The British Isles Historic Society Heritage, History, Traditions & Customs 01-21b British Isles Trivia A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and ‘A Red, Red Rose’ poetry of the poet Robert Burns, the author of many Scots poems. ‘Tam o’ Shanter’. O my Luve is like a red, red rose That’s newly sprung in June; O Tam! had’st thou but been sae wise, O my Luve is like the melody As taen thy ain wife Kate’s advice! That’s sweetly played in tune … She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum, A blethering, blustering, drunken blellum; That frae November till October, Reminder: Ae market-day thou was na sober; Haggis for your Burn’s That ilka melder wi’ the Miller, Supper Thou sat as lang as thou had siller … Both MacSween’s Scottish Haggis A longer poem than many of his poems, ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ follows the titular hero, an Ayrshire farmer fond of drink and spending time with his mates, and not so fond of getting home to his and Robert Goodrick’s Haggis available at: increasingly impatient wife. The name of the tea clipper the Cutty Sark comes from this poem (it’s the The Celtic Treasure Chest nickname of Nannie Dee in Burns’s poem), while the 5639 Dunbar Street, (Dunbar & 41st) Vancouver, BC name of the poem’s hero (if ‘hero’ is quite the word) 604.261.3688 has been applied to the hats or caps worn by Scottish men ever since. Mention you read it here in the British Isles Newsletter St Stephen’s Anglican Bannockburn, built Church, Saanich, B.C. by William Thomson, (Scotsman) is the oldest On February 11, 1862 surviving house on the William Thomson deeded crossroad. Private and five acres of his land to the well set back, it was not Right Reverend George Hills, Bishop of British easily visible. However, a Columbia, for the purpose of building a church and a large brown sign school. On June 3rd of the same year, the church announced, held its dedication and first service with the Bishop, “Bannockburn/1189 Mt. Newton X Rd./Est. Rt. Rev. George Hills and Priest, Rev. Richard Lowe 1855.” Named after The Battle of Bannockburn officiating. St. Stephen’s was later consecrated by (Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Allt nam Bànag or Blàr Allt a' Bishop Hills. St. Stephen’s Church is the oldest Bhonnaich) on 23 and 24 June 1314 was a victory of church in British Columbia used continuously as a the army of King of Scots Robert the Bruce over the place of worship since its construction. In 1984 the army of King Edward II of England in the First War of church was designated a Heritage Scottish Independence. Although it did not bring an Building by the District of Central end to the war, as victory would only be secured 14 Saanich. For over 150 years now, St. years later, Bannockburn is still a major landmark in Stephen’s has Scottish history. Bannockburn (Scottish Gaelic Allt a' been a place of Bhonnaich) is a town immediately south of the city refuge and rest. of Stirling in Scotland. It is named after the Bannock Burn, a burn running through the town before flowing into the River Forth. The Glenfiddich Distillery was 1956 the Grant's brand launched the now-iconic founded in 1886 by William Grant in triangular bottle, designed by Hans Schleger. Dufftown, Scotland, in the glen of the Glenfiddich (Scottish English: [ɡlɛnˈfɪdɪç] is a River Fiddich. The Glenfiddich single malt Speyside single malt Scotch whisky produced by whisky first ran from the stills on William Grant & Sons in the Scottish burgh of Christmas Day, 1887. Dufftown in Moray. Glenfiddich means "valley of the In the 1920s, with prohibition in force in the US, deer" in Scottish Gaelic, which is why the Glenfiddich Glenfiddich was one of a very small number of logo is a stag. distilleries to increase production. This put them in a William Grant & Sons Ltd is an independent, strong position to meet the sudden rise in demand family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch for fine aged whiskies that came with the repeal of whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was prohibition. established in 1887 by William Grant and is run by In the 1950s, the Grant family built up an onsite Grant's descendants as of 2018. It is the largest of the infrastructure that included coppersmiths to maintain handful of Scotch whisky distillers remaining in family the copper stills, and a dedicated cooperage that is ownership. now one of the very few remaining in distilleries. In Spode China Jameson Irish Whiskey, Jameson is a blended Irish whiskey produced by Josiah Spode (23 March the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod 1733 – 18 August 1797) was Ricard. Originally one of the six main born in Lane Delph, Fenton, Dublin Whiskeys, Jameson is distilled at Staffordshire. Spode was a the New Midleton Distillery in County pauper's son and also a Cork. It is by far the best-selling Irish whiskey in the pauper's orphan at the age of six. He was an English world; in 2019, annual sales passed 8 million cases. It potter and the founder of the English Spode pottery has been sold internationally since the early 19th works which became famous for the high quality of century and is available to buy in over 130 countries. its wares. He is often credited with the establishment of blue underglaze transfer printing in Shropshire Sauce. An English Piquant Staffordshire in 1781–84, and with the definition and Sauce. 'Muckleston's Celebrated Shropshire introduction in c. 1789–91 of the improved formula Sauce' was a 19th Century rival to the for bone china (a form of soft-paste porcelain) which Worcester variety. Although several thereafter remained the standard eating-houses in the county have sauces named for all English wares of this kind. 'Shropshire', the original recipe is believed lost. 1789–1793: Bone china created by John Muckleston, 1844 - 1919 Trefonen, Josiah Spode (1733–1797) (Cardiganshire) Oswestry, Shropshire. https://www.spode.co.uk/ Granville Street John Jameson: The founder of Jameson Irish Whiskey, Granville George Leveson- Scotsman John Jameson, (Jameson Gower (1815-1891) was born in Alloa, Scotland, during Granville George Leveson- 1740 into a seafaring family and Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, KG PC served as Sheriff Clerk for the FRS, (Born: May 11, 1815, London, county of Clackmannanshire. In United Kingdom, Died: March 31, 1891, London, 1768 he married Margaret Haig, United Kingdom), styled Lord Leveson until 1846, eldest daughter of John Haig and his wife, Margaret was a British Liberal statesman from the Leveson- Stein) he began to manage the distillery that Gower family. Leveson-Gower was born in London, belonged to his wife's family in Dublin's Bow Street the eldest son of Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl in 1786. In 1805, he bought it outright, and five years Granville, by Lady Harriet Cavendish, daughter of later, he and his son of the same name officially Lady Georgiana Spencer and William Cavendish, 5th founded the John Jameson and Son Irish Whiskey Duke of Devonshire. His father was a younger son of company. John Jameson (1740 – 1823) was originally Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford. a lawyer from Alloa in Scotland before he founded Sir Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville was his eponymous distillery in Dublin in 1780. Portraits the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs of the of the couple by Sir Henry Rae- United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. He was burn are on display in the Na- known to strive for peaceful policies, as a way to tional Gallery of Ireland. ease relations with the United States. Vancouver B.C. Streets Angels on Horseback BARCLAY STREET: Henry Vere INGREDIENTS: Barclay (1845-1917) was an English explorer, naval officer, and surveyor. 12 - 18 oysters (or scallops), shucked Barclay was born in Lancashire, England on 6 January 1845. He joined the Royal 6 - 9 slices of thin-cut bacon Marines as a lieutenant and served for many years as 12 - 18 wooden toothpicks a naval surveyor. BIDWELL: Robin Leonard "Ron" Bidwell 3-4 limes or lemons (born August 25, 1927 or 1929 in St Giles, London, METHOD: June 10, 1994 in Coney Weston, West Suffolk) was a British orientalist, He has published numerous 1. Pre-cook the bacon slices: cook the bacon slices works on British and French colonial history. on a lined pan in the oven until only about halfway cooked, but not crispy. You will need to pre-cook the DENMAN: Rear Admiral Joseph bacon a bit or else when you cook them with the Denman, Denman was born on 23 oysters the oysters will be overcooked by the time June 1810, the son of Thomas the bacon is crispy. Set the bacon aside to cool. Denman, 1st Baron Denman, Lord Chief Justice and a noted abolitionist. 2. Wrap bacon around oysters: you wrap 1/2 a piece Denman was a British naval officer. Joseph entered of bacon around each oyster and secure it with the the Royal Navy on 7 April 1823, and was promoted toothpick. Overlap the edges of the bacon by about to Lieutenant in 1831 and commander in 1835. an ½ to 1 inch if you can. 3. Replace in oven to cook the oyster and crisp the bacon, about 5-6 minutes on the first side, another 2 Angels on Horseback - 4 minutes once you turn them over. You will need The dish is typically prepared by to turn them once or twice to get a good crispiness rolling shucked oysters in bacon and on all sides.