Don't worry about it. Nepotism as until we became politically correct a perfectly normal way of doing business. I think that it was Jackie Fisher the head of the Royal Navy at its greatest in the early 20th Century who said that Nepotism was the secret of efficiency. Certainly in Ulster, well into the last century my family ran an organisation where nepotism ruled. It was efficient unlike the open organisation which succeeded it. Edward > -----Original Message----- > From: scotch-irish-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:scotch-irish-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of > Sharon Oddie Brown > Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 12:35 AM > To: scotch-irish@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [S-I] Nepotism as a tool in some family histories > > Linde, I totally agree - but thought that I had addressed > that in the first paragraph, no? > > /Nepotism, particularly in business and government, is > regarded as a dodgy practice. Fair enough, but in the days > before the invention and installation of telegraph lines, it > was one of the more reliable ways to stay connected. Without > the feedback loop of today's communication networks, > businessmen needed the trust of both kith and kin to grease > the wheels of commerce.//The idea, let alone the reality, of > a digital village wasn't even a twinkle in the eyes of our > great-great-grandparents/ > > I can see that I could have framed it better in the email > describing the link. The wording came as a result of trying > to please the administrator on the JACKSON sites. It came out > kind of constipated as a result. Not that it even worked. I > am in Purgatory - again. He has decided to block me for > inappropriate posts - the same posts that I later sent to > other lists with no problems, kudos even. It is quite disheartening. > > By the way - is there any chance that you might be in the > deeds registry in the next bit? I have a couple of look-ups > that would be great to have. No problem if this doesn't work > for you. I am hoping to squeeze in a trip in the autumn. > Maybe, maybe. I'd like to get down to Kildare. > > Ta, > Sharon > Sharon Oddie Brown, Roberts Creek, BC, Canada. History Project: > http://www.thesilverbowl.com/ > > On 05/02/2012 2:27 PM, Lunney Family wrote: > > Hello Sharon > > > > many thanks for all your work on our mutual and possibly > unrecognized > > ancestors! always fun to check out your updates and read your blog. > > > > I want to point out something to you however; you use the term > > "nepotism", which for people today is definitely a pejorative term. > > For people from the north of Ireland, certainly in the > 18th and 19th > > centuries, and even up to the twentieth century, there was nothing > > wrong with drawing on kinship connections to find staff or to make > > business connections, and of course we have to acknowledge that > > marriages within a kin group were perfectly acceptable and even > > preferred in some areas and some families. (mine for > instance!) If > > you think about it; in a system before there was any dependence on > > examinations and qualifications, how would you decide who to employ? > > especially if you were based in Hong Kong, several months away from > > Ireland. If you picked the wrong employee, waited for him > to arrive, > > tried him out for several months and then had to wait > several months > > for a replacement, life was very difficult indeed. As my > family used > > to say about marrying relatives, in that circumstance you knew what > > you were getting. If you opted to call for a family member, > you had at > > least some hope of having a congenial companion in your > exile; someone > > you could talk to about home and family in Antrim. So for > people from > > Ireland, it was perfectly acceptable to use kinship connections to > > fill posts. > > > > I know you and most of the readers on these lists will understand > > these customs and mores; it's just the use of the word "nepotism" > > which might give the wrong impression to readers > > > > best wishes > > Linde Lunney > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > SCOTCH-IRISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without > > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SCOTCH-IRISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Apologies. My recent response to Linde went out to the whole group. It was intended as a reply just to her, and included a paragraph that I regret going public. It was a personal issue not pertinent to this list. Sharon Sharon Oddie Brown, Roberts Creek, BC, Canada. History Project: http://www.thesilverbowl.com/