some pics from the Highland Games in USA NC July

[LoE]

That's really cool!

I have a similar thing, but in West Virginia, and on a much smaller scale, only two families.

They were the first European settlers, arriving in the late 18th century, and their descendants are still thick as hops in that region. I'm directly descended from both families, which been intermarrying there for over two centuries.

Which two families OC Richard?

[OC Richard]

Which two families OC Richard?

They were the families of Captain Ralph Stewart, from Perthshire, and John Cooke, from London (his wife was Scottish-born).

Legend is that the Cookes were from Arran but who can say.

In the 1760s they came to the Shenandoah Valley and set up farms. They served together in the Virginia Militia both before and during the Revolutionary War.

In the 1790s the Cooke family moved to the Upper Guyandotte, the first European settlers in that part of Appalachia, followed around 1800 by the Stewart family, the second settlers. Happily the Cookes had several boys and the Stewarts several girls.

The third family, arriving just after 1800, named MacDonald, was shunned by the Stewarts and Cooks from the get-go, and when the Civil War came the Stewarts and Cooks (all Union soldiers) ran the MacDonalds (who were slave-owning Confederates) out of the region.

John Cooke 1754-1832



His son William Cook, who as you see married the daughter of John's longtime friend Ralph Stewart

[LoE]

Fascinating history.

[Iain Ruaidh]

One of my ancestors, Gilbert Woollam of the Nantwich, Cheshire Quaker Meeting, along with all the elders of the meeting, signed a letter of introduction around 1660 that was sent off with folks to America.
I don't know their names or where they settled.

[LoE]

OC Richard.

I don't know if you ever attend the Highland Games "Grandfather Mountain Highland Games" in North Carolina, USA. They happen once a year, every summer. But if you do, I'd like to know about it so I could meet you in person. That goes for Mr. Sinclair as well, as I know he attends. Though I have yet to meet either of you in person. I look forward to it.

We do indeed have similar family histories.

I will be there in 2023.

[tripleblessed]

I have the joy of being a volunteer on the grounds committee for the Stone Mountain Highland games, just outside of Atlanta. This will be our 50th, the third weekend in October each year,
the 15th and 16th this year. http://www.smhg.org/index.php

It is one of the larger games on this continent, generally in the neighborhood of 50,000 visitors. Attire ranges from what folk wear shopping to the MacGregor in full tartan kilt suit to me in a kilt and t-shirt to proper kilt attire to kilted stormtroopers a la Star Wars to guys in utility kilts and sneakers with a claymore strapped on.......etc. Highland athletics, Highland dance, country dancing, fiddles, pipe bands, sheepdogs, Scottish musicians, themed marketplace, food and potables. And being a U.S. games, more than a hundred clan and society tents. Exhibitors who've come from Scotland and Ireland to be with us (and make money). All welcome, smiles everywhere. Not what you'd see in Scotland or Canada, but well organized and run. Beautiful grounds of Stone Mountain Park, unpredictable weather, wonderful folk. Oh, and there's generally an X-Marks meet-up at the Tartan Museum Tent, so come on.

I didn't get to visit a games when in Scotland, but I wouldn't expect what we have. I know I will enjoy getting to one there. Variety is educational.

[Jedburgh]

All

A little background of municipal names in what is now North Glengarry Twp.

Prior to municipal government in what is now the province of Ontario, the 3 counties that became the United Counties of Stormont Dundas and Glengarry were electoral ridings. The "Counties" as a government was always "United".

The two northern townships in the Glengarry portion were Kenyon to the west and Lochiel to the east. At the time of the recent (about 25 years ago) reorganization there was one village (Maxville) located in Kenyon Twp and one Town (Alexandria) located in Lochiel. Maxville was a railway town incorporated about 40 years after the Kenyon Twp had local government. Any other named settlement would have been considered a hamlet (and usually had at least a post office and store).

The early settlement of this part of Ontario was heavily highland as can be seen from the posts and from the names scattered through the township. The last true Gaelic speaker in the Province (Alex McDonald - Dec. 9, 1904 to Nov. 7, 2001) was from Kenyon.

Now the entire north half of Glengarry County (former riding - east 1/3rd of SDG) is called North Glengarry and includes the townships (Kenyon and Lochiel), town and village (Alexandria & Maxville).

Just had to comment

Jed