Testomonies of Transitions: Voices From the Scottish Diaspora Audio Book

Following our virtual conference on the weekend, Professor Marjory Harper has sent me the information regarding her new audio book, Testimonies of Transitions: Voices From the Scottish Diaspora. A ‘teaser’ can be watched on her YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGJ66_dnnY&feature=youtu.be 

Hearing the emigration stories in the voices of the emigrants themselves is so incredibly evocative and so much of their stories mirrored my own emigration story. 

The audio book can be purchased from Amazon at:

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=Marjory+Harper&i=audible&ref=dp_byline_sr_audible_1

 

 

 

 

Canadian Descendants of the Ship Hector Passengers WANTED

BBC Scotland is on the lookout for Scottish-Canadians descendant from the ship the Hector. On September 15th 1773, the vessel landed at Brown’s Point in Pictou in Nova Scotia. The tired three-masted cargo vessel had almost not made it, overcoming terrible sickness and epic sea storms. The historic voyage was one of the earliest which marked the beginnings of a massive wave of immigration from Scotland that would shape the future of North America.

The BBC is keen to hear any personal stories from any Canadians or Americans descendant from those who boarded the ship in Scotland in 1773.

You can contact the programme’s researcher Nadine Lee by e-mail nadine.lee02@bbc.co.ukor by phone +0144 1224 384 816.

Scottish Diaspora Tapestry Exhibition Coming to Scarborough

Canada’s multicultural diversity will be celebrated in Scarborough, Ontario, from September 17 - October 1, 2016, in a very special way. Ordinary Scottish folk including coalminers, trades-people, farmers and farm servants carried their strong work ethic, social institutions and values around the world. In their adopted communities they made new friends, learned together, and shared ideas, perspectives and dreams.

The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry (http://www.scottishdiasporatapestry.org) will be on a North American tour in 2016. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Scarborough will host the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry Exhibition from September 17 to October 1, 2016.  The first Presbyterian congregation in Toronto, St. Andrew’s celebrates their bi-centennial in 2018.

The Scottish families of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Scarborough, are modestly featured in the excellent new “coffee-table” book "The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry". More information is at:

•             http://www.scottishdiasporatapestry.org/ca12-from-croft-to-clearing

•             http://www.scottishdiasporatapestry.org/ca13-scarborough-logging-bee

Almost twenty descendants of Scarborough’s Scottish settlers volunteered many hours to stitch these two panels for the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry. The theme of the Scarborough panels is the relationship between the Scottish immigrants and the Scarborough forest.

*with thanks to D. Bruce McCowan for the information regarding this exciting event.