Siol na Fear Fearail: The Scots in Canada

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Siol na Fear Fearail The Scots in
Canada

• Dr. Edward Brash
• Scottish Society Meeting
• January 7, 2009

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The First Scots in Canada

• In 1621, Sir William Alexander was granted a
  charter for Nova Scotia, and established
  settlements on Cape Breton and on the Bay of
  Fundy
• The settlements did not flourish, and were
  surrendered to France in 1632

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The Hudsons Bay Company

• Beginning in about 1720, a small flow of men from
  Orkney began they were recruited by the HBC for
  service in Western Canada

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The Highland Regiments

• Defeated the French in the Seven Years War
  (1756-1763)
• Led by Simon Fraser of Lovat at Louisbourg and
  Quebec (Plains of Abraham)
• After the war, each soldier was given a land
  grant in Quebec, and together with other Scottish
  immigrants dominated commercial life and the fur
  trade.

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1770-1815

• About 15,000 Highland Scots came to Canada,
  mainly to PEI, Nova Scotia, and Upper Canada
  (Southern Ontario).
• Throughout the 19th Century, Gaelic was the third
  most popular European language spoken in
  Canada!!!
• One of the first ships was The Hector, that
  brought 178 settlers to Pictou, NS

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The Hector

• The ship was owned by a merchant in Greenock,
  Scotland. Together with a Dr Witherspoon, Pagan
  bought three shares of land in Pictou. They hired
  a John Ross to act as their recruiting agent for
  settlers. The offer to the settlers was free
  passage, free provisions for a year, and a farm.
• The Hector recruited settlers first at Greenock,
  then Lochbroom (Rossshire). Most got on at
  Lochbroom only 3 familes and 5 single men took
  up the offer at Greenock.
• The unnamed piper in the passenger list came on
  board at the last minute.

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The Hector

• The voyage lasted 11 weeks. In many places the
  wood in the Hector had gone rotten. A gale off
  the coast of Newfoundland drove them backwards
  it took them 14 days to regain the progress they
  had made. Dysentry and smallpox took 18 of the
  children. 
• Upon arrival, there was no cleared land waiting
  for them, no shelter and the promised provisions
  did not materialize. Winter was approaching, and
  there was no time to plant crops that year. As
  the lands promised to them were three miles into
  the forest, so that they wouldn't even be able to
  fish the harbour, the settlers refused to settle
  those lands.
• When the provisions did arrive, the company
  therefore refused to give them any provisions.
  They then seized the provisions.

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Post-1815 Emmigration

• Following the War of Southern Agression
  (1812-1814), the British Government recognized
  the need to defend the Canadian border through
  increased settlement.
• From 1815-1870, some 170,000 Scots emmigrated to
  Canada, most settling in Ontario.

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The Scotch Line

• In 1815, my ancestors settled in Eastern Ontario,
  founding the town of Perth, in the Country of
  Lanark.
• My 7th great-grandfather, John Brash, from
  Glasgow, together with his wife, Catrìona
  NicGhilleEathain (Catherine MacLean) from the
  Isle of Coll, cleared the trees on their land,
  which returned as lumber to Scotland.
• The routine became familiar - arrive in late
  spring, clear the trees, and plant potatoes and
  some oats - enough to last the winter. Then, the
  following year, remove the stumps and plant more
  grain for sale at market, and to raise cattle and
  other livestock.

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The Scotch Line

• Over the years, the railway that ran from
  Brockville, Ontario on the north shore of the St.
  Lawrence, up to Ottawa, became known as The
  Scotch Line, after the names of the towns that
  it passed through
• Glengarry, Perth, Lanark, Glendale, Glen Norman,
  Glen Robertson, Elgin, Braeside, Glenburnie,
  Inverary, MacArthurs Mills, McDonalds Corner,
  Tweed, St. Andrews, Westport

Caledonia Kincardine Renfrew Drummond
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Post Conferation (1867)

• Active in politics
• James Glenie and John Neilsen led the criticism
  of the elitist political structures
• John A. MacDonald and Alexander MacKenzie were
  the elitist polticians, and the first two prime
  ministers of Canada!
• Dominated in business
• Fur, timber, banking, and railway management
• In 1880, nearly 50 of Canadas industrial
  leaders had recent Scottish origins (15 of
  population)

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Immigration Patterns

• Some historians account for the success of Scots
  immigrating to Canada in part due to the relative
  constancy of the immigration rate
• 1815-1840 85,000
• 1841-1870 85,000
• 1871-1899 80,000
• 1900-1914 200,000
• 1919-1930 200,000
• 1946-1960 147,000

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Influence on Social and Moral Philosophy

• Canada has been, in many ways, always more
  Scottish than English
• Sabbath Observance
• Temperance Movement
• Scottish Philosphers heavily influenced Canadian
  Philosophy teaching

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Gaelic Music!

• The music of Canada is rich and diverse, but has
  always been strongly influenced by the Scots in
  Canada.
• The first known Gaelic song composed in North
  America is A Choille Ghruamach, written by the
  Bard MacLean, who came to NS in the late 1700s.

Gu bheil mi 'm ònrachd 's a' choille ghruamach I
am alone in the gloomy wood Mo smaointinn
luaineach, cha tog mi fonn My mind is restless,
I cannot raise a tune Fhuair mi 'n t-àite seo 'n
aghaidh nàduir I found this place
unnatural Gu'n thrèig gach tàlanta 'bha nam
cheann And my mind's every talent has deserted
me Cha dèan mi òran a chur air dòigh ann It
cannot create a song for me Nuair nì mi
tòiseachadh bidh mi trom When I begin one, I am
filled with sorrow Chaill mi Ghàidhlig seach mar
a bàbhaist dhomh My Gaelic is nothing
compared to what itwas Nuair a bha mi 's an
dùthaich thall When I was in yonder country
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Bagpipe Music!

• Of course, the Scots brought their instruments
  with them!
• One particular bagpipe musician and builder was
  praised in song

S mor an onair do na Gaidheal Its a great
honour for the Gaels A tha tamh an Albainn
Nuadh Who are living in Nova Scotia Donnchadh
Taillear bhith s an tir seo That Duncan Taylor
should be with them in this country Cumail ciuil
ar sinnsreadh buan. Keeping the music of our
ancestors alive S tric a dhuraich fuaim nam
pioban Often the skirl of the pipes has aroused
the Caileachd nam fear rioghail suas- the spirits
of those kingly men- Clann an Gaidheal o n
fraochan The Highlanders from the heathery
heath Fir mo ghoail-sa, laoich nam buadh The
people I love, the excellent heroes
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Prominent Scottish Canadians

• Tommy Douglas - Socialist Premier of
  Saskatchewan, father of socialized medicine in
  Canada, grandfather of Keifer Sutherland
• William Lyon MacKenzie - journalist and rebel
  leader (1858)
• William Lyon MacKenzie King - longest serving
  Prime Minister
• James Naismith - inventor of basketball
• And perhaps most importantly

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Prominent Scottish Canadians

• Rowdy Roddy Piper - Professional Wrestler

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Scottish Canadian Military History

• The military in Canada has a long been influenced
  by the Scots
• In addition to the Highland regiments already
  mentioned, Canadian Scottish units have made
  important contributions to almost every major
  conflict worldwide in the last 200 years

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Scottish Canadian Military History

• Ypres - WWI
• The Royal Highlanders of Canada, and the 48th
  Highlanders of Canada
• In WWI, the 11,954 soldiers of the Black Watch
  lost 2163 men, and another 6014 were wounded.
  They received 821 decorations and 4 Victoria
  crosses.
• Dieppe - WWII
• 5000 men of the Essex Scottish, the Cameron
  Highlanders, and the Black watch participated in
  the battle - only 2210 returned.

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Scottish Canadian Military History

• The exemplary service of the Canadian Scottish
  regiments continues to this day, with the
  deployment of the 1st and 2nd Royal Canadian
  Regiments in Aghanistan
• Since 1991, their have been 96 Canadian
  casualties

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References

• http//www.chebucto.ns.ca/ - Nova Scotia Heritage
• Charles W. Dunn, Highland Settler A Portrait of
  the Scottish Gael in Nova Scotia
• http//www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/ - The
  Canadian Encyclopaedia
• Jenni Calder, Scots in Canada
• John Kenneth Galbraith, The Scotch A wryly
  affectionate account of growing up in Canada

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Acknowledgements

• Lynnette Fitch Brash, Nancy Montgomery, and
  Marcey Hunter, for providing me with the books
  used for this research.
• Ian McCulluch, for information and data related
  to Canadian military history.
• MacKenzie Landry, formerly of the 2nd Royal
  Canadian Regiment, for his photographs, advice,
  and friendship.