I imagine the first question anyone will ask is what is a column called "Scottish Flotsam". I guess we will have to begin with what is "flotsam". Among the definitions of the word are "things washed ashore" or "miscellaneous trifles". Well, we believe you can find some great treasure on the ocean shore. But -- you will never know what you will find or its value. So we decided that is what this column is - flotsam. We wanted a place to put things that didn't fit anywhere else and might be of interest. Each item could be a column itself and might be some day but for now it will be the flotsam, which washes our way.

LEVER, William, Viscount Leverhulme (1851-1925). William Lever, the great soap magnate who established the firm of Lever Brothers and developed the associated planned village of Port Sunlight, near Birkenhead, had a short-lived flirtation with the Highlands and Islands after he acquired the Island of Lewis in 1917 - and later added to his estate by the purchase of Harris in 1919.

Lever seems to have been genuinely concerned about the plight of the crofters including those returning from World War I and set about a series of regenerative schemes that included investment in farming, tweed manufacture and the fishing industry The last involved the development of Leverburgh a fishing village in Harris. Like most of his schemes in the Western Isles, it was short lived - partly, it was maintained, because the local; population resented the intrusion of absentee landlords and demanded their own land to farm as they chose.

Nevertheless, Lever was proud of his association with the islands and when raised to a viscountcy Lord Leverhulme added 'of the Western Isles' to his new designation. In what was to prove a generous gesture he gave the town and surrounding land as a gift to the people of Stornoway in perpetuity. One estimate puts his losses at £1.5 million by the time he finally withdrew in 1923. NICHOLSON; N., Lord of the-Isles: Lord Leverhulme in the Hebrides,Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1960.

Here is a famous Scot whose name you may recognize.

SIMPSON, Sir James Young (1811 - 70) Simpson, the famous obstetrician who was first to use ether and later chloroform in anaesthesia, was born in Bathgate. His education began at the local school and thereafter he attended Edinburgh University, graduating MD in 1832. He was a brilliant scholar and by 1839 was appointed to the chair of midwifery in the university.

When news of the use of ether in surgery reached Scotland from the United States and England in 1846, Simpson experimented with it in obstetrics the following January. Later that year he and his assistants tried out chloroforrn by inhaling it themselves, and using it at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary soon after. While there was much initial resistance it was given royal blessing by Queen Victoria (1819-1901) who was anaesthetized during the birth of her eighth child, Prince Leopold, in 1853. While Simpson is best remembered for his work in anaesthetics, he also contributed much to obstetrics in general. In 1847 he became a physician to the Queen and was later much honoured at home and abroad. In 1866 he received a baronetcy, the first given to a Scottish medical practitioner. SHEPHERD, J. A., Simpson and Syme of Edinburgh, E. & S. Livingstone, 1969.

Now lets look at some Scottish happenings this month:

1440 - August 2
First Spanish vessels from the Armada routed in the Channel by Drake, appeared off the Scottish coast.

1691 - August 8
Scottish Coronation Stone (or a well-crafted substitute) was stolen by Edward I, Hammer of the Scots, from Abbey of Scone, Perthshire.

1040 - August 14
King Duncan I killed by Macbeth in a battle near Elgin.

1790 - August 27
Smith, the notorious hen-theif, was whipped and banished from Edinburgh for life.

Source - Scotching the Myths by Jim Hewiston can be found in the History Book Section of Scottish Radiance.

It is time to stop combing the library but we can not quit without some quotes from Quotable Scots another great History bookshelf resident. Let's see what quotes we can find.

My lords and lieges, let us all to dinner, for the cockie-leekie is cooling.
Sir Walter Scott The Fortunes of Nigel, 1822

Meat in Scotland is frequently kept a fortnight smothered in oat meal and carefully wiped every day.
Mrs. Dalgairns Practice in Cookery, 1829

Scotland is the best place in the world to take an appetite.
H.V. Morton In Search of Scotland, 1929

A meal in which the Scots must be confessed to excel at.
Dr. Samuel Johnson of the Scottish breakfast

New

Home

Contents

Archive

Scottish Radiance Designed and Copyright 1998 Innovative Consulting Services, Inc.

Radiance