Grace Notes Newsletter of the Memphis Scottish Society, Inc

Grace Notes Newsletter of the Memphis Scottish Society, Inc.

Vol. 35 No. 3 • March 2019 President’s Letter

From President John Schultz: The board has decided to have next year’s Burns Nicht at Woodland Hills on Burns’s birthday, January 25, 2020. The finan- cial results of the last few Burns Nichts has taken a toll on the Memphis Scottish Society’s finances. There appears to be enough Memphis in the treasury to allow one more try. Today social media is a Scottish great way to get the word out, but the Memphis Scottish Society’s web site (memphisscots.com) and Facebook page only reach people Society, Inc. looking for it. The key is for members on Facebook to share the Buns Nicht post when it becomes available. If you have connec- Board tions to traditional media let the Board know so those avenues can also be explored. President John Schultz 901-754-2419 [email protected] Vice President Sammy Rich 901-496-2193 [email protected] April 6th Is Tartan Day! Treasurer Debbie Sellmansberger National Tartan Day comes but once a year, so let’s have some 901-465-4739 fun with it. The Irish have had their St. Patrick’s Day, and now [email protected] it’s time for the Scots to have ourr day. Let’s all dress out and Secretary show off your tartan with pride! Just don’t walk over a sidewalk Mary Clausi grate like I accidentally did a few years ago (the cops roared with laughter!). 901-831-3844 [email protected] Members at Large Marcia Hayes 901-871-7565 [email protected] Kathy Schultz 901-754-2419 [email protected] March Meeting Program: Holly Staggs Presented by Sammy Rich and Friends 901-215-4839 [email protected] “The Kelpies”

See page 2 for further information

Tennessee Tartan. Created by the Heart of Tennessee Scottish Celebration as a State tartan. Passed by Tennessee Public Acts 1999, Chapter No.82, Senate Bill No. 73. The source of the tartan 2526 was: Bill Bickford of the Tennessee Tartan Committee. March Meeting Program “The Kelpies” Sammy Rich and friends will introduce Scotland’s newest, most formidable public art works project known as the Falkirk Kelpies. A bit of history behind the Project, the designer and his inspiration for the sculptures. Of course there is a Kelpie Song and maybe a song about the Clydesdale horses which are a large part of the inspiration for this work. Special thanks to John and Margo Wright for providing much of the information on the project, and to the Caledonia Chorale for joining in the singing of the Kelpie Lullaby and even another song or so...

(Notice to Program Presenters) John Schultz requests that if you plan to use his computer equipment for your presentation at the monthly meeting, please contact him at least a week before the meeting so he knows to bring his equipment and can work out any bugs ahead of time. His phone number is 901-754-2419. Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Pipes & Drums to Perform at Lyon College The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Pipes & Drums will be performing at the 40th Annual Arkansas Festival at Lyon College on 13 April. This will be the band’s first outing for an event like this. St. Patrick’s Day The Celtic Crossing St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Sunday, March 17th, in the Cooper- Young district. Along with the Memphis Irish Society, both Wolf River Pipes and Drums and Phoenix Pipes and Drums, and the Scottish Country Dancers, will join the festivities to make the event even more memorable. Just because this parade is a celebration of being Irish, there is absolutely nothing wrong with we Scots joining the fun, so come along with us. Dive in—the green beer is fine! The parade route will be along Cooper Street from York Street south to Walker Street. Line up is at 1:00 pm and the parade will step off at 2 pm. This is always a fun event, so let’s have a good turnout. Just be sure to wear something green so you won’t get pinched! Erin Go Braugh!

Editorial Staff

Melissa Gibson Grace Notes Editor, (901-299-3170) [email protected] Grace Notes is the official publication of the Mem- phis Scottish Society, Inc. It is published monthly. George Malone Like the Society itself, the credo of Grace Notes is Publisher, (901) 385-1938 “to foster education and promote understanding [email protected] of things Scottish.” to foster education If you have something of interest to readers Gavin Anderson and promote understanding of this newsletter, please submit a typewritten Circulation Editor, (901-485-8270) of things Scottish manuscript to the editorial staff. If the article or [email protected] notice is very brief (30 words or fewer), e-mail

or just use the telephone. Grace Notes will accept Karen English and publish good quality photographs. Please address all correspondence to: Circulation Editor, (901-396-9134) The deadline for all submissions is the fourth Grace Notes [email protected] week of each month preceding the month of The Memphis Scottish Society, Inc. publication. Please include a self-addressed [email protected] stamped envelope with each submission, if you Submissions P. O. Box 770028 want the material returned. [email protected] Memphis, TN 38177-0028

2 “Broken Ground” The Boy Who Never Grew Up (Atlantic Monthly Press), by Val Mcdermid by Roddy Martine New Insight to Scotland’s Role in World War II Scotland Magazine, January 2019 (condensed) (Book Review by Oline H. Cogdill, A.P.) The past is always in the present for Edinburgh At the heart of the small Angus town of Kir- Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie, making her riemuir, on the High Street, stands a bronze statue fifth appearance in Val McDermid’s expertly plot- of Peter Pan by the artist Alistair Smart. Sir James ted “Borken Ground.” As head of the Historic Cas- M. Barrie, creator of “the boy who never grew es Unit – that would be cold cases in the United up”, was born in 1860 in a traditional weaver’s States – Karenis used to investigations that aren’t stone-built house. His childhood home is today just old, but also give a glimpse of life in the past. transformed into a museum. As a result, the Karen Pirie novels turn the Barrie was one of sev- spotlight on bits of forgotten history. “Broken en brothers and sisters Grounds” has its roots in World War II in the who lived with their par- Scottish Highlands. In 1944, soldiers pulling out ents in two rooms above of their encampment were told to either burn or the weaver’s workshop. bury their equipment as it would be too costly to The wash house in the salvage anything. But two soldiers couldn’t bear yard is said to have in- to destroy the air of valuable American motorcy- spired the original Wen- cles that had just arrived, so they buried them in dy House. The charming protective boxes in the peat bog, planning to re- “puckish” statue in the turn one day for their treasure. They never got the town square is one of two chance, but now one soldier’s granddaughter, Al- commissioned works. ice Somerville, and her husband, Will, have come The first was erected at to claim their inheritance. Glengate in 1966, but, The peat bog protects anything buried in it, following damage, a re- including the perfectly preserved body of a mur- placement by the same artist was unveiled on a dered professional athlete whose body is found red sandstone plinth in the town square in 1994. along with the motorcycles. But this was a more Visitors flock to Kirriemuir from all over the modern crime as it is quickly determined that the world to pay homage to the magical world of the man disappeared in 1995, based on his expensive lost boys, Captain Hook, Tinker Bell and the croc- limited edition shoes. odile encountered by the Darling children. As Karen delves into the decades-old tragedy, Such is the international appeal of Barrie’s she is also drawn into a woman’s domestic vio- characters, that Kirriemuir locals have not held lence situation that seems to be on the verge of es- back on transforming the park on Kirrie Hill into calating. a fairy-tale interpretation of Neverland for kids. McDermid’s affinity for multilayered plots and Around 162 miles to the south is Dumfries, complex characters continues to excel in “Broken where Barrie was sent to school between 1873- Ground,” her 32nd novel 1878, and where Peter Pan Moat Brae House Trust Police politics and crime investigations soar has successfully raised £6.1 million towards a tar- in “Broken Ground,” but McDermid’s look at the get of £6.5 million for the redevelopment of the Highlands during World War II gives a new in- Georgian town house and garden where the teen- sight into Scotland’s role during the war. age Barrie played with his friends. On his return And beware of those peat bogs – you may to Dumfries in 1924, he admitted that it was here never return. that he had first encountered the Native Ameri- cans and pirates of his imagination. Barrie is believed to have based his character Peter Pan on his older brother David, who died The Queen Dances after being knocked over while watching a friend By Katie Bruno ice skating in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, the day before his 14th birthday. His mother always referred According to Closer Magazine (15 October 2018), to him as the “forever” boy. at 92, Queen Elizabeth II has recently gone pub- Although success invariably took him to live lic with a surprisingly fun passion: Scottish coun- in London, Kirriemuir was to remain the writer- try dancing! She has “great rhythm,” her cousin playwright’s spiritual home throughout his life. Lady Elizabeth Anson insists. “I have to be seen When Barrie died in 1937, he chose not to be bur- to be believed,” the dancing queen quips, hinting ied at Westminster Abbey, as was his prerogative there’s a much more intriguing woman under the as a knight of the realm, but in the family plot at crown than many would imagine. the Kirriemuir Cemetery. 3 The Ardlamont Mystery Scotland Magazine, January 2019 (condensed) This year marks the 125th anniversary of one Littlejohn also held an array of important public of the most notorious murder trials of the Victo- offices, including that of the Edinburgh’s official rian era. At Edinburgh’s High Court of Justiciary police surgeon. As well as in December 1893, Alfred Monson – a rector’s son being responsible for the whose close relatives included lords of the realm medical welfare of all police and European ambassadors – faced trial for the staff and prisoners, he was murder of a 20 year old army lieutenant names also invited to be present at Cecil Hambrough. For its 10-day duration, the the scene of a great many case became a cause celebre throughout the na- of Scotland’s most serious tion. At least one man was stabbed and another crimes in the second half of accidentally killed as a public debate about the de- the 19th century. fendant’s innocence (or not) got out of hand. He developed a reputa- Henry Littlejohn In the same month, The Strand Magazine in tion as a pioneer of forensic London published a short story called “The Final science. Forensics was then in its infancy, but Ed- Problem”. It has gone down in literary folklore inburgh was at its forefront. Littlejohn forged new as the tale in which the author, Sir Arthur Conan approaches to forensics pathology and was quick Doyle, tried to kill off his famous creation, Sher- to embrace such emerging innovations as finger- lock Holmes, by flinging printing and crime scene photography. him over the Reichenbach Littlejohn considered Bell among his most Falls. By curious coinci- trusted and capable colleagues. From the 1870s, dence, one of the pros- he got into the habit of bringing his friend along ecution’s star witnesses with him on many investigations. Among their in the Ardlamont trial most famous cases was that of Eugene Chantrelle. was an Edinburgh doctor, In 1878, a French teacher, was convicted of mur- Joseph Bell, who had re- dering his young wife after post-mortem investi- cently been unmasked by gations by Bell and Littlejohn showed that what the press as the real-life had been suspected accidental gas poisoning was inspiration for the famous actually a case of deliberate opium poisoning. Baker Street detective. Conan Doyle worked for a time as Bell’s assis- Bell had been one of John Bell tant. To suggest that he was influenced by Bell in Conan Doyle’s tutors when he studied at Edin- the creation of Sherlock Holmes, but not by Bell’s burgh University in the 1870s. He was renowned great friend, crime-partner and forensics genius for his awe-inspiring powers of reasoning and in- Henry Littlejohn, seems absurd. It is possible that sight. His party piece involved being presented Littlejohn did not want the distraction of the in- with a previously unseen patient. Picking up on evitable attention that would fall upon him if he the subtlest non-verbal signals, Bell could build a was unmasked as the model for Sherlock Holmes. thorough picture of the subject’s background and It was only in 1929, years after Littlejohn’s medical condition. He could tell a man’s profes- death, that Conan Doyle is recorded as acknowl- sion from his walk, whether he had served in the edging his influence. At a talk in Nairobi, Kenya, military by the way he wore his hat, or where he he revealed that it was the methods of Bell and lived from the state of his shoes. Littlejohn that first induced him to write a detec- These remarkable displays of inductive reason- tive story from a scientific man’s point of view. ing captivated Conan Doyle. So much so that he Nonetheless, the Ardlamont case brought Lit- made Bell’s talents a key feature of Holmes crime- tlejohn and Bell to public attention in a manner solving method. In 1892, Conan Doyle even wrote neither could have imagined. The public was cap- to Bell to tell him, “It is most certainly to you that tivated by its revelations of gory death, wealthy I owe Sherlock Holmes.” families undone, shady life insurance dealings, What is less well known is that another witness dubious figures from the London underworld, to take the stand at the Ardlamont trial was also and even a suspect whose non-appearance led to a formative influence on the creation of Holmes. the court deeming him an outlaw. His name was Henry Littlejohn and he is deserv- The evidence given by Bell and Littlejohn was ing equal billing in the legend of Sherlock Holmes, controversial. Nonetheless in a trial where evi- but somehow history has denied him the same dence was too often dominated by innuendo and credit. So, who was he? deceit, theirs at least shone as rooted in unbiased Bell and Littlejohn were both leading figures reason. As for how the trial played out, that is a in the medical faculty at Edinburgh University story for another time. Suffice it to say, people still when Conan Doyle began studying there in 1976. talk of the Ardlamont mystery. 4 The Black Watch at Ticonderoga From The Campbell Newsletter - Thanks to Mike Taylor Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is cairn, which was carefully constructed by Paul a large 18th-century star fort built by the French Ferenc of Dorset, VT. Other stones arrived after- at a narrows near the south end of Lake Cham- wards and were incorporated into the structure. plain in New York. It was constructed by Cana- On June 30, 1997, the Black Watch lowered the dian-born French military engineer the Marquis British flag at Hong Kong—and less than a week de Lotbiniere between October 1755 and 1757 later they were at Fort Ticonderoga standing sol- during the Seven Years’ War. The site controlled emnly as the cairn was dedicated in honor of the a river portage along-side the mouth of the rap- members of the regiment who fell in the disas- ids-infested La Chute River in the 3.5 miles be- trous attack July 8, 1758 to take Fort Carillon from tween Lake Champlain and Lake George. It was the French. strategically placed in conflicts over trade routes between the British-controlled Hudson Valley and the French-controlled Saint Lawrence Valley. The name “Ticonderoga” comes from the Iroquois word tekontaróken, meaning “it is at the junction of two waterways”. Known in the 18th century as the 42nd or Highland Regiment , the Black Watch was originally raised by the “Whig” clans to help the British government keep “watch” in the rebellion- prone Highlands, but had been sent abroad for the first time. General James Abercrombie had amassed 16,000 soldiers and brought them up the Hudson to Ft. Edward, at the foot of Lake Champlain, but then he dithered. For tactics he had depended on the oldest of the three Howe brothers (George 3rd Viscount) who had been killed by sniper in a skir- mish a day earlier, and now erred gravely on the side of caution. (His troops took to calling him “General Nanny Crombie”.) The Marquis de Montcalm commanded at Ft.Carillon, and he set his 3,200 men to preparing a field of battle well below the fort, with ditches Scottish word of the day - Clipe and walls of branches and stakes. www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/scottish-word-of-the-day Finally, General Abercrombie ordered his forc- es to attack in a line, but as always happens in dif- For those of you who remember your school- ficult terrain, the line was broken as they marched days, you might recall the unwritten and unof- against withering cannon, mortar, and musket ficial (yet somehow global) school laws which fire. Abercrombie lost 1,967 men, most significant- meant you were never to tell tales or “grass up ly, 1/3 of the men of the Black Watch, including your mates”, no matter how severe the play- their commander Major Duncan Campbell of In- ground crime. Of course, there are a number of verawe. unwritten laws, but keeping quiet when a misad- General Abercrombie was shortly afterwards venture was found out was undoubtedly crucial relieved of his command, the British placed can- to maintaining friendships — after all, school can non on the heights overlooking Fort Carillon, and be a cruel place (and rules are there to be bro- the overawed French abandoned the fort and re- ken). The Scots word “clipe” is one of those curi- treated north to Canada. The fort was renamed Ft. ous elements of the Caledonian tongue which is Ticonderoga and played a major role at the outset both a noun and a verb at the same time. To clipe of the American War for Independence. on someone means to “tell on them”, or “grass In 1997 the Black Watch Council of Ticondero- them up” — usually to the teacher. Those who ga presented a cairn to commemorate the Battle indulge in the act of cliping on someone are often of Ft. Carillon to the Ft. Ticonderoga Association referred to simply as a “clipe”. which owns the present reconstructed fort and the The word itself hasn’t always had such nega- heights on which it sits. Of 84 clans represented tive scholastic connotations. “Clipe” was origi- in the muster of the Black Watch in 1758, 30 sent nally used to describe a storyteller, or simple tale, stones from their homeland to be included in the and even gossip in some cases. 5 Airport Bomb Scare Turns Out What’s A Bawbee? To Be Just A Haggis rampantscotland.com Independent, by Christopher Hooton, 23 January 2019 A Scotsman had his haggis confiscated at Bir- While there is no longer a coin called a “baw- mingham airport security, though his knife made bee” in circulation in Scotland, the picturesque it onto the plane. word has become so well used and identified Airport security said they suspected Ian Blake, with Scotland, it is still used by many people who was travelling home to Inverness, had a ‘plas- who do not know its origins. tic explosive’ in his luggage. The word probably derived from the title of “As I was going through the scanning device, Alexander Orrok of Sillebawby, a 16th-century airport security staff pulled me out of the line and head of the Scottish Mint, known as the Master said ‘We think you have a suspected plastic ex- Moneyer. It was originally a coin worth six Scots plosive in your luggage, sir’,” he told Edinburgh pennies, but as the value of Scots currency be- News. came less, relative to English coinage, the name “Then was later given to a halfpenny (when there were they took 240 pennies to the pound). While it was not the out the smallest value coin in the realm (the farthing or haggis and quarter penny had that distinction) its lowly sta- started ex- tus meant that it was (and is) used to describe amining something of low value as “not worth a baw- it. I don’t bee”. think it The first silver pennies were minted by King was the David I in the first half of the 12th century, al- plastic though coins had been used earlier than this wrapping (in Roman times - see the coins above) and also that was suspect, I think it was the actual consis- by the Vikings. King David had spent a consid- tency or denseness of our national dish.” erable time in England before he came to the “When they read the labelling and so on they throne, so when he captured an English Royal realised that it was just a sonsie haggis and I was Mint in Carlisle he put it to work creating Scot- allowed to go on my way. I think they were a bit tish coins instead. embarrassed. I thought the whole thing was high- While early coins had precious metal (such as ly amusing but security staff are usually pretty po- silver) to the face value of the coins, fluctuating faced and they didn’t really see the joke.” values of metal and debasement of the curren- “The ironic thing was I was also carrying my cy by governments and kings soon resulted in sgian dubh. It was inside a pair of shoes in my bag. that principle being lost. This process happened I thought the scanner might pick up the metal on faster in Scotland than England until by the 16th the sgian-dubh but it didn’t. It was just the haggis century one English penny was reckoned to be that they thought might be dangerous.” worth 12 pence Scots. A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport did The bawbee, probably Scotland’s best- not apologise for the incident, saying that safety is known coin, was first issued its number one priority. in 1539 and continued to be struck until 1697, but it died finally with the Union of the Parliaments in 1707. But the word carried on, referring instead to the bronze half penny (see illustration at the top of the Bawbee page). This was first issued in 1672 in England and was the nearest equivalent to the Scottish sixpence when the Act of Union swept away Scottish coinage. Although a “half new pence” appeared after the decimalization of the UK currency in 1971, even that coin has now disappeared from circulation. Despite the demise of a separate Scottish coinage, bank notes issued by Scottish commer- cial banks continue to be the main currency in circulation in Scotland. 6 Calendar of Events Mondays Thursdays Wolf River Pipes & Drums, MSSI Scottish Country Dancers 6:00-9:30 Contact: Band Mgr, 7:00 pm at Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church Kenny Hiner: 494-4902 for info. 1665 S. Germantown Road [email protected] Monday, March 11 Saturdays MSSI Monthly Meeting Memphis Phoenix Pipe Band 7:00 pm, at Jason’s Deli, 9:00-12:00 - St. Luke Lutheran Church Poplar/Highland. Program: 2000 Germantown Pkwy “The Kelpies” presented by Rick Clausi: 831-3843 for info. Sammy Rich. Monday, March 11 Board Meeting Jason’s Deli, Poplar/Highland, Scottish - Celtic after the regular membership Radio Shows meeting.

Sundays, 6-7 p.m. “The Thistle and Shamrock” WKNO-FM 91.1

Sat, 10 a.m.-1p.m. “Strands of the Celtic Knot” Robert Campbell, host WEVL–FM 89.9

Sun and Mon, 6 p.m. and Fridays, 7 p.m. February 3: Debuts history of feuds, raids and con- “The Thistle & Shamrock,” flict. WMAV–FM 90.3 Discover first time artists and new recordings from both sides March 3: Migrations - The of the Atlantic. Making of America Chris Thile February 10: Singer Song- writers Fiona Ritchie celebrates Carn- egie Hall’s citywide Migrations An abundance of songwrit- festival with Chris Thile. The ing talent on this week’s show American mandolinist, singer- takes us into the landscapes and songwriter and Live From Here dreamscapes of the imagination. host performs as part of the festival on March 9 at Carnegie February 17: Love Songs Hall. We enjoy music from Nick- el Creek to the Punch Brothers Explore notions of romantic love as Chris talks to Fiona about - shared and unrequited - and the evolution of Scots, Irish, and the passionate love of land and American folk music, and more. language. (Fiona Ritchie Productions is a partner organization of the Mi- February 24: Ballads of the grations festival.) Border March 10: Welsh Roots Hear music inspired by rolling hills and moorland in the border We feature traditional and newly country between Scotland and emerging music from the towns, England, scenes of a turbulent hills and valleys of Wales.

7 Aberdeenshire Stone Circle Identified As Modern Replica An Aberdeenshire stone circle initially thought to be thousands of years old has been identified as a modern replica. An investiga- tion into the site at the parish of Leochel-Cushnie found the stones to be about 20 years old. It was originally thought to be the site of a recumbent stone circle —until the man who built it came forward. The findings sparked excitement among experts and were widely reported. They were initially celebrated as an authentic recumbent stone circle by Adam Welfare of Historic Environment Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council’s Archaeology Service. Fur- ther archaeological analysis of the stones was being conducted when a former owner of the farm contacted Mr. Welfare to say he had built the stone circle in the 1990s. “Ancient” Incumbant Neil Ackerman, historic environment record assistant at Ab- Stone Circle erdeenshire Council, said the development was “disappointing”, but hoped the site would still be appreciated.

Next Monthly Meeting - Monday, March 11, 2019 at 7:00 pm Jason’s Deli - Poplar and Highland — Program: Sammy Rich presents “The Kelpies”.

MSSI Board Meeting - March 11, 2019 Jason’s Deli - Immediately after the monthly membership meeting.

GraceNotes

The Memphis Scottish Society, Inc. P. O. Box 770028 Memphis, TN 38177-0028