Here is a brief "progress report" on our planning for the upcoming FIRST McNairn Reunion.

The reunion is being held at my cousin Nelson McNairn's farm. He has a large front yard which will work wonderfully for a one-day event. We are planning on renting a tent of some type for shade and in case of inclement weather, and we will be renting a portable toilet for the day.

The actual date that we have decided upon is SATURDAY, August 23, 2003. As some folks are coming from quite a distance (me, for instance!), we determined that Saturday would be better than Sunday, because this would give families more time to get back home after the reunion is over. In some cases (mine, for example), there are young children in the family, and they must be back home in time to start school on the Monday following the reunion.

We will be sharing a meal together during the course of the day. We are still debating between a lunch or early dinner. We will provide hamburgers and hot dogs, and we ask that you provide the side dishes (vegetables, snacks, desserts, etc.).

As you arrive, we will be asking for a small donation per family. This is to cover the costs of the tent, facilities, and meat. We are working on setting a minimum, but whatever you would like to donate toward the reunion costs would be greatly appreciated, as neither Judi nor I have a lot of money. As a matter of fact, if you know you will be attending and would like to pre-pay, or make a donation, let Judi or Cheryl know, and we will make arrangements. (Hey...I wasn't kidding earlier...I really DO take PayPal!!!!!)

According to a few sources including some way back when, when I was a young girl, I have learned we, the McNairns, are a member of the Clan Stewart of Appin. Depending on where you look the spelling will vary between McNairn and MacNairn. Our name is a Sept of the Clan Stewart of Appin. There are several registered tartans of that Clan including "Red", "Dress", "Hunting" etc.

Clans are, according to the Oxford dictionary, a Group of Scots, especially Highland, with a common ancestor. Again, according to the Oxford, a sept is a clan, especially in Ireland; however, according to books on tartans and clans that I have read and websites that I have visited, in Scotland, a sept is considered to be a subgroup of a clan, often families not related to the Clan chief’s family but living on the Chief’s land and providing payment to the Chief etc. Another way a sept maybe formed would be smaller families who want protection from larger, more powerful neighbours.

The clan is part of the highland branch of the Royal Stewarts and is descended through Sir James Stewart of Perston, 4th son of Sir John Stewart of Bonkyl, second son of Alexander, the 4th High Steward of Scotland. Sir James of Perston was the grandfather of the first Stewart Lord of Lorn, John Stewart of Innermeath. This Lordship passed on and John Stewart of Innermeath’s grandson became Sir John Stewart the Third Stewart Lord of Lorn. By 1445, Sir John Stewart the Third Stewart Lord of Lorn was married but on the way home to his castle he met and fell in love with a young woman who was the daughter of MacLaren of Ardvech. This affair continued and she presented him with a son about a year later. This son was christened Dugald and was destined to be the first Chief of the Stewart of Appin Clan. Apparently sometime around 1458, Sir John’s first wife died but he waited for another five years to marry Dugald’s mother and in 1463 arranged for Dugald and his mother to come to the castle for the wedding. Between the Castle and the Chapel where the marriage was to take place the wedding party was attacked and with Sir John’s dying breath he married Dugald’s mother and made Dugald the du jur Lord of Lorn. After a battle in 1468, in which he personally killed his father’s murderer, Dugald solidified his claim on the area known as Appin (he had lost Lorn). King James III formally granted Appin and the surrounding area to Dugald on April 14^th 1470. Dugald; thus, became the first Chief of the Clan Stewart of Appin.

Our association with the clan does seem to be related to our ancestors being tenant farmers on lands owned by the Appin Stewarts. Specifically, George Black’s book, Surnames of Scotland says that Gillecrist Makrierrane was a tenant under Stewart of Appin in 1509. There are other references as well.

The next step in this discussion is the tartans that each clan wears to show which clan a person belongs to. Look next month for that one. One of the many sites I used for reference for this article is the Gathering of the Clans at http://www.tartans.com/clans/Appin/appin.html. Take a look it is an excellent site. See you all next month.
Judi

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Here's our Birthday and Anniversary list for February. Please let me know of any errors or if you would like to add anyone!

Birthdays:

Not published to the web to Protect Privacy

Anniversaries:

Straight from The McNaron Family Newsletter by Mike Holcomb comes information of another reunion this summer! I will print it here as it appears in the newsletter that was sent out by Mike in December 2002:

Friday night "Get Acquainted Party" at Ryan’s Steakhouse in Fort Payne from 5:00 till 8:00 pm

Saturday Reunion at the Tom Bevill Center in nearby Rainsville from 10:00 till 4:00 pm

Sunday Brunch at the Cracker Barrel in Fort Payne at 10:00 am followed by a tour of the McNaron Family cemeteries and sites of McNaron genealogical interest.

WHO: YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW FOR THE DETAILS:

A photographer will be taking pictures on Saturday beginning at 10:00 am. Photo discs will be for sale after the reunion. T-shirts will also be available. A catered lunch will be served at noon. Everything will be provided. After lunch some sort of entertainment will be provided. (I hope you’re not shy-it could be you!) Anyone who is willing to provide musical entertainment, please let me know.

Please remember to bring your family history and photos to share and display.

Prices for the photo discs, T-shirts, and Saturday noon meal will given on the next newsletter.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Mike Holcomb
McNaron Reunion
1081 County Rd. 396
Dutton, Al 35744

If you have ever done genealogy research, one of the things that you will find out is that there are a MILLION ways to spell that name you're looking up. Even with as rare a name as McNairn, Judi and I have found many variations. Here are some that we have found:

McNairn (found everywhere), McNarin, (Found in Scotland, Ontario, and New Brunswick)

McNeirn (found in Ontario), McNaron (found in US), McNarine (found in Scotland), McNarrine (found in Scotland), Also occasionally Nairn found in Scotland - though most families without the MC are not related to the McNairns.

Also found, although not as commonly, were: McNeir, MacNairn, MacNarin, MacNaron, McNair, MacNair, McNearn, M'Narine, McKnarrine, McKnarrie, McNaren, McNarron, McNearie, McNearin, M'Nairn, M'Narin, M'Nerane, and McNare.

So...this is something to keep in mind as you do your research. If you stumble across a name that is similar but not spelled the same as the one that you are looking for - don’t just skip over it, thinking that it isn’t someone that you are looking for. It might be a long-lost cousin whose name was misspelled in a newspaper article or obituary, or a transcriber’s error, or a hundred circumstances that can cause inks to wear away with time. Make a note of the misspelling, take down the information anyway, and then file it away for future reference if it can’t be verified right away.

Here are some Scottish recipes for you this month:

PORRIDGE (or "PARRITCH")

Oatmeal was once described as "the backbone of many a sturdy Scotsman". Porridge was one of the main ways of eating oats, in days gone by. There is a lot of mystique about making porridge and lots of traditions associated with cooking and eating it (most of which can be ignored). The important thing is to obtain good quality medium-ground oats (rather than rolled oats) and to keep stirring it to avoid solid lumps.

For Two Servings:

One pint (half litre) water; some people use half water and half milk
2.5 ounces (2.5 rounded tablespoons) medium-ground oats
Pinch of salt

Bring the water (or water and milk) to a good rolling boil, preferably in a non-stick pan. Slowly pour the oatmeal into the boiling liquid, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon all the time. Keep stirring until it has returned to the boil again, reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer very gently for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the salt at this point and simmer and stir for a further 5/10 minutes (time depends on the quality of the oats). It should be a thick but pourable consistency. Serve hot in wooden bowls if you have them.

Some Traditions:

Stirring the porridge should always be clockwise (though going in different directions probably mixes more efficiently).

Porridge used to be served with separate bowls of double cream. A spoonful of porridge (in a horn spoon) was dipped into a communal bowl of cream before eating.

Porridge is eaten standing up. While some people have suggested that this is out of respect for the noble dish, it probably arose from busy farmers doing other things while eating their morning porridge - or as an aid to digestion.

While some people frown at the idea of sugar on porridge others not only approve but suggest a tot of whisky. Each to their own!

Porridge used to be poured into a "porridge drawer" and, once it had cooled, it could be cut up into slices. These were easier to carry than brittle oatcakes.

COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP

This traditional soup, with prunes included in the ingredients, is mentioned as early as the 16th century. It is often served at Burns Suppers or St Andrew's Night Dinner (30 November) as well as an every-day soup in winter. Some people omit the prunes though!

1 boiling fowl, about 4lb, including legs and wings
1lb leeks (about 12) cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 pints stock or water
1oz long grained rice
4oz cooked, stoned prunes
One teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Garnish of bay leaf, parsley, thyme

Some recipes also have 3 chopped rashers of streaky bacon

Put the fowl and bacon in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and remove any scum. Add three-quarters of the leeks, (green as well as white sections), herbs (tied together in a bundle), salt and pepper and return to the boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, adding more water if necessary.

Remove the bird. Some thrifty chefs use the bird as another course, others cut the meat into small pieces and add them back to the soup (certainly it should have some pieces of chicken in it when served). Add the rice and drained prunes and the remaining leeks and simmer for another 30 minutes. Check for flavour and serve with a little chopped parsley.

The next time you are on the internet, check out a new enhancement to Judi's website. It is a world map where you can mark the place that you live. It is really neat! Only a few have stuck their pins in the map, so when you have time why not stop by and plot your spot! http://pub28.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=2398226383

Also, have a look at the McNairn Resources site - Judi has done a lot of work on it: http://www.jamcnairn.com

And so ends another issue of the Times....as usual I have had fun putting it together! Don't forget, if you know of anyone who would like to receive The McNairn Times in their email - FREE - have them drop me a line at cheryllgrice@cs.com and I will put them on my e-mail list. If you would like to receive printed issues of The Times, I am asking for a small donation of $5.00 USD for a one-year subscription to help cover the costs of printing and postage.

See you next month!

~Cheryl~