Quick Scottish History - 16. 7 June - 13 June

1. Quick
Scottish
History
Issue 16 7 June – 13 June
This week in Scottish history…
7 June 1329 – Death of King Robert the Bruce, possibly from leprosy
8 June 1333 – start of English attempts to win back Isle of Man from Scotland
9 June 597 – Death of St Columba, who helped bring Christianity to Scotland
10 June 1719 – Battle of Glen Shiel sees the defeat of the Jacobites
11 June 1560 – death of Mary of Guise, mother of Mary, Queen of Scots
12 June 1997 – Ownership of Isle of Eigg passed to the local community
13 June 1819 –Strathnaver Clearances begin (part of the Highland Clearances)
A weekly guide to
Scotland’s past with
@mrmarrhistory
Weekly quiz
Scottish emigrant Andrew Carnegie’s steel company made
him the world’s richest man. Where was he born?
Last week’s answer: The world’s shortest scheduled flight
takes place between Westray to Papa Westray in Orkney
The life of …
Andrew Watson
Andrew Watson is famous as being the
first black footballer in Scotland, and is
also believed to be the first black
international footballer in the world.
Watson was born in 1856 in British
Guiana in the West Indies. His father
was Scottish and eventually brought his
son to live in Britain.
He attended Glasgow University and
when there began to play football. He
was married twice, the second time to a
woman from Glasgow, Eliza Tyler.
He played for various football teams as
his playing career progressed. He started
at Maxwell, then went to Parkgrove
before going to Queen’s Park.
He also played for teams in England –
Swifts, Corinthians and Bootle. He later
returned to Queen’s Park too.
Watson played for Scotland three times.
On his debut he was captain as Scotland
beat England 6-1 in London. This is
England’s biggest ever home defeat.
After his playing career ended, Watson
lived in London. He died in 1921 from
the illness typhus.
The Scots in Canada
During the 1800s and 1900s, large numbers of Scots
emigrated, with Canada being one of their main destinations.
The Scots in Canada had a profound impact, although not
always for positive reasons.
Part of the attraction of Canada was the economic
opportunities it offered. Many Scots were attracted due to
the prospect of jobs, or even acquiring land.
Different industries attracted large numbers of Scots. As well
as farming, many Scottish emigrants worked in the timber
trade or fur industry, especially the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Other Scots played a role in Canadian politics. The most
famous example of this was John A MacDonald, born in
Glasgow but Canada’s first Prime Minister.
MacDonald is now a controversial figure in Canada due to his
treatment of native Canadian peoples. This included native
children being removed from their families.
Scots in Canada sought to keep links with their homelands.
Various activities to connect to Scotland’s heritage took place,
including Burns Nights, Caledonian Societies and playing
Scottish sports too, such as the Highland Games.
To suggest topics get in touch via Twitter: @mrmarrhistory #quickscottishhistory