Census poll: What is your cultural / historical connection to the kilt?

[Tobus]

I am the eighth in a direct paternal line back to Neil MacLeod, born on the Isle of Skye, who emigrated with his entire family and several other related families to South Carolina in 1775. After "clan MacDonald's insurrection" and Moore's Creek the situation in the carolinas became untenable for the loyalists and my bunch of highlanders fled west to Alabama. Once there they settled to the west of Clarkesville, which would later become Grove Hill, along with many other highland families including Calhouns, Mathews, McVays, Pughs, Robinsons, Megginsons, Creaghs and Harrisons. This area became known unoficially as little Scotland due to the number of gealic speakers, as late as the war between the states.

Fascinating! It's awesome that you know that much of your family history. Mine is actually very similar. My Kilpatricks came to the colonies about 60 years earlier than your MacLeods, and they settled in South Carolina (and owned huge tracts of land, known then as the Coneross Plantation). My branch eventually resettled near what is known today as Carrollton, Alabama. That's only about 120 miles from your folks.

Seems that the South Carolina - Alabama move was pretty common amongst those of Scots persuasion.

[warrior]

Fascinating! It's awesome that you know that much of your family history. Mine is actually very similar. My Kilpatricks came to the colonies about 60 years earlier than your MacLeods, and they settled in South Carolina (and owned huge tracts of land, known then as the Coneross Plantation). My branch eventually resettled near what is known today as Carrollton, Alabama. That's only about 120 miles from your folks.

Seems that the South Carolina - Alabama move was pretty common amongst those of Scots persuasion.

It certainly was, ever see the state flag of Alabama? A red St Andrew's Cross on a white field. The Scots influence runs deep, probably deeper than any other. Why it even influenced the nation. Do you remember our "Little Judge" from Clio, AL? Alabama's only four term governor George Wallace.

[thescot]

My great-great grandfather was a Robertson and a proud Scotch-Irishman. (We all know the history and hornery nature of the Scotch Irish!) I think that the German part of me is less desirable than the Scottish part. Ha.

Killmans come from both Germany and Aberdeen, so I'll go with Aberdeen. I like the Scots better than I like the Huns. Ha.













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[Black Watch]

I like the Scots better than I like the Huns. Ha.

So do I

Mike

[1oldsarge]

Maternal side is Duncan, which I traced back to 1612 to St. Ninians, Stirlingshire, Scotland.
Paternal side is English.

[Bugbear]

I suppose wearing some sort of kilt from time to time to participate in this forum community counts as a cultural connection. I also suppose we are, at this point, a tiny fragment of history to the coming generations, as many of us have recorded so much of ourselves here.

[BoldHighlander]

Welcome back Now isn't this a surprise? 73.17 percent of those who responded to CDN Sushi's X Marks the Scot poll are Scottish or have Scottish ties through direct genealogy. We just can't get away from the genes, can we?

Indeed.

I suppose wearing some sort of kilt from time to time to participate in this forum community counts as a cultural connection. I also suppose we are, at this point, a tiny fragment of history to the coming generations, as many of us have recorded so much of ourselves here.

I never thought of it in that way, Ted .... that's kind of scary!

[ThistleDown]

I suppose wearing some sort of kilt from time to time to participate in this forum community counts as a cultural connection. I also suppose we are, at this point, a tiny fragment of history to the coming generations, as many of us have recorded so much of ourselves here.

mmmm, is that so, Ted? Do we wear some sort of kilt because we are part of the community -- do we wear some sort of kilt to BE part of the community -- do we wear some sort of kilt to create some sort of cultural connection, or is the kilt -- after all is said and done, in itself the cultural connection ?

[Bugbear]

mmmm, is that so, Ted? Do we wear some sort of kilt because we are part of the community -- do we wear some sort of kilt to BE part of the community -- do we wear some sort of kilt to create some sort of cultural connection, or is the kilt -- after all is said and done, in itself the cultural connection ?

I was speaking about my personal reasons on that. However, I view both culture and community as an emergent and ongoing system or process of interacting people. Any given person may have any number of reasons for participating in a culture or community, so it could be any or all of those reasons. It's the participation and interacting, from what ever motivation, that keeps it all going.

[Singlemalt]

As far as i know I am 100% Scottish in terms of DNA. My paternal Grandparents emigrated to Canada from Inverness with five children in 1919. My father was their only child born in the "new world".

However what I think is unique in my upbringing is that it was from my mother who was from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia that I think I really get my Scottish "identity" from. When I was a small boy she sang me to sleep with the Sky Boat song and told stories of The Bruce and the spider, and the escape of of Bonnie Prince Charlie from the evil English. She could sing many old songs in Gaelic. It was that that took root in my imagination. Yet as far as I can tell her family was many, many generations born in Canada (MacLeod's, Mac Niels, Cameron and Kerr).