The President's Message
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THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The only Peer m the 20th Century to have served in the Hello Fellow Clansmen, three great Departments of State. He was made Privy To all our new Members I give you a very warm Councillor to the Queen in 1990. welcome into Clan Scott. We are certainly spreading Malcolm inherited the title on the death of his father in our wings so to speak, as we have members in New 1965 aged 16. The Title dates back to 875 when Zealand, also North Carolina, USA. Caithness, Orkney and Shetland were parts of the I attended a luncheon, in Melbourne, held in honour of Norwegian realm, Rognvald Jarl (Prince or Earl) of the Earl of Caithness. Here is a brief report on Malcolm Moeri was granted the title by King Harald of Norway. Ian Sinclair, the 58th Earl Caithness (Caithness is the In 1455 King James II of Scotland with Caithness but most northern County on the mainland of Britain). not yet Orkney or Shetland under Scottish Rule, granted the title to William Sinclair. That is why Malcolm is both Malcolm spent the most part of his childhood at the 58th (under Nordic dynasty) and 20th under Scottish Balmoral, on Royal Deeside, in Aberdeenshire, his law. father Brigadier Roderick Sinclair was the Factor. Malcolm studied at the Royal Agricultural College in As my Middle name is Sinclair and I come from Orkney Cirencester, he also worked on our Duke’s Estate at he tried to persuade me to become a member of Clan Drumlanrig. Sinclair, I thanked him for the invitation, but graciously declined. His hereditary Peerage give him the right to sit in the House of Lords. In 1984 the Prime Minister Mrs The Queen Mother bought the Castle of May from Margaret Thatcher invited him to be part of her Malcohn, but will bequeath the Castle to Clan Sinclair. Government. He started as a Whip and Lord in waiting The Queen Mother is Patron of the Clan. to the Queen, than Under Secretary of State at the I will give a brief history of how our Duke’s Ancestors Department of Transport, on to Minister of State at the inherited the title of Queensberry, also how he became Home Office, the Department of Environment, the the Chief of Clan Douglas as well as Chief of Clan Treasury and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Scott. 1 A Charter dated 1356 states that the Barony of Queensberry, including the Douglas seat at Drumlanrig Drumlanrig was originally a property of the Earls of and becoming one of the richest men in Britain. Mars. In 1388 when James, 2nd Earl of Douglas and rd Mar died at the Battle of Otterburn it passed to his son This is the 3 Castle that has stood on this site, fulfilling William Douglas, who became 1st Laird of Drumlanrig the old Prophecy. “He who stands on the Hassock Hill together with the Barony of Hawick which he was shall rule all Nithsdale at his will" granted by Archibald 4th Earl of Douglas. I hope I have given a wee bit of history into our Clan. Sir James Douglas, known as the Black Douglas, was a If any one has anything to offer for the News Letter friend of Robert the Bruce. This enforced removal from please let Michael know, no matter how little, it would the territorial struggles of the great feudal magnates helps be nice to hear from the members, and I can assure you to account for the fact that from 1388 this Drumlanrig it would be Appreciated. line of the Douglases succeeded each other, father to The Treasurer wants to remind members that their son, for 13 generations down to the death of Charles, membership is due 01:03: 01. 3rd Duke of Queensberry, in 1778. Hope to see as many as possible at Glen Innes for the The Douglases were great Royalists, that is why their A.G.M. and to witness Scott Clan placing the stones in Crest is the Heart and Wings, representing the Heart of the niche in the wall. Robert the Bruce. The Black Douglas was on his way to To the next Newsletter the Holy Land where he was taking Robert the Bruce's Jim. President. heart in fulfilment of a death bed promise. While fighting in Spain he was mortally wounded and flung the heart WELCOME ABOARD before he died, no one knows what happened to the It’s time to welcome all our New Members. Well, we heart. have “Gone International” and recruited our Sir Walter Scott had a Charter to the Barony of Kirkud first members from New Zealand and the United States from King Robert II in 1389, and his son Robert of America. On the home front we have also gained our acquired the lands of Branxholm. first South Australian Member and increased membership in The Australian Capital Territory, New The fortunes of the Scotts expanded after the eclipse of South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. We are the mighty Douglases in 1455, Branxholm was erected also awaiting replies from other contacts from ‘across into a Barony, although by that time the Scotts Chiefs the creek’ in NZ and another Queenslander. had adopted the name of Buccleuch. A true Aussie Scott Welcome to: Pamela Wilkie from New Plymouth, Taranaki, NZ; Branxholm Castle was set on fire on two occasions by Warren Dorman from Oak Island, North Carolina the English. There was fierce rivalry with the Kerrs. USA who was born at Bankstown, NSW; Scott and Kerr sometimes split the ward of the Middle Bonita Trenwith from Flagstaff Hill, SA (NZ born); Ward between them. Sir Walter of Buccleuch, who was Gordon Scott from Deakin, ACT; sole Warden, was killed by the jealous Kerrs in Leslie Scott from Daley’s Point, NSW; Edinburgh High Street in 1552. This was the man who Marguerita Mary Boden Cavanagh from Narre offered the infant Mary Queen of Scots over to Henry Warren, VIC; VIII. John Gould from Noranda, WA; The 2nd Earl of Buccleuch died in 1651 leaving an only Members are to be congratulated for their recruiting daughter, Anna, an eligible heiress. She was married to efforts over the period. Looking back at my records, the Duke of Monmouth, an illegitimate son of Charles II, when I published the first edition of “The Stag in the who took the name of Scott and became also the Duke Blaeberry Review” I posted 21 copies which included of Buccleuch. She was made the Duchess of Buccleuch our Clan Chief and the mandatory copy to the State in her own right and after her husband’s rebellion and Library of Queensland. Today, only 10 months later, we execution the title and lands remained intact through her. have 53 Members and I send out 53 copies to The 3rd Duke of Buccleuch married the Douglas heiress, Members and Kindred Societies. The newsletter now thereby acquiring the hugh estates of the Duchy of goes to our Clan Chief, Clan Scott Society (UK), Clan Scott Society Inc. (USA), New Zealand and every 2 mainland State of Australia (still waiting for our first Tassie Scott but I’m working on that one.) Then there are copies of the Electronic Edition being sent by e-mail Many of you will not know that our Honourary to a number of addressees world wide. Secretary and NSW Vice-President, Jean Scott- ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS Deaner was not too well over the Christmas period. In ALL Members are reminded that our Financial Year early December, Jean had “a coronary event” (quaint covers the period 1 March - 28/29 February and that medical terms they use these days) and spent a few days Fees for 2001-02 are due on or before 1 March 2001. in the Maclean Hospital. We are pleased to advise that Please attach your cheque, made out to Clan Scott Jean has recovered well and is again operating from Association of Australia, to the enclosed Payment home, albeit at an enforced reduced pace. We wish Slip and forward to the Treasurer by the due date. Jean well and a continuing good rate of progress on her Members $10 per person and Juniors $5 each. Sub- way back to health. Juniors are FREE. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR If you joined on or after 1st December 2000, you are a current financial member for 2000 AND 2001 and are not required to pay further fees until 1 March 2002. Members are reminded that they are not eligible to vote Members are invited to submit Letters to the Editor. at the Annual General Meeting, or any other meeting, if Letter No. 1 they are not financial. Dear Sir, Your co-operation in attending to this matter will be Through medium of the “newsletter” I would like to say appreciated. a big THANK YOU for the support and best wishes NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING from members of Clan Scott during my recent sudden 2001 hospitalisation. To know that I had the concern of the 4th May 2001 - GLEN INNES, NSW Clan Family Australia wide, was very uplifting and much appreciated. Many thanks for the phone calls, cards etc. The Constitution of the Clan Scott Association of - and the flowers were spectacular. Australia requires that an Annual General Meeting be Clan Scott truly rallied to my cause and helped in my held once per year and then within 3 months after the recovery. Thanks everyone. end of the Association’s Financial Year. Therefore we Sincerely are required to hold our AGM on or before 31 May Jean Scott-Deaner 2001.