THANK YOU FOR THE KIND BIRTHDAY THOUGHTS AND MESSAGES
Wow, I'm overwhelmed in beautiful way I never felt possible...but then everything is possible when there is friendship in the world and kind words express well wishes of happiness. I would like to thank all of you, who took time to send me such lovely birthday wishes. You certainly cheered this old chap and for that thanking you ALL cannot be enough. Having such special friends for support is awesome and wonderful.
Yesterday, Saturday, 6th May 2023 was among other things my Sixty-second birthday. Of course there was clearly a lot going on... The King's Coronation was being broadcast live... Then amongst it all I noticed that a good friend of mine was delighted to announce the birth of a grandson, such good news is heartwarming and happy.
Now with all the preparation for my summer season requiring my deplete energy of late. I was rather tired and thought I'd have a leisurely sort of day. To follow, the annual emotional juxtaposition of my Dad's Anniversary, a significant one this year and very poignant. Now, being as it was a Saturday. First thing was to get the weekend food shopping done and dusted quickly. Regardless, I had actually decided to go out for a meal, nothing fancy and not to extravagant, We went to the Crown Inn's, Harbour View, with it's fine food and equally fine location. I meet so many people I know friends from school, cousins I haven't seen for a couple of months., and so many others. Earlier I had a lovely phone call from a nephew in Glasgow and later a wee video by my youngest nephew, aged seven, to serenade me on his violin from Portugal. I loved being out in company but then was getting more tired by the minute.
When I got home there were many messages and I have enjoyed reading each of them. I will also be spending time to give each a special reply. XXX KB
Sunday, 7 May 2023
Friday, 5 May 2023
In memoriam of my father
Exactly thirty years ago, this morning, at 10.30am, on Wednesday 5th May 1993, our father Willie Burns, was suddenly taken away. Leaving us stunned and shaken. It was a bright,cloudless spring morning and what should have been a routine mid-week working day will forever be remembered as the moment our world came crashing down.
He was only sixty and a half, very active and in the middle a repair job in his workshop... when he collapsed without warning, suffering a massive heart attack. He died within the hour in the Western Isles Hospital. We still grieve and miss him so... He still had much to give. It will always hurt and I will always find it virtually impossible to think of thirty years without him or imagining him having grown old.
Time, did as it always does, left our loved one back in the moment when he past. Time, it does not soften, it does not heal, it merely takes us further away from that terrible moment of loss.
This a time to remember a very special person and reflect. He was a positive man and would prefer to be remembered in a happy positive and constructive way. So as every year I steal a few silent minutes on my own... and then get on with the chores of the day.
In quiet reflection of William Burns, Marine Engineer, 3rd November 1932 - 5th May 1993.
KB
He was only sixty and a half, very active and in the middle a repair job in his workshop... when he collapsed without warning, suffering a massive heart attack. He died within the hour in the Western Isles Hospital. We still grieve and miss him so... He still had much to give. It will always hurt and I will always find it virtually impossible to think of thirty years without him or imagining him having grown old.
Time, did as it always does, left our loved one back in the moment when he past. Time, it does not soften, it does not heal, it merely takes us further away from that terrible moment of loss.
This a time to remember a very special person and reflect. He was a positive man and would prefer to be remembered in a happy positive and constructive way. So as every year I steal a few silent minutes on my own... and then get on with the chores of the day.
In quiet reflection of William Burns, Marine Engineer, 3rd November 1932 - 5th May 1993.
KB
Monday, 1 May 2023
In memory of my great-aunt, Peggy Ann
Yes indeed this is a profoundly sad story. It needed to be told at this time a century on. It is a vital part of my maternal grandfather's family history, it was told to me when I was a child, by my Dear Mother. I have since researched and gathered more information on that history.
Today, 1st May, would have been Peggy Ann's birthday.
Sadly the nature of history is retrospective and the individuals it relates to are often no longer around to tell or respond to what we might wish to know. It is also important, while studying, interpreting and transcribing to use factual information and not conjecture. But by all accounts the loss of these two sisters Mary and Margaret ("Peggy") Ann, in their twenties, at 1 Dalbeg, in 1923, had an understandably devastating effect on their siblings. Four brothers John Angus, Murdo, Kenneth and John, and two sisters Dolina and Catriona. Their sisters who died so young were fondly remembered and the memories were passed on throughout the years. I learnt of this sad story as a young child, from my own Dear Mother Barbara, who had been told of it by her father Kenneth, who died when she was ten years old.
Now the naming of children has always been important, especially as a way of commemorating relatives. It is my understanding that in island communities there is an established custom of naming children after or in honour of recently lost close relatives, (I do know that my grandfather, who I am proud to be named in honour of, was indeed named after his uncle Kenneth who died aged twenty-eight years in1892). I have been told that my grandfather Kenneth MacLeod and my granny Barbara MacNair, made it known that he wished his eldest daughters my twin aunties to be named Mary and Peggy, directly in honour of his young sisters. Eldest brother John Angus and his wife Jessie Nicolson's family were a little older. Murdo had no family. But it does become evident that the others also wished to name daughters in honour of their two sisters. John and his wife Mary Murray's , eldest daughter was born in 1923, and named Peggy Ann and his youngest daughter was named Mary. The youngest sister Catriona "Codaidh" and her husband Malcolm MacArthur named their eldest daughter Peggy Ann, and younger daughter Mary.
I knew Auntie Codaidh, she was exactly the same age as my granny Barbara, they had been close friends since early childhood and gone to the Shawbost Primary School. She would visit us and we would often visit her in her home in Upper Carloway and latterly when she moved to Stornoway, before she passed away in 1989. She loved to reminisce and had clear memories of her lost sisters, whom she did speak of quite often. She also had a good knowledge of the history of the family, going back many generations. One day when we were visiting she actually wrote out the precise dates of birth of all her siblings. My mother gave this list to me before she passed away, and it is now a much valued item.
Dolina, and her husband Murdo MacIver, did name their eldest daughter Mary , though not necessarily after the lost sister Mary as there were paternal grannies and great-grannies named Mary. Their, second daughter, was Catherine Margaret Ann, who sadly passed away only very recently. I do not believe that I am in a position to say, others may certainly know better than me, if her last two Christian names were in honour of the other lost sister Margaret Ann.
Catherine Margaret Ann and my mum Barbara, were first cousins, and the family connection was very strong and lovingly kept. In all there were twenty first cousins, fourteen girls and six boys, none of whom knew the two aunties who passed away so tragically in 1923. I was brought up to know the connections and keep them going. Then as I got older I became increasingly more interested in the history of the family and have over the years made quite an extensive and on going research. I wanted to tell the story of those two girls who died in Dalbeg, a century ago, before every vestige of them goes without trace. This is a good time to tell it.
KB.
Today, 1st May, would have been Peggy Ann's birthday.
Sadly the nature of history is retrospective and the individuals it relates to are often no longer around to tell or respond to what we might wish to know. It is also important, while studying, interpreting and transcribing to use factual information and not conjecture. But by all accounts the loss of these two sisters Mary and Margaret ("Peggy") Ann, in their twenties, at 1 Dalbeg, in 1923, had an understandably devastating effect on their siblings. Four brothers John Angus, Murdo, Kenneth and John, and two sisters Dolina and Catriona. Their sisters who died so young were fondly remembered and the memories were passed on throughout the years. I learnt of this sad story as a young child, from my own Dear Mother Barbara, who had been told of it by her father Kenneth, who died when she was ten years old.
Now the naming of children has always been important, especially as a way of commemorating relatives. It is my understanding that in island communities there is an established custom of naming children after or in honour of recently lost close relatives, (I do know that my grandfather, who I am proud to be named in honour of, was indeed named after his uncle Kenneth who died aged twenty-eight years in1892). I have been told that my grandfather Kenneth MacLeod and my granny Barbara MacNair, made it known that he wished his eldest daughters my twin aunties to be named Mary and Peggy, directly in honour of his young sisters. Eldest brother John Angus and his wife Jessie Nicolson's family were a little older. Murdo had no family. But it does become evident that the others also wished to name daughters in honour of their two sisters. John and his wife Mary Murray's , eldest daughter was born in 1923, and named Peggy Ann and his youngest daughter was named Mary. The youngest sister Catriona "Codaidh" and her husband Malcolm MacArthur named their eldest daughter Peggy Ann, and younger daughter Mary.
I knew Auntie Codaidh, she was exactly the same age as my granny Barbara, they had been close friends since early childhood and gone to the Shawbost Primary School. She would visit us and we would often visit her in her home in Upper Carloway and latterly when she moved to Stornoway, before she passed away in 1989. She loved to reminisce and had clear memories of her lost sisters, whom she did speak of quite often. She also had a good knowledge of the history of the family, going back many generations. One day when we were visiting she actually wrote out the precise dates of birth of all her siblings. My mother gave this list to me before she passed away, and it is now a much valued item.
Dolina, and her husband Murdo MacIver, did name their eldest daughter Mary , though not necessarily after the lost sister Mary as there were paternal grannies and great-grannies named Mary. Their, second daughter, was Catherine Margaret Ann, who sadly passed away only very recently. I do not believe that I am in a position to say, others may certainly know better than me, if her last two Christian names were in honour of the other lost sister Margaret Ann.
Catherine Margaret Ann and my mum Barbara, were first cousins, and the family connection was very strong and lovingly kept. In all there were twenty first cousins, fourteen girls and six boys, none of whom knew the two aunties who passed away so tragically in 1923. I was brought up to know the connections and keep them going. Then as I got older I became increasingly more interested in the history of the family and have over the years made quite an extensive and on going research. I wanted to tell the story of those two girls who died in Dalbeg, a century ago, before every vestige of them goes without trace. This is a good time to tell it.
KB.
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