Thomas RATTRAY and Agnes BURNETT - part 3

... continued from Marion Shaw in a letter to her cousin Lorne Kyle 

“The cottage was built because the doctor thought the country air was essential to the health of your father, you, and to a lesser degree, Clarence. (note: Henry contracted tuberculosis several times in his life and it was the cause of his death in 1958.)  

Because my parents and Uncle Al were not able to do more toward the care of Grandma and Grandpa, both contributed toward the building – not as a mortgage of course.

You can’t write an account of life at Otterburn without including first and foremost, your mother’s hospitality. I remember the garden with it’s formal flower beds, the raspberry canes, apple trees, and black and red currants. Grandpa planted mignonette, balsams, pansies, portulaca and others. The flowers were “touché pas” (don’t touch). Your father’s pride and joy were his roses. (note from Lorna - my father gardened his whole life and now I do also. I guess a love of gardening was passed down in the genetic code.) 

Henry Kyle and Martha Rattray Kyle

I remember the rainy afternoons on the porch playing 500 or some other game with your father’s rinky dinks, as my mother called them.  (something of little worth)  I remember Saturday picnics, the regattas and the church bazaar to which your Aunt Mary and Aunt Aggie (Kyle) contributed so much of their time and needlework. Before the church (Baptist) was built, the Sunday service was held at Aunt Annie’s old cottage on the lawn. Her pump organ was taken to the porch for the music. In bad weather, a tent was put up. Aunt Aggie Rattray gave the bell to the church.

I don’t remember much about that place (Aunt Annie’s) except that we were there the summer your cottage was being built and my mother, Jessie, was busy negotiating the sale of the cottage and its contents after Uncle Joe’s death (Annie’s husband, Joseph Copping) I had gone up to your place, allowed to run barefoot, and forthwith got a nail in my foot.  All “H” broke loose and my mother chased me for a day with a bottle of castor oil.   I saw no logic in castor oil for a nail in the foot.  Finally some neighbor suggested a paste of brown soap and sugar. That was to my liking and did the trick.

left to right - seated Martha, Agnes Burnett (seated) blind Aunt Annie (leaning on her), Thomas Rattray, Jessie. Back row left - Agnes  (Aunt Aggie) , Alexander Burnett, William Small, Thomas. 

When Uncle Joe died, Lillian and Dorothy (Rattray) as well as other members were weeping and wailing. I’m not sure my mother was amongst the weepers for she had to run things.  There were great expeditions to acquire black hats, veils and black rimmed handkerchiefs. Black crepe was hanging on the front door.  I know I didn’t dare express my joy that Uncle Joe had gone to heaven. Frankly, after his long illness, I thought it great! I couldn’t understand their grief; now I regard (reacting this way ) to personal loss as a normal vent for personal selfishness. 

Family Squabbles:

left to right - Martha, Marion Shaw (daughter of Jessie) 
is seated in the back next to Martha
 The others are yet to be identified 

Mother (Jessie) would come and the clothes swapping would begin, that was relatively harmless; but then the swapping squabbles, (often originated by your mother trading something your father had given her – probably at some personal sacrifice) with Aunt Annie. Of course they didn’t intend to keep it permanently, the clothes or whatever, but trouble broke when your dad, especially in later years, discovered what he recognized as his and which he was unaware your mother had traded, even with financial dealings. Things weren’t always above board.  I need not elaborate on the sugar and creamer which were a bona fide deal in exchange for sheets and pillowcases long since worn out through your mother’s illness (stroke) in 1937 (Martha died in 1948).  Then Clarence would come along and other treasures would mysteriously disappear to “fill” the trunk he was taking home.

(note from Lorna: One winter I was visiting mom and dad at their trailer in Desert Hot Springs. I had admired some flatware that mom had as it matched plates of mine. She tried to give them to me…until Dad found out…He was angry and really lit into mom for “always giving things away”. I was really shocked by his anger. I left  and waited outside for the tirade to subside. I thought, “What’s the big deal, it’s just a few knives and forks”. Mom told me later that the reason Dad was so angry with her was because his mother was always giving things away. Now I know he learned that attitude and behavior from his father. P.S. I did not get the flatwear.

You and I had our ups and downs too. I went to N.D.G. Ave with you in 1934 – autumn. With the depression and uncertainty of unemployment for both your father and Clarence, it seemed right that I should board with the family (to help out) I paid the nominal rate of $40.00 a month, slightly higher than I had been paying downtown – imagine that! You were very fussy about how your egg was cooked and once I came down furious with you when I heard you call to your mother, “Ma I’m ready for my egg!”  You learned, poor Lorne.  How you suffered after you married Lilian!! You had never had to wait on yourself. Well you’re much the richer because of Lilian’s good care, in a different way – or is it age? – that mellows us?”

seated - Agnes Burnett - left circle ?  Martha, Annie, Lorne, Henry Kyle. others are not identified yet.

Notes on the Rattray family:

Our genealogy on this branch can get confusing because there are two Thomas Rattrays both married to an Agnes. Lorne Kyle’s maternal grandfather was Thomas Rattray, his wife was Agnes Burnett. This Thomas’s father and mother were also Thomas and Agnes. Her maiden name was Milne. For purposes of clarification I’ll refer to them as Thomas junior and senior.

Agnes Milne was described as a “good looking and good living woman”, according to John Allen (an uncle of Alexander Burnett, Henry Kyle’s brother He died in 1936) who visited the widow in her home in 1871 along with his future wife, Matilda. John writes, “I have no doubt that Thomas (senior) was of the same good type. A kind welcome always awaited us. I have happy memories of these visits.” Agnes died a few years later in 1874. Agnes and her husband Thomas must have been a religious family to have instilled in their son Thomas jr., the importance of the Bible and in reading it often.

Thomas sr., Lorne’s great grandfather, was a master mason. His father, John Rattray

b. 1767, was a weaver.  John Allen describes a little background on this trade.

“In John Rattray’s time the weaving of woolen and linen cloth was done by a hand loom, an art of great antiquity. In 1800 when your grandfather was born, little or no machinery was used in this spinning and weaving of cloth in Dundee, thus many weavers had their own weaving shop attached to their own house, living happy peaceful lives. John Rattray and Elspath Edward must have been in good circumstances when they were able to send your grandfather to learn the mason trade and giving him a start in life fitting him to be a master builder in his day.”

Lorne took a trip to the British Isles in 1948 to settle some claims for Air Canada. This trip was a very enjoyable one for him. He writes,

“Although I had completed my business in Scotland I decided not to leave the country until I visited the city where my maternal grandparents were born. Dundee is not a pretty city due to smoke from the many foundries located throughout the city. Dundee is noted for marmalade and jams which are exported all over the world. While walking along the main street I came across a jewelry store with the name of Rattray on the window. As this was my grandfather’s name I stepped inside to learn that the owner had been dead for years. Evidently the present owner had decided to retain the old name of the original owner. I tried to get in touch with some of my grandfather’s relatives but was not successful.”

A Short History of the Rattray Clan 

The Rattrays took their surname from the Rath-toir, a hill fort built on a serpent shaped mound to the east of the present village of Rattray. This mound was probably of druidic origin and had legendary associations with prehistoric snake worship. 

 The name Thomas Rattray goes back a long way. Sir Thomas Rattray was knighted by Alexander the third and married the heiress, Christian of Aberbothric in 1253. Their son was Sir John Rattray. There were some dirty deeds and land snatches  by a man who married Thomas’s  granddaughter, John Stewart, the Earl of Atholl. Stewart raided Rattray Castle, kidnapped Sir John’s two infant daughters and carried off all the family possessions.  He later arranged for the eldest to marry his son claiming half the Rattray lands as his dowry. He forced the other daughter to hand over the other half of the lands. The rightful heir, his brother in law, was murdered by Stewart’s men in 1533 in the chapel on his grounds at the Castle of Craighill while seeking refuge. The castle was  later renamed Craighill-Rattray in a charter from Charles II

from clanrattray.com  "The Rattrays of Rattray are of royal descent. Patrick Rattray (1400-1461) married a daughter of James Stewart son of Alexander Stewart (wolf of Badenoch) who was Robert II of Rattrays natural son. Patricks children were therefore 2nd cousins of James IV. This was an important connection. Patrick's son Sir Silvester Rattray (1426 - 1491) was the 6th Great Grandson of Alanus (1st Rattray on record) and also gt. grandson of Robert III of Scotland. Usong the Clan database we can quickly calculate that Sir Silvester was the 4th gt grandson of the famous Robert the Bruce, King of Scots." 

The Rattrays fall under the Murray clan. The chief of the Murray clan is the duke of Athole. Lord Lieutenant of the county of Perth, Scotland. His seat is Blair Castle. The family motto is…

TRUTH, FORTUNE and FILL the FETTERS

which loosely means,   "Go forth against your enemies, return with hostages and booty!  Fetters are shackles for the feet".  Tough bunch!

according to a fourth cousin, Charlie Monk, this is an artists rendition of John Rattray
our direct ancestor.  So when you feel like golfing, just know that that is in your genes also!