Land of my Fathers not forgetting the Mothers too.

Post by **joette** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:41 pm

I have briefly returned to London after a two week stay in Thurso Caithness-"The Land beyond the Highlands".
I have never been further North than Inverness before.
I travelled by overnight sleeper from Euston to Inverness then onto Thurso by local train.
I was captivated by the scenery & the friendliness/helpfullness of all around me.
Then we went through Tain.We sat at the sation for several minutes & the tears poured down my face.This was the birthplace & home-town of my GGreat-Grandfather David Ross born there in 1837.
He left for the bright lights & crowded streets of East Greenock where he married Robina McDowall in 1870 three days before my Great-Grandfather became their first child.
As I looked around Thurso that afternoon ably hosted by a newly relocated wee sister I shared my feelings of being "at home " here.
She swiftly agreed.It felt like Mountblow where I was born I don't why maybe the seagulls? The houses?
As we travelled around Caithness/Sutherland & Ross & Cromarty I grew in admiration & respect for my ancestors.
Had they really given up these beautiful beaches & wide open spaces to venture South to dirty nasty overcrowded Glasgow & it environs.?
I could see why so many would have felt at home in the wide open plains of America/Canada & the mountanious areas too.
They must have been hard pressed to cope with the heat of Aussie& Africa et al.
Having survived the midges the flying beasties of their new land would have been a "doddle".
My Great-Grandfather left the beauty of Crieff to live in what was probably a dump in Bridgteon & a walk of several miles daily to his work in the Singers Sewing Machine Factory in Clydebank.I can see the attraction of Old Kilpatrick for him not least Mary Simpson Greer!
I know my Granny enjoyed many holidays with her Crieff Grandparents.
My heart sang & my spirits were renewed as I awoke not the cacophony of the city symphony car noise &sirens but of the lowing of the cattle & the neighing of the horses.
Just a chance to think & to be grateful to their sacrifices which took them to pastures new for whatever reasons.I am who I am & am a product of my genes,my upbringing & also my envoiroment.I wonder what I would have been like if they had stayed put? A few were closish neighbours so there may still have been the co-mingling of some of the genes.
I am now going to pay closer attention of when they left& find out -how would they have travelled? I am presuming David Ross went by train or boat but what if it was shank's pony or coach? What would it have cost?
What are the likely reasons for the move?
I am trying not to be too starry eyed & realise life was hard for them but they had so much open space & beauty to look at,fish to catch & a land where they could grow some foods.To go from that to an industrialised area must have been such a contrast & a trial.
I laughed at the Sign near Sinclair Bay(?) which said
"Do not drive near the cliffs you may disturb the sheep-they are easilly scared & may fall over the cliffs"
So no change there.Sheep are more important than people there!

Post by **Ina** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:05 pm

Hi Joette,

What a lovely story.

I too had those same feelings two years ago when I had my first visit to Islay and Jura. My folks came from those two beautiful islands, also to the "big city" of Greenock.

Ina

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:56 pm

Joette, your story brought tears to my eyes. I felt the same when I visited the farm where my 2 x great grandparents lived at one time with their children. They were actually living in the barn of that farm, at the time of the census, having come over from Ireland at some point. It was a very poignant moment just seeing the building and trying to imagine what their life must have been like. Gr gr grandfather was a hawker. How did he get around the Borders in the 1850's to 1860's? The children were all baptised in the R.C. Church in Berwick, although they didn't live there until the late 1870's, so they must have been able to get back and forward from there. There are so many things we cannot imagine but, as you say, just be grateful for what they did to make life better for their descendants.

Maz · Post by **Maz** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:46 am

Reading your post gave me goosebumps.

My grandparents left Skye in the early 1900's and came to Australia and never returned but always spoke of their homeland.

I travelled there in the late 70's and again with my husband in the late 80's and have always said they only way to describe how I felt was to say " I had finally come home". Lucky for me there was still family and many friends who had known my grandparents and it was lovely to share with them. Unfortunately my grandparents had both died before I went so I couldn't share with them but it probably was the starting point of my obsession in the history of the family. (Funny though my husband didn't quite feel the same - thought it was a bit of a dead place and still can't understand the hours I spend on the computer trying to find information)

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:28 pm

Joette,
"Sheep are more important than people there!"

Och lass, it is just a question of priorities.

I suspect your ancestors proudest was 'We survived'.

No matter, I thank you for your post.

Post by **joette** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:17 pm

The weird thing for me is that I felt so at home in Thurso-thus far no connection to there.
Even hearing them speak especially in Inverness where I heard a fair amount of Gaelic made feel more connected.
I know that all of David's/Robina's children spoke Gaelic-that's why I think she may have too despite being born in Girvan.Most bi-lingual children seem to have a Mother with the 2nd tongue. I know my Great-Grandparents Ross both spoke Gaelic( despite her being born in Govan of Ayrshire parents) according to the 1901 Census & certainly my Granny & her older sibs had a few words-excepting her linguist brother who spoke it fluently along with several other languages.

I too had ones who came from Ireland to settle in Scotland -I wonder if there were many differences?
i know what kind of books Santa will be bringing this year.