Newberg Notes: Our Cousin Jeanne

Today we drove from Inveraray to Campbeltown. On the way, we decided, based on a blurb in the guidebook, to stop at an old Abbey that was also something to do with the Macalister Clan. It sounded like an interesting place with nice grounds.We arrived and parked. Then we went up to the door and you had to ring the bell, which we did. A woman answered and asked if we wanted the tour of the house. We asked how long it would take and she said about 45 minutes. We sort of hesitated, as we were somewhat anxious to get to Campbeltown, thinking maybe the distillery would be open, even on Sunday. She sort of scolded us for being in a hurry, saying, "Americans are always in a hurry." Then she added, "I'm an American." Sue then said, "Of course, because we can understand you." Then Sue explained that we had spent a lot of time in Stonehaven researching our Barclay heritage. The woman looked at us strangely, and said, "You aren't Barclays, are you?" As it turns out, she is also a Barclay. Traced back to the same line as us, earlier than the Barclays who went to America. She has been in all the places in Stonehaven, including the mausoleum on the Ury Estate that we were unable to find. And she had pictures. She is the widow of the last Macalister Laird, who died a couple years ago.

So she invited us in to join a tour with two ladies that she already had in progress, and then she said she would show us her Barclay information. So we joined the tour of this beautiful house, with all kinds of mementos and artifacts and stuff. Then she showed us this room:

So what we learned is that she is 81 years old, from the east coast of the US and lived in California for a long time. She met her husband at a gathering of the clans, and married him in 1985 or so. She is a hand quilter and a collector. She took us into her private part of the house and showed us all her Barclay information, and made some copies of things for us. In her living room, she has heart things hanging on the walls (Sue has some photos of those that I will upload later), Country Living magazines, collections of duck decoys, and quilted stuffed hearts. It was uncanny. More photos: