Spring - Clan Stewart Society In America

The Fesse Chequy
©
The Quarterly Newsletter of the Clan Stewart Society in America, Inc.
“The history of the Stewarts is the history of Scotland”
Stewart of Appin
Stewart of Atholl
Stuart of Bute
Spring 2016
Stewart of Galloway
Volume XLIII Number 1
Hello Fellow Stewarts!
The Fesse
Chequy
a quarterly publication of
The Clan Stewart Society
of America, Inc.
CSSA Officers
President
Kevin W. Stewart
15678 Irish Rd.
Edinboro, PA 16412
814.734.89565
[email protected]
Vice President
Ken Stewart
3104 County Rd. 2502
Caddo Mills, TX 74135
903.217.7182
[email protected]
Secretary
Jan Hansen
2944 Paint Horse Trail
Little Elm, TX 75068
972.809.0963
[email protected]
Treasurer
Vacant
Past President/Acting Treasurer
Fred M. Stewart
Box 79473
Saginaw, TX 76179
817.480.8771
[email protected]
Membership Database
Lowell Johnson, Manager
4251 FM 2181 #230 147
Corinth, TX 76210
214.728.7680
[email protected]
It’s that time of year again and
Highland games and gatherings
have begun! Time to “tartan up”
everyone. I love this time of year!
Time to brush up on our Stewart/
Stuart history and put our tartan
plaids in order. I look forward to
spending time with old friends
whom we met at games years ago
CSSA President, Kevin Stewart
and see again every year.
I am proud of our Stewart families and I thank Bryan
Stewart for becoming a continuing contributor to the
Fesse Chequy and leading off with his four-part series on
the Stewart history. He is a wealth of knowledge. You
might check out his comments on our Facebook page as
well.
Florida has already kicked it off and our Florida Commissioner, Sue Leender, and her husband Dirk, have already set up at least five games and garnered a couple
“Best Clan Tent” honors for the Stewarts! It is also wonderful to see pictures of our Founding President, Jim
Gray and his wife Valerie still active participants at the
Central Florida Games in Winter Springs.
As we move into the year and Highland games and
other gatherings come to your area, please don’t forget
to “show up and re-up”! Help out at the CSSA tent.
Hang around. Make a nuisance of yourself. Ask questions. If you haven’t met a fellow Stewart, greet him or
her. Shake hands. Get involved. Our Society is only as
good as how much you contribute. You will be repaid
over and over! And, oh, by the way...someone out there
must be an accountant or bookkeeper...we need you
desperately. Call me!
Kevin
Cover Photo: “Stirling Castle” © by Graham H. Graham.
Volume XLIII Number 1
www.clansstewart.org
Page 2
Somebody, Anybody, and
Some Stories Inside this Issue Nobody
President’s Greeting
2
Scots Wha Ha’e
3
Stewart Activities by Region
4-6
Whisky Basics
7
Tartan Day
8
Stewart Origins: Planting Roots
9-10
Stewart Ends the War
11
Who Are You? Document It
12
Preliminary AGM Plans
13
Scottish Trivia
14
There was an important job to
be done, and Everybody was
sure Somebody would do
it. Anybody could have done it,
but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that,
because it was Everybody's
job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody
realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody,
when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Editor
Eric King,
FSA Scot
Somebody Else:
Maybe it’s because I spent 35+ years
in marketing, but I’m always thinking
about the questions: “What are the
compelling reasons for buying our product or service? Is it worth the money
spent?” In our case here, we should
ask and challenge our leadership:
“What are the compelling reasons for
joining Clan Stewart Society in America?”
But I believe you should also
ask: “What am I doing to contribute to
the organization to which I have given
money to join? How am I making it better or increasing its worth?”
Stiùbhard Aye!
Eric
There's a clever young fellow
named Somebody Else. There is
nothing this fellow can't
do. He's busy from morning till
way late, just substituting for
you. You're asked to do this, or
asked to do that. And what is
your ready reply? Get Somebody Else, he'll do it much better than I!
So much to do in this weary old
world; so much and the workers
are few. And Somebody Else is
weary and worn just substituting for you.
Next time you're asked to do
The Myths About Tartans - something worthwhile, just give
Here is an interesting article in this ready reply: If Somebody
The National.Scot. The questions Else can give time and support,
my goodness then so can I!
on the origination of the clan
tartan continually pops up.
h t t p: / / w w w . t h e n a t i o n a l . sc o t / c ul t ur e /
unpicking-myths-and-lies-of-tartan.14015
Page 3
Answers to questions from page 14— 1. James;
2. Charles II; 3. Anne; 4. Glorious Rev.; 5. Anne;
6. None; 7. Madame Dubarry; 8. Duke of Monmouth; 9. May 21, 1661; 10. None; 11. Grandson
Good read:
Fesse Chequy
Scots Wha Ha’e
Are You a “Redneck”?
T
he origins of this term
Redneck are Scottish and
refer to supporters of the
National Covenant and The
Solemn League and Covenant,
or Covenanters, largely Lowland Presbyterians, many of
whom would flee Scotland for
Ulster (Northern Ireland) during persecutions by the British
Crown. The Covenanters of
1638 and 1641 signed the documents that stated that Scotland
desired the Presbyterian form
of church government and
would not accept the Church
of England as its official state
church.
Many Covenanters signed in
their own blood and wore red
pieces of cloth around their
necks as distinctive
insignia;
hence the term "red neck",
(rednecks) which became slang
for a Scottish dissenter.
Since many Ulster-Scottish settlers in America (especially the
South) were Presbyterian, the
term was applied to them, and
then, later, their Southern descendants. One of the earliest
examples of its use comes from
1830, when an author noted
that "red-neck" was a "name
bestowed upon the Presbyterians." It makes you wonder if
the originators of the everpresent "redneck" jokes are
aware of the term’s origins Rednecks?
By Todd J. Wilkinson, FSA Scot
Spring 2016
Stewart Activities by Region
he and Lynette head back North in
the spring.
Region I - RHC: Nancy Stewart
NY, NJ
As the newly appointed Regional High Commissioner of
Region I (New York, New Jersey and Long Island, I cordially invite all CSSA members to join me and Region I
members at the 2016 Annual General Meeting which will
be held in conjunction with the Capital District Scottish
Games at Altamont Fairgrounds near Albany, New
York. The CSSA weekend will begin Friday, September
2nd at the Best Western Albany Airport Inn and include
attending the Capital District Scottish Games in nearby
Altamont, as well as the Annual General Meeting on Saturday, September 3rd. Look for more details in the AGM
article in this issue. I look forward to welcoming everyone
to our “once a year” membership meeting in September!
Region II - RHC: Gerald Daniel
NC, VA, MD, DC, DE
No Report
Region III - RHC: Eric King,
FSA, Scot
FL, GA, SC
Florida—Sue Leenders, Commissioner
Welcome to all the new members!
Central Florida Scottish Highland Games were held in
Winter Spring, January 16 & 17. There
was a violent storm during the night.
Fortunately, we had lowered the tent the
night before so the Stewarts came
through without a scratch. The next
day was absolutely perfect. Thanks, Bryan Stewart for arranging that. BTW Bryan Congratulations! on adding a new
little member to your family and Clan Stewart. (Bryan is the
games' Clan Chairman, enjoy the photo of him modeling his new
daughter's CSSA bib.)
We thank "Doc" Robert Stewart for helping run the CSSA
tent, he did a great job. We think he is more than ready to
seriously consider being a commissioner in Illinois, when
Volume XLIII Number 1
Valerie Austin Gray and Jim Gray,
CSSA's founding president, kept
the tent very busy with many old
friends and Gray family members
stopping to see them. Jim and Valerie were also charter members of the Central Florida
Games. Thanks, Mark Austin, Kitty Hiordahl and Anthony Shriner, for helping set up. It is so
great to have extra hands!
Sarasota Scottish Highland Games,
on January 30, we were Honored
Clan. We were joined in the Clan
Parade by our newest member,
Carole Faux. Our neighbor Clan Irwin congratulated us and presented
us with a bottle of House of Stuart
Scotch.
Green Cove Scottish Highland Games, February 27, was
so much drier and so much warmer than last year! We
had very many members attending these games. We had
about 20 - 25 Stewarts marching in the Clan Parade. Unfortunately, at photo time, half of them were cut off and
trapped by a pipe band, so we didn't get everyone in the
photo. Thank
you, Lori-Jean
Woodward,
Bonnie Fricke,
Debra
Fricke
and the rest of
the Fricke family for helping
run and pack
up the CSSA
space.
Saint Augustine Celtic Music Festival, March 12 & 13,
since this is a Celtic festival there was a strong Saint Patrick's theme. The opening parade went on a two mile route
along the river, past the fortress and through Historic
Downtown Saint Augustine. People and pets, in St. Paddy
green, were packed in five and six deep on the sidewalks
and overhead on all the balconies, the entire length of the
parade. It may have been a smaller festival, but the spirit
was immense, crowd was cheering and joking with the
kilted clan members!
www.clansstewart.org
Page 4
Region VII - RHC: Stewart Cummins
LA, AR, TX, OK, KS
Texas - Ken Stewart & Duane Stewart Commissioners
There were so many amazing bands and entertainers on
the program. The organizers definitely did a great job and
were always checking to see if everyone was having a
good time or if we needed anything. Space for clan tents
was limited as to how many clans could attend. The number of attendees at festival was very high, so we all stayed
very busy answering questions and looking up family
names. The rain held off until we were loading the car,
so overall the weather was great.
A news reporter asked me once: "Why I like going to the
games and festivals, with all the setting up, taking down,
packing the car up and driving miles to attend?" What I
told him was: "It was like having a big family." The stuff
in the tent has a lot of memories connected to trips to
games, people and conversations. We have made a lot of
friends both in CSSA and in other clans, over the past couple decades. We enjoy going to all these games, to see old
friends and make new ones. We wouldn't do it if it wasn't
fun or if it felt like work!
Florida Commissioner
Sue Bute-Leenders
Region IV - RHC: Jayne Cutter
IN, OH, PA, WV, MI
Timothy & Bella
Stewart
TX Commissioners
Ken Stewart & Duane
Stewart
This year, exhibit tent numbers doubled which is always a
good sign. This is the first time the Stewart exhibit was
presented within the new Midland Horseshoe Pavilion
(indoor) which is adjacent to the arena (indoor) where rodeo exhibitions are held. Nice, big clean concrete floored
facility. About an 8-8 ½ hr. drive for both TX conveners.
Our thanks to Kimberly Stewart and Lisa Polk for helping
out at the N. TX Irish Festival!
NM, CO, UT, WY, NE, SD, ND, MT
Region V - RHC: Mike Nichols
AL, MS, TN, KY
No Report
Region VI - RHC: Stuart Hoarn
MO, IA, IL, WI, MN
Page 5
Walker Stewart III
& Brittany
Region VIII - RHC: Ian Wilson
No Report
No Report
Scottish-Irish Faire & Highland Games a celebration and
educational experience, sponsored by the Celtic Society of
the Permian Basin (Texas Panhandle,, SE New Mexico),
inclusive of the seven Celtic nations (Scotland, Ireland,
Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Brittany, Galicia). The name
indicates a combination of Scottish and Irish cultural focus
but when the word “Faire” is added, an event takes on a
Renaissance flavor (non-traditional attire, mythological
lore).
Colorado—Kirk Stewart
Region VIII Kicks Off Season with Expanded Colorado
Tartan Day. Out in the Rocky Mountains the weather is
trying to decide between an early spring and heavy March
and April snows. And while it is doing that, Scots in Colorado are going to try to get the season going with an improved April festival.
In Colorado, April 6, is Colorado Tartan Day (And, yes,
Colorado has its own official, registered state tartan. It is
mostly a sky blue, but with accents of red, gold, and white
as per the state flag.) In the past Colorado has celebrated
Tartan Day with
Fesse Chequy
Spring 2016
afternoon gatherings on the lawn of the state capitol or in
local Denver parks. Note the sponsors want to upgrade
the event into a weekend affair and have finally found a
venue with requisite space, access, and services to do every thing they want.
Hello Stewarts,
Colorado Tartan Day Festival Comes to Boulder County Fairgrounds
Colorado Tartan Day, 2016, will be held at the Boulder
County Fairgrounds in Longmont, CO, and it will be a two
day event, held April 9-10, 2016. Admission is FREE.
This is a spacious and convenient location and should become the focal event for Colorado clans to organize their
years activities. Clan Stewart members who can attend
and wood like to meet up should contact our State Commissioner, David Elliott. His contact information is on our
website
Region IX - RHC: VACANT
OR, ID, WA, AK
No Report
Region X - RHC: Marie Cormier
AZ, NV, CA, HI
Some of you will perhaps already know me or my Scottish
Diaspora Blog (http://thescottishdiaspora.net/), but in case you
don't: my name is Tanja and I am a historian working at a university in the UK. My research has, for a long time, focused on Scottish history, particularly the history of migration from Scotland
and the Scots abroad - and that is why I am writing to you today,
having found your contact details on websites of a Scottish association. If, before you read on, you would like to learn a little more
about myself please visit:
http://thescottishdiaspora.net/?page_id=7 or find me on Twitter
@scotsdiaspora
I have recently launched a new initiative - a Digital Museum of
the Scottish Diaspora - see here: http://
museum.thescottishdiaspora.net. The idea is that the museum will
offer a digital home for the history of Scottish migrants and their
descendants, their culture and experiences. The museum hopes
to do so by giving people like you a chance to tell their own or
their ancestors' migration story.
The idea is that that story gets told through objects - well, photographs of objects. Objects are very broadly defined: maybe you
have an old cookbook passed through the family, or some other
family heirloom? Maybe an interesting photograph of a person or
item? So long as your item tells your or your ancestors' migration
story, it is very suitable for submission. Items need not necessarily
be historic: if, for example, you migrated more recently and have
objects that tell your migration story, you're very welcome to contribute too.
Making a contribution is very simple: all you'd have to do is
take a photograph of your item, and upload that photograph via
this page: http://museum.thescottishdiaspora.net/?page_id=17.
The page asks you to add some details as well as a story to go with
the item. Once an upload comes through I will get in touch to
confirm, but that shouldn't take up much time.
If you are interested in how such a community submission can
look like, see:
http://museum.thescottishdiaspora.net/?
p=122 This item was submitted by Betty's great-granddaughter
who lives in New Zealand.
No Report
Region XIII - RHC: Stuart Greenlaw
CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, ME
My hope is that the digital museum can become a resource
and a place where the history of Scottish migrants can live on for a
long time. So the more contributions there are, the better. Please
share this message with anyone who might be interested.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions
about my work or this project.
Best wishes,
No Report
Volume XLIII Number 1
Tanja
www.clansstewart.org
Page 6
Whisky - Part I:
(with an “e”) is used only for distilled spirits from
Ireland and America.
A few basics on Scotland’s most iconic export.
Whisky is a very
A Scotsman who spells
complex product to
Whisky with a n ‘e’,
produce but easy to
should be hand cuffed
summarize: it is a dis- and thrown head first in the Dee,
tilled alcoholic beverIn the USA and Ireland,
age derived from ferit’s spelt with an ‘e’
mented grain mash.
but in Scotland
The product from the
it’s real ‘Whisky’.
distillation process is
So if you see Whisky
differentiated into two
and it has an ‘e’,
kinds: single malt
only take it,
if you get it for free!
whisky
(produced
from only water and
For the name is not the same
malted barley at a sinand it never will be,
gle distillery by batch
a dram is only a real dram,
distillation in pot from a bottle of ‘Scotch Whisky’.
stills) or single grain --- the Bard of Banff, Stanley Bruce
whisky (distilled at a
single distillery but, may involve whole grains of
other malted or un-malted cereals in distilled in column stills).
By Linda Frazier, Pres. St. Andrew Society, Tallahassee
Some would argue whether whisky or golf is Scotland’s most iconic export. Both enjoy a long association with the country and make significant contributions to the Scottish economy.
Recently there has been an uptick in the popularity of single malt scotch. Whether this is the result of
the renewed focus on the life in the 60’s depicted in
such television shows as Mad Men (depicting the
tastes in the golden era of cocktails before the upsurge in wine’s popularity) or the latest James Bond
movies (his drink is Macallan 25) or a reaction to the
homogenous world in which we increasingly find
ourselves and the desire to appreciate and recognize
the individual effort behind the art and skill of production by the distilleries. Much like wines, singles
malts are back – with a vengeance. In fact, they have
become so popular that the remaining 100-plus distilleries are having difficulty keeping up with the demand.
A tip for the traveler: In Scotland, when you order a
“whisky” in a bar/pub, you will be served a blended
Scotch whisky. If you want a single malt whisky you
order a “malt”. To enjoy you malt more fully, drink it
straight or only a wee bit of water. NO ICE! — LLF
A basic primer is needed here for the uninitiated.
First, whisky was not created in Scotland. Legend
has it that it was introduced there in the 5th century
AD by none other than St. Patrick (another reason to
celebrate this saint) when he came to Dalriada
(specifically Kintyre, Scotland). Not unexpectedly,
the monastery distilleries were the sites for whisky
production for its medicinal purposes until Henry
VIII dissolved the monasteries.
The word “whisky” comes from the Gaelic for water of life, "usquebaugh" (phonetically "usky") for its
medical connection and healing properties. Over
time the word morphed into the English "whisky".
Whisky (or whiskey) is distilled in grain-producing
areas around the world. The spelling “Whisky”
without the “e” is used for distilled spirits from Scotland, Wales, Canada, and Japan, while “whiskey”
Page 7
From these two kinds you can get blended malt
whisky (a mixture of single malts from different distilleries), blended grain whisky (a mixture of grain
whiskies from different distilleries), or blended
whisky (a mixture of malt and grain whisky from the
same or different distilleries).
By Scottish law, to
be labeled “Scotch
Whisky”, the distillation must be produced
in Scotland from water and malted barley
without the addition
of any other cereal,
not come from anywhere else --including
anywhere other than
Scotland in the British
Isles-- and it must be
matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks.
Selecting a scotch malt to drink can be a bewildering task since no two single malts from different distilleries taste the same and the profusion of distilleries makes the selection a daunting challenge.
Fesse Chequy
Spring 2016
Sir Walter Scott:
The Father of the Modern Tartan
For success, attitude is equally as
important as ability.
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
"O Caledonia! stern and wild,
Meet nurse for a poetic child!
Land of brown heath and shaggy
wood,
Land of the mountain and the
flood,
Land of my sires! what mortal
hand,
Can e'er untie the filial band,
That knits me to thy rugged
strand!"
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive."
Perhaps you have heard this quotation and did not know who first
said it? It was penned by Sir Walter Scott.
To the timid and hesitating everything is impossible because it
seems so.
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
The race of mankind would perish
did they cease to aid each other.
We cannot exist without mutual
help. All therefore that need aid
have a right to ask it from their
fellow-men; and no one who has
the power of granting can refuse it
without guilt.
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
"Many
a clever boy is flogged into
a dunce and many an original
composition corrected into mediocrity"
Sir Walter Scott writing in 1826.
Volume XLIII Number 1
The date of April 6 commemorates the signing of the
Declaration of
Arbroath in
1320, which asserted Scotland's
sovereignty over English territorial claims. The Declaration
most certainly was also an influence on the
American Declaration of Independence.
Americans of
Scottish descent
have played a
vibrant and influential role in
the
development of this
country. However not until
1997 was this influence recognized
by a single-year
U.S. Senate Resolution that appeared
in the Congressional
of April 7, 1997.
Record
In 1998, National Tartan Day
of April 6 was officially recognized on a permanent basis
when the U.S. Senate passed
Senate Resolution 155 recognizing April 6th as National Tartan Day. This was followed by
companion bill, House Resolution 41, which was passed by
the U.S. House of Representatives on March 9, 2005. The passage of this bill was due to the
www.clansstewart.org
work of the National Capital
Tartan Committee, Inc. and its
president James Morrison.
National Tartan Day parades
occur in major cities such as
New York on or around April 6.
These
parades
often
feature bagpipe
bands
playing Scottish
music
and
people
dressed
in
kilts with tartan patterns
that represent
their Scottish
clans. Special
award events
are also held on
Tartan Day, often
organized
by groups such as the
American Scottish Foundation.
For more information:
www.tartanday.org
www.americanscottishfoundati
on.com/tartanday/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Tartan_Day
http://
americanscottishfoundation.com/tartanday/index.html
Page 8
The Origins of the Stewarts
Planting Roots -
Stewart Growth in
Scotland
By Bryan Stewart
The origin of the thistle as the flower of Scotland was
said to have occurred when King Haakon IV of Norway
invaded mainland Scotland from his lands in the Hebrides. As his force approached the Scottish army, it was detected when one of his warriors cried out in pain upon
stepping on the purple prickles. This alarm allowed Alexander, 4th High Steward and the Scots to make short work
of the invaders at the Battle of Largs in 1263. While the
evidence for this is thin, what is more widely accepted by
historians is that King James III began using the thistle on
coinage during his reign (1466-1488.) His son, King James
IV, made it iconic in 1503 with his marriage to Princess
Margaret Tudor of England. The Thistle (and the Rose)
was born.
brought the Gospel, but also brought Latin, rhetoric, mathematics and the latest agricultural and scientific innovations of the day. To give a sense of how impactful this was
to the realm, the earliest recorded polyphonic music in
Scotland dates from here, as did the formal education of
Scotland’s great hero, Sir William Wallace, and the Caesarian birth of King Robert II. In essence, Scotland began its
journey from the Celtic periphery of the ancient world towards the modern world of Europe and what we now call
Western Civilization when Walter fitz Alan laid the cornerstone of this church.
Paisley Abbey
I believe the rise of the thistle as the symbol of Scotland correlates with how the Stewarts planted themselves in its soil.
The early High Stewards were placed in Renfrewshire
by the Scottish crown to serve as a bulwark and launching
pad from which the west and the isles could be brought
back into the orbit of the King of Scots. Prior to this point
in history, western Scotland operated as an independent
political entity, either subject to foreign rulers or the autonomous Lord of the Isles.
The year before he won the Battle of Renfrew over the
Somerled of Isles in 1164, Walter, the 1st High Steward,
founded the priory (monastery) that would become
Paisley Abbey. The Cluniac monks he invited from Fitz
Alan family lands in Shropshire, England not only
Page 9
His son, Alan fitz Walter, 2nd High Steward, acquired
the Isle of Bute and built Rothesay Castle in continuation
of this western expansion. He also went on the 3 rd Crusade
with King Richard the Lionheart of England. Perhaps
more tellingly though, his wife, Alesta, daughter of the
earl of Mar, was the first marriage into the upper echelons
of the Scottish nobility. Within quick succession, Alan’s
children and grandchildren would marry into the earldoms of Angus, Mentieth, Lennox and Carrick, the last of
which brought the family into alliance with the Bruces.
You know what they say, behind every great man is a
Stewart wife.
Walter, 3rd High Steward (d.1246,) is the name-father of
this clan, for he is the one who designated Steward, or
Stewart as the surname. There is no documentation as to
why Steward became Stewart, but there is some thought
by linguists that that Gaelic penchant for pronouncing the
letter “d” at the end of a word as a soft “t” brought about
this spelling. This too, I believe is revealing. For it shows a
See ROOTS—page 10
Fesse Chequy
Spring 2016
ROOTS - continued from page 9
willingness to assimilate with the native-born population,
much as immigrants to America have affected changes to
their names. The High Stewards spoke French, Latin, and
lowland Scots and English. To this they now added Gaelic.
Thus, Stewart, which derives from the Anglo-Saxon word
stiweard (guardian of the house,) is a name which owes its
creation to the feudal Norman government in England,
which in turn became the model for the office of the High
Steward created by King David I of Scotland. Finish it all
off with a Gaelic inflection, and there you are (unless one
is in France, but we’ll save that for another day.)
Alexander, 4th High Steward we have already touched
on. This nexus point of Stewart Y-DNA is the father of
James, 5th High Steward, and Sir John Stewart of Bonkyl,
thereby making him progenitor of both the royal House of
Stewart in Scotland and the royal House of Stuart in Great
Britain and Ireland which resulted from the union of
Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.
Intriguingly, the naming of Alexander’s firstborn son,
James, was inspired by his pilgrimage to the shrine of
Saint James the Great, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
James, a heretofore uncommon name in Scotland, became
ubiquitous.
James, 5th High
Steward, and his
brother Sir John of
Bonkyl fought courageously for Scottish freedom and
Robert the Bruce.
This High Steward
helped
engineer
William
Wallace’s
rebellion with the
bishop of Glasgow
and bankrolled Robert the Bruce, while
John of Bonkyl died
in command of the
Scottish archers at
the Battle of Falkirk
Robert (Stewart) II & Marjory Bruce
in 1298. From these
two would descend thousands of Stewart descendants and
numerous branches and septs. But their siblings also
played a part too, if less celebrated. Among these was Elizabeth Stewart, wife of Sir William Douglas the Hardy and
mother of James Douglas, known throughout the ages as
the Good Sir James and the Black Douglas.
Thus, when an 18 year-old Walter Stewart, the 6th High
Steward, looked out across the stream of Bannock Burn at
the English army in 1314, it was with his older and wiser
cousin, the Good Sir James, as he had been appointed by
King Robert I to lead the troops normally entrusted to
Scotland’s High Steward.
For 151 years leading up to the Battle of Bannockburn,
Volume XLIII Number 1
the Stewarts helped build the Scottish nation with their
talent and treasure, and when the occasion called for it,
their blood. It was logical then that when the Bruce dynasty ended in 1371, Scotland looked toward Robert the
Bruce’s grandson and namesake, Robert Stewart, the 7 th
High Steward, to ascend the throne.
An old Greek proverb states that, “Society grows when
old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit.”
Robert Stewart became king in 1371. He did so because his
4x great-grandfather, Walter fitz Alan, planted a priory on
his land in 1163, which in turn would grow to become a
great church and institution that would save the life of a
child born of a dying mother, as Marjory Bruce was, when
she was brought to the infirmary of Paisley Abbey on
March 2, 1316. While she could not be saved, her unborn
child and the House of Stewart was.
Treasurer
For
Clan Stewart
Society
in America
Contact: Kevin Stewart, President CSSA
www.clansstewart.org
Tel. 814.734.8956
[email protected]
Page 10
Stewart Ends War
By Star Lakavage
CSSA member Robin Steele Walker of Knoxville, TN
was watching the local 2015 Memorial Day coverage on
television when she saw the “WAR ENDS” photo flash
across the screen from the Aug. 14, 1945, edition of the
Knoxville Journal. Every time she sees an image of the
historic newspaper, she remembers just how proud her
father, Orby Walker, was of the tall, dark headline: "WAR
ENDS".
Though World War
II "officially" ended
Sept. 2, 1945, with the
signing of documents
aboard the deck of the
American battleship
USS Missouri, Japan's
surrender was momentous enough to warrant
the headline and the
American celebration.
Orby James Walker, Robin’s father, was an artist and
cartoonist for the Knoxville Journal newspaper in Knoxville, TN, when the Japanese surrendered, effectively destroying the Axis bloc. At the time, the Knoxville Journal
used metal type, and none was large enough to make such
an impression. So Orby was called on to hand-letter the
"WAR ENDS" headline. From time to time, until he died
in 1996, Orby told his daughter the story of painstakingly
making each letter perfect, "because of how important it
was," Robin Walker said.
Orby was a World War II veteran himself, having
served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, the forerunner of the
Air Force, until his honorable discharge in July 1943, at the
rank of corporal. Orby volunteered before the draft, but
the Army couldn't find his paperwork, so he was dismissed and later drafted, a technicality that always bothered him, she said. Raised in upper East Tennessee, the
artist position at the Journal was his first job after leaving
the Army. Robin adds that "Dad was very proud to have
been a veteran; he knew people who had died in service."
The war's end was an emotional time for him, she said;
she still has extra black-and-white Associated Press wire
photos he saved. "They were all just thrilled when the war
was over, because it was such a terrible tragedy for the
whole world," she said. "They (the Knoxville Journal)
came to him, and he was honored that he was able to contribute in that way," she said; that simple headline made
him most proud. Department of Energy photographer Ed
Westcott captured the iconic image of the crowd gathered
in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge, holding up copies of the
Journal.
CSSA member Mike Walker sees a photo of the famous
Page 11
“WAR ENDS” newspaper many times during his work
around Oak Ridge, TN. Oak Ridge is a member of the
newest national park, The Manhattan Project National
Park, encompassing locations across the US that were instrumental to the Manhattan Project. The sites tell the story about the people, events, science and engineering that
led to the creation of the atomic bomb, which helped end
World War II. Maps, brochures, signs and other literature
for the park feature the “WAR ENDS” photo.
Orby and his wife Susie were long time members of CSSA,
hosting the CSSA tent at the Gatlinburg Scottish Festival
and Games, Gatlinburg, TN along with Robin in the early
1980’s. Robin served as a Regional Commissioner and
later with the help of her Mother, Susie, served as the
CSSA secretary.
Taken from an article written by Kristi L. Nelson, Knoxville News Sentinel, appearing in the Knoxville News Sentinel on 25 May 2015.
Prepared by Star Lakavage, [email protected], 865 457
7426
Fesse Chequy
Spring 2016
Who Are You?
Genealogy 101 -Part II
By Ann McLeod
When we first start tracking
our family history, it is reasonably easy to keep everything
straight and we might not see
the need to worry about how to
organize our information. In a
very short time frame however,
we can quickly reach the point
of information overload. How
should we document what we
are learning about a person or
family? How can we you keep it
straight and organized?
Well, it isn’t easy but, there are
free forms available that can be
downloaded from the web to
help guide us in our search.
Forms are a necessary evil for
genealogical research as one
needs an almost obsessive attention to details to be successful
with genealogy.
More importantly, these forms can help
us to remember just where it is
we found that really critical
piece of information about an
ancestor. Two of these forms are
great to use to help get started:
pedigree charts and family
group sheets.
A pedigree chart starts
with an individual and runs
backward through time, tracing
a series of direct ancestors (often
3-4 generations). Think of it as a
snapshot of your ancestry. You
fill in the chart starting with
Volume XLIII Number 1
yourself as Number 1, your father
as Number 2, and your mother as
Number 3. Then you add
the names of your parents’ parents. We all have a maternal and
paternal lineage and the number
of people documented doubles
with each generation. Note that
pedigree charts are not designed
to record all the known information about a family, instead
they function as summaries of the
information in the family group
records.
W h e n
you fill in
the family
group sheet,
please don’t
forget
to
record the
source of
the information for each “fact” that you
document. The family group
sheet includes a place to record
such things as name, birth and
death dates/locations, marriage
dates/locations, occupations,
cause of death, names of other
spouses, military service, etc. Information is only as good as its
source and the family group
sheet (or the back of it) is a great
place to document sources. It is
important to remember that the
reason for citing your sources is so
that anyone can easily locate the
same evidence and duplicate
your information.
Some other forms that can
help with genealogy are: correspondence logs, source summaries, research calendars, research
trip checklist, cemetery marker
survey forms, cemetery search
logs, blank census forms, timeline
charts, family tree charts, and individual worksheets
While the pedigree chart is a
snapshot of your ancestry, a family group sheet is a detailed record of one family, whether that
family is comprised of just two
people or one with a dozen children. The family group sheet is
used to note detailed records of
one family, including information about one or more husbands, one or more wives and
their children. Children are on a
family group sheet should be
You can download some of
listed in order of birth with the these forms at the following websites:
eldest child first. You can build a http://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy/family-historyforms
family group sheet for each indi- http://www.ancestry.com/download/charts#ancchart
vidual listed on your pedigree http://ivad3.us/Genealogy/forms.html
chart. You can even consider http://www.onegreatfamily.com/Tools/Forms/
forms_default.aspx
making a family group sheet for Enlarge the page to view the forms. Forms also available
online.
your ancestor’s siblings.
www.clansstewart.org
Page 12
-Announcing Clan Stewart Society in America’s
41st Annual General Meeting
September 2-4, 2016
Altamont, NY
To be held concurrent with the Capital District Highland Games
at the Altamont Fairgrounds
Preparations are underway to hold the CSSA Annual General Meeting in New York State’s historic
Capital District. Albany, NY (named after James Stewart, the Duke of Albany, who later became
James VII/II) and the surrounding Mohawk and Hudson River valleys, echo with Scottish history
going back to the 17th century. Fort Ticonderoga, just north of Albany, made the 42nd Highlanders
(Black Watch) famous during the French and Indian War. For the Scottish and Stewart history buffs
the site is perfect.
(www.scotgames.com.)
The working schedule of events for the AGM are as follows:
Thursday/Friday, Sept. 1-2
Available Lodging - Host Hotel, Hotels of choice, camping
(Hospitality Room – Host Hotel / Thurs PM– Fri)
Friday, Sept. 2—8:00 a.m.
CSSA Business Meeting of officers, commissioners and conveners
(Host Hotel)
Activities for members wives not attending business meeting.
Friday, Sept. 2—6:00 p.m.
President’s Reception (Host Hotel)
Saturday, Sept. 3—8:00 a.m.
Gates open for The Capital District Scottish Games
Stewart tent open in the Clan Area.
(Please assemble at the Stewart tent by 9:30 for the parade.)
CDSG Opening Ceremony & Parade of Clans
10:00 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 3—TBA
2016 CSSA AGM Banquet (Picnic style) following CDS Games
(Close proximity of Games / Fairground)
(Scottish Attire – Formal / Casual / Contemporary)
Sunday, Sept. 4—9:00 a.m.
CDSG open gates
Stewart Tent open in the Clan Area
Sunday, Sept 4—6:00 p.m.
CDSG “Official” Closing Ceremony (Massed Bands)
Final details will be forthcoming in a separated email distribution.
The Fesse Chequy©
The Fesse Chequy is a copyrighted publication
of the Clan Stewart Society of American, Inc.
and is published four times a year for the
exclusive use of its members. The CSSA is a
501c3 Non-Profit Charitable Volunteer
Corporation.
Editor
Eric G. King, FSA Scot
6119 Ox Bottom Manor Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32312
850.445.1077
[email protected]
Tae:
The Stewarts
an a’ their Freins
We invite articles and photographs from any
member. Our publishing schedule is:
Issue
Deadline
Winter—Dec/Jan /Feb
Dec 15
Spring—Mar/Apr/May Mar 15
Summer— Jun/Jul/Aug Jun 15
Fall—Sep/Oct/Nov
Sep 15
Going to Scotland? Get great savings on places to visit with
Historic Scotland’s Explorer Pass! Go to:
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/explorer.htm
Scottish Weather
Traveling to Scotland in the near future?
Before you go, check the weather at:
www.metoffice.gov.uk
____ Glorious Revolution
____ Battle of the Throne
____ Protestant Revolution
____ Great Revolution
House of Stuart—tough
1.
2.
3.
4.
When the House of Stuart came to
the throne who was the head of
the family?
____ George I
____ Henry I
____ James I
____ Charles I
Of the Stuart monarchs who had
the most illegitimate children?
____ Charles II
____ William III
____ James II
____ Anne
Who at her coronation had 16
children, all of whom had died at
birth or in infancy?
____ Victoria
____ Mary of Modena
____ Anne
____ Mary II
What is the name of the revolution that brought the end of
James II's reign?
____ Duke of Monmouth
____ Duke of Grafton
____ Duke of St. Albans
____ Anne of Denmark
5.
What is the name of James II's
first wife?
____ Henrietta-Maria
____ Mary
____ Anne
____ Catherine
9.
When were Charles II and Catherine of Braganza married?
____ March 19, 1663
____ February 14, 1660
____ May 21, 1661
____ December 25, 1662
6.
How many legitimate children
did Charles II have?
____ Ten
____ One
____ None
____ Two
10. How many children did William
III and Mary II have?
____ None
____ Two
____ Five
____ One
7.
Which one of these women was
NOT a mistress of Charles II?
____ Countess of Castlemaine
____ Louise de Keroualle
____ Madame Dubarry
____ Nell Gwynn
11. What relation was William III to
Charles I?
____ Grandson
____ Great-Grandson
____ Cousin
____ Son
8.
What relative did James II have
executed?
Answers can be found on page 3.