How important is the Declaration of Arbroath..

**ThistleDown** · 7th April 10, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by BoldHighlander

Anyhow, my point in all this is to echo Todd's point (& that which you later acknowledged) is to let the 'uninitiated' know that not all Ulster Scots were from the Lowlands, which seems to be one of those "myths" that continues to live on to this day (like so much else that has been oft told about the Scots & the Irish

). Apologies for any hijack of the threads topic.

There definitely were Highland Scots in the "settlement" of Ulster, but they were largely west Highland folk who had traditionally been passing back and forth between their part of Scotland and the northern part of Ireland and decided to take up James' offer of the lands of the locals. In the Williamite period of the 1690s, the second planatation wave, most of the new people were Presbyterian Lowland and Border Scots.

That makes me wonder whether your ancestor, Terry, might have been an educated officer serving in Ulster and deciding to stay on, rather than an incoming settler? Do you know why he was in Ireland? And whether he married an Ulster woman? And did she bring land into the marriage, or did he acquire that himself? The key, I think, is the fact that he was an educated man. Most settlers in that second wave were common folk without formal education, although many could read and write, of course.

Rex

**BoldHighlander** · 7th April 10, 06:32 PM

Hi Rex,

Upon reflection I decided to move my reply to a new thread in the genealogical section rather than further hijack this one.

You can find it at: Johne McReynolds/MacRanald: Scots Mercenary.

**Jock Scot** · 8th April 10, 01:22 AM

This has been a really interesting thread. To get back to the original question,I doubt very much if many,very few, people in the UK could discuss the D of A and its aftermath to the depth that you chaps have been going. I venture to suggest that most people in Scotland(particularly in the Highlands) would not have a clue what you are talking about. I happened to be in the company of a large number of 16 year old students from the local High school and their teacher yesterday and NOT ONE, knew what the D of A was, NOT ONE knew of the later Scots/Irish connection and NOT ONE seemed to care. I suspect that if I had asked their parents the same questions, the answers would be exactly the same.

**macwilkin** · 8th April 10, 03:12 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

This has been a really interesting thread. To get back to the original question,I doubt very much if many,very few, people in the UK could discuss the D of A and its aftermath to the depth that you chaps have been going. I venture to suggest that most people in Scotland(particularly in the Highlands) would not have a clue what you are talking about. I happened to be in the company of a large number of 16 year old students from the local High school and their teacher yesterday and NOT ONE, knew what the D of A was, NOT ONE knew of the later Scots/Irish connection and NOT ONE seemed to care. I suspect that if I had asked their parents the same questions, the answers would be exactly the same.

Welcome to the education profession the world o'er.

T.

**Redshank** · 8th April 10, 03:59 AM

Ignorance is Bliss the world over

**ThistleDown** · 8th April 10, 10:28 AM

Nothing like checking it out at ground level. Who is at fault here, though? The teachers, the writers of curriculum, the parents, the students?

**macwilkin** · 8th April 10, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by ThistleDown

Nothing like checking it out at ground level. Who is at fault here, though? The teachers, the writers of curriculum, the parents, the students?

All of the above.

T.

**MacBean** · 8th April 10, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by ThistleDown

Nothing like checking it out at ground level. Who is at fault here, though? The teachers, the writers of curriculum, the parents, the students?

None of the above. I accuse Lost, 24, Project Runway, and the Beatles.

**auld argonian** · 8th April 10, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by MacBean

None of the above. I accuse Lost, 24, Project Runway, and the Beatles.

True...the crap that's on TV now makes the crap that was on TV back in the sixties look like Masterpiece Theatre.

Amazing how we have all of this access to all of this information and we STILL can't get people to learn anything.

Best

AA

**macwilkin** · 8th April 10, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

True...the crap that's on TV now makes the crap that was on TV back in the sixties look like Masterpiece Theatre.

Amazing how we have all of this access to all of this information and we STILL can't get people to learn anything.

Best

AA

Again, welcome to my world.

T.