Re: Characters of the Chronicles

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Posted by Gayle on December 18, 2000 at 09:51:13:

In Reply to: Characters of the Chronicles posted by Dr. Uncle Mark on December 18, 2000 at 08:28:54:

: More than ten years ago when brother Davey and I were doing the Eastern Rendezvous (and others) with our nephew Halfbreed, the nephew would introduce us as Uncle Dave and Uncle Mark. Even the graybeards came to know us as that and when we approached camps we would hear (and still do), "Here come the Uncles!"

: In doing Rendezvous we also became steeped in American Indian culture, one of our good friends being part Lakota, Sign Talker. Sign Talker really does barter and trade goods at Rendezvous, always ready to "make a good deal" (HA!) and he taught me Indian sign language. We have gone whole days, once trapped in his tipi during a snowstorm during winter hunt, and Sign Talker has refused to speak to me, only communicating in sign. Since the name "Uncle Mark" cannot be signed, Many Flags was born (being a vexillologist, I am), and Uncle Dave, from Rendezvous, was already called Three Tales, his wife Two Bottle, etc., etc....well, that's a story for him to tell someday!!

: Five years ago or so, we became interested in our Scottish heritage, put on great kilts and became Jacobites....thus was born Malcolm MacWilliam and Davey Gunn, we being of the MacWilliam clan, sept of clan Gunn. We also took the middle name of Angus, and thus started the "cult of Uncle Angus", our Scottish uncle whom we tell many, many jokes about (we have at least 40 stories about Uncle Angus who enjoys life to the fullest!).

: Soon after that I joined a British Highland reenacting group, I had reenacted colonial army and longhunter scout since starting the Rendezvous circuit, both Davey and I joining in wherever and whenever we could. The 77th gave me the situation to hone my character of Malcolm MacWilliam and when I was "promoted" by Captain Croy, I was Corporal MacWilliam. About a year later, Davey joined me in the ranks of the 77th Highland Grenadiers and soon after we met this fellow, who was doing rangers, provincials, etc. and living in my and Davey's original home area, Milton, PA. We 'adopted' this fellow (or did he adopt us!!) and started reenacting with him at the Fort Freeland Reenactment (Warrior Run) and we named him, as our cousin, Seamus MacWilliam. He can also assume the identity of Col. Armstrong of the Kittanning Expedition.

: Now Seamus is an interesting fellow, having a one room 18th century cabin, and at times morphing into this creature who reminds us of the hunchback Quasimodo....and so...the stage was set....for in January, 2000, Seamus and Many Flags did some hunting at his cabin. In the beginning of February, I came across the Mohicanland site and posted the first of what would become the MacWilliam Chronicles, "Morning Dress", on February 27.

: I emailed Seamus and told him to check out the site and, well, we were off and running. We already had all these 18th century characters to plug into the stories, but they needed some relationship to each other. Seamus and I played around on the Board with some character representations set in 1758, the Forbes Expedition through Pennsylvania....Ossian Gunn appeared to write some "doggrel"! Nancy appeared to add some "love interests". The niece and nephew are representations of my own nieces and nephews (who are actually all grown up) and they are named (Hiram and Hannah) after Uncle Dave's and my grandmother and great grandfather. Other of our friends like Sgt. Toot (an F and I provincial reenactor) began to post in the Chronicles and join the fun.

: By March, early in the Chronicles, I knew I had to put all these relationships together and so one morning, I sketched out how everyone was related, it appearerd on March 15. Having worked a lot on family genealogy, this was fairly easy for me. The time is the early 1700s and William MacWilliam, a Scotsman, has three sons and a daughter. The daughter, Maggie, marries the "German immigrant" (always referred to in this way), after she comes to America. Maggie and the German, living in upper Berks County, have four children: Robert, a tavern keeper in Northamptontown; Barbara; Three Tales; and Many Flags. Barbara's son is Halfbreed. Three Tales is married to Two Bottle and they have "wee bairns"; Many Flags is to be married on December 21 to Magdalena Gutshall whose father is a Lutheran pastor in Womelsdorf, PA. Confused,....ahhh, this is just the beginning.

: William's son Hugh is killed fighting for the Bonnie Prince at Culloden in 1746. Hugh's sons are Malcolm Angus MacWilliam and Davey Angus Gunn. In 1756 they join the 77th Reg't of Foot, Grenadier Company, known as Montgomery's Highlanders and come to America in 1757 where they meet up with their cousins Flags and Tales who become scouts for the 77th. Hey, stay with us now!!!!

: William's oldest son is Angus who disappears before the Battle at Culloden and shows up in America in 1758, protecting the 77th with his army of sheep...(Ewe, Mother Ewe!!). William's other son is Quasi...ah..yes, Quasi, who loves the women and the women love him. Quasi runs off to Ireland and sires a son with an Irish lass...Seamus MacWilliam, who comes to America and joins with the provincials as a scout. Quasi, also shows up in America and on April 13 (1758!!), Seamus and his father Quasi are reunited.

: Other characters who weave themselves in and out of the Chronicles are real people in our regiment or Rendezvous group who assume their other identities: like JohnsTon, Calsious Shattoe, Drummer Armstrong, Capt. Croy, MacGregor, Minstrel Wolf, Sign Talker and so forth. Some of the characters appear only once or twice (Billy D. Goat, Chillisquaque Charlie) because their character doesn't really work. But, they are always waiting in the wings, clamoring to come back!! Some characters are made up in the Chronicles, like Red Leaf, because we need a villan. Some characters are real historical people like General Forbes, Colonel Bouquet, and Major Grant.

: SO....that's how we came to be. When reenacting, we have no difficulty assuming our other identities. Last weekend at Bedford, Cpl. MacWilliam, Davey Gunn, Col. Armstrong, and the 77th Regiment were all together and we WERE those people. In a week, Seamus and Many Flags, possibly with friend Timothy, and MacFarlane of the 77th will be hunting the white-tail at Seamus's cabin, and we WILL be those characters. A little schizophrenic...YOU BET!!

: A thanks to all of you folk, especially Rich, for putting up with our Chronicles. I've related before why we do this (education and entertainment). Reenacting 18th century is our life. Ahhh, actually these are our LIVES!! And let's see....who am I right now??

: pax Aye!

: Dr. Uncle Mark....At one time I signed myself Druncle Mark, a name which nephew Halfbreed dubbed me in 1998 when I completed my doctorate degree and something to do with enjoying strong drink!! But, I do have a reputation to uphold, you know....!! (as Flags, Malcolm, Ossian, and the niece and nephew snicker....)

Dear Dr. Uncle Mark,

That was a GRAND rundown on the Chronicles characters! Certainly cleared up a lot for ME! Your Chronicles have been a fine addition to the Borad, and have been enjoyed by your readers as much as you obviously have enjoyed giving them to us. We can use all the 1700s playing we can get here! Many thanks.

Gayle

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Re: Characters of the Chronicles Drummer Armstrong 08:52:40 12/19/2000 (0)

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: : More than ten years ago when brother Davey and I were doing the Eastern Rendezvous (and others) with our nephew Halfbreed, the nephew would introduce us as Uncle Dave and Uncle Mark. Even the graybeards came to know us as that and when we approached camps we would hear (and still do), "Here come the Uncles!"

: : In doing Rendezvous we also became steeped in American Indian culture, one of our good friends being part Lakota, Sign Talker. Sign Talker really does barter and trade goods at Rendezvous, always ready to "make a good deal" (HA!) and he taught me Indian sign language. We have gone whole days, once trapped in his tipi during a snowstorm during winter hunt, and Sign Talker has refused to speak to me, only communicating in sign. Since the name "Uncle Mark" cannot be signed, Many Flags was born (being a vexillologist, I am), and Uncle Dave, from Rendezvous, was already called Three Tales, his wife Two Bottle, etc., etc....well, that's a story for him to tell someday!!

: : Five years ago or so, we became interested in our Scottish heritage, put on great kilts and became Jacobites....thus was born Malcolm MacWilliam and Davey Gunn, we being of the MacWilliam clan, sept of clan Gunn. We also took the middle name of Angus, and thus started the "cult of Uncle Angus", our Scottish uncle whom we tell many, many jokes about (we have at least 40 stories about Uncle Angus who enjoys life to the fullest!).

: : Soon after that I joined a British Highland reenacting group, I had reenacted colonial army and longhunter scout since starting the Rendezvous circuit, both Davey and I joining in wherever and whenever we could. The 77th gave me the situation to hone my character of Malcolm MacWilliam and when I was "promoted" by Captain Croy, I was Corporal MacWilliam. About a year later, Davey joined me in the ranks of the 77th Highland Grenadiers and soon after we met this fellow, who was doing rangers, provincials, etc. and living in my and Davey's original home area, Milton, PA. We 'adopted' this fellow (or did he adopt us!!) and started reenacting with him at the Fort Freeland Reenactment (Warrior Run) and we named him, as our cousin, Seamus MacWilliam. He can also assume the identity of Col. Armstrong of the Kittanning Expedition.

: : Now Seamus is an interesting fellow, having a one room 18th century cabin, and at times morphing into this creature who reminds us of the hunchback Quasimodo....and so...the stage was set....for in January, 2000, Seamus and Many Flags did some hunting at his cabin. In the beginning of February, I came across the Mohicanland site and posted the first of what would become the MacWilliam Chronicles, "Morning Dress", on February 27.

: : I emailed Seamus and told him to check out the site and, well, we were off and running. We already had all these 18th century characters to plug into the stories, but they needed some relationship to each other. Seamus and I played around on the Board with some character representations set in 1758, the Forbes Expedition through Pennsylvania....Ossian Gunn appeared to write some "doggrel"! Nancy appeared to add some "love interests". The niece and nephew are representations of my own nieces and nephews (who are actually all grown up) and they are named (Hiram and Hannah) after Uncle Dave's and my grandmother and great grandfather. Other of our friends like Sgt. Toot (an F and I provincial reenactor) began to post in the Chronicles and join the fun.

: : By March, early in the Chronicles, I knew I had to put all these relationships together and so one morning, I sketched out how everyone was related, it appearerd on March 15. Having worked a lot on family genealogy, this was fairly easy for me. The time is the early 1700s and William MacWilliam, a Scotsman, has three sons and a daughter. The daughter, Maggie, marries the "German immigrant" (always referred to in this way), after she comes to America. Maggie and the German, living in upper Berks County, have four children: Robert, a tavern keeper in Northamptontown; Barbara; Three Tales; and Many Flags. Barbara's son is Halfbreed. Three Tales is married to Two Bottle and they have "wee bairns"; Many Flags is to be married on December 21 to Magdalena Gutshall whose father is a Lutheran pastor in Womelsdorf, PA. Confused,....ahhh, this is just the beginning.

: : William's son Hugh is killed fighting for the Bonnie Prince at Culloden in 1746. Hugh's sons are Malcolm Angus MacWilliam and Davey Angus Gunn. In 1756 they join the 77th Reg't of Foot, Grenadier Company, known as Montgomery's Highlanders and come to America in 1757 where they meet up with their cousins Flags and Tales who become scouts for the 77th. Hey, stay with us now!!!!

: : William's oldest son is Angus who disappears before the Battle at Culloden and shows up in America in 1758, protecting the 77th with his army of sheep...(Ewe, Mother Ewe!!). William's other son is Quasi...ah..yes, Quasi, who loves the women and the women love him. Quasi runs off to Ireland and sires a son with an Irish lass...Seamus MacWilliam, who comes to America and joins with the provincials as a scout. Quasi, also shows up in America and on April 13 (1758!!), Seamus and his father Quasi are reunited.

: : Other characters who weave themselves in and out of the Chronicles are real people in our regiment or Rendezvous group who assume their other identities: like JohnsTon, Calsious Shattoe, Drummer Armstrong, Capt. Croy, MacGregor, Minstrel Wolf, Sign Talker and so forth. Some of the characters appear only once or twice (Billy D. Goat, Chillisquaque Charlie) because their character doesn't really work. But, they are always waiting in the wings, clamoring to come back!! Some characters are made up in the Chronicles, like Red Leaf, because we need a villan. Some characters are real historical people like General Forbes, Colonel Bouquet, and Major Grant.

: : SO....that's how we came to be. When reenacting, we have no difficulty assuming our other identities. Last weekend at Bedford, Cpl. MacWilliam, Davey Gunn, Col. Armstrong, and the 77th Regiment were all together and we WERE those people. In a week, Seamus and Many Flags, possibly with friend Timothy, and MacFarlane of the 77th will be hunting the white-tail at Seamus's cabin, and we WILL be those characters. A little schizophrenic...YOU BET!!

: : A thanks to all of you folk, especially Rich, for putting up with our Chronicles. I've related before why we do this (education and entertainment). Reenacting 18th century is our life. Ahhh, actually these are our LIVES!! And let's see....who am I right now??

: : pax Aye!

: : Dr. Uncle Mark....At one time I signed myself Druncle Mark, a name which nephew Halfbreed dubbed me in 1998 when I completed my doctorate degree and something to do with enjoying strong drink!! But, I do have a reputation to uphold, you know....!! (as Flags, Malcolm, Ossian, and the niece and nephew snicker....)

:
: Dear Dr. Uncle Mark,

: That was a GRAND rundown on the Chronicles characters! Certainly cleared up a lot for ME! Your Chronicles have been a fine addition to the Borad, and have been enjoyed by your readers as much as you obviously have enjoyed giving them to us. We can use all the 1700s playing we can get here! Many thanks.

: Gayle

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