ALL
CHANGE AT FINLAYSTONE
Major changes are in the pipeline at Finlaystone. George
and Jane have made the estate over to their eldest son Arthur (pictured
left a few years ago with his parents), and plans are afoot for the next
generation of MacMillans to take up permanent residence in the ancestral
home in a year or two’s time. Arthur and his wife Barbara are
planning some internal alterations and refurbishment, so the house will be
closed to visitors next year; which means if you haven’t seen it yet,
and can’t wait for a couple of years more, get your skates on (if you
come on Saturday June 25th, during the Conclave mini-gathering, you’ll
get a chance to see some parts not normally open to the public at all,
plus the possibility of meeting one or two characters associated with its
long history). Clanspeople hoping to visit the chief and his wife at HQ
after the changeover will not be disappointed, as a rather special
granny-flat is being created for them at the rear of the house, allowing
George and Jane to continue to work their socks off (in George’s case
quite literally so!) in the gardens. Retirement is not a word that appeals
to either of them, and I think I can safely say that they will remain
active, especially in the clan, for many years to come.
ARCHIVIST SHIFTS HIS AERIE
Clan Centre Archivist and Genealogist Graeme Mackenzie
has moved back to Edinburgh after some seven years or so of residence at
Finlaystone (the timing is purely coincidental - though it would probably
have had to happen sooner or later due to the above changes). He will
continue to act as Curator of the Clan Centre, though the day-to-day
administrative and clerical tasks (handling routine enquiries, "Friends"
renewals, up-dating the clan-contacts database etc.) will be handled by
the new Assistant Curator, Pauline Simpson, who lives in Langbank village.
She also works part-time for Jane in the Finlaystone Estate office and
elsewhere on the estate. This division of labour will allow Graeme to
concentrate more of his M'millan-paid time on Project MAOL and answering
genealogical enquires - the number of which is increasing as the website
becomes more widely seen - as well as compiling newsletters, organising
gatherings, and planning for the future.
You can still contact Graeme via Graeme@clanmacmillan.org
N.B. As Graeme will in future pick up his emails in Edinburgh the above
address should not be used for routine clan business or genealogical
enquiries which require use of Clan Centre resources.
Please address all such to ClanCentre@clanmacmillan.org
or Genealogy@clanmacmillan.org
THE PROBLEMS OF SUCCESS
With the Conclave of Clan Elders convening in June to
discuss a number of thorny issues, it’s worth putting the problems it
will discuss in context; in the context that is of a Clan MacMillan that
is thriving: The number of clanspeople recorded on the Clan Centre
database, which lists the members of all the clan’s societies,
branches, chapters and family groups around the world (at least those that
keep proper membership lists and let us have copies)
plus
others who have been in touch with the chief or the clan for one reason or
another, has risen five-fold in the last decade to over 2,500. We now have
more clan societies (up from 10 to 15 since 1991), and more members in
most existing societies (especially the Appalachian Branch which has
virtually doubled its membership under the dynamic leadership of Robert
Bell - a dynamism we would all like to see used more widely on behalf of
the clan as a whole). There are now more sources of information about the
clan and more means to get that information to interested clanspeople than
ever before (particularly websites, and especially the official Clan
MacMillan site sponsored and created by the Clan Centre). More historical
and genealogical research is taking place about the MacMillans; more
regular Clan MacMillan activities occur each year around the world (annual
representation at about 30 Highland Games/Celtic Festivals etc. in at
least 5 different countries); and more special events than ever. The Clan
Centre has, hopefully, done its bit in this renaissance of the clan; and
thanks are therefore due to its chief office-holders, who are pictured
right:
From the left: New Treasurer, Brig. Alistair Macmillan;
Retiring Treasurer, Alexander R. Macmillan; and Retiring Secretary, Nigel
S.C. Macmillan.
The cover photo of
the chief was taken at the August 1999 Mississippi
clan gathering by Jim Flanders, Vicksburg, MS, to whom our thanks.
The
fact that our gardens would be open for charity on the Sunday of the Games
meant that one of us had to stay behind. So Jane pointed me in the general
direction of N.C. and hoped for the best - though it turned out that she
had done plenty of preparatory work to make sure there was always a minder
within eye-shot to keep my feathers unruffled. The flight went smoothly
enough; and I can recommend the immigration people at Charlotte. I was
just wondering how I would find the President of the Appalachian Branch,
when he appeared. As Susan had been unexpectedly detained at work, Robert
took the chance to call in on the Games H.Q. where Mr. And Mrs. Dick
Taylor and two or three of their huge band of volunteers were putting the
finishing touches to their preparations. Despite a forecast of rain, they
seemed remarkably relaxed; and this being the fifth wet games out of
seven, they were well prepared.
Much of the following day (Friday) was devoted to the Community of the Tonsured Servant. We met in the historic church of the Rev. Peter Hales. Emily Williams gave us a typically dynamic account of how she traced about three hundred relations; and her husband, Ed, introduced us to Castle Sween as it must have looked in its hey-day, with the aid of a beautiful and well-researched model. After lunch, kindly provided by members of Peter’s congregation, we held a service in the church, at which we received four members into the Community. That evening Robert and Susan took me to the first official engagement of the Games - the Sponsors’ Reception. It was in a magnificent marquee - just as well, since the promised rain arrived as we did. Rain that falls on a huge marquee is bound to go somewhere. Inevitably, it started infiltrating the tent; but it was quickly halted with loads of hay. Some items, like the performance of the pipe band, which had been planned for the open air, were brought indoors; and the party went ahead with no noticeable damping of spirits.
Next morning we were early at our tent. The overnight rain had eased; but the ground was water-logged, and soon turned to mud round the games field. Those connected with the Games demonstrated their local knowledge by wearing highly elegant and effective plastic Inverness Capes. The Honoured Guest looked somewhat less well equipped with a brown mackintosh slung over his shoulder. Robert did a magnificent job accompanying him on a visitation of Clan Tents. Our black shoes ended up brown. That evening we had a marvellous clan banquet, in the course of which Robert (who endured a good deal of heckling) gave me a lovely pipe banner, which was later borne by one of his high-flying pupils, 15 year-old Carl Fetter, who had come a good fourth in the open piobroch that morning.
Sunday’s sky was gloriously blue. After an
excellent service in the local cemetary, to which I was driven in an open
horse-drawn carriage (see picture above - Logan Bell bearing the
chief's banner), we left our tents for the Parade of the Clans. The
MacMillans were very well represented. The Games ended with a moving
little ceremony - the placing of commemorative stones on a cairn near the
field. Then it was time to say goodbye to Dick and Keets Taylor and some
of their many assistants. 
In
spite of all that nature could fling at them, they had produced a highly
enjoyable event. Their quiet, unflappable, and extremely effective
leadership was an example to all who came in contact with them.
My shoes - the only pair I had with me - did not remain
brown for long. Robert woke me up next morning with a dazzlingly black
pair of shoes on a silver salver. Heaven help the drains of Greensboro.
Before flying home to Scotland, George stayed with Rev. Malcolm MacMillan in Bethlehem, PA; and in the course of his visit Susan Bell was inducted as a Dame of the Royal Jacobite Order of the Star of Bethlehem (she is pictured right with George and Mac).
The Winds of Change at Finlaystone
A series of particularly windy winters have taken their toll at Finlaystone and along with the loss of hundreds of smaller trees in the woods around the estate, the big Cedar of Lebanon that guarded the main drive up to the front of the house has finally split asunder and lost one of its two great trunks.
Pictures by Pauline Simpson, Assistant Curator of the Clan MacMillan Centre.
Also in this edition of the Newsletter:
Page 3: In his regular column From the Archivist's Aerie Graeme Mackenzie reflects on the unique role of the chief in a Scottish clan.
Pages 5-8: The Conclave Supplement commences with the picture of Arthur MacMillan the Younger of MacMillan and Knap and his children which is reproduced below; and recalls the business and the pleasure of the first International Conclave of Clan MacMillan Elders which was held in 1994. The Conclave and Mini-Gathering programme follow, along with Graeme Mackenzie's personal views on the business of the Conclave.
Pages 10 & 11: An article about "The Early Galloway MacMillans and the Sept of Mulligan/Milliken"- with a family tree showing the main figures in the first five generations of the clan.
You can get all this, and
more, by subscribing through Clan
MacMillan International.
Arthur, Rory and Hugo are waiting to welcome you
into the Clan MacMillan family
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