Spectator - Spring 5

Origins – by Howard Topp

We all have interesting stories that explain our Scottish heritage and highlight our pride in kinship. I’d like to relate a personal story about an incident that occurred more than thirty years ago. It concerned the forming of the Clan Sutherland Society of North America …but, with a very personal twist. At that time Carolyn and I frequently attended to Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, since the St. Andrew’s Society of Williamsburg was one of the first 25 sponsors of the event and always had a preferred place along the parade field perimeter fence. We were accorded this honor because the Williamsburg St. Andrew’s founder, Bob Duncan, was an avid supporter of the games and co-founder Dave Shepherd was an early vendor at the mountain. The irrepressible Paul Ritchie would always organize a fairly large Williamsburg contingent, staying at a small motel in nearby Newland, NC.

During one of our visits, Carolyn and I met a Miss Sally Southerland. Miss Sally lived near the mountain and had always envisioned starting a Clan Sutherland society. Like us, other Sutherlands had encountered Miss Sally and expressed an interest in joining such a group when it was formed. She began the planning efforts, contacted people interested in forming the clan society, and finally called for a founding meeting in conjunction with the 1976 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.

On the Saturday evening of the games, a small group of fifteen members gathered at a nearby Holiday Inn for the purposes of formally establishing the society. At the meeting the participants worked out the details of the society structure and established the procedures to be followed in incorporating the organization during the following weeks and months. Once all the administrative and business details had been worked out, we formally declared the existence of the “Clan Sutherland Society of North America.”

Following the meeting, the attendees enjoyed refreshments and began to relate stores of their own Sutherland connections. During the animated discussions an elderly brother and sister, Alva Myers and Arnold King, told of their own personal history. Alva was particularly thorough in explaining their Sutherland connection. She described how an Alexander Sutherland, a British Army surgeon from Elgin, Scotland had served in India and subsequently in Canada. She described a number of the events that pertained to his life: pensioned from the Army, settling into a practice in Ontario, calling for the rest of his family to come from Scotland to start a new life in Canada, the tragedy of a young daughter dying during the voyage and being buried at sea. I sat in awe as she described their family history.

After she finished and another person started to describe his family’s Sutherland origins, Elva got up to get another cup of coffee. I walked over to her and said, “Ma'am … I think we are related.”

She said, “Oh yes, isn’t wonderful! We are all Sutherlands here!”

I responded, “No, Ma’am! We’re a whole lot closer related that that!

”Why do you say that?” she asked.

“Because I grew up listening to the very stories you just described.”

“Why ….who told you these stories?” she asked.

“My mother.”

Puzzled, she asked “What was your mother’s name?” I had only to say my mother’s first name … Marguretta … and Elva cried out a name that I had as a baby and only those from my very close family would have known.

Elva was my mother’s cousin and closest friend as a young child growing up. The last time that she had seen me was in the spring of 1939 when she held me during a visit by my mother to Elva’s home. During and after the war they had lived in different states and gradually drifted apart. My mother passed away in 1968 and I had little contact with other members of her family after that time. And yet, in the founding of our clan society I had reconnected with a long lost relative. Amazing! We remained in close contact until she and Arnold passed away.

Letter from Gen. William S. Wallace

Following Burns Nicht, President Howard Topp received the following hand-written note from Gen. William S. Wallace who we had invited to Burns Nicht as Guest of Honor. Howard wanted to share it with the members:

Commanding General
United States Army Training and Defense Command
7 Fenwick Road
Fort Monroe Virginia 23651-1049

28 Jan 08

Howard –

My sincere thanks for having been given the opportunity to join the St. Andrew’s Society in celebration of Burns Nicht.

Scots are a unique and proud people, as we all realize. Their heritage is part of what makes our Country strong. Having the chance to celebrate that heritage with drink, haggis, and pipe was most enjoyable.

Thanks again to you and the Society. I wish you all the best in 2008.

Sincerely,

Scott Wallace

Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis

Heritage Research Services
Your editor’s sister-in-law, RoseannThomas, is running a new genealogical research service, should anyone be interested in tracking down Scottish roots. Although I haven’t formally used her company I was amazed at the job she did previously in researching and documenting a formerly unknown branch of my Father’s Cornish family tree that ultimately went all the way back to Europe in the 1300’s. She didn’t charge us for that, but her company’s rates seem reasonable. She has had experience tracking down Scottish ancestors and as a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints she has access to their superb genealogical records. Please see her website at http://www.heritageresearch.org/

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