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The Scottish American History Club Newsletter
January 1999
Peter Marshall
The personality of Peter Marshall flashed like a meteor
across the conscience of America. Regretfully, it was
extinguished with his early death at age 45.
As U.S. Senate Chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Marshall
challenged the best in the nation with his piquant and
pointed references to the problems of the day in his
prayers.
Peter Marshall was born in 1904 in Coatbridge in the
industrial Clydeside. His father died when he was four.
He studied engineering, and was encouraged to pursue his
career in the U.S. where he arrived in 1927. He worked
in New Jersey and Birmingham, Alabama, where he was
inspired to study for the ministry.
After graduation, he became pastor of a church in
Covington, Georgia, and later in Atlanta. By 1933, he
was attracting large crowds with his sermons. He moved
to Washington where he was well known as the preacher at
the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Here hundreds
were turned away every Sunday.
He was asked to preach the Christmas sermon to President
Franklin D. Roosevelt and family. Before long he was
appointed Chaplain to the Senate. It was said that
Senators started coming early just to hear his prayers
which were widely quoted in national publications. An
editorial in the Atlanta Journal said, “His arresting
pulpit personality holds his listeners enthralled by the
dramatic forcefulness of his delivery.”
He suffered severe heart pains in 1947 and died January
25, 1949. Later, his wife Catherine said of her husband,
“There were things that Scotland contributed to Peter -
as she does to all her sons - a sturdy independence that
scorns hardship, a tenacity of purpose, and a deep
appreciation of religion and political liberty with the
will to defend it at any cost.”
From the Scottish American Hall of Fame located at the
Scottish Home in North Riverside, Illinois.
For information on the 100th birthday of Peter
Marshall see the
Presbyterian Outlook
Charlotte Erickson
In the Los Angeles Library, I found a book written by
Charlotte Erickson entitled Invisible Immigrants. Its
sub-title was The Adaptation of English and Scottish
Immigrants in Nineteenth-Century America.
Her book consists entirely of letters written between
English and Scottish families. There was an interesting
passage on page 37.
“In the case of two Scottish families, for which we have
letters traveling in both directions across the
Atlantic, more consulting and less unquestioning
adherence to a tradition of patriarchal authority
appeared. Peter McKellar asked the permission of his son
to remarry, since the decision would affect him. ‘We
want a housekeeper, and I know Persis Butler wants to
become my lawful wife; she could make all our cloths,
socks and suits; she has likewise got considerable
wealth’.”
I wonder if the son gave his permission! Peter McKellar
lived in Farmersburgh, Clayton Co., Iowa, and the son
apparently still lived in Scotland. The note was marked
‘received April 1852'.
George Calder
* Someone You Should Know *
 George Calder was a member of the Illinois St. Andrew
Society and quite famous in his time as a musical
director. For instance, he organized and lead the great
Scottish choir at the World’s Fair in 1933. His
daughter, Fiona, who is also a member of the Society,
recently gave me some materials for our historical
collection. Among them is a letter dated August 31,
1936, from Adamson’s Scots’ House, 15 Everett Street,
Jamaica Plain, Boston, Mass.
“Dear Mr. Calder:
Order at hand for two doz. mens round corner thistle
button, and pair of thistle chased shoe buckles, to be
sent subject to approval. As no goods can be insured by
mail that is sent on approval, the goods have been sent
per Express.
That is a fine picture on your letter head, but the
first thing I noticed was the same mistake that caused
the sculptor of the Walter Scot Monument to shoot
himself. (The one in Municipal Square, Glasgow). The
plaid is on the right shoulder. As the idea of the
tartan sash is to signify something Scottish, it must be
worn by Scottish rule - on the left shoulder.
“The horse hair sporrans, two black tassels, white horse
hair and metal tops, are $15.00. The Badger, Beaver or
Otter Heads run from 18., to 22...”
In his instructions Mr. Adamson writes: “In
corresponding with us, give full name and address on
each letter. Please write plainly your name, and name of
town or city. While, in nearly all cases, you can easily
decipher your own signatures, it is generally the case
that no one else can. This is especially true of well
educated people who have got into the habit of scrawling
their names.”
Does anyone know the story of the sculptor of the Walter
Scot Monument in Glasgow? I suppose Adamson’s Scots’
House in Boston is long gone. Any of Boston friends
know?
In old Scotland, seaport women of the night were what
the Scots called a “cutty sark.” But then it meant -
fast. This may have inspired the captain to name the
world’s fastest clipper ship the Cutty Sark. The
figurehead is of a woman in scanty garb.
San Francisco Examiner
March 8, 1998
The Lincoln Church
 The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church is often
referred to as “the Lincoln Church” because of his
prominent association during his presidency. President
Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln decided to make the Church
their place of worship during the dark days of the Civil
War and actually paid rent on a pew for three and
one-half years. “By tradition, Presidents of the United
States are seated in this pew when there worship” at the
Church. Other Presidents association with the Church are
too numerous to mention in this short article.
During the Civil War, Lincoln was often a “silent
worshiper” in the Pastor’s study during the mid-week
prayer meeting. Hidden from the other worshipers,
Lincoln felt this “arrangement best preserved the
reverent atmosphere of the service.” “One snowy evening,
however, two small boys of the church, full of curiosity
, traced the ‘tall stranger’ by following his large
footprints in the snow back to the White House.”
“The earliest church history begins in 1793 with a
little group of Scottish stone masons and carpenters who
gathered for worship in a carpenter shop, temporarily
erected on the grounds of the White House during
construction.” Not only were Scots involved in the
construction of the White House, George Walker, a native
of Claackmannanshire, “pointed out the advantages of the
present site of the Capital of the United States...”
In 1803 some of the original White House worshipers
formed the original church and called Dr. James Laurie
from Scotland as their first pastor. This was the first
Protestant church in the city of Washington and their
original building stood on the site of the historic
Willard Hotel building. Dr. Peter Marshall was pastor of
the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church from 1941-45.
Highland Cattle
Scottish Highland cattle date back to the 12th century.
Over the centuries they have developed the ability to
thrive in less than ideal circumstances. “They also
possess outstanding mothering instincts, longevity, very
low calf mortality” and are disease resistance.
“Her majesty Queen Elizabeth keeps a large herd of
Scottish Highland cattle at Balmoral Castle for her
private stock. It is said that this is the only beef she
allows to grace her table. In addition to the Queen,
British nobility and multi-billionaires here in the U.S.
own Highland cattle.” “As a trial, thirty-five Highland
NY strip steaks made their premier on the Metropolitan
Opera’s Special Menu. They were sold out in just 30
minutes!”
“Chef Greg Lutes at the Checkerberry Inn in Goshen,
Indiana said he has been selling Highland beef for about
six months. He sells a 23-ounce Highland steak for $36
and is considering offering it in smaller portions.” You
can obtain more information about Highland cattle from
Ginnah Moses at ahca@envisionet.net
 Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
John Forbes (1710-1759) was born in Pittencrieff,
Fifeshire, and is recognized as the founder of
Pittsburg. “He was noted for his obstinancy and strength
of character, and may have been the prototype of the
Scotsman in the prayer:
‘Grant, O Lord, that the Scotsman may be right; for, if
wrong, he is eternally wrong’”
Robert Burns
The following information was obtained on the Internet.
“Robert Burns was the eldest of seven children born to
William Burness, a farmer. As such he had plenty of hard
work to do.
There is a myth that he was largely self-taught, but in
fact he had a tutor, John Murdoch, who taught him
everything from English literature and French to
dancing. So he was far from a simple country lad. His
education was encouraged by his father, but it was his
mother, Agnes Broun, eldest child of Carrick farmer
Gilbert Broun, who, being well versed in songs but not
in books, who taught him the Scottish folk songs,
legends, etc., which we find throughout his works.
His father died in 1784, when he was 25, and for a time
he took over the farm. He had already been writing his
first works.”
We have often heard that Burns was a non-conformist and
a radical who upset most of the conservative society
with his lifestyle. Burns supported privately and
sometime publicly the revolutions that were spreading
around the world. He would have had first-hand knowledge
of the American Revolution which began in 1776. In fact,
some believe that Scots Wha Hae was a cry for liberty
and the independence of Scotland.
You can obtain additional information from
Jeremy Boot
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