Redpath/Ridpath/Reidpath Family Newsletter
3Q August 2003
Table of Contents:
Editor's Corner
Issue Notes
For those of you who have been
following Robert U. Redpath III's Scottish Roots series, the long awaited
conclusion is contained in this newsletter. I will be posting the
entire research report on the website later this year, including
Appendices, charts, and photos not published in the regular newsletter.
We also have several global
members saying "Hi!", birthday celebrations, obituaries, and
even a travelogue. Enjoy, and of course keep that promise now to
contribute to the next newsletter.
Meet the Family
Rob
Hopkins - Tagish, Yukon, Canada
The photo of the car is a 1903
Redpath Messenger with tilt steering and
was designed and manufactured by my Great Grandfather in Kitchener Ontario.
There is a NEW Developmental FM broadcast radio station that I am involved
with for the Whitehorse area. This has been a tough nut to crack. More
details here at: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/db2003-59.htm
Rob Hopkins
General Delivery, Tagish, YT, YOB 1T0
http://www.tagishtel.ca/radio
William
Dwight Ridpath - Obituary - Western, Nebraska, USA - submitted by Karma Ridpath
William Dwight Ridpath of Western,
Nebraska passed away on Friday, April 18, 2003 in Fairbury after having suffered a stroke on March 26, 2003 at home.
Dwight was born on the home place 4 1/4 miles northwest of Western on January 14, 1924 to William Alanson and Jessie Wilson Ridpath. He grew up on the farm. He attended the country school, Spunky Hollow, and also attended Western High School graduating with the Class of 1942. He farmed with his father until Alanson retired then Dwight did the farming. On February 3, 1952, he married Hilma (Stulp) Alexander in the Peace Lutheran Church north of Jansen. To this union one son was born, Harold Dwight. Dwight helped raise Hilma's two children, Alberta and David. Clint joined the family when he was two years old. Dwight loved his family, his dogs, cattle, and red machinery. He still had his first tractor, a 1942 M International. Along with farming, he drove a milk truck part time for a neighbor and later for Seibolt and Schmidt of Fairbury.
Dwight is survived by his wife and companion of 51 years, Hilma, sons Harold and Julie Ridpath of Gilbert, Iowa, Clint and Karma Ridpath of Western, David and Roberta Alexander of Concordia, Kansas, daughter Alberta and Peter Johnson of West Boylston, Mass., grandsons Alanson, Reid, and Grant Ridpath, Scott Alexander and Jason Renner, granddaughters Shanna Braymen and Kate Renner, two great grandsons Jade Allen and Skylar Alexander, two sisters Irilla Holz of Plymouth and Reva Maas of Crete, brother-in-law John and Nina Stulp of Yuma, Colo., sister-in-law Hilda Ridpath of Crete, and many cousins, neices, and nephews. Dwight was preceded in death by his parents, baby sister Isla Mae, brothers-in-law Leonard Maas, Harvey Holz, Harold and Phyllis Stulp, and two nephews Terry Holz and D. V. Stulp. Cremation with burial at a later time. Memorials to Western Rescue Unit or to the charity of your choice in Dwight's memory.
Shane
Michael Redpath - Hamilton, New Zealand
Hi, my name is Shane Michael Redpath,
my ancestors are from Scotland.
I'm 17 living in Hamilton, New Zealand, currently at Polytechnic doing a certificate in catering.
My e-mail is shaneredpath@hotmail.com
and I would like to chat with all of the other Redpath's out there!!!!!!!!
Alexander Nicholas Ortiz
- New Jersey, USA - submitted by Wayne F. Ridpath
This is announce the Fifth birthday of :
Alexander Nicholas Ortiz. He is the proud son of Jo Anne Ridpath Ortiz of Weehawken, N.J.
He was born on August 8, 1998 at JFK Medical Center, Edison, N.J.
Wayne
Simeon Ridpath - Obituary - New Jersey, USA
The passing away of Wayne Simeon Ridpath, 84, on June 1,2003, in Bricktownship Hospital, Brick Town, NJ.
He was born April 15, 1919 in Frontier County,
Nebraska. He was the son of Leonard Lee and Edna May (Morton) Ridpath.
He grew up in Decatur County, Nebraska. He was a 1937 graduate of Decatur Community High School.
He married Agnes Leftus on October 23,1943 in Guttenberg, New Jersey. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the US Army Air Corps. He served in the South Pacific in Manila and was in
Tokyo Bay when the Japanese formally surrendered. He worked as a stationary Engineer (Black Seal) for the Port of New York and New Jersey.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Adamston Post, Brick Town, New
Jerseya and was a lifetime member of the Shore Acres Community Club.
He was predeceased by his wife Agnes Letfus Ridpath, November 2001; an infant brother; a sister Frances McConnell. Also three
brother-in-laws Elvin McConnell, Donald van Pelt and Harold McChesney. His surviors are; Wayne F. and Kelly of South Hill, Va, Gary F. and Nancy of Brick Town, N.J. Four sisters Leona and Roy McConnell,
Strasbourg, Colorado; Helen McChesney of Cambridge, Nebraska; Maxine and Lee van Pelt of
Cedarridge, Colorado; Joan and Dewey Randolph, Athens, Texas. Also 12
grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Pop and Mom final resting place is Ocean County
Memorial Park, Toms River, New Jersey.
He will always be remember him by his love and strong will. The corn he grew in Shore Acres. His rubbing his whiskers on his grandkids. And always wanting to help all that needed his help. He set an example by taking care of Mom in her final days with
Parkinsons. Never arguing with Mom, always working everything out.
We love you Pop. See you later.
Wayne and Gary
Maria
Reidpath - The Real Reason the Reidpath's Went to Peru
Turning 80 years old is a big deal. I am aware of this when, at nearly half that age, I wake up and cant make a fist without wincing in pain. Or when I cant read anything without glasses. Or when dancing until the wee hours of the morning sounds more like a chore than a pleasure.
But there are some who make it to 80 and do with gusto. One of these fortunate people is my mother. Zoila Carlota Espinoza Llona de Torres was born on a small farm in the outskirts of Lima, Peru on June 27, 1923 and, at 80, she is no sloucher. She did aerobics two or three times a week until surgery a couple of years ago slowed her down a bit. Once when she was with us for Christmas, she left the next day so she could be in Lima, where, she pointed out they know how to receive the New Year. This was the arrival of the year 2000: at the dawning of the new millennium, she danced until 4 o clock in the morning in Lima while I was in bed by 12:15 a.m. in Morgantown.
My two brothers and I organized a birthday party for Mom and decided that all 3 families would be there for her. This was going to be the first time my four sons, my husband and I would ALL be in Peru together. The party was the right reason to make the extra effort for all of us to travel.
However, my sons wanted to do more than visit family. They wanted to do touristy things. We planned a visit to Cuzco and the nearby famous sanctuary of Machu Picchu. I had never been there either so I thought that would be a great way to go back to my roots.
We were scheduled to arrive in Cuzco on a Monday morning. My sons complained about the early flight but I explained that Cuzco has no afternoon flights. Serious wind shifts prevent any departures or landings after noon so the airport closes around 2:00 p.m. This, of course, made my husband frown a bit, but he said nothing. Next, I explained that, at an altitude of 10,500 feet above sea level, Cuzco is famous for altitude sickness. I stared at five frowns then. I told them that there were things we could do to prevent this, such as eat light, take some anti-dizziness pills, and rest as soon as we arrived. This eased the frowns a bit. I also mentioned that Machu Picchu is only at 7,090 feet above sea level so it would be a breeze after Cuzco. We followed all the recommendations and, fortunately, nobody got altitude sickness.
On Tuesday we attended a reenactment of the Inti Raymi, the most important festival of the Inca Empire. The festival takes place at the archeological complex of Sacsayhuamán, also called the Sacred House of the Sun. More than one hundred thousand people come together to witness the most beautiful spectacle of the year where more than 400 actors proudly bring the past alive. The inhabitants of Cuzco traditionally involve about everybody, including tourists, to enjoy and marvel on this most special day. Countless additional events are seen. These are expositions, parades, street and square activities in daytime and, in the evening, live concerts given by the very best of Peru's diverse musical talents, staged in the Plaza the Armas. This is the second biggest festival in Latin America, after the carnival of Rio. Needles to say, we enjoyed this immensely. The colors were so dramatic, the dances exotic, and the costumes fascinating. Our cameras were working incessantly.
The next day we went to Machu Picchu. The only way to get there is by train from Cuzco (or by helicopter, if you have some serious money). The train leaves at 6:00 a.m. (more complaining from my sleep-until-noon teenagers) and travels east. The mountains turn from rocky and brown to lushly and green. We were reaching what Peruvians call the eyebrow of the jungle, that is, the edge of the rainforest.
All complaining stopped when we reached the entrance to the sanctuary. The view is breathtaking and the sense of being in a special place invades you. One hears words like sacred, spiritual, and magnetic from the other visitors. And they do describe how one feels. And then you walk down the stone stairs and you enter this magnificent place built hundreds of years ago and never found before Hiram Bingham from Yale discovered it in 1911. He was doing some botanic exploration in the area when a local dweller told him about a small city that was covered by vegetation. Bingham traveled with this guide and after some arduous walking, going through nearly impossible passes, he came upon the citadel. Its origin, purpose, and inhabitants still remain a mystery. But then again, the whole idea of building a small city on top of a mountain, three sides dropping thousands of feet below and the last one hidden and almost unreachable, is a mystery on its own. The city is entirely built of stone. And these are BIG rocks. How they got them there? A mystery again. Bingham himself described it as such:
"In the variety of its charms and the power of its spell, I know of no place in the world which can compare with it. Not only has it great snow peaks looming above the clouds more than two miles overhead, gigantic precipices of many-colored granite rising sheer for thousands of feet above the foaming, glistening, roaring rapids; it has also, in striking contrast, orchids and tree ferns, the delectable beauty of luxurious vegetation, and the mysterious witchery of the jungle."
- Hiram Bingham, discoverer of Machu Picchu in Lost City of the Incas
We spent the next day visiting the small town of Aguas Calientes (meaning hot springs due to the mountain springs found there) and doing a bit of shopping. On Friday, we returned to Machu Picchu. Overlooking the sanctuary is a mountain, Huayna Picchu, imposing at 9,000 feet above sea level but only 2,000 feet from its base at Machu Picchu. There is a trail going up to its peak and this is a favorite hike for many tourists. My four sons decided they wanted to reach the top. My husband and I decided it was time for lunch and let the boys go on. It took them over one hour to reach the mountains top. Once there, they were in awe of the view and the sensation of being almost above the clouds. I am very glad that this is one experience they have shared, together, as brothers and hope they will relish it in years to come.
We returned to Lima on Saturday and on Sunday, June 29, we had my moms birthday celebration. Eighty five friends and family members joined us for lunch at a social club. One of my cousins hired a band of Marichis who serenaded my mother. A DJ played my moms favorite tunes from the famous Cuban band, the Sonora Matancera, to which my mom danced as if she was turning 18 and not 80. My sons had never seen so many older people had such a blast. They now realize that their generation does not have exclusivity to good times.
Several relatives traveled from far away to be there, and for that I am grateful. I am glad to know that my mom was able to be in the same room with all of her children and grandchildren at the same time. We will probably have to wait for her 90th birthday to do it again
Charles shows us how big the stones really are at Sacsayhuaman.
The Inca and his entourage arrive to the Inti Raymi
Let the celebration at Inti Raymi begin!
Davis, with the imposing Huayna Picchu on the background and Machu Picchu below
The Reidpath boys conquer the top of the Huayna Picchu. From left: Glen, Davis, Charles, and Rhett
The old folks stayed at a more sedate altitude
With the birthday cake, from left: Rhett, Paul, Zoila, Maria, Glen, Charles, and Davis
Family History
Family
History Research Centre Plaque - submitted by John D. Ridpath
This is John D. Ridpath, of Apsley, Ontario, Canada. I have in plaque, entitled Family Name History - RIDPATH, taken from the Historical Research Centre in 1992. I don't know the accuracy of the data, but it makes for an interesting read.
FAMILY NAME RIDPATH
The Scottish surname Ridpath is of toponymic origin, deriving from the place name where the first bearer lived or held land. In this
instance, the surname Ridpath derives from "Redpath" which is the name of the lands, now village located in the parish of Earlston, in the
former country of Berwickshire (Scotland ). Therefore, the initial bearer of the surname Ridpath was someone who was identified by the
members of his community as "one who came from Redpath". The place name Redpath derives from the Old English words "read" which means "red" and
"paeth" which signifies "path, way". The local pronunciation of this
place is "Rippath".
The earliest references to this surname includes a record of one "William de Redepathe of Berwickshire" who rendered homage in 1296
(Ref. "Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland" by Joseph Bain). One Alexander de Redpeth received moiety of the lands of Derington between1329 and 1334. Thomas de Redpethe and Mariota, his spouse, had grant of
lands in the vile and territory of Preston in the barony of Bonkylle from Thomas Stewart, Earl of Angus, confirmed by Robert II in 1376
(Ref, "Registrum magni sigilli regum Scotorum"). One Walter Redpeth held a
land in Edinburgh in 1486. William Rypat appears as a friar preacher at St Andrews, in 1545 and James Reydpewth of the convent of Dunfermline is
recorded in 1555. George Ridpath, minister of Stitchill, published his "Border history of England and Scotland" in 1776. The following coat of
arms was granted to a Scottish family named Ridpath:
BLAZON OF ARMS: Argent: a chevron engrailed between three boar's heads erased gules. Translation: Argent, silver or white symbolises the Moon, Peace and
Sincerity; Gules or red, the planet Mars, Magnanimity and Military Fortitude.
CREST: A boar's head as in the arms.
ORIGIN: Scotland.
'Redpath Roots': A Report
about Researches into the Scottish roots of the Redpaths - by Robert U
Redpath, III - Book 2, Pages 5-10
Other observations about the data
There is a strong possibility that our family ,ie John ('Fafa') Redpath's descendants, are the only branch of Robert and Christian Redpath's family who bear the name of Redpath. Only
George Redpath Purvis Redpath (5.6) and George Redpath (5.7) produced male heirs but the data does not indicate that subsequent men married or produced sons. It would be very useful to be able to confirm or deny this assumption.
There are some interesting examples of sisters marrying brothers in the Redpath family. In 1824 Janet Purves married John Redpath
(4.4 in Appendix B.l) and four years later, her sister, Christian/Christina, married John's younger brother Robert (4.5).
Similarly, in Michigan, some 65 years later, Christina Redpath Hogg and Elizabeth Hume Hogg married Peter and George Munro on the same day and possibly
simulataneously.
Naming of children followed a distinct pattern: notably the eldest son was invariably named James from the first generation through the fifth generation in all parts of the family. (see 2.1,3.2,4.1,5.2,5.4 and 5.8). Similarly, the names of the
matriarchs, Elizabeth (named after Janet and Christian's mother) and Christina, pop up as names in all generations.
One of the most remarkable features is the early deaths of some of the Redpath patriarchs. James (3.2) died aged 35, leaving Mary Lauder with six children, ranging in age from one years old
to 13 years; she lived on her own for another 34 years. John, James' second son (4.4) died aged 51, leaving his wife Janet on her own with five children for another 28 years. Robert (4.5) died when he was 48, leaving Christian/Christina with eight children, ranging in age from 8 years to 22, to live on her own for another 28 years. Then, of course, in a more recent generation, Robert Uriah/Upjohn Redpath died when he was 49, leaving Clara May ('Mun') with four children, aged 10 to 21.
This pattern of early death among the patriarchs, leaving matriarchs with large families seems to suggest a combination of
hard work/bad health on the part of the men 'coupled' ,if you'll excuse the expression, with a lack of ability to control the consequences of coupling.
It's impossible to tell what effects these early deaths of
fathers had on the families. However, it is likely, as with James Redpath, son of Robert, that the eldest son stepped into the titular role of head of the family vacated by the father. It may or may not be significant that in each of the three generations mentioned, the eldest sons never married: James (4.1); James
(5.2) and James (5.4). And, in the case of George Purvis Redpath (5.6) he delayed his marriage until the age of 39!
Were the daughters affected by the loss of their father? Well, for what it's worth, Mary and Janet both married much older men.
But while this is verging on the pseudo-psychological, it does not take much imagination to appreciate the sense of loss of a
father/husband at such early ages. And the fact that John(4.4)
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and Robert (4.5) died in the same year, 1850 doubled the blow even though the Redpaths were living in two continents at the time.
Loss of the two matriarchs may have been even more catastrophic,
especially as they died in the same year. The two sisters, Janet and Christina, married to the two brothers who had died in the same year, proceeded to match their example and died in the same year, 1878, leaving their families bereft of both parents in the New World.
Another observation is that most of the
Redpath's continued to farm when they arrived in Michigan. The major change from living in Maxton must have been that in Richland they now owned their farm, rather than being subjected to renting or leasing the land
from a laird; and they owned their spacious house* rather than renting a tied cottage. Indeed even Ninian, formerly head of schools in Berwick upon Tweed, was described as a farmer in the 1850 Census. (See Appendix
C.lO)
But there were two exceptions to this pattern who
intrigue me: first, there was our ancestor, John Redpath, who eventually studied for his doctorate at Union Theological Seminary and became a minister; and then there was James Redpath, eldest son of Ninian, who from the beginning knew that he was not cut out to be a farmer. (see footnote to Appendix C.lO). What made them separate from the pack?
They both carried the mark of the very good Scottish education which they had received: Fafa was educated in the small school house, Broome House which we saw, and ended at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Perhaps the example of his father as
a lay minister would have influenced his choice of occupation, but Fafa was only 10 years old when his father died. Apparently Fafa wanted originally to be a missionary in Africa, following David Livingstone (of 'Dr Livingstone, I presume' fame)'s example.
Interestingly (at least to me), Olive and Sydney Checkland refer
to the missionary activity of Scots as one of the principal contributions to Empire. The home of medical missions was in
Edinburgh '... because of the evangelical enthusiasm of some of its medical men. ..such men aspired to merge the cure of the body with the care of the soul, not only in Scotland but in the remoter parts of the world. ..In missionary effort, culminating in the great name of David Livingstone (1813-1873), the Scots not only attracted the attention of the western world, they also
played a leading part in the cuItural changes of these pre-modern societies."
Well, John (Fafa) Redpath's mission was not to go to Africa, but, instead, to Michigan's upper peninsula where he became a circuit rider carrying out missionary work with the Indians. (See Appendixes A-25 and A-26 in 'Redpath roots'.)
* see Appendix A.ll of 'Redpath Roots' and please contrast its size with that of the Rutherford Burnside cottage in Appendix A
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James Redpath
But what is one to make of James Redpath? What was it in the Tweed water or in the genes that produced a young man fresh from
Berwick who made such a mark on the American scene so quickly?
There have now been at least three books either written by James Redpath ( The Rovinq Editor, edited by John R
McKivigan), about him (The life of James Redpath, by Charles F Horner) or with
important references to him (The Secret Six by Edward J Renehan, Jr).
What emerges is a highly educated, highly articulate man of very high passions with a strong religious conviction who became greatly devoted to America almost the moment he touched its shores--he seemed instantly more American than the Americans who had been there for years.
The quotation at the bottom of Appendix B.IO indicates that he had no intention of farming and that he wanted to be a printer, which quickly turned into a career of journalism. But what interests me most is his involvement with John Brown and how James advocated insurrection and revolution by the slaves: as he put it, , a second American revolution'.
How did James Redpath develop this inner fire and determination? Was it in the genes, in his background, or was it, more likely, the ideals and beliefs inculcated in him in his Scottish theological and educational background, possibly thwarted in Scotland, which burst out in full expression in America?
His biographer, Charles Horner, said that James' father,
Ninian, was "a stern advocate of the value of enforcing youthful devotion to books. ..James received much of his education directly from the hands of his father. The latter wished very much to have his first born adopt the ministry as a profession, and to that end he guided the early education of his son."
Well, this appeared to lead to trouble between father and son. Horner said:
"There was many an argument, sometimes a heated one, between James and his father; and there was every reason to believe that many a family debate, if not acrimonious, at least was accompanied by a profusion of mental brickbats hurled back and forth. The son was as independent in his own thoughts as the father was narrow in his beliefs."
So we might adopt a psychological interpretation of James' attraction to insurrection and rebellion as rebellion against his strict father. But that might be too simplistic.
James was trained as a minister, presumably in the evangelical tradition typical of Scottish Calvinism. And he may have been inspired by a sense of mission so typical of the Scots at that time.
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This is perhaps best illustrated in James Redpath's introduction to his best selling biography of John
Brown, The Public Life of Capt. John Brown :
".. I think that John Brown did right in invading Virginia and attempting to liberate her slaves. I hold God in infinitely greater reverence than Congress and His holy laws than its enactments. I would as soon think of vindicating Washington for resisting the British Government to the death, as to apologize for John Brown is assailing the slave power with the only weapons that it fears.
This shows James Redpath's strong conviction that his
interpretation of God's laws overrode any laws of the land; yet many would say this a 'treasonable' view; indeed, as Edward Renehan Jr. points out in his book
The Secret Six, three days after John Brown's execution, there was a committee set up in Washington to study and report on the raid on Harper's Ferry, a committee dominated by pro-slavery interests.
The focus was mainly on the' Secret Six' who were eminent Bostonians, including Dr Samuel Gridley Howe, husband of Julia Ward Howe who was to write the Battle Hymn of the Republic. These six men belonged to a circle including Emerson and Thoreau in the Concord area who were thought to have been behind Brown's insurrectionist tactics. And James Redpath, because of his close association with John Brown, was also implicated--indeed a
warrant for his arrest was issued, which he ignored, thus being in contempt of Congress!
Of course, there was widespread objection to slavery, led to a great extent by the Boston intellectuals and ministers. Dr Theodore Parker contended that any actions meant to bring down
slavery were inherently correct and, in a letter to a friend, wrote that Rebellion against tyrants was 'obedience to God'.
It is of interest to me that much the same logic was being applied in Europe only without calling on the higher authority
of God to justify the means by which change would be effected. Revolution was in the air in Europe in the mid-1880's.
In 1848, all over Europe, there were peasant uprisings against the aristocratic landholders and the crowns. The New York
Tribune's European correspondent was a (then) little known Londoner named Karl Marx who warned readers that in 1848 a spectre stalked the major European countries, the spectre of
'revolution'. Marx became better known that year because he
published the Communist Manifesto, which advocate insurrection of the proletariat.
In all these countries there was no means of
democratically achieving change as most people were disenfranchised. Indeed in the Scotland that James Redpath left, only 1 in 38 people could vote; this even after the Reform Act of 1832.
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James Redpath must have heard about these insurrections in Europe* and of Karl Marx; not only did he work for the same paper but indeed when his books were auctioned off there was a book by'K. Mark (sic)
Capital. +
This kind of association is very speculative and there is no suggestion in any of the books written about James Redpath or by him that the revolutions in Europe or Karl Marx influenced him directly. I am merely suggesting that 'insurrection' and 'ends justifying means of achieving ends' were in the air at the time.
And achieving the aim of enfranchising slaves may not have been possible through democratic means. James Redpath was not alone in this view but he was absolutely open about his religious views and his politics.
In later years, James Redpath must have mellowed politically,
achieving a 360 degree turn to become the biographer of Jefferson Davis, President of the South; also becoming the founder both of Memorial Day and the 'Redpath
Chatauqua' -- a very respected American. But in his early days he brought a firebrand energy to America, possibly originating in those heated dialogues with his father,
Ninian , possibly because of his evangelical training in the Scottish Church, possibly because he found like-minded men who were eminent and possibly because insurrection was in the air.
What one can safely conclude is that both James Redpath and his younger first cousin were products of a very competent Scottish education, an educational system which is still venerated. (See Appendix D).
Closing remarks
In closing, I would confess my own self-interest. Cecily and I have lived in the United Kingdom for 40 years and we have been well-placed to carry out this research. But we have not been single-minded in the pursuit of Redpath ancestors. Our visits to
Edinburgh have happily included visits to our son, Ian Redpath, who has just completed four years at the University
of Edinburgh,
as well as to visits to very good friends like Cilla Irvine, who took the picture of me with my arm around Robert's gravestone in Appendix A-27, and Jill and Norman Macdonald who have provided beds and croissants. So we've enjoyed visiting Scotland.
*In the Secret Six, there was reference to plans to rescue John Brown from prison:
"The first of the plans--dubbed the German project--took its name
from German veterans of the Revolution of 1848, living in New York who agreed to take part in the rescue. The Germans were to be joined by volunteers from Boston (including a somewhat hesitant James Redpath).."
+
I am indebted to Will Becton for his showing me the list of books in James Redpath's collection
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You will have noticed that I have lifted great sections of Scottish history from various books. Here this reflects Cecily's and my interest in history. It only becomes interesting if one can set one's ancestors against a backdrop. Why did they leave? What did they find in America? And in a curious way, I can now read a history book of the eighteenth and nineteenth century and say to myself, where were the Redpath's when Darwin wrote the
Oriqin of the Species? This research gives me a kind of yardstick to measure historical events by.
Parish records can be a source of how people lived: for example, a minister may have noted how many men could be mustered if Napoleon invaded Britain or who had been accused of witchcraft.
One major source which I have used were the wonderful Scottish surveys completed by ministers in each parish, started by Sir John Sinclair.
I also confess to a professional interest as my academic training is as a
social anthropologist and genealogies are our main tool for understanding clans and family structure. Why study others when one can study and learn about one's own family?
On a very personal level, delving into the past with people is my semi-retired occupation as a
counselor and, of course, investigating one's past family is illuminating. As a result of this research I've learned more about the origin of the values I've inherited.
Also, it will not have escaped your notice that Cecily and I have chosen to live in the land of our Scottish and English forebears,
returning to the land of our birth maybe five times a year, but still living here in Jordans, burial place of William Penn and location of the Mayflower timbers. Why have we migrated? What were our push and pull factors? But then that's another story for another time. This has been an attempt to recreate the times when our Scottish ancestors chose to leave the Borders and emigrate to Michigan.
Finally, perhaps you can appreciate that the name Robert Redpath now takes on a new and very important meaning for me. (See Appendix A-27 of Redpath Roots).
Robert Upjohn Redpath III
Woodland Cottage, Wilton Lane
Jordans, Buckinghamshire England HP9 2UW
12 July 2000
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