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Tain & District Museum and Clan Ross CentreVol 4 Issue 1November 2017

Editor’s Letter

Robert Burns oft quoted words “The best laid plans of mice and men” seems very apposite right now. Our newsletter is well behind schedule this year but to make amends we have a bumper edition for you.

I am most grateful to Rita Bradd for taking the time to send photographs and story about Des Ross in Australia and the wonderful project to restore the clipper, “City of Adelaide”. We have an article provided by Jim Mackay about the Kirkmichael restoration project along with a report on our excursion to Tain Highland Gathering. “The Tain War Memorial Project: Put a Face to a Name” is drawing to a close and we report on this exceptional work. We have been working with Clan Ross Association of Canada to add to our Clan Ross exhibition in the museum and we tell you about this excellent collaboration.

As most of you will know next year Chief David Ross of Ross and Balnagown will have been head of the Clan Ross for 50 years. To make 2018 even more special Chief David and Lady Eileen will be celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary. We would like to produce a commemorative edition of the newsletter to celebrate this special year. Do you have a photograph, a story or anecdote that you would like to share with us? Perhaps you would like to send a message of good will. Please get in touch so that your memories, stories or well- wishes can be included.

Finally, I strongly recommend you check out our website and head to the Collections page where you can see the results of the “Put A Name To The Face” project and there are also fantastic photographs, links and interesting facts to be found on our Facebook page.

Morag Ross Bremner

Tain Through TimeTain & District Museum and Clan Ross CentreTower Street,Tain,IV19 1DYwww.tainmuseum.org.uk

E: info@tainmuseum.org.ukP: 01862894089

Tom and Meghan Ross from America were our first visiting Rosses this year. They were closely followed, by a matter of minutes, by Anne and her family.

Meghan is Vice President of Clan Ross of the United States (CRUS). She and her husband Tom enjoy sharing their knowledge of Clan Ross history by organising Clan Ross tents at various games throughout America. They visited Croick Church and were lucky enough to be allowed to visit the grounds of Balnagown Castle. You can see some of their pictures on the CRUS Facebook page.

First Visitors

Anne Weckman and her family arrived in to see us on the same day. Her ancestor was William Ross, son of Hugh (1598 - 1648). Anne’s research told her that William was the eldest son and had travelled to Stockholm in 1617. He moved to Turku in Finland about 1628 and then to Vaasa about 1630. We realised that this was the same William who is claimed by many hundreds of Finns as their ancestor; see our June 2014 newsletter: http://www.tainmuseum.org.uk/userfiles/file/clan_ross/Newsletter-June-2014.pdf.

Meghan, Tom and manager, Sheila Munro

Anne with her family standing in front of St Duthus Collegiate Church having discovered the existence of many new cousins in Finland.

Tain & District Museum VolunteersVol 4 Issue 1November 2017

Life in the Farmhouse in the 1940’s

Elizabeth Mackay was interviewed by her daughter who shares Elizabeth’s memories of life in a local farmhouse during the 1940s with us.

Elizabeth Airlie had no choice but to leave school at 14 despite being an excellent pupil. Farm workers families were generally large – there was no money to pay for further education. Elizabeth went to work at the farmhouse at Millcraig House near Alness for the owner Mr Andrew Ross and his sister Miss Joan.

Elizabeth rose at 6.30 a.m. to light the range before breakfast. The day was spent cleaning the house – sweeping carpets, scrubbing the kitchen and dairy floors, looking after the ducks and hens,

waiting on table and washing up and helping the farmer’s sister, Miss Joan, to do the washing and make butter, The maid had her meals in the kitchen while the farmer’s family took theirs in the dining room. After the evening washing up was finished Elizabeth was allowed one hour free time before going back to put the hens and geese in for the night, turn the beds down, and put water into bedrooms to drink. She was then allowed another hour off but had to be back by 10pm. She finished at half past two in the afternoon on two days of the week and went home to visit her family but returned at night ready for her duties the next morning. Wages were 30 shillings (£1.50) per month.

Volunteers and Friends who attended the recent Kirkmichael Project presentation by Jim Mackay

Looking back at this year, and as this newsletter demonstrates, it is clear that for a small Highland museum facing huge financial pressures we have managed to achieve much and serve our community well. New volunteers have joined old stalwarts to help greet visitors and make their experience a happy one as well as continue with the perpetual task of caring for the collection. Our staff and volunteers have offered talks and tours of the museum to local community and school groups as well as find ways to fund the continuing existence of the museum.

We would like to thank all our visitors who, by buying an entry ticket, help us look after this wonderful and special collection. We are most grateful for the support of members of Clan Ross from home and across the world and acknowledge the continuing support of our local community.

We will be selling calendars and Christmas cards at local craft fairs in the Duthac Centre, Parish Church Hall and at Balblair over the next few weeks and hope to see you at one of these events.

A message from Chairperson Elizabeth Fraser

Kirkmichael ProjectVol 4 Issue 1November 2017

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Medieval Kirkmichael, by Udale Bay on the north side of the Black Isle, is now open every day nine to five. A year ago it was a derelict, dangerous ruin, but it has been transformed into a heritage gem by community charity, the Kirkmichael Trust. It achieved not one but two “Highly Commended” awards at the 2017 Scottish Heritage Angel Awards in Edinburgh. The chancel was built in the early 1400s and converted to a mausoleum after the Reformation in 1560, and it contains some marvellous memorials, including a beautiful and rare “doorway” memorial of the Urquharts of Braelangwell. The nave, converted into a mausoleum about 1800, now houses an extraordinary collection of ornate medieval gravestones of national significance. Balancing these pre-Reformation decorative stones is a fine example of the later protestant “symbol of mortality” gravestones of the 1700s. And outside in the kirkyard are the unusual mausolea of the Grants of Ardoch and Lady Ardoch, both painstakingly restored and rescued from dereliction. A guide to Kirkmichael, and guides to gravestones and burial practice in the Highlands, are available in paper form on site, and are downloadable from the Trust’s website , itself a massive local history and family history resource. Its lively www.kirkmichael.infoFacebook page carries the most uptodate news about activities www.facebook.com/kirkmichaeltrustinvolving Kirkmichael. On site, attractive information boards are located unobtrusively, providing information when the visitor wants it but out of sight unless sought for. The buildings themselves are a delight to view, and are both a Scheduled Monument and Listed Building. In its beautiful location by the shore of the Cromarty Firth, Kirkmichael is truly a heritage site worth visiting.

Photographs by Andrew Dowsett

Text by Jim Mackay

News from AustraliaVol 4 Issue 1November 2017

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Virginia Ross

Rita Bradd with Des Ross and the pipe banner

Rita Bradd has been kind enough to send us news about Des Ross, Commander of Clan Ross in Australia, on the occasion of the arrival of his Pipe Banner dedicated to clipper ship “City of Adelaide”.

Dear Editor

Des is the highly esteemed Honorary Piper for the world-renowned iconic historic vessel built in 1864 to bring migrants to South Australia. Port Adelaide has the enormous good fortune and honour to have the ship, won in 2013 through the long-term dedication and efforts of a group of South Australian individuals known as 'Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Ltd', over rival bidders, saving her from demolition in Scotland.

In February of this year (2017) people gathered at the ship to admire the stunning new Pipe Banner designed to adorn Des’s pipes. Des proceeded to delight us with

several tunes. He is flanked in the photograph above by Julia Whittle (in black), great-great Granddaughter of Scots born David Bruce, first Master, co-commissioner and quarter-owner of City of Adelaide, and on the right by myself, Rita Bradd, author.

http://www.cityofadelaide.org.au/events

I have been involved with the clipper ship, also known as Carrick, former RNVR clubhouse in Glasgow and latterly at the Scottish Maritime Museum at Irvine, Ayrshire, since 2011. The ship was removed from Scotland in September 2013, renamed at Greenwich by The Duke of Edinburgh, fumigated and shrink-wrapped in Rotterdam, then loaded onto a heavy-lift ship as deck cargo. I joined the ship and accompanied “City of Adelaide” over 22,000 km from Rotterdam, via Norfolk, Virginia, USA; Cape Town South Africa and Port Hedland, NW Australia. I first met Des Ross when we arrived in Port Adelaide on 3 February 2014. When I returned to Adelaide at the end of January this year to give talks on the ship to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of her arrival, Des surprised me with his appearance with his bagpipes on the first night.

I also attach an image of Trevor Powell (Port Adelaide Caledonian Society), Rosemary McKay, alongside me and Des on the occasion of the handing over of the “City of Adelaide” Diaspora Tapestry Panel stitched by Rosemary McKay who is involved with the ship, and who organised stitchers for four other panels, for return to Scotland in May 2014. City of Adelaide can be seen in the background on board a barge. Once again, Des delighted us with the skirl of his pipes.

With best wishes.Rita Bradd

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The Clan Ross Centre at Tain Highland GamesVol 4 Issue 1November 2017

This year the games were held on Saturday 8th of July rather than the usual 2nd Thursday in August. Organisers were hoping to increase the number of visitors and competitors to the event by holding it on a Saturday. Passengers from the Caribbean Princess cruise liner, docked at Invergordon, were among many newcomers to this year’s games. Chieftain for the 2017 games was Duncan MacKay, retired head teacher of Craighill Primary School.

The Clan Ross Centre tent was raised and museum stalwarts were on hand to welcome Rosses from home and abroad.

A medieval theme was much in evidence with games to amuse including “splat the rat” and quoits. Museum Trust Chairwoman, Elizabeth Fraser, (second from left in top photograph) was responsible for the splendid costumes worn by the volunteers.

John Anderson and Mackenzie MacAndie (centre photograph ) called in for a blether. Angela Macpherson (photograph below) also spent some time with us, she has traced her descent from the Invercarron Rosses and William of Ardgay.

Royal Burgh of Tain Pipe Band

Working with Clan Ross Association of Canada Vol 4 Issue 1November 2017

This summer Eric and Julia Wilcox from New Zealand made a return trip to Tain. They visited during the 2009 Clan Ross Gathering and enjoyed it so much they wanted to make this special trip.

Eric is geneologist for the Clan Ross Association in New Zealand and has made a thorough job of tracing Julia’s Ross ancestors. They enjoyed exploring some of the great places to see around Tain as well as calling in to the museum to visit with Jason and Sheila.

Friends from New Zealand

In the summer of 2016 Chris and Bill Turnbull, Meeting Secretary and Vice president, respectively, of the Clan Ross Association Canada visited Tain. Meeting with museum manager, Sheila Munro, the trio discussed ways on how C.R.A of Canada could work with the museum. The ensuing project married well with the work the museum has been doing on the World War One project (report on page 7) and the result of this exciting collaboration is now on display in the museum.

Canadian soldiers made extraordinary contributions and sacrifice to the war effort where tragically large numbers died, including 1063 with the surname of

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Ross. It was decided to focus on two who had fought in France but survived the carnage and went on to lead productive lives in Canada.

It is hoped that this will be the first of many shared projects between the museum and the Clan Ross Association of Canada.

You can see what other activities our friends in Canada are up to by visiting their Facebook page.

Captain James Wells Ross (left) served with the 3rd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery; Canadian Army Medical Corps 14th Battalion; CAMC 3rd Brigade CFAJames was born on 9th August, 1890. He followed his father into medicine studying at the University of Toronto after graduating from the Royal Military College with honours.

His story is told in the museum display along with Gordon was Private Gordon Eric Ross.born in Hartney Saskatchewan in 1896 to John Ross and Rebecca Scarff. John was the son of Mary MacDiarmid (Isle of Skye) and Murdoch Ross (Inverness) who sailed to Canada from Glasgow on 15th July, 1852. Gordon was the grandfather of Christine Ross Turnbull.

World War One Project draws to a closeVol 4 Issue 1November 2017

A few years ago Mr Derek Louden trustee and treasurer of Tain and District Museum pointed out to his fellow trustees that over the many years since the memorial to the fallen of World War One had been erected in the Collegiate Church in Tain the stories and faces of the men listed there had slowly faded from memory. Derek and a band of dedicated volunteers decided they wanted to rectify this and thanks to funding from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant their aim was made possible.

The Tain War Memorial Project: Put a Face to a Name began in 2016. In July the museum held a very moving public event to commemorate the Battle of the Somme and display some of the information they had gathered to that point. The exhibition proved so popular that it had to be extended by two months and also had the effect of encouraging members of the public to share information that they held about the men.

Volunteers, Katherine de Jonckheere, Joan Smith and Isabel Ross continued their researches and were able to visit Dingwall and Fort George Museums as well as Alness Heritage Centre, Inverness Archive Centre and Inverness Library. Project leader Jason Ubych, as well as doing a lot of research himself, compiled the information and along with museum manager, Sheila Munro oversaw the production of a simple but effective folder that now sits on a lectern in front of the memorial allowing all those who live in or visit Tain to learn more about the men whose names have been memorialised.

The volunteers have also been giving talks to local groups and schools as well as creating a dedicated webpage on the museum website with all the information contained in the folder available for those who cannot get to Tain. The information has also been shared with the Imperial War Museums project “Lives of the First World War”.

This project has been a labour of love and to all those involved well done, very well done we can only sayindeed!

Back: Elizabeth Fraser, Jack Reid and Jason Ubych. Front Viviane Reid, and Derek Louden Katherine de Jonckheerewith the folder produced as a result of the project.

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Tain & District Museum and Clan Ross Centre: http://www.tainmuseum.org.uk/ww1-war-memorial.asp

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy : www.hlf.org.uk.

Tain & District Museum and Clan Ross CentreVol 4 Issue 1November 2017

Tain & District Museum and Clan Ross Centre is a charity recognised in Scotland SC 017848

S h e i l a M u n r o , Manager of Tain and District Museum and Clan Ross Centre, tells us about a newly acquired collection of coins for the museum and a local landmark.

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Pulpit Rock

There is a large boulder on top of Tain Hill which would have arrived in its present position as a result of the glaciers that once covered th area is and which melted some 12,000 years ago. Today it has steps on the north-west side with a concrete plinth on top and is sometimes called “Pulpit Rock”. This intrigued me as I was unaware of any religious significance to this ice age erratic. I therefore asked Donnie Macleod, born and bred in Tain and long time volunteer at the museum what light he could shed on the mystery.

“Some time in the 1950s Mr George Small, head forester for the Forestry Commission had his men create a viewpoint with a plaque which pointed out the various towns and hills to be seen and also mentioned the 7 counties visible from this Ross-shire viewpoint: Caithness, Sutherland, Banff, Aberdeen, Na i rn , Moray and Inverness . Unfortunately the plaque disappeared quite quickly after its installation. Folk started calling it Pulpit Rock as without the plaque it looked like a church pulpit”

The mystery of “Pulpit Rock” has been solved.

Sheila enjoying the view from the top of Tain Hill

These coins were found by Zef Ubych at Criech. They include a 1585 sixpence, a Charles I shilling, two Spanish Netherlands Brabant half Patagons and a Albert and Isabella (Antwerp) Patagon.They were aquired by the museum through the Treasure Trove process and are now on display. We have no way to be certain how they came to be here in the North of Scotland but one theory which has found favour with young Zef is that they were the contents of a purse on the person of a mercenary soldier fleeing from the Battle of Carbisdale. Research continues .

The view from Tain Hill