Clan MacAulay International Gathering - 11/13 August 2022 - Stornaway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, UK

Monday, January 10, 2022

EXPLORING SCOTLAND

Coorie-In Cushion on Etsy

Coorie In

Coorie - or còsagach in Gaelic

Coorie (ku:ri) enjoying life the Scottish way

Gaelic translation to nestle or snuggle, to be cosy

What does it mean to "coorie in"?

In Scotland, you know you're in good company when a friend or family member pats a small space on their couch and invites you to "coorie in". Squashed next to them, you might not have an awful lot of room, but at least you're snug.

Image from Vogue
Coorie has long been synonymous with nestling up to a loved one, but only recently has it entered everyday parlance as a way to describe a scene. One equally warm and comforting, where a cosy room lit by a flickering fire provides refuge from the banshee wind and horizontal rain outside.

Coorie is a Scottish word which traditionally means to snuggle or cuddle, but it has taken on a new meaning in recent years to become symbolic of the little things that make us happy - and it's perfect for the cold winter months.

Highland Coo with Calf

Gabriella Bennett, author of The Art of Coorie: How to Live Happy the Scottish Way, said the word is used to describe a feeling of "cool, contemporary Caledonia".

At the same time, though, it celebrates established Scottish culture too. "One that looks forward while also paying respect to our oldest traditions," Bennett added.

"Coorie is about learning to live better using what is around you. It's about drawing comfort from Scotland's oldest traditions and updating them for modern times.

"It's also about looking at how we buy, consume and spend our leisure time then trying to simplify the processes involved.

"A coorie way of life practises small, quiet, slow activities by engaging with our surroundings to feel happy."

https://www.tyla.com/healthy/life-what-is-the-scottish-wellness-trend-coorie-20181023

Abide Awhile

Credits

https://www.etsy.com/listing/553245341/scottish-words-coorie-in-cushion-cover

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/coorie-lifestyle-trend

https://johnstonartist.co.uk/product/coorie-in/

https://media.visitscotland.org/assets

Sunday, January 9, 2022

EXPLORING THE McCAULEY CECIL COUNTY, MARYLAND ROOTS

The Leslie Family

Daniel McCauley was the second son of Brian “Barney” and Ann (Miller) McCauley. He married Francina “Siney” Baker, the daughter of Jethro Baker, a Revolutionary War Patriot. The Tucker County, West Virginia McCauley family descends from Daniel and Francina. 

Francina had a brother, Nathan, and a younger sister, Lydia. Lydia married Robert William Leslie, a self-taught clockmaker and silversmith. For the Tucker County McCauley descendants, Nathan and Lydia would be great granduncle and great grandaunt. Their children would be distant cousins. (For me, that is 4th great-granduncle and 4th great-grandaunt and 1st cousins 5x removed.)

18Th Century Watchmaker Working

At the time of the Continental Congress, Robert Leslie operated a watchmaker’s shop in Philadelphia. He became friends with many members of the Congress and was personal friends with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson and Franklin

Robert and Lydia had four children: Eliza, known as Miss Leslie; Charles Robert, an artist born in London; Thomas Jefferson, a West Point graduate born in London; and Patty, who married Henry Charles Carey a book publisher and writer.

Henry Charles Carey

Robert Leslie died, in 1804. After his early death, Lydia, in order to support herself, opened a boarding house. Having lived twenty years beyond her husband’s death, Lydia passed away in 1824.

City of Philadelphia
 
Credits
 
Ancestry.com
 
Watchmaker