Pipes, Guitar, and Flute, Oh My!

With the warmer weather upon us (finally!), it's time to venture out and experience another season of festivals, events, and games in Ontario. Many of these gatherings are a great opportunity to experience and learn more about the Scottish traditions which remain vital to many communities. What can be more Scottish than bagpipes?

Thursday, April 23, 2015 starting at 7:00pm

McDougall Cottage, Cambridge

Tel: 519-624-8250

89 Grande Ave S.

N1S 2L7

New performer. Join multi-talented musician Mark Fletcher for a fabulous evening of traditional Scottish fiddle music and song. Mark performs small pipes, mandola, guitar, flute, whistles and Highland pipes. He is joined by fellow performer Drew Skuce (bodhran) for a fantastic evening of Scottish tunes. Music spanning 4 centuries, from both the Scottish Borders and the Highlands will be featured; some linked to history and historical figures and some just for the fun of the music. www.markfletcher.ca.

Admission by cash donation.

To Scotchmen in the Colonies...

Click to view a larger version of this image

Printing in Victorian Canada was often a very time consuming process. Just one paragraph from the paper shown here would take about 90 minutes to set up - letter by letter, space by space on a setting stick. The entire sheet adds up to almost 21 hours of work, done by the Printer, or divided amongst any apprentices. Add to that the effort of printing each sheet individually (a speedy professional could press 40-50 sheets an hour), and the drying time for the ink as well as the time needed to bring all the printed sheets together into what we would recognize as a "newspaper", and, well... let's just say you've got a lot of work cut out for you.

All of that work would of course be completed after the author had written their piece, and had paid the Printer for the space in their publication. As the many supplies required for a printing press (including paper) began to be manufactured in Canada in the 1830s, prices dropped, and the entire process became more accessible. More printers, a greater number of publications, and increased readership led to staggering amounts of personal opinions becoming public. During times of political and cultural tension these opinions tended towards the lengthy, but were anything but prosaic. Grandiose Victorian language simply meant more work for the apprentice, and more money for the Printer.

Sources
Toronto Reference Library 2015, "To Scotchmen in the Colonies and at Home"
The Canadian Encyclopedia 2013, "Print Industry"
YouTube, "BCPrinter" A brief video showing a visit to the Print Shop at Black Creek Pioneer Village, Toronto.

Hogmanay - A Scottish New Year Celebration

Hull Daily Mail – Tuesday 30 December 1930

Hogmanay is more than just a wildly fun all-night New Years' Eve street party in Edinburgh; it's a long-standing (and apparently somewhat mysterious) tradition that goes back centuries.

Celebrations today may include fire-dancers, fireworks, the consumption of copious amounts of alcohol, live music in the streets, dancing, parades and more. Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebration is the largest in Scotland, and attracts visitors from around the world.

First Footing is a New Years tradition that begins at midnight and continues into the early morning. This custom involves being (or welcoming) the first person through the threshold of your home for the New Year. This 'first footer' would bring any number of symbolic gifts to the homeowner, each of which would bring a different sort of luck for the year ahead: Salt (for flavour), coal (for warmth), shortbread (for food), or whisky (good cheer). If you are short, blonde, and a female, it is recommended that you not attempt to beat anyone through a Scot's doorway at midnight - you're bad luck. A tall, dark, and handsome man is who's really desired, as it would indicate that that family inside would have a financially prosperous year. The Greeks have a similar tradition.

The Illustrated London News
December 30, 1882
"The First Foot: A Scottish Custom on New Years' Eve"

In preparation for Hogmanay in Upper Canada, Scottish settlers would thoroughly clean their homes, finish any mending that needed to be done, change bedding, do any polishing, pay off any debts and return any items that had been borrowed over the past year - in other words, they would put their lives, homes, and businesses in order for the New Year.

Sources
Hogmanay.net 2014, "Hogmanay FAQs"
Edinburgh's Hogmanay 2014/2015 Website

Further Reading
Wikipedia 2014 "Hogmanay" for an overview of some popular traditions/customs.
Ava Laboy Capo's 2013 Traditions/Superstitions From Around the World!: To Bring in the New Year!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy and healthy New Year! Here comes 2015!

Huron County Museum

Central School, constructed in 1856

A few weeks ago I happily seized upon an opportunity to visit the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol in Goderich, Ontario. This was my first visit to the museum, though once inside I felt right at home. The permanent exhibits focus on development - development of the Huron Tract from forests to farms to thriving modern communities; development of agricultural technology and methods over the past two hundred-plus years; and the development of the people from settlers to soldiers, and from farmers to Victorian and Edwardian fashionistas.

1913 Steam Locomotive

The settlement of Goderich is a product of the Canada Company (at that time headed by John Galt), and it's Warden of the Woods and Forests, William "Tiger" Dunlop. Founded in 1827, and linked by a "muddy sleigh track" to Guelph by the following year, it became a popular destination for early British settlers. By its incorporation date in 1850, it had amassed a population of about 800 people. Today, the town of Goderich is home to 7,500.

The Huron County Museum is located near the radial core of Goderich, and is housed within a former schoolhouse (c.1856) and a large, modern addition (c.1989). The layout of the museum is such that it keeps you guessing what might be around the next corner. As I zigzagged through each space, I was constantly surprised and delighted at what I found. Particular exhibits of interest were the replica settlers' cabin (displaying the conditions in which early settlers lived), and of course the Huron County Main Street (for a little 19th century window shopping).

Two-Headed Calf

Finding Goderich and the museum is easy. When I give friends directions I always like to say that if you've driven into Lake Huron, you've gone too far. The museum itself has incredibly friendly staff, and the low admission includes your own audio guide. On your way out you can visit their gift shop and take home some very unique items - like the two-headed calf toy pictured here (they have a taxidermy specimen in the reception area that has become popular with adults and children alike). I would recommend the Huron County Museum to anyone, at any time of year. In the summer you can head out to the beach after your visit, or in the winter you can enjoy a snowy drive and Christmas shopping in the "prettiest town in Canada".

Sources
Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Online
Hilary Stead 2002, Guelph: A People's Heritage 1827-2002
You can get a head-start by taking a look at the museum's floor plan, here.
Huron County Museum Blog, 2014

Further Reading
Ontario's West Coast 2010, "Huron History"
Immigrants to Canada, "Letters Collected by the Canada Company, to Encourage Emigration 1842" Many of these letters reference the road between Guelph and Goderich; its condition, construction, and uses.

Mini Review: How the Scots Invented Canada

How the Scots Invented Canada is Ken McGoogan's biographical response to Arthur Herman's 2001 How the Scots Invented the Modern World. Rather than discussing larger themes that effect an international diaspora, McGoogan has opted to narrow the scope to (exactly 60) important Scottish individuals on the Canadian scene. There were a lot to choose from - 13 of our 22 prime ministers have Scottish heritage, not to mention the many explorers, settlers, inventors and visionaries up to present day.

"Early arrivals included explorers Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and the 'Scotch West Indian', James Douglas. Later, Scots such as Lord Selkirk and John Galt encouraged thousands to immigrate. Nation-builders followed, among them John A. Macdonald, James McGill and the reformer Nellie McClung. Then came the visionaries, Scottish Canadians such as Tommy Douglas, Doris Anderson and Marshall McLuhan, who have turned Canada into a nation that revels in diversity." (From the publisher)

My review of this book is a bit mixed, in that many of the things I find great about Scots are the same things that I dislike, or see as a failing. Maybe balanced is a better word? Here's what I mean:

One of the first things I'd noticed when I was flipping through the book at the store was the amount of archival images that McGoogan has included; portraits, photographs, ephemera, you name it. At the time I thought that was wonderful, and I continued to think that while I was reading until I realized that none of the source information for the images is included. Which archives is it from? Is it on display in a museum or gallery? Who painted that image? The best part about sharing information with others is the possibility that it might actually inspire them to want to learn more. With the lack of photograph/archives credits in Scots I feel like many people (myself included) will be left out in the cold.

This dearth of source information extends to the research as well. There are no footnotes or endnotes... only a suggested reading list in the appendix to let you know where McGoogan's facts might have come from. (I'm one of those people that love reading the footnotes; not just to check sources, but also for small anecdotes or related facts.) That being said, not all books have notes. Some books are not meant for an academic audience, but rather for a popular audience looking for an enjoyable and easy read.

The story-telling quality that McGoogan gives to his books is enjoyed so much that he was the recipient of the 2006 Pierre Berton Award for popularising Canadian history. Now, while I do enjoy McGoogan's more informal take on historic personalities and their contributions to Canadian society, I could do without the personal anecdotes of his own Scottish vacations and family connections. I don't think that these particular extras add to the reader's understanding of the book, and indeed at times made me feel like I had been tricked into watching a slideshow of someone else's vacation. That being said, I understand that many might find McGoogan's personal approach in this regard an accessible way to break into Canadian/Scottish history.

I would recommend this book to a casual reader with an interest in history - someone looking to increase their general knowledge in all things Canadian. As far as using the book for academic means, I would treat it the same way I treat Wikipedia; it's the perfect jumping off point for ideas and research, but should by no means be your only source.

Sources
Harper Collins Canada, 2014 "How the Scots Invented Canada"
Roy MacSkimming's 2010 Globe and Mail Review of How the Scots Invented Canada
D. Grant Black's 2010 Toronto Star Review of How the Scots Invented Canada
Canada's History Magazine Online 2014, "Ken McGoogan: 2006 Pierre Berton Award Winner"

Further Reading
You can find your own copy of How the Scots Invented Canada at Amazon or Chapters.
Visit Ken McGoogan's Blog here
University of Sheffield, History Matters 2013, "Writing Popular History: Comfortable, Unchallenging Nostalgia-Fodder?"
Harvard University, Harvard Guide to Using Sources 2014, "What's Wrong with Wikipedia?"

Better Together

In the spirit of the No (thanks) vote following Scotland's referendum last week,

Further Reading
BBC News 2014, Scotland Decides
CBC News, 2014, After the Scottish Referendum: What Happens Next
The British Monarchy 2014, The Queen's message following Scotland's referendum
The Telegraph 2014, Scotland News
Maclean's 2014, Referendum
The Economist 2014, Scotland's Referendum: Britain Survives
The Scottish Government 2014, Scotland's Referendum 2014
The Guardian 2014, Scottish Independence
What Scotland Thinks 2014, Opinion Polls
UK Government 2014, Scottish Independence Referendum
Huffington Post 2014, Scotland's Referendum
Herald Scotland 2014, Scotland Decides

Alexander or Donald?

I had recently come across a line in a novel that said that in Scotland (in the mid-18th century) every man's name was either Alexander or Donald. While that's obviously an exaggeration, it got me thinking, and I decided to see just how popular those names were within the context of Scottish settlement in Upper Canada.


Five most popular names for listed
male settlers 1790-1849

Looking at the 15 extant passenger lists of ships departing from Scotland to Quebec (between 1790-1849 with settlers intended on travelling through to Upper Canada), I was able to distinguish 1,153 male names (Campey). These names are mostly the heads of families; children's names were rarely provided. In some instances not every man travelling aboard a vessel was accounted for by name, however, the five most popular names listed are:

1. John (261 individuals)
2. Donald (101)
3. Alexander (100)
4. William (93)
5. Duncan (59)

The next most popular names were Robert (54), Archibald (40), Angus (28), Allan and Andrew (each with 16), and Dougald (7). So it would seem that this novel wasn't too far off the mark. As you can see from the donut graph here, the top five names cover just more than half of the total, and if you were a listed male passenger aboard one of these ships, there was a nearly one in four chance that your name was John. As for modern day, the five most popular names for boys in Ontario between the years 1917-2010 were 1. Joseph, 2. John, 3. William, 4. Robert, and 5. James. Looks like in about 200 years of settlement we haven't strayed too far from the mark.


Five most popular names for listed
female settlers 1790-1849

For those interested in the most popular names for the ladies aboard the same ships, it's "Mrs." and "Wife of". All jokes aside, I was able to find 533 listed female passengers, and the most popular recorded names are:

1. Mary (86 individuals)
2. Catherine (80)
3. Janet (57)
4. Anne (46)
5. Margaret (45)

The next most popular names to round off the top ten were Isobel/la (23), Marion and Flora (each with 19), Elizabeth (17), and Euphemia (8). In modern day Ontario between the years 1917-2010, the most popular girls names were 1. Mary, 2. Marie, 3. Jennifer, 4. Margaret, and 5. Patricia.

Sources

Lucille H. Campey's 2005 The Scottish Pioneers of Upper Canada, 1784-1855: Glengarry and Beyond

Global Toronto, 2012, "Interactive: 93 Years of Ontario Baby Names"

Further Reading
Behind the Name, "Scottish Names" Here you can learn a little more about the Gaelic roots to many of the names mentioned above. For example, "Duncan: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Donnchadh meaning "brown warrior", derived from Gaelic donn "brown" and cath "warrior". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth' (1606).

Inglis Falls

My own photos, featuring my dog Perry.

Last weekend I decided to get out of the city and back to nature... just over two hours drive later, I found myself at Inglis Falls in Owen Sound, Ontario.

"...Inglis Falls is an 18 metre high cascade, created by the Sydenham River meeting the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. The erosive power of the water has carved a deep gorge at the base of the falls." (Inglis Falls Conservation Area)

While the seeing the falls and hiking through the conservation area was very enjoyable (save for the few mosquito bites on my hands and legs), it was also fun to learn about the area's own beginnings as a Scottish settlement. In 1845 a Scotsman by the name of Peter Inglis purchased the 300 acre property (which included the falls and an unfinished grist mill that had been started by another Scotsman in 1842). Inglis' finished mill would become very successful, and he would eventually add to it a sawmill, a store, a house, and by the 1870s a wool mill. Inglis lived in his home with his wife and six children who went on to take over the family business. (OAP) The mills at Inglis Falls produced flour, bran, wool, and lumber for 87 years. (Visit Grey)

I would recommend a visit to Inglis Falls to anyone. Not only is it worth the drive, but the drive is worth the drive. Highways 10 and 6 are stunning in the summer with high rolling hills of forest and field, interspersed with small villages and late Victorian brick homes.

Sources
Grey Sauble Conservation, 2013, Inglis Falls Conservation Area
Conservation Ontario, 2012, Inglis Falls Conservation Area
OAP (Ontario Abandoned Places), Inglis Falls
Visit Grey, Inglis Falls

Further Reading
Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2014, Niagara Escarpment 
Canadian Encyclopedia, 2013, Glaciation

Mini-Review: A History of Scotland

J.D. Mackie's A History of Scotland is exactly that - a comprehensive history of Scotland from 11th century to the 1970s. At only 380 pages, this book is packed with information, and has long been regarded as the book to reach for on the subject. Mackie  was Professor of Scottish History and Literature at the University of Glasgow from 1930 to 1957, and became Her Majesty's Historiographer in Scotland in 1958. He had published numerous books on various related topics until his death in 1978.

"For a generation, this book - intelligent, fair-minded and accurate - has been acclaimed as the definitive one-volume history of a great nation." (From the publisher)

A History of Scotland has been immeasurably helpful to me in three ways. First, it provided a detailed introduction to the places and people of Scotland's past which helped me to further appreciate everything I saw during my trip to Edinburgh and the Highlands this past March. Second, it gives an amazing historical background to any examination of Scottish settlement in Canada - knowing the push and pull factors of why settlers were compelled to leave their homes and start anew. And lastly, it has helped me to better understand the current political and social climate in Scotland with regards to the upcoming September referendum - seeing all sides of an argument and being able to put everything into context is strangely satisfying.

When reading this book, I strongly advise you to have a map of Scotland handy, and be prepared to look up names and terms. There is so much information in this book that at times it can feel as though you're simply reading lists of battles, treaties, and nobles. Don't be intimidated, however; when a person or event is of great significance, Mackie will spend a paragraph or two explaining why before moving on.

If the book has any shortcomings it's that it has no illustrations or images, and only five historical maps. For a region with such a stunning landscape and a wonderful visual culture, it was a bit disappointing. Additionally, many early kings share the same name, and it would've been nice to be able to "see" each individual. I found it helpful to pause between sections of the book to watch episodes of the BBC produced "A History of Scotland", hosted by Neil Oliver. Being able to visualise the personalities through the ages and have names repeated is one of the best ways (for me anyway) to memorise things.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of Scotland and its peoples, or are interested in British history in general.* I've shared some links below where you can pick up your own copy.

Sources
J.D. Mackie, A History of Scotland, Penguin Books, 1984 (Revised Edition)
BBC One, "A History of Scotland"

Further Reading
You can find your own copy of A History of Scotland on Amazon or Chapters
BBC News, 2014 "Scotland Decides"
Diana Gabaldon's Website
The Outlander series on Amazon and Chapters

* I will also mention (for those readers of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series) that this book provides a perfect background to the social, political, and religious undertones to the Jacobite rebellions and life in 1740s Scotland.

McDougall Cottage

Last month I had the opportunity to visit McDougall Cottage - a small but lovely historic home located along the shore of the Grand River at Grand Avenue South and Cedar Street.

"McDougall Cottage, ca.1858 granite and limestone labourer's dwelling, is located in downtown Cambridge in the historic factory district. Home for more than a century to two families of hardworking Scots, the McDougalls and the Bairds, this charming traditional cottage with its equally charming pocket-sized gardens, boasts the most spectacular hand-painted friezes (patterns along the top of walls or buildings) and trompe l'oeil ceilings (three dimensional illusions) that Ontario has to offer.
The Cottage serves as an interpretation centre, showcasing its unique interior landscape and presenting mini-exhibits on monthly themes." (Region of Waterloo)

During my visit I was able to see a temporary exhibit on quilting with a Scottish theme, as well as the beautiful friezes described in the quote above. There's a massive kitchen with a conservatory overlooking the gardens to the back of the house. There are apparently monthly teas held in this space which I'd love to attend. The staff are incredibly friendly and easy to talk to - a highly recommended little stop in Cambridge (right across from the Southworks Antique Market!). For more information on the cottage, its hours and calendar of events, see the links below.



Sources
Region of Waterloo, 2010 "McDougall Cottage"
Region of Waterloo, 2014 "Happenings at McDougall Cottage"
McDougall Cottage's Facebook Page
Cambridge Now, 2014 "McDougall Cottage"

Taxes and the Home in Upper Canada

While I was working as an interpreter within an historic home, I was absolutely shocked (on a number of occasions) to hear that visitors believed that taxes were something of a 20th century invention in Canada. Sometimes being an interpreter isn't about sharing new and exciting information with people, it's about trying to correct myths and misconceptions.

When it came to taxes and the home in Upper Canada, three considerations prevailed: the building material of the house, the number of storeys, and the number of fireplaces. In 1807, six categories were created to help determine who owed what to the government. Here they are in order of least to most amount of tax, regardless of the square footage of the house:

- Homes constructed of round logs
- Homes constructed of square timber, one storey
- Homes constructed of square timber, two storeys
- Framed (sawn wood) homes under two storeys
- Homes constructed of brick or stone of one storey with not more than two fireplaces
- Homes constructed of brick or stone of two storeys with not more than two fireplaces

Some good news for settlers in 1811 arrived when the government decided to no longer tax buildings made of round logs (presumably if you're living in a house made of round logs you can't afford to do much else let alone hand over cash to the taxman). Some more cunning families who wished to keep more of their money to themselves built homes that were one and a half storeys - 19th century houses of this height are still littered across Ontario today.

For the average home-owner in the 1830s however, the tax owed on a two storey brick home was about 5 shillings - roughly equivalent to a days' wages for a skilled labourer. It wasn't a prohibitive tax by any means, and the Scots were among the more prolific builders of homes in stone and brick:

"... among non-log houses, Scots used stone (17%) and brick (13%) most often, and frame (70%) the least, whereas about 85% of the Irish, American, German, English, and Ontario-born residents lived in frame houses." (Kalman, 170)

I have a particular fondness for one and a half storey stone houses. Duncan Ferguson house (1856), pictured here, is located at 71 Cowan Boulevard, Cambridge.

Sources
Harold Kalman's 1994, A History of Canadian Architecture, Vol. 1
Brian Coffey's 1985, "Factors Affecting the Use of Construction Materials in Early Ontario" in Ontario History

Further Reading
Historic Places "Duncan Ferguson Homestead"