundthetimewhenthe textwastranslatedintoEnglishfrom Latin.

TheDeclarationofArbroathis believedtohavebeenthe inspirationfortheAmerican Declarationofindependence. Despitealackofhistoricalevidence tobackthisclaimup,theScottish documentdoespredatetheUnited Statesrevolutionbyabout450 years,soitispossible.

In1998SenatorLottfoundedTartan Day.ThisiswhenAmericans,onthe 6thofApril,thedaythedeclaration ofArbroathwassigned,celebrateits signing.Althoughthiscelebrationis inplace,scholarsstilldebateat greatlengthwhetherthereisany genuineconnectionbetweenthe ArbroathDeclarationandthe

AmericanDeclaration.

Dr.AlanBorthwick,Nationalrecord ofScotland'sheadofmedievaland earlymodernrecordssaysthatthe Declarationonlyhadasmalldegree ofsuccessatthetime.Hesaysthat theresponsefromthePopestilldid notdescribeBruceasthekingof Scotland,buthedidwritetoEdward IIofEnglandwhereitwasclearthat hewantedatrucetobemade. Despitethis,itwasalongeight yearsbeforeatreatywasagreed, justmonthsbeforeBrucedied.

TheDeclarationofArbroathisstill celebratedtothisday.Therewere plansforanArbroath2020festival andthedocumentwastobeputon publicdisplayforthefirsttimein15 yearsattheNationalMuseumof Scotlandbut,unfortunately,both eventswerepostponedduetothe coronavirus.

International HighlandGames&Gatherings July2023

International HighlandGames&Gatherings July2023

HighlandGamesin ScotlandJuly2023

HighlandGamesin ScotlandJuly2023