The recent anniversary of the death of Robert Burns, Scottish poet, led my thoughts toward my own Scot ancestry. I have been researching my various family roots for at least 60 years. Not with any steadfast focus but with a continuing interest and fascination. My natural inclination was to trace my surname Cochrane from my own birth back to the earliest ancestor I could find. This journey then led to the other ancestral branches that were woven into my descent. Almost all of which were Scottish on the paternal side. Along the way one inevitably in such a search bumps into history and how antecedents were involved and shaped by it. And, my Cochrane line began in 1240 at Renfrew, Scotland when Waldenus DeCochrane, the first known of that surname, was born.
We might consider first of all who the Scots are. Well, we know where they are, in the northern part of the British Isles. As I understand it the earliest arrivals in that part of Great Britain were invaders from Ireland who established settlements in the highlands that were taken from the Pict inhabitants. The ancient language then used the word Scots which meant “invaders” to describe these new adventurers. So we can assume that they were originally Irish Celts, seeking new land for settlement.
The irony is that in the passing centuries some of the tribes (clans) were persecuted in warfare or for religious beliefs and fled Scotland back to Ireland. These people are called Scots-Irish. So when you see that term written it should not indicate people who are a mixture of Scotch and Irish blood (they are all originally Irish Celts) but are descendants of Scots who fled to Ireland. Many of the Cochranes were among those who did so. One can generally determine the case, whether Scot or Scots-Irish by the spelling of the name. The Scots-Irish dropped the final “e” in the name. Cochrane is Scot and remained at home; Cochran, without the “e”, is Scots-Irish and the family settled in Ireland. But, there are exceptions of course and my family is one of them. My gr. gr. grandfather Glass Cochran was born in Dublin, Ireland but my dad, Earl, did not like the shortened version of the name so added the final letter. Thus, my line is from the Scots-Irish that set out again to find a haven by immigrating to America.
The Scots-Irish are prominent in the founding and growth of the United States. No part of our country’s history can be told without including them. They contributed in every field of endeavor and in every war. In fact President Barack Obama is of Irish descent. His great, great, great grandfather Fulmouth Kearney was from Moneygall, Offaly county, Ireland before immigrating in 1850 to the United States.
If you would like to honor Mr. Burns or the Scots with a fine dinner then you can prepare a cock-a-leekie soup; a main course of haggis, which is a mixture of a lamb’s internal organs cooked inside its stomach lining (a 2 to 8 oz. portion is enough); add some side dishes of neeps (mashed turnips) and tatties (potatoes), and end with clootie dumplings (a pudding boiled in a cloth). End the evening singing Burn’s “Auld Lang Syne” while sipping a glass of Scotch. - - - Frankly, I think I’ll have a “Big Mac.” I am -
We might consider first of all who the Scots are. Well, we know where they are, in the northern part of the British Isles. As I understand it the earliest arrivals in that part of Great Britain were invaders from Ireland who established settlements in the highlands that were taken from the Pict inhabitants. The ancient language then used the word Scots which meant “invaders” to describe these new adventurers. So we can assume that they were originally Irish Celts, seeking new land for settlement.
The irony is that in the passing centuries some of the tribes (clans) were persecuted in warfare or for religious beliefs and fled Scotland back to Ireland. These people are called Scots-Irish. So when you see that term written it should not indicate people who are a mixture of Scotch and Irish blood (they are all originally Irish Celts) but are descendants of Scots who fled to Ireland. Many of the Cochranes were among those who did so. One can generally determine the case, whether Scot or Scots-Irish by the spelling of the name. The Scots-Irish dropped the final “e” in the name. Cochrane is Scot and remained at home; Cochran, without the “e”, is Scots-Irish and the family settled in Ireland. But, there are exceptions of course and my family is one of them. My gr. gr. grandfather Glass Cochran was born in Dublin, Ireland but my dad, Earl, did not like the shortened version of the name so added the final letter. Thus, my line is from the Scots-Irish that set out again to find a haven by immigrating to America.
The Scots-Irish are prominent in the founding and growth of the United States. No part of our country’s history can be told without including them. They contributed in every field of endeavor and in every war. In fact President Barack Obama is of Irish descent. His great, great, great grandfather Fulmouth Kearney was from Moneygall, Offaly county, Ireland before immigrating in 1850 to the United States.
If you would like to honor Mr. Burns or the Scots with a fine dinner then you can prepare a cock-a-leekie soup; a main course of haggis, which is a mixture of a lamb’s internal organs cooked inside its stomach lining (a 2 to 8 oz. portion is enough); add some side dishes of neeps (mashed turnips) and tatties (potatoes), and end with clootie dumplings (a pudding boiled in a cloth). End the evening singing Burn’s “Auld Lang Syne” while sipping a glass of Scotch. - - - Frankly, I think I’ll have a “Big Mac.” I am -
Just sayin'
I'm curious.... Have you ever eaten those foods?
ReplyDeleteAnd does any of it taste like chicken?
As a well traveled gourmet I curiously have never had the opportunity to taste haggis. Believe me, it would be a small taste. The soup I have tasted. It is good and is simply a potato soup with leeks added to some chicken broth. And I have tried a pudding similar to Clootie pudding when I was in Wales. It is made with flour, oatmeal, suet, currants, eggs and some added spices. All is put in a cloth (Clootie)and boiled. The serving is usually topped with a syrup or jam. As for the neeps, it is among the vegetable allergies that I suffer - can't eat most green veggies or those grown underground like turnips or radishes. Thankfully potatoes are the exception.
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