Scotland
So I did three wonderful events at the Edinburgh Book Festival back in August, and then the awesome folks at the Scottish Book Trust took me out into the country for a day to meet some young Scottish folk.
One of the towns we visited was Brechin, about 2 hours north of Edinburgh. Now Brechin is an interesting town (populatioon about 7000) for the following reasons:
1. It has a very nice 13th Century cathedral, with a round tower dating from about 1000AD.
2. Robert Watson-Watt, an important pioneer in the early development of radar was born there.
3. As was my great-great-grandfather, William Ross.
William was the illegitimate son of a woman called Jessie Mitchell. He emigrated to Australia as a young man, but his own son moved back to England, before HIS son (my grandfather) moved back to Australia. I had some time to go to the cathedral, and I found this in the churchyard:
It was also really awesome meeting some real live Scottish students, in their second ever week of high school. Here I am with a few of them:
Thanks, Edinburgh Book Festival and Scottish Book Trust for showing me such a great time!
Hi there! I think I am related to you!!!! My great grandfather was also William Ross, son of Jessie Mitchell who had two male children – William and Archibald. I know William was a stone mason and carved the funeral stone. If you want, please contact me…perhaps there is more I can tell you or vice verca. Kind regards, Gaenor Roeger