Canada Day sparks special exhibition at Clan Macpherson Museum in Newtonmore
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A SPECIAL exhibition on ‘Macphersons in Canada’ has been created in Newtonmore to recognise the part that many clan members made in the North American country.
Created to coincide with Canada Day, the exhibition in the Clan Macpherson Museum aimed to include Macphersons, past and present, who have made an impact in all ten provinces and three territories of Canada.
Occupations represented included nursing, politics, religion, medicine, engineering, catering, sport, journalism, law, military and much more.
The newest, largest and most northerly territory of Nunavut is represented in the exhibition by Julia McPherson, the Vice Principal of Tuugaalik High School, Naujaat (Repulse Bay). Julia is from Nova Scotia but has been working in Nunavut for seven years.
"When the earliest Macpherson landed in Canada is unknown but several are recorded to have been involved in the Battle of Quebec in 1759," said a museum spokesman. "It is understood that General James Wolfe died in the arms of his Orderly Sergeant John Macpherson in his hour of glory."
John, who was from Blargie in Laggan, returned home after military service. He died in 1815 and was buried in the Old Church Yard of Kingussie.
"It is ironic that Wolfe died in the arms of a Badenoch Macpherson as a few years earlier, as a Lieutenant Colonel, Wolfe had led a major operation in Badenoch to capture Ewan Macpherson of Cluny, the Clan Chief, who was in hiding following the 1745 Rising," the spokesman added.
"Wolfe had given strict instructions to his men that if Cluny was captured, he was to be executed immediately as his clansmen would undoubtedly attempt to rescue him. A copy of the painting ‘Death of Wolfe’ by Benjamin West is on display along with other artefacts."
The name ‘Macpherson’ features in many place-names throughout Canada including lakes, hills, brooks, rocks, ponds, creeks, towns, streets, buildings and islands.
The exhibition includes a display on these place-names and their origin, including Fort McPherson in the Northwest Territory, which was named after Murdoch McPherson, who became the Chief Factor for the Hudson’s Bay Company.
The launch of the exhibition saw Ewen Macpherson, museum trustee, give an outline of the exhibition. The exhibition was then opened by Mrs Mary Duncan, the Honorary Consul for Canada in Scotland. This was her first engagement since her investiture as Honorary Consul.
She spoke of the part played by Scots in Canada over the generations and in particular Annie MacPherson, the founder of the British Home Children in Canada, who found homes and careers for 14,000 British needy children in the late 19th century. One such child was Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the classic children’s novel Anne of Green Gables.
Also present were Sir William Macpherson of Cluny, who on the 18th of last month had celebrated the 50th anniversary of becoming Clan Chief.
Mr Ed Smith, Chairman of the Canadian Branch of the Clan Macpherson Association, who had assisted in producing the exhibition had travelled from his home in Brantford, Ontario for the occasion.
