Aglooka Advisor - John Rae Society
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Aglooka Advisor
Winter 2019
Issue No. 9
1Aglooka Advisor
Winter 2019 Issue No.9
President’s Report page 4
From the Orcadian Archives 24th July 1869 page 6
Charles Dickens and John Rae: article by Eric Summers page 7
Corporate member: Birsay Energy page 11
A Feast of Forage at the Orkney Science Festival:
article by Sigrid Appleby page 12
Why do people join the John Rae Society? page 14
Corporate member: Stockans Oatcakes page 15
Memories of Gjoa Haven: by Pat Garwasiuk page 16
Hall of Clestrain: archival training report
article by Dr Sarah-Jane Gibbon page 17
John Rae September weekend page 20
Volunteers needed page 21
Co-op cheque for the John Rae Society page 22
Corporate member: Skara Books page 22
John Rae Birthday Draw page 23
Corporate member: Kristin Linklater Voice Centre page 24
Corporate member: Adventure Canada page 25
Corporate member: RICS page 26
Membership update page 27
Forthcoming events page 27
Photo on front cover by James Grieve
2Patrons
Dr Peter St John, The Earl of Orkney
Ken McGoogan, Author
Ray Mears, Author & TV Presenter
Bill Spence, Lord Lieutenant of Orkney
Sir Michael Palin
Magnus Linklater OBE
Board of Trustees
(in alphabetical order by surname)
Andrew Appleby — Jim Chalmers — Anna Elmy — Neil Kermode — Fiona Lettice—
Mark Newton — Norman Shearer
Committee
President — Andrew Appleby
Chairman — Norman Shearer
Honorary Secretary — Anna Elmy
Honorary Treasurer — Fiona Lettice
Webmaster and Social Media — Mark Newton
Membership Secretary — Fiona Gould
Registered Office
The John Rae Society
7 Church Road, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BA
Tel: 01856 851414
e-mail: info@johnraesociety.com
Newsletter Editor — Fiona Gould
The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and not necessarily
those of the Editor or the Board of Trustees of the John Rae Society
3President’s Report Perspex. This repulsed the
pervading pigeons, and the
I am delighted that we had
Casey Gang cleared the final
several very successful open
ordure produced by these
days. These were kindly held perching avians.
in Ivan and Jean’s garage: our
stalwart visitors welcomed The Hall is now drying out and
refreshments during oft-Arctic considered saved. Had the roof
conditions. A goodly pro- blown away in the winter
portion of these joined the storms, which was most likely,
society. we would have lost the floors
and much valuable detail. I
It was our distinct aim to raise
consider the works to have
the remaining sum of around been completed just in time!
£12,000 to complete payment
for The Hall of Clestrain. With The Co-Op shops in Orkney
raffles, the John Rae Birthday adopted The John Rae Society
Lottery and kind donations this as one of their worthy causes
sum was almost reached. for this year. (See separate
report later in this newsletter.)
A very generous Texan
gentleman, Bill Miller, secured March saw the commencement
the purchase at the last minute of the Arctic Return expedition.
with a donation of £9,500. This This was an amazing feat of
gave us over and above our endurance by the four
needs. The final sum was explorers. Sadly, two had to
presented to Ivan and Jean withdraw from the expedition
Cragie at the draw of the some way through. We are so
Lottery, thus securing the grateful to Garry Tutte and
property to JRS. Frank Wolfe, who didn’t make
it, for their bravery. David
The approaching winter storms
Reid, leader and Richard Smith
threatened. Paddy Casey, of
completed the expedition that
Casey Construction, agreed to
followed the route that John
step in and secure the roof,
Rae took when he learned the
stop the constant leaks and
fate of the Franklin Expedition
cover the windows with clear
and also discovered the final
4link in the North West so well for us. On open days
Passage. Please go to we can supply teas and cakes
www.arcticreturn.com for the and have retail space. We are
full update. immensely grateful to Ivan
and Jean for the use of their
Corporate Membership. garage in our earlier stages.
Minimum £500 fee, then
£100.00 per year. This has Dr. Barbara Rae R.A. gave us
now been taken up firstly by an Inuit model kayak, which
Adventure Canada, then RICS, actually formed part of John
Birsay Energy Trust, Kristin Rae’s personal collection. This
Linklater Voice Centre, is displayed in our showcase of
Skarabooks and Stockan’s other Inuit artefacts.
Oatcakes. We are actively
JRS is delighted to announce
seeking further corporate
that we have engaged a
members.
Project Manager. Sandra
The Cuminga Trust has Deans has been appointed to
generously supported our this post. She has been fully
archaeological activities. They engaged in researching and
are very impressed with the applying for grant aid to make
high standard of the our projects entirely success-
interesting work we carried ful.
out. They have promised to
Visitor figures have increased
continue funding us. The latest
time on time on our open days,
was an archive day, where we
proving the popularity and
discovered the completion
support that JRS has for its
details of The Hall of Clestrain
ambitions. All of these visitors
on 13th September 1769. This
applaud our aims to create The
being so, we began planning a
John Rae International Arctic
celebration to mark the
Centre, which could become
occasion.
The Gateway to The Arctic.
In May we purchased a
The Orkney Science Festival
portacabin to use as a
promoted a John Rae Week-
temporary Visitor Centre.
end. A tremendous foraged
Casey Construction realized
dinner produced by inter-
the inadequacy of it and lent us
nationally renowned chefs
a far superior cabin for as long
made an admirable repast at
as we need it. This has worked
5The Orphir Community Centre. taken with cardiac arrest late
Sam Britten of Orkney Craft in September. At his memorial
Vinegar led the policy of service £1,475 was raised for
natural foods. Reflecting what the John Rae Society. This was
was available in Orkney’s sad and sudden news. If
Neolithic and in John Rae’s anyone would like to add to
time, an amazing and that sum in his memory, then
memorable evening was the please do. Our thoughts are
grand result. JRS had a very with Anne.
profitable raffle and Highland
Andrew Appleby. President
Park served special whisky at
John Rae Society
the event. The following
afternoon a programme of ***
Arctic and Foraging talks were
presented. Maria Pia Casarini From The Orcadian
spoke of Sir John Franklin’s Archives
sad exploits. In the interval Saturday, July 24, 1869
she cut The Hall of Clestrain’s
ANOTHER ORKNEY PRIZE
250th birthday cake. Baked by
WINNER AT WIMBLEDON —
Harray Stores, this was a most
We are glad to be able to
welcome occasion.
announce that Dr Rae has
Jane Hamilton has given us a carried off two valuable prizes
special Inuit-made covered at Wimbledon, namely £25 for
bowl from shiny black the greater number of
mudstone. Being fragile, it is cartoons (67) at 200 yards
damaged. We intend having it with the Enfield rifle: also the
professionally restored for our 1st Anglo-Belgian prize at £25
permanent collection. with a score of 35 points at 200
and 500 yards, five shots at
A sincere thank you to our each range.
amazing volunteers for their
tremendous help. I would like ***
to mention the young Duncan Last year Eric Summers, a JRS
McNeish whose youthful skills member and editor of Little Doric,
make our laptop till work so the newsletter of the Aberdeen branch
efficiently. of the Dickens Fellowship, asked us for
an article about the John Rae Society,
which we supplied. He has
Finally, I wish to record that
reciprocated with the following article
we lost Ian McIntyre. He was about Dickens and John Rae. (Editor)
6Charles Dickens & John Rae minedly filling every un-
forgiving minute. Along with
Perhaps it is a little bold for a
much of Victorian Britain he
member of the Dickens
was fascinated by the polar
Fellowship to submit an article
regions and with his close
for the John Rae’s Society’s
friend Wilkie Collins wrote,
journal. For many Charles
produced and acted in a highly
Dickens is something of a
successful Arctic drama called
villain in the John Rae story.
The Frozen Deep. It was while
As a great admirer of both
this play was being performed
men, however, I do believe
in Manchester that he first
that the dispute between them
encountered and fell passion-
has been exaggerated and
ately in love with Ellen Ternan,
should not be allowed to
a young actress more than
distort the picture we have of
twenty years his junior. This
both.
was in 1857 and it led
eventually to the break-up of
Charles Dickens is a writer
his marriage in 1858. Arctic
closely associated with
exploration had many
London, but in fact he had
casualties.
strong Scottish connections.
His wife was Scottish, his first
A few years earlier Dickens’s
newspaper employer was
interest in the poles had taken
Scottish, his first major
the form of a meeting with
reporting assignment was to
another attractive and still
Edinburgh, he was a great
relatively young lady. It was
admirer of Sir Walter Scott , he
in November 1854 that he was
knew his Burns and quoted
invited to the home of Lady
him in his novels and he was
Franklin. She was distressed
fond of whisky calling one
by John Rae’s recently
particularly fine bottle ‘Mary
published report on the
Morrison’, another Burns
disappearance of her husband,
allusion.
Sir John, on his expedition to
find the North-West Passage.
Dickens led a singularly
Rae had visited her but had
energetic life having a huge
been rebuffed. She main-
range of interests, deter-
7tained that he should never important to go back to the
have written that everyone original articles that appeared
was dead and that there had in Household Words.
been a resort to cannibalism
and she would not listen to his On Saturday December 3rd
defence that he had only 1854 Dickens wrote about ‘The
recorded what he had been Lost Arctic Voyages’ in an
told and that his report had article which he continued a
been for the Admiralty. It had week later. Reading it one is
not been his choice to have it shocked by the violently racist
in the public domain. language directed at the
‘esquimaux’ and the naivety in
She could not be appeased and believing that ‘Englishmen’
was now recruiting the most were incapable of the sordid
famous novelist in the world, behaviour ascribed to them by
who was also editing a weekly Rae. Sadly Dickens’s racial
journal Household Words, to attitudes would have been
mount a defence of her shared by the majority of the
husband’s honour. British public at the time - we
are all prisoners of the times in
Dickens was intrigued and had which we live - but ironically
his secretary order up naivety is his main charge
newspaper cuttings on the against Rae who, Dickens
story. He was persuaded that wrote, should not have
Rae had got it wrong and believed what he was told by
decided to pick up his ‘savages’.
formidable pen in support of
Lady Franklin’s case. Many But note that Dickens does not
John Rae supporters have criticise Rae for reporting what
been appalled by the he had been told or for
destruction of Rae’s reputation hurrying home with his news.
that followed and have found it Indeed he says Rae was right
difficult to forgive Dickens. to do so. It was the Admiralty,
he argues, that was wrong to
But is this fair? To assess what release Rae’s report.
Dickens really did, it is
8Important too is the fact that That my opinions remain
Dickens gave Rae a right of exactly the same as they were
reply, which he did in a when my report to the
powerful article published on Admiralty was written, may be
23rd December. At the start inferred from all I have now
Rae comes across as rather stated. That twenty or twenty-
intimidated by Dickens’s five Esquimaux could, for two
reputation as a writer: months together, continue to
repeat the same story without
I am aware of the difficulties I variation in any material point,
have to encounter in replying and adhere firmly to it, in spite
to the article on the ‘Lost Arctic of all sorts of cross-
Voyagers.’ That the author of questioning, is to me the
that article is a writer of very clearest proof that the
great ability and practice, and information they gave me was
that he makes the best use of founded on fact. That the
both to prove his opinions, is ‘white men’ were not
very evident…To oppose this, I murdered by the natives, but
have nothing but a small that they died of starvation, is,
amount of practical knowledge to my mind, equally beyond a
of the question at issue, with a doubt.
few facts to support my views
and opinions; but, I can only Writing from Stromness, and
throw them together in a very certainly an angry man, Rae
imperfect and unconnected also had his say about
form, as I have little Franklin’s sailors who, Dickens
experience in writing… had claimed, knew how to
behave like gentlemen:
As is evident, Rae need not
have been so modest. He Much stress is laid on the
writes very well and to his moral character and the
credit takes not one backward admirable discipline of the
step from what he believed to crews of Sir John Franklin’s
have happened to the Franklin ships. What their state of
expedition: discipline may have been I
cannot say, but their conduct
9at the very last British port At the end of 1854, in spite of
they entered (Stromness) was protests from Lady Franklin,
not such as to make those who the Admiralty called off the
knew it consider them very search for Franklin. The
deserving of the high eulogium Crimean War was now a big
passed upon them in distraction. What is also
Household Words. forgotten is that Rae did
receive his reward money, of
At the end of his piece, which he gave £2000.00 to his
however, Rae is generous in men. This was in June 1856.
thanking Dickens for letting That was only two years after
him defend himself in his report. Was that an
Dickens’s own journal: excessively long time to wait?
Surely it was prudent not to
In conclusion, let me remark, hand over immediately a large
that I fully appreciate the kind, sum of money without
courteous, and flattering checking on the veracity of the
manner in which my name is claim.
mentioned by the writer on the
subject of the lost Arctic What Rae did not get was
Voyagers. proper recognition - a
knighthood and a statue - and
Dickens of course was that may have been less to do
unpersuaded that he had got it with Dickens and more to do
wrong, and in that regard Rae with Rae himself being seen as
was just one of many who not behaving as an English
failed to change the great gentleman should. Unlike
author’s mind on a range of Franklin, he had gone native in
issues. the Arctic, and had left his
piano at home!
So, the two were in dispute but
had rather more mutual It is unfortunate that Charles
respect on display than is Dickens and John Rae, to the
generally acknowledged. And best of our knowledge, never
did Dickens’s intervention met. They shared a love of
really change anything? literature, an obsession with
10the Arctic regions and
tremendous physical energy.
They might well have got on
rather well. But if the fact is
that they remained distant
from each other, then perhaps
in 2019, as the 150th
anniversary of Dickens’s death
cover huge distances in Arctic
approaches (2020), as John
conditions, coupled with his
Rae ’s achievements are
ability to live off the land which
increasingly recognised by a
made him an infinitely better
wider public, and as we have and more successful explorer
the tantalising prospect of than his forbears.
their respective homes — We think to restore the Hall of
Gad’s Hill in Kent and Clestrain Clestrain and combine it with
Hall in Orkney — being one day an exhibition of John Rae’s life
opened to visitors, perhaps we will be an unusual and unique
should set aside the tourist attraction which will
regrettable dispute that arose draw in visitors from all over
between them and focus on the world, especially Canada.
the astonishing achievements This is the type of tourism
of these two towering figures Orkney needs. This is why we
of the nineteenth century. took up Corporate
membership.
Eric Summers Birsay Energy is an all
Orcadian owned company set
Secretary, Aberdeen Branch
up in 2009 to take advantage
of the Dickens Fellowship
of one of Orkney’s biggest
assets, wind, to generate
***
electricity using a wind energy
Corporate Member: Birsay converter.
Energy
We want to support Orkney
We have a deep respect and enterprise, which is what we
admiration for John Rae have done in this instance.
because of his stamina and
endurance enabling him to David Wallace
***
11A Feast of Forage : at the following: Starter: Orkney
Orkney Science Festival scallops with lentil miso,
radish, turnip, elderberry,
capers and pepper dulce.
One of the threads weaving
through this year’s Orkney
International Science Festival Main course: Shin of Beef or
was the theme of Foraging. was it auroch? With neap,
onion, barley, bone marrow
and garlic. The vegetables
The Neolithic Feast held in
were from Wheems Organic
Orphir Community Hall on
Farm, South Ronaldsay and
6thSeptember was organized
the meat from Craigie’s
and presented to us by Andrew
Butcher.
Appleby, President of the JRS
and Chef Sam Britten, with, as
the programme stated ‘a menu
of Orkney Fare that’s been
foraged, fished, hunted and
grown’.
There was seating for over 100
people and the hall was full of
expectant ticket holders who
arrived in good time. The
tables were laid out with
Andrew’s specially-made Photo by Dr Maria Pia Casarini
wood-fired pottery. There
were 5 items for each person, Pudding: caramelized Orkney
so it was a great amount of cream with Meadowsweet
pottery that after the firing had vinegar (produced by the
been treated with beeswax Orkney Craft Vinegar
and given a polish. They Company, which is now Sam’s
looked and felt just right. The successful business) decorated
tables were covered with with toasted oats sprinkled on
butter muslin and decorated top.
with wild flowers. Cutlery
made from wood, though There was also plenty of
modern looking, also felt right. Sourdough bread, served in
brown paper bags, made by
Chef Sam certainly knows how Eviedale Bakery and the chef’s
to make the most of available handmade butter. This
ingredients and produced the brought back memories of
12Auntie Bridie’s home-churned Sam Britten giving a talk between
butter. Strong, salty, proper courses
butter!
All helped along the way by
Sam’s Honey Mead made with
Orkney honey and ‘chasers’ of
Highland Park’s new Valfather
whisky. Jugs of cold water
flavoured with mint and
cucumber accompanied the
meal. Photo by JohnPeterWelburn ABIPP
Several of the fellow diners much indigestion. Do we
gathered some of the actually develop a natural
marrowbones and intended to lactose intolerance which we
make something with them. then ignore? Steve Webster
Maybe the ancients did similar was presenting these ideas.
things? A bone from a feast,
taken home and placed as a A Feast would not be complete
memory to give good luck. without music and the whole
event was accompanied by
Between courses various folk Kate Fletcher, Corwen Broch
who were giving talks during and David Griffith, all dressed
the Science Festival spoke to in home-spun textiles and
us of Foraging and Making, home- sewn soft leather,
using the Old Ways to survive; playing on a variety of
of Neolithic feasts previously instruments made from all
attended (in present time and sorts!
of how, even in Mesolithic
times, humans might
sometimes have over-used the
resources available to them
and of the natural lactose of
mammals. Think about it —
mammals start living off milk,
then they are weaned, and yet
humans continue to drink milk
and wonder why they get so
Photo by Dr Maria Pia Casarini
13Cows’ horn, cows’ head, ancient folk, and a feast such
jawbone, a huge shell, scallop as this one in Orphir can help
shells (turn them round and to give a person of today a
rub the corrugated sides taste of those past times.
together and you get the
sound of castanets. Sigrid Appleby: an edited
and embellished version of an
And finally, not forgetting the account in Orkney News by
John Rae Society’s involve- Bernie Bell.
ment in putting this event
together, to round off the ***
evening, Hugh Halcro-
Johnston proposed a toast, in Why do people join the
Highland Park whisky, in John Rae Society?
Highland Park glasses, to the
250th anniversary of the Sometimes when people take out
building of the Hall of membership ‘out of the blue’ I ask
Clestrain, which was originally them why they decided to join. Two
built for the Honeyman family. recent members kindly replied and
have given me permission to quote
This was very fitting, as Mr them. Here is an extract from Neil
Halcro-Johnston is a descend- Ferguson’s response.(Editor)
ant of the Honeyman family.
My interest in John Rae was
Attending such an event as kindled a number of years ago
this can encourage people to by reading George Mackay
learn about, then get out and Brown’s collections of his
about collecting the wild weekly pieces in “The
goodies which abound, then Orcadian” and by visiting the
use those ingredients Stromness museum when in
imaginatively to produce Orkney on holiday. A visit to
healthy, fresh, interesting and the book shop in the Skara
economical meals. It can also Brae visitor centre led to the
take us back in time to when discovery of “Fatal Passage”
that kind of foraging will have and I suppose it all
been a vital addition to other mushroomed from there. Rae
foodstuff available. They also is still my main interest in
used herbs and salt to terms of Arctic exploration
preserve food for winter and and that led to an interest in
leaner times. In his Skara the Franklin expedition of
books Andrew describes with 1845 and the ramifications of
relish the feastings of the that. It has also led to an
14interest in Arctic exploration behold I came across you. Of
in general and in the search course I just had to join!
for the Northwest Passage in
particular.
Membership Secretary
My imagination was kindled
by reading of Ken McGoogan’s
***
journey from Gjoa Haven to
the site on Boothia Peninsula
where John Rae first saw that Corporate Member:
the strait remained free of ice Stockan’s Oatcakes Ltd
for part of the year and that
King William Island was an
island and not part of Boothia
Peninsula. (As a result Neil
booked a place on a Hurtigruten
cruise this August so as to be able to
stand on the same place Rae did
when he identified the last ‘missing
piece’ of the puzzle of the North-West
passage.)
***
Nick Collis Bird wrote:
John Rae was a renowned
Orcadian who accomplished
You ask what prompted me to great things in the mapping of
join the JRS? I’ve always been the northern territories of
interested in Polar exploration. Canada. By integrating with
In fact Edward Adrian Wilson the native people and copying
was a relative of mine, and their methods he made
was with Scott’s expedition remarkable journeys in a
where he died in 1912. hugely inhospitable climate.
Franklin was a hero to me until
I read Fatal Passage by Ken Stockan’s Oatcakes are packed
McCoogan. I’d never even full of nutritious wholegrain
heard of John Rae. I thought oats, linked to numerous
‘There really ought to be a health benefits. As a high-
society to promote this fibre, low GI grain, oats work
amazing man’ and lo and to slow digestion and keep you
feeling fuller for longer.
15It wouldn’t be at all surprising on the land, sitting in
if John Rae’s prodigious feats qamutiks being pulled by
were fuelled by a diet high in snowmobiles, which was
oats (if not oatcakes…..). pretty cold as they were there
at the beginning of May. They
Stewart Crichton slept in tents and were eating
arctic char (which they fished
Memories of Gjoa Haven for) and caribou. They were
With keen interest I followed
the blogs from Arctic Return to
Gjoa Haven and must
congratulate the team
members who completed the
route John Rae took, especially
David and Richard who really
had to battle the elements. I
was sorry that Frank and Garry
could not complete the trip. I
offered seal, but declined!
was pleased that when they
There are really good carvers
arrived in Edmonton on the
in Ghoa Haven and everyone
way home, someone had put
came back with some.
up a sign saying ‘Arctic Return
was here!’
That was a rather long time
ago, as my daughter is now 54
Ghoa Haven has a special
years old!
meaning to me. When my
daughter was in grade 9
(about 16 yrs old ) her school Pat Garwasiuk
arranged for a few pupils to go
on an Arctic exchange into ***
Ghoa Haven . One of the Inuit
girls stayed with us and all of The following article, by Dr Sarah Jane
the other pupils stayed at Gibbon was accompanied by a list of
the information found on the Archive
other places in Edmonton. We
Day incorporated into a timeline for
took them horseback riding the Hall of Clestrain, as well as a
and to the mountains where detailed report of work carried out by
there are lots of trees! On the Orkney Research centre for
their return to Ghoa Haven our Archaeology (ORCA)at Clestrain. Sadly
children stayed with Inuit we do not have the space to print them
here but you will find them on the JRS
families. They were taken out
website. Editor
16Hall of Clestrain
Archival Training
Workshop
Summary Report
Dr Sarah Jane Gibbon
Figure 2: Some of the 17
workshop attendees (ORCA)
The workshop was attended by
17 individuals all keen to help
research the Hall of Clestrain.
Due to the nature of the
workshop, two ORCA staff
Figure 1: Newhouse, Stenness
Screenshot from CANMORE were present to give those in
attendance personal guidance
An Archival Training Workshop with their research. Attendees’
was held in the Orkney Archive interests ranged from a
on Saturday 27th April 2019. general desire to learning
The training was specifically more about the Hall of
tailored to be a hands-on Clestrain to researching
introduction to researching specific time periods within the
rural buildings and properties property’s history.
and in particular the Hall of
Clestrain.
Special thanks are extended
to the Orkney Archive staff
who supported this workshop.
Figure 3: Excerpt from
Dundas map of Barony, 1760
(OA:D8/W/20)
The day began with Sarah Jane
introducing the team, the plan
for the workshop and the user
17rules of the archive search catalogue. Archive maps and
room and Orkney Room (local charts, statutory sources,
studies collection). relevant private gifts and
deposits and the value of these
various evidence types were
outlined using rural Orkney
examples, before some
interesting unexpected finds
which can shed light on
property history were
discussed. Sarah Jane had
made a preparatory search of
‘Clestrain’ items in the archive
catalogue which was offered
Figure 4: Inspection of
archive sources relating to the out as a printout and a
Hall of Clestrain (ORCA) research starting point for the
remainder of the day (and any
After this Sarah Jane gave a future visits any of the
thirty-minute introductory participants wish to make).
presentation on rural-property
archive resources. This
presentation introduced the
relevant online materials and
explained the rationale behind
Orkney’s omission from some
of the key National sources
(i.e. not part of Mainland
Scotland). After looking at
online sources, map regression
as a useful initial research skill
was outlined and demon- Figure 5: Hall of Clestrain by
strated using rural examples Tom Kent courtesy of Orkney
(Figure 1 & Figure 3). Library and Archive
Following on from this, the
After the presentation and an
Orkney Archive catalogue was
opportunity for questions, the
introduced. The various ways
attendees were shown a range
in which to access and search
of Hall of Clestrain specific
it were shown and tips given
archive and published
on how to best use the
18resources that had been aim of combining the
looked out in advance (Figure information to create a
4). These included some plans timeline for the property with
of buildings on the Clestrain respect to the estate on which
estate; First Edition OS maps it is built.
(Figure 1); census returns;
sasines; archive photographs
from early 1900s; Sheriff
Court Records; published
books featuring Clestrain and
two maps showing the lands of
Clestrain. People were shown
how to access and navigate
the National Monuments of
Scotland Database – canmore
– through the pastmap portal,
how to access the National Figure 7: D15/7/10 Receipt
Library of Scotland Maps for march fence
website, how to undertake
The aim of the workshop was
geo-referenced searches and
to prepare the attendees for
where to find the Ordnance
undertaking rural property
Survey Namebooks whilst
research with specific
others were shown how to use
attention to the Hall of
the Archive catalogue.
Clestrain and to encourage and
enable people to undertake
their own research in the
Orkney Archive. The workshop
achieved this and more, with
several of the attendees
determined to return to
Figure 6: An excellent turn continue their research having
out gained confidence from the
training offered.
Sarah Jane and Andy worked
alongside the participants to
explore aspects of the history
of the Hall of Clestrain with the
19John Rae September members’ names was bought
Weekend for the Society and other items
from them certainly bolstered
This year, because of the our funds. The evening was a
250th Anniversary of The Hall sparkling success with over
of Clestrain, we decided to £3,000 raised. Highland Park
have a further celebration to donated a star auction prize of
mark it. The planned visit of their Ambassador’s Whisky
Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Boxed Display. Good results
Secretary for the Arts and were attained in the bidding,
Culture happened to coincide especially, I might add, The
with our arrangements. Her John Rae Pineapple, which
cause was to launch the reached £55.00 from one of
Scottish Government’s Arctic the Secretary of State’s lucky
Policy document on Monday entourage! Fiona Hyslop was
23rd September. Invited to this presented with silver earrings
were David Reid and Richard and a pendant from Sheila
Smith of Arctic Return. They Fleet’s new Arctic Stream
gave a presentation at the range of jewellery. Billy Jolly
event supporting the and Andy Cant played for us.
announcement at the new Harvey Johnston gave us a
Conference Centre on the new rousing speech: great fun
Heriot Watt University, was had by all.
Stromness.
Following the Scottish
On the Saturday before we had Government’s announcement
an open day, which was the about the Arctic, David Reid
best ever attended. On the and Richard Smith presented a
Sunday evening we hosted a riveting and humorous talk at
Charity Auction for JRS at The The Orkney Theatre about
Orkney Distillery in Kirkwall. their expedition. The Maureen
Guests of honour were David Findlay Dancers opened the
Reid and Richard Smith. They evening with a beautiful
were very happy to talk to performance of The John Rae
members of their expedition Reel. The school children who
and experiences. Special created the winning flag
mementos of their amazing designs for Arctic Return
trek were offered as auction waved the explorers on to the
prizes too. A splendid framed stage. They presented David
map was fiercely competed Reid and Richard Smith with
for. A flag with the expedition Honorary Life Membership
scrolls at the end of their
20presentation. Highland Park This was an amazing weekend
provided whisky tastings and supported by visitors from
we served Arctic Roll and Canada, America, France and
Pineapple juice. all over the UK. Hopefully we
can continue the momentum
The Maureen Findlay dancers of what we have here,
performing the John Rae reel particularly in the schools. JRS
members of the future are
there.
Andrew Appleby
***
Photo by JohnPeterWelburn ABIPP
More Volunteers Please!
The evening again was a great We have some stalwart
success. After and before their volunteers but could always do
presentations David and with more! We understand
Richard answered so many people may not be able to
questions from an intrigued commit large amounts of time
public. but if you could see your way
to giving us a couple of hours
The Arctic team were only too now and then, please contact
happy to go to Stromness us (771419 or e-mail
Primary School, St Margaret’s fursbreck@btinternet.com
Hope Primary and Papdale. We would specifically
The youngsters were so appreciate help with
attentive and keen on the Manning stalls at shows
whole subject of the Arctic and and open days
some already had a deep Assisting guides at the
knowledge of John Rae and his Hall of Clestrain
life. A most popular subject Preparing and serving
was that of narwhals. Question refreshments
after question on them came Small clerical tasks
from each school. Such is the Putting up posters etc.
enthusiasm for John Rae and
his Arctic within the schools The Board of Trustees would
that another visit from them also welcome people who
would be most welcome in the might like to join them, as
future. numbers are small.
21Co-op Cheque for the John throughout the Hall’s
Rae Society renovation, as well as
providing a warm place to
meet.
***
Corporate Member:
Skarabooks
Being President of The John
Rae Society, I firmly believe in
its aims and objectives. From
Photo by JohnPeter Welburn ABIPP experience I have come to
realise that our Dr. John
Orkney Community Co-
operative presented rep-
resentatives from the John Rae
Society with a cheque for
£9,928 in Kirkwall on
November 21st —a very
handsome donation and one
for which we are extremely
grateful. The donation is
timely: we are about to apply
for funding to help create a
development plan for restoring
the Hall and turning it into a
world-class visitor centre and Rae was a living example to
community resource. For this those with whom he worked.
we have to match any funding The indigenous peoples he
awarded. A development plan learned from and respected
will put us in a stronger have forever returned that
position in applying for large-
respect too. Their honour of
scale funding.
him and his ways shows us
his character, selflessness and
A portion of the money will
honesty, which should be a
also help fit out the temporary
visitor centre at the Hall of marker for us all. Being
Clestrain, ensuring visitor and dishonoured and side-lined by
community engagement British culture in his time is a
22lasting disgrace. restored and turned into a
lasting memorial. Those of you
who live further afield seem to
Skarabooks, my small cherish every scrap of
publishing company, became information we send you on
a Corporate member of The progress towards our goals.
John Rae Society for two main Here in Orkney large numbers
reasons. Firstly, my series of of people give time and effort
novels entitled ‘Skara’ are to the cause — whether it be
initially set in Neolithic manning stalls at shows and
Orkney, the Canadian Arctic fairs or doing running repairs
and the Arctic Rim. Secondly to the Hall.
I’m a constant forager, which
Davie Reid, JRS ‘handyman’ fixing a
comes out in the novels. My pipe
hero, Oiwa, travels unwittingly
from his Tundra and Taiga
homelands to Orkney. Shala,
the heroine, lives in Neolithic
Orkney near what is now
known as The Tomb of The
Eagles. With her mentor,
Wrasse, they spiritually and
supernaturally encourage the
hero to reach Orkney.
Andrew Appleby
***
THE JOHN RAE BIRTHDAY
DRAW Photo by JohnPeter Welburn ABIPP
John Rae was by all accounts a As reported earlier in this
modest and unassuming man newsletter our next steps are
who would have been to invest in a development
astounded at the passion with plan (for which we are required
which, nearly two hundred to match the grant given). This
years later, his supporters will greatly improve our
defend his name and strive to chances of obtaining larger
see his childhood home amounts of funding.
23We are not asking you to shin expedition. The Hall of
up ladders to fix pipes, but we Clestrain and the John Rae
are hoping you will, if you are Society will tell the story,
able, buy or sell some of the largely missing from the
enclosed raffle tickets. We history books, of Rae’s great
promise to spend the money skill and bravery, and how his
wisely. Orcadian curiosity, instincts
and ‘duggedness’ helped him
*** to adapt to the local Cree and
Inuit ways, enabling him to
Corporate Member: Kristin survive the harsh conditions
Linklater Voice Centre Ltd. that had defeated many
others.
These remarkable accom-
plishments cannot be fully
appreciated in modern times
without a tangible stage on
which to revive John Rae’s
memory.
The Kristin Linklater Voice
Centre is happy to contribute Kristin Linklater Voice Centre
to this great community-based opened its doors in 2014 as a
restoration project of John fully residential voice retreat
Rae’s family home, the Hall of centre in Orkney, offering a
Clestrain. Bringing this variety of voice and text
childhood home back to life will courses throughout the year.
revitalise the remarkable
Kristin Linklater is a world-
achievements of this heroic
renowned teacher of voice
Orcadian explorer.
production who has pursued a
A dedicated museum will highly successful academic
exhibit the role of the and theatrical career in the
Orcadians in the history of the United States and Europe for
Hudson Bay company and will the past fifty years. On retiring
vividly highlight the as a Professor of Theatre Arts
importance of John Rae’s at Columbia University in
contribution to the discovery of 2013, Kristin returned to her
the North West Passage and native Orkney to continue her
the fate of the Franklin legacy.
24Corporate member: It has been a recent honour to
Adventure Canada formally join forces with the
JRS in support of the
restoration of the Hall of
Clestrain. Our guests deeply
value the opportunity to learn
more about John Rae and to
physically get to set foot at the
Hall of Clestrain. We’ve heard
this time and again from our
guests, and we have seen
Adventure Canada is thrilled motivation in action from our
to support and be a part of guests through our corporate
the John Rae Society. Our fundraising to specifically
family roots are in Scotland benefit the Hall of Clestrain.
and our business is Arctic
exploration and tourism. We We’re working diligently to
could not find a better raise the profile of John Rae in
partnership anchored by a Canada and on our
shared value for the expeditions. In March 2019 we
recognition of Rae’s Arctic sponsored David Reid’s Arctic
accomplishments and the Return Expedition, which
preservation of history and sought to re-trace John Rae’s
heritage if we tried! journey from Naujaat (Repulse
Bay) in Nunavut across the
We’ve celebrated John Rae for Boothia Peninsula to Rae Strait
many decades on our Arctic in 1854. Reid, who spear-
expeditions though the headed the expedition, is
Northwest Passage, visiting originally from Bishopton, near
many important historical Glasgow, and much like Rae,
sites, as well as through visits has an infectious passion and
to Orkney on our expedition enthusiasm for polar travel
cruises to the Scottish Islands. and exploration. The Arctic
It has been a great privilege to Return expedition, which
share the remarkable stories involved a team of four who
of a remarkable man with trekked 650 kilometres
visitors from around the world through ice and snow with
through experts such as Ken sleds and skis, paid tribute to
McGoogan and David Reid, and raised awareness of John
both of whom join Adventure Rae. The journey honoured
Canada expeditions regularly. Rae’s eagerness to learn from
First Nations and Inuit
25peoples, and promoted the achievements in Arctic ex-
restoration and conversion of ploration and surveying land.
the Hall of Clestrain into an
interpretive Arctic History In September 2018 RICS
Centre. appointed him as an honorary
chartered surveyor and a
We are proud to help preserve posthumous RICS diploma was
the legacy of such a later awarded as part of RICS’s
remarkable explorer and look 150th anniversary cele-
forward to returning to the brations. An exhibition was set
Arctic region Rae loved so up in London of artefacts (on
much on our 2020 Northwest
loan from the John Rae
Passage expeditions and back
Society president, Andrew
to the Hall of Clestrain in 2021
on our Scotland Slowly Appleby) together with
expedition. photographs from Stromness
Museum) pertaining to his life
and surveying achievements in
*** the Arctic.
Recognising Rae’s feats in
Corporate member: Royal travelling over 13,000 miles in
Institution of Chartered the Arctic and mapping 1800
Surveyors miles of coastline, John
Hughes, RICS President, says
‘If he were born 50 years later,
Rae would have surely become
a member of RICS and many
of the surveying skills he
learned to map the Northwest
Passage have been used by
subsequent explorers.’
RICS is the world’s leading
professional body for RICS continues to highlight
Rae’s success in surveying. In
qualifications and standards in
February 2019 he was voted
land, property, infrastructure
and construction. For some the most inspiring surveyor in
time now RICS has been RICS’ Pride in the Profession
Mappers category.
determined to get appropriate
recognition for John Rae’s
26Additionally RICS sponsored Forthcoming Events
the Arctic Return team in their
efforts to obtain recognition for Heart of Orphir
this remarkable man’s skill and Saturday 14th March 2020
qualities. RICS remain strong 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Orphir Community School Hall
advocates for John Rae.
Informal presentations of the
Society’s future plans for the
Hall of Clestrain and an
John Rae Society opportunity to contribute
Membership Update views and ideas. We would like
as many representatives from
Note: we have recently revised our
different organisations in
membership lists, using new systems.
Orkney as possible.
Photographic exhibitions.
Free refreshments.
Type of Number Prize Bingo
Membership Doors open 6.45pm for eyes
Annual 66 down 7.30 p.m.
Standing Order 99 Great prizes!
Life 161
John Rae Festival
Members by area Fri. 8th May to
Orkney 99 Sun.10th May 2020
Scotland 92 Open Days at the Hall of
UK Other 85 Clestrain with foraging
Overseas 50 expeditions and shore walks.
Other events to be announced
John Rae Birthday
End of September
(Exact date TBC)
Plans are for a charity auction,
culminating in the John Rae
Birthday Draw!
There will also be a meal at
Sheila Fleet’s Kirk Café. This
will be a ticketed event.
Details to follow later.
27Visitors from afar Victorian Christmas Cards
We appreciate the fact that I put my late husband’s
many visitors have limited collection of about 100
time in Orkney. If you are not Victorian Christmas cards,
here during one of our Open dating mostly from the 1890s
Days but would like to visit the on display at Skaill House
Hall of Clestrain, do contact us during the Craft Fair there on
and we will do our best to December 14th and 15th. They
arrange something for you. We aroused a great deal of
are always pleased to see interest.
visitors. Several of you have expressed
You can do this through our a wish to see them. If there is
website: sufficient interest I could
www.johnraesociety.com or arrange something perhaps
by e-mail: during the John Rae Birthday
fursbreck@btinternet.com weekend in September. Please
get in touch if you are
or tel. 01856 771419 interested.
Fiona Gould
Gift Membership
Have you considered giving Contributions for the
someone JRS membership as Spring newsletter
a present? Annual (single)
£15 and (joint) £20. I would be grateful for
contributions for the next
You can arrange this through newsletter — articles, travel
the website or by contacting accounts, book reviews, in fact
the Member-ship Secretary. anything you think would be of
interest to members.
Editor
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