Dear  Friends,

We start a new year and end the old. A lot has happened so far this year with perhaps the biggest event being the Sunday Brunch at Murphy’s in Virginia Beach. Thank you Scott MacGregor for organizing the brunch. A larger crowd came and participated than I thought would show up. We will be scheduling more of these events.

March brings St. Patrick’s Day and the annual Ocean View Parade. Many came out and marched or supported us at the parade. Thank you Larry McCauley and Stacy Apelt for all of your work on the “Nessie” float.

April will bring Tartan Day. This year we will have a smaller event at Kellam High School in Virginia Beach on April 3^rd. Thank you Lynette Fitch for your help in putting this event together. We will need a lot of individuals to decorate in the morning and to tear down in the afternoon. Please come out and help us with these tasks. Contact any board member or myself and let us know you are willing to help.

Look toward June when we will schedule a night at Harbor Park in lieu of our monthly meeting. Tidewater Pipes & Drums will be performing opening ceremonies for the Norfolk Tides game. Thank you Skip Hunter for helping to organize this.

Also look forward to our annual picnic in September. Last year’s event was a lot of fun and I expect this year’s will be even more so.

If you have an idea about future SST functions or monthly meeting topics, please contact a board member and we will look into it. We also need individuals to volunteer as chairs for various committees throughout the year, again let a member of the board know if you are willing to take care of some of these functions.

Yours Aye,
Mike

Back

What’s in a name? For a Scot, it can be lineage, a place of origin, a profession, a personal trait, a common nickname, or a mixture of all these things.

In your genealogy research, have you noticed that the names of your ancestors were often repeated? It can be very difficult to keep track of who was who. An understanding of Scottish naming patterns may prove useful in trying to connect individuals in a family or to help determine the names of ancestors. Here are a few tips to help you sort out the details.

Scottish Naming Patterns

The Scots, particularly Highland Scots, often followed a specific naming pattern in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Eldest son - named for his paternal grandfather
Second son - named for his maternal grandfather
Third son - named for his father
Fourth son - named for his father’s eldest brother
Fifth son - named for his father’s second oldest brother or mother’s oldest brother
Eldest daughter - named for her maternal grandmother
Second daughter - named for her paternal grandmother
Third daughter - named for her mother
Fourth daughter - named for her mother’s eldest sister
Fifth daughter - named for her mother’s 2nd oldest sister or father’s oldest sister

A family could have two or more children with the same name for many reasons. 1st: if both grandparents had the same name(s). 2nd: if a parent remarried, the pattern started over again. And 3rd: because of the high child mortality rate, many parents often reused the name of a deceased child for the next child born.

This naming pattern was not always used, but it can provide possible clues to the names of ancestors.

Scottish Nicknames

In Scotland, where a specific clan occupied a particular geographic area, it would be common for everyone to have the same surname. And if the above naming pattern were followed, it was inevitable that there could be dozens of children with the same name living in a small area. Therefore, it was common to assume "nick names" when referring to a particular child, as in "The tall John Fraser" or "The freckled Mary MacDonald" to help differentiate.

Here are some examples of nicknames based on physical traits. The nicknames are in both Gaelic and English.

Physical Nicknames
Ban - fair
Beag - little
Breac - freckled
Buidhe - yellow or blonde
Caol - thin
Donn - brown
Dubh - black
Glass - gray
Maol - bald
Mor/mhor - big, tall
Odhar - dung colored
Og - young
Ruadh - red haired

Often whole families were given nicknames as well. They may be nicknamed for their geographic location, for example "MacKenzie’s of the South Meadow", or for the occupation of the father and sons, "Chisholms Gobha" (blacksmith Chisholms).

Geographic Nicknames
abhainn - river
baile - town
beinn / ben - mountain
clach - stone
cnoc - hillock
creag - pointed rock
dail - meadow
eilean - island
lochan - little loch
sgire - parish
strath - valley

Occupational Nicknames
Clachair - stonemason
Clarsair - harpist
Gobha - blacksmith
Greusaiche - shoemaker
Piobaire - piper
Sagart - priest
Taillear - tailor
Tuathanach - farmer

Spelling Variations

You may encounter variations in spelling which could be caused by the fact that many people in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries could not read or write, and information was written down by someone unfamiliar with the language or the names - like an immigration official, for instance. In addition, the spelling of proper names, both first and last, was quite arbitrary. An individual, although literate, might himself spell his name differently on different occasions.

The Scottish Society of Tidewater elected its officers for 2004 at the March meeting. The results are as follows:

  President - Mike Lawler was elected to a second term.
  Vice President - James Taylor succeeds John Wallace, who opted not to seek re-election.
  Secretary - Marcey Burton was elected to a fourth term.
  Treasurer - Dave Montgomery was elected to a second term.
  Director - Don Forsythe succeeds Skip Hunter, who opted not to seek re-election.
  Director - Ed Martlin succeeds Wil Phillips, who resigned.
  Director - Jane Brown was elected to a second term.

Also, Virginia Zaun has decided to step down from the Board. Thanks for your service, Ginny, we will miss you!

Thanks also to Wil Phillips, who decided to step down from the Board to concentrate on things closer to home.

Congratulations, officers!

For more picture of the parade Click Here visit our pictures page.

Scottish Society members gathered for good food and cheer at Murphy’s Irish Pub on Sunday, February 24. And judging from all the smiling faces and satisfied appetites it was a big hit.

As some of you may remember, the Society used to host Sunday brunches on a fairly regular basis. However, attendance began to dwindle, and finding an appropriate venue was not always easy. Eventually the brunches fell by the wayside.

"I've heard numerous members mention how they missed the brunches and that the society should do more social things as a group,” said organizer Scott MacGregor. “So Mike Lawler and I thought we would give it a try.”"

Scott was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. "I expected no more then two dozen members and friends," said Scott. "But as soon as the word got out, we had about 80 positive responses."

Murphy’s Irish Pub generously donated several door prize items, such as t-shirts and gift certificates. "The service was great, and they were very appreciative of our business," said Scott.

Did you miss the brunch? Don’t worry, there will be others.

"Not everyone can come to our monthly meetings, and the Sunday brunch is a great way for Society members to get together informally, and have a good time," said Scott. "We will definitely do this again."

If you would like to help organize future brunch outings, or if you know of an interesting and reasonably priced restaurant, please contact Scott or Mike.

My winter just wouldn’t be right without an annual road trip up to the Valley Forge area for the Philly Mid-Winter Celtic Music Festival & Faire. It is the best Celtic festival I have been to on the east coast, bar none - yes, that’s right, INCLUDING Grandfather Mountain! Why is it so great? Well, for starters, Bill & Karen Reid of East of the Hebrides (www.eastofhebrides.com) are both bright and warm - they see to all the details and make sure that performers and guests alike feel very welcome.

In addition, they assemble the most amazing line up of Celtic music from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the U.S. This year’s high energy performers included: the Glengarry Bhoys, Seven Nations, Rathkeltair (containing members of Celtic Soul, which is on maternity-necessitated hiatus), Hadrian’s Wall, former Riverdance fiddler Eileen Ivers & her incredibly talented world-music band, the Brigadoons, Cathie Ryan (formerly of Cherish the Ladies), Blackthorn, the Jimmy Kelly Band, the Laura Cortese Band, Causeway, and several pipe bands. That’s a lot of talent, and the Reids keep things jumping-there are FOUR stages going simultaneously for most of the festival!

Another great thing about this festival is that once you arrive for the Friday evening kick off concert, you don’t have to drive anywhere until you are ready to leave after the grand finale concert Sunday evening. The entire festival takes place within the Valley Forge Convention Center, which contains two hotels, a pub, a bar, several restaurants, a gym, a disco, and a store! Everything you could possibly need over the course of the weekend is under one roof-no driving necessary!

In addition to the incredible music, there is a lot of great dancing, both performances and workshops. My favorite dancers this year were the Glengarry Lads & Lasses, a group of awesome fiddlers and step dancers from Ontario, Canada. There were also performances by both Highland and Irish dance schools. Rosemarie Timoney & her Irish dance school were back to teach Irish ceili dancing, and the Reids kindly invited me back this year to teach Scottish step dancing. I was thrilled to make the front page of a Philly newspaper, the Irish Edition, in an article about the festival.

And did I mention the SHOPPING?! Bill & Karen have the best Celtic vendors on hand to sell clothes, jewelry, instruments, knick knacks, home décor, music, videos, pottery, accessories, books, stationary-ALL of a Celtic nature. There are also many food and beverage vendors to suit most any taste (or thirst).

This is one of the best Celtic parties of the year, folks. Those of us who check it out once get addicted and try to go back every year. This year my fiancé Edward and I were joined by our dear friends Linda, Jim, & Wee Gee (their son Jeffy), who are “repeat attenders” as well.

So mark it down on your 2005 calendars - it is always Valentine’s Day weekend - you WON’T be disappointed! It’s excellent value - as Bill says, "Ye cannae beat it!"

If you’re interested in buying a pipe band CD - a good one, anyway - you can’t just march up to the World music section at Planet Music. Sure, you might find CDs like "The Greatest Bagpipe Hits of Scotland," or a CD featuring the rarely seen left-handed piper on the cover, but that’s like eating a Big Mac when you could have filet mignon.

If you want a top-quality recording, you should seek out the "Grade 1" pipe band CDs carried by the vendors that specialize in bagpipes and other Scottish merchandise. To put things in perspective: The majority of the bands you see at the Scottish festivals in the United States play in Grade 4 or 5. Even the renowned military bands that occasionally pass through play at a Grade 2 or 3 level. Simply put, Grade 1 is "the best."

If this is what you’re after, I would highly recommend two CDs to start a collection: "Unplugged" by Northern Ireland’s Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band, and "Masterblasters" by Australia’s Victoria Police Pipe Band. "Masterblasters" is very musical and innovative for the simple reason that it blends didgideroo with the bagpipes - trust me, it works - but I am partial to "Unplugged" because I happened to be at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall when it was recorded. (That’s not me yelling at the end of the first track!)

A sentimental favorite is "Live In Ireland" by Canada’s 78^th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band. The CD was recorded in 1987, just a few nights before the Frasers became the first non-Scottish band ever to win the Grade 1 championship. Nearly 20 years have passed since this CD was released, but it has stood the test of time.

What about a Scottish or American band, you ask? You can’t go wrong buying anything by the Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band. Pipe Major Robert Mathieson writes catchy tunes, and when his band doesn’t win at the Worlds, they’re usually in 2nd or 3rd place. Closer to home, the City of Washington Pipe Band has a wonderful CD called "Scottish Rant" that features Va. Beach native John Whyte on pipes and Bonnie Rideout, the popular fiddler from Maryland. This CD also has mass appeal because it features standards like "Scotland The Brave" and "Amazing Grace" that typically are left off of other CDs in the genre.

Now go eat filet mignon!

PICTISH stone-carvers may have been the first to capture Nessie's image, a Highland Council official has suggested.

Norman Newton advanced the theory in Inverness recently in his presentation, "Nessie and the Pictish Beastie." Newton highlighted illustrations of the animal forms that appear on Pictish symbol stones, many of which date long before St Columba's time. "They are all incredibly accurately drawn," Mr. Newton stated. "There is the horse, the stag, the salmon, the wild boar, the eagle, the snake. Then there is the Pictish Beast, occasionally known as the Pictish Elephant." Many different versions of this animal appear on the symbol stones, suggesting it was also a locally found animal. "Pictish symbol stones are all very realistic," he added.

An estimated 20,000 people have claimed to have seen Nessie since 1933 when the Courier's report of a sighting made the Loch Ness Monster world famous.

Local authors Laurin Wittig and Elizabeth Holcombe, romance writers who base their works on Scotland, were on hand Feburary 7^th for a book signing at the Virginia Beach Central Library. For information on both authors, visit their websites at www.wittig.com/laurin/ and www.elizabethholcombe.com

Tartan Day 2004 has found a new home. This year’s festival will be celebrated at Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, on Saturday, April 3^rd.

It’s been a rocky road for Tartan Day 2004 - having first gotten "bumped" from Virginia Wesleyan College because of a scheduling conflict, and then moved from the Khedive Hall in Chesapeake because of overhead costs.

"While we had hoped to host the festival at the Khedive Hall, the cost to rent the hall was just too great," said Mike Lawler, SST President. "Kellam High School will allow us to celebrate Tartan Day in a meaningful way - including the TP&D amateur piping competition, and the Norfolk Blues rugby tournament - yet the cost to us will be very minimal. We are excited and thankful for this opportunity."

About Tartan Day

In April 1998, The United States Congress declared April 6 as
Tartan Day
A day to recognize and celebrate the many contributions that people of Scottish heritage have made to our country. April 6 was chosen to commemorate the day in 1320 when the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath was written and signed. Its philosophy and wording inspired the authors of our Declaration of Independence four and a half centuries later.

At their Annual Business Meeting in September, the Board of Directors of Clan Wallace Society Worldwide elected Capt. John Robert Wallace, USCG (Ret.) to serve as the new President of the International Society.

John has been a member of the Scottish Society of Tidewater and the St. Andrew’s Society of Tidewater for many years. He is the immediate past Vice President of the SST. John has also served as the president of the Scottish Society of Richmond.

Congratulations, John!

  Jerry McDowell recently suffered a fall and sprained her knee, reports her daughter Robin Willis. Jerry is recuperating at Overlook Rehab Center in Warrenton. With luck, she will be visiting Norfolk soon, and hopes to join us at the Tartan Day Celebration on April 3.

  Don Forsythe recently underwent surgery. He's doing fine and should be able to join us at the next SST meeting.

  SST Board Member Rita Hamilton was named the 2003 Scot of the Year by the St. Andrews Society of Williamsburg for her tireless efforts to promote Scottish culture in the area. Congratulations, Rita! We are proud of you!

  Casey Thomas and Dean Butler recently organized a "care package" initiative for two of our SST members currently deployed - Randy Thomas stationed aboard the USS Whidey Island, and John Smaha stationed aboard the USS George Washington. Genene Butler supervised the effort. The packages included lots of goodies, many donated by SST members. Several SST members also donated money to help offset costs. Good job, Casey & Dean!

  The new book by Randy & Carolyn Bruce, "Rebel King - Book Two - The Har’ships"” will be out in May. Don’t miss it!

  Rob Lockwood, Skip Hunter, Lynnette Fitch, and Marcey Burton recently attended a "Gaelic Immersion" weekend in Hanover Co. They participated in intense Scottish Gaelic lessons with students from all over the east coast. In addition, the quartet, all members of the Whisky Tasting Society, managed to thwart Camp Hanover’s "no alcohol" policy and enjoyed a wee dram or two after class.

  The SST Board of Directors recently voted to donate $100 to the Tidewater Scottish Gaelic Learners Group. The funds will be used to help offset costs for materials and to purchase additional books.

  Of interest to many SST members: Fiddler Laura O’Kelley, formerly of the Jeff Greer Band, has branched off to form her own band, "Trasna". They performed recently at a St. Patrick’s Day event in Hampton, and "rocked the house." For upcoming performance dates, check out their website at www.trasnamusic.com.

Do you have some interesting news to share with the SST membership?

LAPHROAIG: ISLAY

Laphroaig is one of those single malts you either love or hate. Famed for its raw, uncompromising, “liquid smoke,” character, Laphroaig is one of the most heavily peated malts there is. In fact, so heavy is the aroma of sea weed and iodine in Laphroaig, it was legally sold in the United States during the prohibition for “medicinal purposes.” >

But don’t let that scare you. If you have never tried Laphroaig, you may be in for a taste epiphany of sorts, and may come away from the experience with an obsession for this single malt whisky that may well last a lifetime.

Laphroaig [pronounced LAH-FROIG] is categorized as an Islay single malt. Islay whiskies are known for their slightly salty taste, due largely to the proximity of sea air, and a heavy, peaty, smoky flavor. Many connoisseurs consider Laphroaig to be the definitive Islay malt.

HISTORY

The 1745 rebellion split Scotland in half, pitting clan against clan. The McCabe brothers, being of McDonald stock, had supported the crown - the wrong half! By around 1810, they had changed their name to Johnston, moved to remote Islay and bought 1000 acres of farmland at Laphroaig for rearing cattle.

To raise cattle, you must grow "feed" barley for the long winter months. But what do you do with the surplus barley? You make ferment beer if you are English - but for an Islay Scotsman there is only one thing: distil whisky!

By the 1820s the word had spread around Islay that the whisky being produced at Laphroaig was particularly good - their source of water being very soft, peaty and lacking in minerals. It soon became more profitable to distill whisky than raise cattle. Thus Laphroaig whisky was "officially" born.

The marked barrels are left to mature, taking in the salty sea air, and releasing the "angels share," or the portion of the whisky that evaporates.

THE DISTILLERY

The name Laphroaig is Gaelic meaning “the beautiful hollow by the broad bay.” The distillery stands on the shore of Loch Laphroaig on Islay's south coast. The warehouses are right at the water's edge and between them hold in bond some 55,000 casks. The site now incorporates Andrew and James Stein's Ardenistle Distillery, which flourished briefly from 1837 to 1842. Included amongst Laphroaig's buildings is a hall where the local villagers hold their ceilidhs.

The Laphroaig 10-year-old is readily available through the Virginia ABC, and currently sells for $46.30.

The Laphroaig 15-year-old is a bit smoother than the 10. It can also be purchased through the Virginia ABC for $67.95.