Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897

THE OELTIO MONTHLY.
25
MISS JEAN MACFARLAN SCOTT.
j^5^N the oldeu time the
i^ Scotts of the English
=^ border were a rlaii
whose deeds had iiiurh in
common with those of the
MiicFarlanes on the Low-
laud Scottish border. The
Scotts made forays upon
the English, while the
MacFarlanes had their
"creachs" in the Low-
lands of Scotland.
With the best blood of
two t'laus rnnuing- in her
veins Miss .lean MacFar-
laii Scott of Sunderland, and Farmfield, Ayr-
.shire, deserves honourable notice. Claiming, as
she does, to be descended from "Chief William,"
the last of the MacFarlanes who held the
ancestral estates of Arrochar, Miss MacFailau
Scott is 110 counterfeit or imitation clanswoman.
One cannot meet her and remain in suspense or
uncertainty as to her being a true clanswoman
jealous for the honour of S'lol vam Parknuwli.
This lad^' of the clan is not a voice merely, fcir
the lively force of her mind, united with goi«l
sound sense ami business capacity (of which
more anon), impel her to action. Take an
illustration ! The inscription slab in Greyfriais,
Edinburgh, to the memory of Miss MacFarlane
of that ilk, fell out of its place and was lying
unheeded for years, when a private soldier
named MacFarlan tried to fix it up again, but
failed. The subject of our notice on learning of
the circumstance, had the work done at her own
cost and under her own eye. In her .search for
folklore of her clan Miss MacFarlan Scott has
been untiring. She has spent days in the
Register Hou.se, Edinburgh, in Glasgow, and in
Luss, Arrochar, Dumbarton, and numerous other
places, in pursuit of her favourite hobby, and
has been in correspondence with MacFarlanes
the world over, inclusive of her friend, Mrs.
MacFarlane Little, of Stateu Island, historian of
the clan, W. W. MacFailand of New York (ime
of the leaders of the American Bar, to whom
Mrs. Little has assigned the chiefship), and
Colonel MacFarlan of Ballencleroch, on whom
Mr. John Cameron, in his " Parjsh of Campsie,"
devolves the chiefship, and whose ancestor, as
given by Mrs. Little, was George MacFarlan of
Merkiuch, younger son of Andrew, laird of
MacFarlan in the reign of King James V.
Miss MacFarlan Scott has also entertained and
interviewed several of the Dublin MacFarlanes,
described by Dr. Maclauchlan as principal cadets
fif the clan. She is given to hospitality, and is
just now trying to gather into an association
the clan people of Sunderland district.
But no notice of Miss MacFarlan Scott would
be complete without making pointed reference to
the marked business ability which she possesses,
and which she has turned to good account.
When her father, who carried on business in
Sunderland, died about twelve years ago, she was
thrown upon her own resources, and she has
lived to negative two erroneous but common
impressions, (1) that a woman cannot have
business aptitude of a high order, and (2) that the
Celtic craving- for folklore, pedigree and the like
is inconsistent with success in the matter of
fact battle of life. The high class character of
the firm of Scott & Co , Lome House, Sunderland,
is well kn(jwn. It is not so widely known that
its fame and success have been secui-ed by the
ability and untiring energy of this gifted lady.
In the conduct of the business of " Lome
House," its owner has been accustomed to make
almost monthly journeys to Loudon and other
haunts of fashion, as well as to visit psriodically
the more impoit.ant manufacturing centres.
Miss MacFarlan Scott, as it were, steals away
from the active business of her warehouse and
the duties of her counting hou^e for a day or two
now and again to rest mind and body, which she
sometimes does by journeying to Lochsloy, or by
climbing the neighbouring hills (for a sprig of
cloudberry) with such agility that she has been
described as one of the most accomplished of lady
mountaineers. May prosperity continue to attend
her 1
lliunkut.in. IvOBI;1:T MACl\ir>L.\N.
Lewis anh Harkis .Vssociation. — Sir Lewis
Maolver, M.P., is to preside at the Annual
Gathering in the Waterloo Rooms on 13th
November.
The MacDonald Society hold their Annual
Gathering in the Queen's Rooms on 25th November,
Mr. J R. M Macdonald, of Largie, in the chair.
Thk Glasgow Ross and Cuomaiity Association
had their opening meeting on 8th Gotober, and the
Annual Reports showed the Association was in a
flourishing condition. The membership is 127, and
the funds £160 Mr John Mackenzie, Secretary, to
whose exertions the present success of the Association
is mainly due, was presented with a purse of sover-
eigns on the occasion of his marriage.
The Hawke's Bay (New Zealand) Highland
Society' is making splendid progress. The at
tendance at the recent monthly meeting proved too
large for the size of the hall. After the usual routine
business was transacted, the evening was devoted to
singing, dancing, etc. Mr W. Fraser, late Secretary,
was presented with a handsome gold albert and pend-
ant, in token of his valuable services to the society,
which he suitably acknowledged. Mr i. Murray
Graham, the energetic Secretary, deserves to be con-
gratulated on the success of the Society.