This may be of interest, for those interested in school progress etc.. I was researching a McNab Family in Killin Parish ,Perthshire, the Glenlochay School records, show the children were enrolled there. I now note the correct spelling may be Glen Lochay Public School . 1876 the Log Book states " The McNabs in Class 3 are irregular in their attendance on account of stormy weather and a bad long road coming six miles through the Glen" 1883 Log Book again, " Isabella McNab residing at the head of the Glen has not been able to attend school, for nearly a month on account of the stormy weather". 1884 "Attendance still very poor, two of the McNabs from the head of the Glen have been attending of late , about time for them as ignorant as the hills without three words of English." The Glen in those times was probably only a track, presenting attendance problems similar to many rural areas in Scotland at the time. One of those McNabs, was the Gt. Grandfather of my Daughter in law, a Teacher, I suspect she was somewhat distressed by the comments. Her Grandmother, when young, emigrated to New Zealand, but my D.in L., does not remember any comments made about Gaelic prior to emigration. On 05/09/2013 11:51, Janet wrote: > ... > Was the Gaelic language prevalent in certain areas across Scotland, > viz moreso in the Highlands and what of Aberdeen? Aberdeen belongs firmly in the Scots-speaking Lowlands. A few of the more westerly parishes of Aberdeenshire would still have had some Gaelic speakers into the later 19th century. > Did the schools teach English from 1871 or were some of them totally Gaelic. Even in Gaelic-speaking areas, the school would be taught in English. > If the > latter, then it is more likely some of them would place a cross where > they were required to sign their name? I don't see why that should be. > It seems possible that children could write their name even if they > could not read, or was it the other way round; they could read but not > write anything, even their name, without encouragement. Those like > mine who were born to parents in the printing industry may be better off than others perhaps. By the later 19th century, children would be taught both to read and to write. Among my ancestors (who were all in fairly humble circumstances) I have come across only who failed to produce a signature when required for purposes of Registration, and I think that was probably fairly typical. Gavin Bell __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 8768 (20130905) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com

Sorry forgot to sign my name below, pressed send too soon, Mary -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mary Legarth Sent: Friday, 6 September 2013 11:33 a.m. To: [email protected] Subject: [ABERDEEN] Language or literacy. This may be of interest, for those interested in school progress etc.. I was researching a McNab Family in Killin Parish ,Perthshire, the Glenlochay School records, show the children were enrolled there. I now note the correct spelling may be Glen Lochay Public School . 1876 the Log Book states " The McNabs in Class 3 are irregular in their attendance on account of stormy weather and a bad long road coming six miles through the Glen" 1883 Log Book again, " Isabella McNab residing at the head of the Glen has not been able to attend school, for nearly a month on account of the stormy weather". 1884 "Attendance still very poor, two of the McNabs from the head of the Glen have been attending of late , about time for them as ignorant as the hills without three words of English." The Glen in those times was probably only a track, presenting attendance problems similar to many rural areas in Scotland at the time. One of those McNabs, was the Gt. Grandfather of my Daughter in law, a Teacher, I suspect she was somewhat distressed by the comments. Her Grandmother, when young, emigrated to New Zealand, but my D.in L., does not remember any comments made about Gaelic prior to emigration. On 05/09/2013 11:51, Janet wrote: > ... > Was the Gaelic language prevalent in certain areas across Scotland, > viz moreso in the Highlands and what of Aberdeen? Aberdeen belongs firmly in the Scots-speaking Lowlands. A few of the more westerly parishes of Aberdeenshire would still have had some Gaelic speakers into the later 19th century. > Did the schools teach English from 1871 or were some of them totally Gaelic. Even in Gaelic-speaking areas, the school would be taught in English. > If the > latter, then it is more likely some of them would place a cross where > they were required to sign their name? I don't see why that should be. > It seems possible that children could write their name even if they > could not read, or was it the other way round; they could read but not > write anything, even their name, without encouragement. Those like > mine who were born to parents in the printing industry may be better > off than others perhaps. By the later 19th century, children would be taught both to read and to write. Among my ancestors (who were all in fairly humble circumstances) I have come across only who failed to produce a signature when required for purposes of Registration, and I think that was probably fairly typical. Gavin Bell __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 8768 (20130905) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com

Thanks for contributing this information Mary. We hear much today about how our parents and grand parents got to school without transport or at best on a bicycle perhaps. The Log Book entries you have shared with us are useful. I suspect there were people who were Teachers in Scotland who would have been in demand outside of Scotland owing to the high standard of teaching there. Janet ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Legarth" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 06, 2013 12:33 AM Subject: [ABERDEEN] Language or literacy. > This may be of interest, for those interested in school progress etc.. > I was researching a McNab Family in Killin Parish ,Perthshire, the > Glenlochay School records, show the children were enrolled there. I now > note the correct spelling may be Glen Lochay Public School . > 1876 the Log Book states " The McNabs in Class 3 are irregular in their > attendance on account of stormy weather and a bad long road coming > six miles through the Glen" > 1883 Log Book again, " Isabella McNab residing at the head of the Glen has > not been able to attend school, for nearly a month on account of the stormy > weather". > 1884 "Attendance still very poor, two of the McNabs from the head of the > Glen have been attending of late , about time for them as ignorant as the > hills without three words of English." > > The Glen in those times was probably only a track, presenting attendance > problems similar to many rural areas in Scotland at the time. > One of those McNabs, was the Gt. Grandfather of my Daughter in law, a > Teacher, I suspect she was somewhat distressed by the comments. > Her Grandmother, when young, emigrated to New Zealand, but my D.in L., does > not remember any comments made about Gaelic prior to emigration. > > On 05/09/2013 11:51, Janet wrote: >> ... >> Was the Gaelic language prevalent in certain areas across Scotland, >> viz moreso in the Highlands and what of Aberdeen? > > Aberdeen belongs firmly in the Scots-speaking Lowlands. A few of the more > westerly parishes of Aberdeenshire would still have had some Gaelic speakers > into the later 19th century. > >> Did the schools teach English from 1871 or were some of them totally > Gaelic. > > Even in Gaelic-speaking areas, the school would be taught in English. > >> If the >> latter, then it is more likely some of them would place a cross where >> they were required to sign their name? > > I don't see why that should be. > >> It seems possible that children could write their name even if they >> could not read, or was it the other way round; they could read but not >> write anything, even their name, without encouragement. Those like >> mine who were born to parents in the printing industry may be better off > than others perhaps. > > By the later 19th century, children would be taught both to read and to > write. Among my ancestors (who were all in fairly humble circumstances) I > have come across only who failed to produce a signature when required for > purposes of Registration, and I think that was probably fairly typical. > > > Gavin Bell > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature > database 8768 (20130905) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with > the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message