"Clan means family," says Nancy Van Valkenburgh, a seventh generation Scottish American, as we sit next to each other at the annual Burns Night during the festival of Saint Andrews. It is a beautiful, blustery night outside and the room we are celebrating in is filled with an array of tartans.
Saint Andrew's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Andrew or Andermas, is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle and the beginning of the Advent season. It is celebrated on 30 November. Saint Andrew is the disciple in the New Testament who introduced his brother, the Apostle Peter to Jesus.
In Scotland and many countries across the world, Saint Andrew's Day is marked with a celebration of Scottish culture and traditional Scottish food and music. In Scotland, the day is also seen as the start of a season of Scottish winter festivals encompassing Saint Andrew's Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night. There are week-long celebrations in the town of St Andrews and some other Scottish cities.
Scottish settlers were among the first residents other than Native Americans (Cherokee and Creeks) to Madison County beginning in 1805. Many had already been in the United States (or the colonies) for several generations before making the trek across the Appalachian mountains to the Alabama-Mississippi Territory, called the Mississippi Territory until 1817.
We spoke with 4th generation Scottish-American Nancy Van Valkenburgh to learn more about the history of Scottish culture in Huntsville.
Who were some of the first Scottish families to settle here?
Reverend Robert Donnell, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister was one. Another notable Scot, was Major Rose, a hero of the War of 1812, described by Anne Royal, an English writer, as "Scotch gentleman and a Tennessee soldier." He had a Scottish accent and was probably a first generation American, unlike many others. He is often portrayed in the Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll sponsored by the Huntsville Pilgrimage Association.
Where is Scotland was your ancestry from?
My ancestry is from the MacDougall Clan from the Isle of Jura, Argyll, Scotland. They came to North Carolina in the 1840's. My mother's maiden name was McDougald. There are various spellings. North Carolina is said to have more residents of Scottish descent than there are Scots in Scotland.
What are some of the traditions that are still carried on today?
One trait is loyalty and family closeness. Clan means family. I love the Kirking (Churching) of the Tartans (often on St. Andrews Day) where each family has a representative who carries its Tartan banner to the front of the church as the as other family members stand. Finally when all Clans present at the service are recognized, the minister calls out "Clan of God" and everyone stands for a blessing, signifying the everyone belongs to God's family.
Your favorite Scottish poem.
My favorite Scottish poem is "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns.
A Red, Red Rose
By Robert Burns
O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.
So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve!
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.
What characteristics do you think Scottish families have.
Scottish families are close to each other, but are hospitable to everyone and love to be sure everyone has plenty to eat.
What are your favorite times of year to celebrate being Scottish? An why? (Is it food, decor, music, etc)
I like St. Andrews Day in November and Robert Burns Birthday Celebration in January. The most interesting holiday is "Hogmanay" (December 31). Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish song and it is sung around the world at midnight on December 31 to remember the old and welcome in the New Year. Shortbread is a favorite food and it was brought to the American South where it is a favorite Southern food.
Tell us about your tartan.
Our McDougald tartan has a Modern version (vibrant colors of red, etc), an "Ancient" with more muted colors" and a Heritage Tartan which is similar but even more muted. The Heritage Tartan is based on a curtain that had been hanging in Dunollie House at Oban, seat of the Clan MacDougall. It had been there for over 200 years. No one paid any attention to it until a few years ago when a Scottish historian associated with the National Trust of Scotland was doing research and realized the drape was MacDougall tartan. It was the largest uncut tartan that old they had ever found.
What type legacy do you hope the Scottish leave in Huntsville?
The legacy that I hope the Scottish descendents in Huntsville leave is a sense of loyalty for God, family, and country, and a sense of honor. The old Scots could not be bought. Robert Burns expressed the sentiment about what was important in his poem "A Man's a Man for All That" with the hope that we look forward to the day when we all be brothers the world over.
If you are interested in learning more about Scottish Society here in Huntsville contact the Tennessee Valley Scottish Society, https://www.tennesseevalleyscottishsociety.com.