Sunday 26 December 2010

A Christmas Carol- Scrooge or Scroggie















Most people are familiar with Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol and the central character Scrooge, but not many will know that Ebenezer Scrooge was based on an Edinburgh worthy.
Dickens visited Edinburgh in 1841 and while passing time visited the graveyard of the Canongate Church.Here he came across the gravestone of Ebenezer Scroggie,Mealman died 1836. Dickens misread this as 'meanman' and 'Scrooge' for Scroggie. Two years later A Christmas Carol was published to great acclaim. Ebenezer Lennox Scroggie was born in Kirkcaldy a cousin of the famous economist Adam Smith. He found great wealth in Edinburgh as a merchant vintner and town councillor. Noted for his licentious behaviour,generosity and parties,he could not have been more unlike his character in the book.Dickens had entered in his diary following the visit:
'to be remembered through eternity only for being mean seemed the greatest testament to a life wasted.'
 Unfortunately the gravestone of Ebenezer Scroggie was removed in the 1930s and even the use of his forename fell out of favour with parents not wishing to bestow it on their sons.















Sunday 19 December 2010

First Female Herald in Scotland Appointed

The Court of the Lord Lyon has appointed Elizabeth Roads nee Bruce to become the first female herald in Scotland and the UK. The former Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records to the Lord Lyon, she has worked in the court since 1975 and was appointed clerk in 1986. In 1992 she was made Carrick Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary and was a founding member of the Heraldry Society of Scotland later becoming a Fellow of the Heraldry Society of Scotland and the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Scottish Clan and Family DNA Projects - D

Dalrymple -www.familytreedna.com/public/Dalrympledna.com

Davidson - http://www.davidsongenes.org/

Dawson - www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/dawson/

Day,Dea,Dey - http://www.daygenealogy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

Dennis - http://www.dennisdna.org/

Dennison - www.johnbrobb.com/JBR-DEN-sur.htm

Denny - www.familytreedna.com/public/DENNY/

Denson - www.familytreedna.com/public/Denson/

Denton - worldfamilies.net/surnames/denton/

Dewar - www.familytreedna.com/public/DEWAR/

Dick - www.familytreedna.com/public/Dix/index.aspx/

Dixon - http://www.familytreedna.com/public/DIXON%20project/

Dodd,Dodds - www.familytreedna.com/public/DoddDoddsSurnameDNAProject/

Doig - http://www.doig.net/

Dollar - www.familytreedna.com/public/Dollar

Donald - dna-project.clan-donald-usa.org

Donachie - http://www.clandonnachaidhdna.org/

Douglas - www.familytreedna.com/public/Douglas/

Dow - www.familytreedna.com/public/dow

Downie - www.familytreedna.com/public/downey/

Drew - worldfamilies.net/surnames/d/drew/

Drummond - worldfamilies.net/surnames/drummond/

Dryden - worldfamilies.net/surnames/d/dryden/

Dunbar - www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/dunbar

Duncan - http://www.clandonnachaidhdna.org/

Dundas - www.familytreedna.com/public/Dundas/

Dunlop,Dunlap - www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/d/dunlap/

Dunn - www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/dunn

Durham - www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/durham

Durie - www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/durie/

Dyer - www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/dyer/