US $10.00 VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2 DecemberScorrybreac 2007 The Journal of Clan MacNicol of North America Hammond Burke Nicholson, Jr. June 14, 1917 —June 27, 2007 BARON OF BALVENIE, CHIEFTAIN IN CLAN MACNICOL AND CHAIRMAN, THE HIGHLAND CLAN MACNEACAIL FEDERATION Obituary from the 1 August 2007 Issue of The Scotsman He helped pioneer the Coca-Cola business in Europe, in Edinburgh: and was Senior Vice President of the company in Atlanta, Georgia. He developed the brand in Europe, HAMMOND Burke Nicholson Jr., who has died in his and became a major player in the long standing 91st year, was a senior executive of the Coca-Cola Corporation corporate war with rival Pepsi-Cola. who became a significant benefactor in Scottish cultural life. (OBITUARY, CONTINUES ON PAGE 5) 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 23 NUMBER 2 Feature OBITUARY OF BURKE NICHOLSON OF BALVENIE ..........................................1 from the 1 August 2007 Issue of The Scotsman in Edinburgh TRIBUTES TO BURKE NICHOLSON OF BALVENIE ...........................................5 Murray Nicolson, John Nicoll Announcements WEDDING .......................................................................................................................8 Chief’s Son and Heir Weds Floridian Fiancée RENEWALS ....................................................................................................................15 Last Chance for 2007 Renewal and Membership Certificate NEW WEBSITE IN THE WEST ..................................................................................21 NEW CLAN BADGE ....................................................................................................21 page 24 NEW ARRIVALS ...........................................................................................................24 Ozma Valentine Bryant and Emilienne Danielle Turbide Clan Events CLAN GATHERING ON SKYE .................................................................................10 October 2008 CALENDAR OF 2008 REGIONAL REUNIONS .....................................................20 page 10 Who’s Who in the Clan CLAN SOCIETY DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS .....................................................2 FROM THE PRESIDENT ..............................................................................................4 Jeremy Nicholson FALL 2007 MEMBERSHIP REPORT .........................................................................14 Jeremy Nicholson NEW DIRECTOR AND STATE GAMES COMMISSIONERS ...........................18 page 4 Columns NICHOLSON FAMILY TREE DNA PROJECT .........................................................9 Murray Nicolson FRIENDS OF SCORRYBREAC LANDS UPDATE ................................................12 Murray Nicolson YOU TOO CAN YAHOO! ...........................................................................................17 Carolyn Nichol-Williams page 12 NICOL FAMILY IN DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND ................................................22 Nicol D. Vandever FROM THE PRESIDENT HIS ISSUE OF SCORRYBREAC APPEARS WITH THE and the U.S. In addition, the Clan has been sad news of the death of my father, Burke represented at a dozen Highland Games and Nicholson of Balvenie, who passed away in Festivals across the continent. Many thanks to late June at the age of 90. He had suffered State and Provincial Games Commissioners from declining health since mid-May 2004, who worked very hard representing the Clan but managed to keep a positive outlook on life to a wide public. and a vigorous interest in the Clan and his family up to his last day. The Friends of Scorrybreac Lands appeal launched by Murray Nicolson, the Chief’s With him, an era is closing. He was a major High Commissioner for the Americas, has force in the renewal of the Clan worldwide enjoyed a tremendous success. Four Canadi- under the Chiefship of the late Iain Mac- ans and twenty-four Americans have signed Neacail of MacNeacail and Scorrybreac. They up to each provide at least $100 per year for enjoyed a long and fruitful collaboration and the next five years. Dick Nicoll, Treasurer of a warm personal friendship. To them and the Scorrybreac Fund, is overseeing the finan- to others of their generation we owe a huge cial aspect of the appeal in North America. He debt of gratitude. The Clan as we have come reports that by the end of October $5,000 have to know it would not exist but for their devo- been donated. The Clan is immensely grateful tion and long labors. Ave atque vale! (Hail and for this great show of generosity. farewell!) The entire Clan is invited to participate in As we mourn the passing of the old, let us the 2008 International Gathering on the Isle also rejoice in the arrival of the young, Ozma of Skye in Scotland. Scheduled for the first Valentine Bryant in California, and Emilienne weekend of October next year, the Gathering Danielle Turbide in Florida, both of whom we will offer a wonderful opportunity to meet our welcome into the Clan with heartiest congrat- Chief and his wife, and to discover— ulations to their happy parents. or rediscover—our stunning ancestral lands to which so many of us have contributed. Many of you will have noticed the greatly in- creased size of this issue and the previous one. Those of you who earlier this year had This reflects the many activities of our Clan ordered Membership Certificates will find in North America. Consequently, the Direc- them enclosed with this issue. Those of you tors have agreed to set the frequency of issues who haven’t yet renewed for 2007 should take at two per year to keep in balance the total advantage of a final opportunity to obtain number of newsletter pages being published your very own Certificate. The offer will not annually. The quality will of course be main- be repeated in 2008. Kudos to Murray who ran Elizabeth Roads, Lyon tained and improved wherever possible. this project while transiting from one side of Clerk, with Jeremy at the Lyon Court in the Atlantic to the other and back. Edinburgh, Scotland (March 2007) 2007 has seen the busiest-ever season of regional reunions and As always, I invite any of you to contact me games representation directly by phone, e-mail or letter about any in North America. Clan matter. Check my masthead listing for Starting in January in ways to reach me. Florida and finishing in Georgia in October, In conclusion and on behalf of all Clan over 200 individuals— Officers, I would like to wish all of you and members, families, your families a Merry Christmas and the and friends—have Happiest of New Years! participated in twelve reunions in Canada Jeremy Nicholson 4 Scorrybreac DECEMBER 2007 (OBITUARY, FROM PAGE 1) ability gained swift recognition. He worked interested in his genealogical roots as a with the company in New York, and after war member of Clan MacNicol, Nicholson was a service in the South Atlantic, engaged his former High Commissioner for the Americas Europhile tendencies with executive positions in the Highland Clan MacNicol, Chieftain and in London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Paris, Brus- Counsellor to the Clan Chief, and a trustee of sels and back to London, becoming President, the Clan MacNicol Trust on Skye. A decade then Chairman of Coca-Cola Europe. ago he was appointed Chairman of the High- land Clan MacNeacail Federation. Always a prominent figure in his red Nichol- son kilt, Balvenie continued to visit Scotland A longstanding enthusiast for heraldry, he annually. Family commitment to Clan matters was able as a descendant of a Scot to petition continues through his younger brother, Har- for arms from the Lord Lyon, and this he did man (to whom the Barony of Balvenie falls), and his three sons. He is survived by three sons from his mar- riage of sixty-one years to the late Juliet Duncan Nicholson: H. Burke (Nick) Nicholson III, Jeremy Duncan Nicholson, and Graham Tributes Seaford Nicholson; and three grandchildren. in 1988, followed by a flowering of family her- aldry with individual matriculations of arms MURRAY NICOLSON for eight family members. He backed this by CHIEFTAIN IN CLAN MACNICOL commissioning a series of banners that flew in CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS line on great occasions at Highland games in North America, each flag showing the correct I would like to pay a tribute to the life of Ham- difference of each cadet in exuberant colour. mond Burke Nicholson Jr. – Burke Nicholson His infectious eagerness saw him snapping up of Balvenie. With his brother Harman he was the Barony of Balvenie when that came on the a major force in the establishment of the Clan market, and he re-recorded arms in 1995 to MacNicol societies and their Chief. I first got display the red cap of a feudal baron above his to know Burke and Harman through their late shield. The Barony, centred on Balvenie Castle brother John, whom I had contacted in the in Banffshire, brought him into close contact early 1980s with a view to starting a Clan Mac- with Dufftown, and typically of the man, he Nicol society in North America. At that time took the responsibility of his Barony seriously, there was a dispute between our late Chief becoming Honorary President of Dufftown and Lord Carnock regarding the Chiefship of Highland Games, patron of Dufftown Horti- the Clan Nicolson, which had been decided in cultural Society and a notable benefactor of Carnock’s favour. Burke worked astutely with Mortlach Church. other Clansmen and lawyers in Edinburgh in Scotland to settle the matter at the Court of He also destined largesse to the Royal the Lord Lyon, resulting in Ian MacNeacail Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh,