If you are interested to know whether there are Tartan Day events in your area, begin by checking this Web site: scottishculture.about.com/aboutuk/scottishculture/mbody.htm or inquire through local information sources.

Declaration of Arbroath
Why 6 April? This is the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, a strong statement of Scottish independence sent to the Pope in 1320. Such a view was understandable. After all, it was soon after Bannockburn, 1314, and the recapture of Berwick, 1319, two decisive victories over the English. The Pope had not acknowledged Scotland as a separate nation and the 38 lords were, in very strong terms, telling him to do so. Their document had the desired effect. To read more, and for links to the text of the Declaration, in both the original Latin and English, visit: www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/arbroath.html

Tartan
Like the word 'plaid' which formerly meant a blanket, tartan used to mean a piece of cloth. It is a modern interpretation to think of the pattern of the cloth when we see either of these words. Scots of any background, Lowland or Highland, can be found proudly wearing tartan today; but it wasn't always so. From 1746, after the defeat of the supporters of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) at the battle of Culloden, until 1782, it was against the law to wear it. In those days, Lowlanders were not at all interested in dressing themselves in the attire of a group of people they held in low regard.

A little research into tartans in various books and Web sites will tell you that the tartan as a means of identification is a modern thing. (Start with the excellent resources at: www.rampantscotland.com or any of the guides published by HarperCollins, e.g., the Pocket Reference, Clans and Tartans, 1995.) Some sources quoted claim that recognition was possible from tartan as early as 1703, while others dispute this, pointing to the varied garb of the Scots at Culloden. What is agreed is that by the second half of the 1700s, mainly due to the influence of the army, tartans were being aligned with particular groups and names. The influence of the tartan manufacturers helped this along, and in 1831 the first book on clans and tartans was published.

Step Back in Time
I suggest you get in touch with your Scottish past on or about 6 April by examining the parish reports written by local ministers in the 1790s and the 1830s. Many of you will already be aware of the recent arrival on the Web of the complete first and second Statistical Accounts of Scotland at: edina.ac.uk/cgi/StatAcc/StatAcc.cgi Up until now access has not been easy—the 1978 reprint of the First Statistical Accounts is in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City on fiche and film but does not circulate to Family History Centers. The lucky ones among us find them in nearby reference libraries.

In 1791, Sir John Sinclair, a Caithness landlord with a particular interest in the Scottish economy and agriculture, conceived the idea of surveying the status of every parish is Scotland. He believed that "public policies and actions, especially Parliamentary legislation intended to benefit the populace, needed to be founded on something better than prejudice or mere hunch." (D.J. Withrington and I.R. Grant, eds. The Statistical Accounts of Scotland, Volume 1, 1978," page xiv).

Sinclair designed a questionnaire with 160 queries and then went to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland seeking to harness the knowledge of local ministers. The questionnaire not only probed issues economic, it asked questions about natural features, antiquities, population, political, and moral matters. Some 500 ministers responded quite quickly and by 1794, 775 of 938 parishes had sent in reports. Sinclair did not yet realize the trouble he would have cajoling reports out of the remainder—those whom someone described as the incapable, the indolent, and the busy. In the end he had replies from all but twelve, and to these parishes he sent his "statistical missionaries."

The majority of ministers had lived in their parishes for five years or more. They were knowledgeable, if occasionally somewhat patronizing. Some went on at great length, carefully addressing the issues raised in the questionnaire—most wrote a narrative rather than specific answers. The facts are there, and though names are few, the material is of interest to family historians. For example, at the united parishes of Logie and Pert in the county of Forfar 30 persons died in 12 months, 1787-88, from a malignant fever (the symptoms are described). Forty years before, in the 1750s, one important business was the snuff factory, which had processed over 40,000 pounds of snuff per year, but in the 1790s only one person was employed and production was down to 5,000 pounds. If facts are few in your parish of interest, and even if they are not, read also about those adjacent.

In addition, at this Web site, you can scrutinize what ministers had to say roughly 40 years later. Changing to the report of the Second Statistical Account is only a click away. Comparing the reports is very interesting and can offer clues about living conditions, changing fortunes and why people came or went. The second account is one way to find out about secession or dissenting congregations in a parish or nearby. Be sure to read it.

Sir John Sinclair wanted proceeds from his accounts to go to the benefit of children of Church of Scotland ministers, so it not surprising that production of the second account was supported by the Society for the Benefit of the Sons and Daughters of the Clergy.

When reading the accounts think of the wonderful people at EDINA (Edinburgh Data and Information Access) who have made this incomparable resource available to all, and of Sir John Sinclair, a man of amazing vision. Should you be in Thurso, his statue stands in the square.