Page 67 - Cape Breton's Magazine CENTRE for Documentary Field Studies: Yvonne McInnes Sturgess, in Waipu

ISSUE : Issue 74

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1999/6/1

I think there was the desire to mix. The Reverend Norman brought in a teacher to teach English, into the school. And I think that was decided. So how did it die out? Well, it really died out in my grand? father's generation as a second language that you spoke at home. We lived in Davenport when there was no bridge, so that if people were coming to Auckland, they came down to Davenport where they got onto a feriry. And so we had a lot of Waipu people com? ing through. And always there was Gaelic spoken there. Then, we also had • because my grandfather was a sea captain, and his family were sea cap? tains, they would bring (people) ashore. I can think of Mclnneses from Skye when I was only about nine. If you came from the Hebrides, Uist, Lewis, Skye, you know. Loch Alsh, you come to Johanna McLeod. 1852-1883. the house in Davenport. Daughter of Murdoch. Passen? ger on the Ellen Lewis. Married My grandfather Mclnnes of "'""' Meurant. course was president of the Gaelic socie? ty. We had a Gaelic society, but not in Waipu. One at Whangarei. At a time when transport would have been very difficult. And this points out the fact that a lot of the people didn't remain in Waipu. A lot of the people went teaching, went into business, went into commerce, found them? selves doing other things. They were not in Waipu. Waipu was the farming. So that, when my grandfather retired he went to Whangarei for a while, but then he retired to Auckland to be near his son. He was ob? viously always a Gaelic speaker. I never think of them as Nova Scotians. The Cape Bretoners. The Novies was a term that was really for the marine people. They were Nova Scotians. The skippers. But our people would never consider themselves Nova Scotians. They con? sidered themselves Cape Bretoners.... I can re? member when we had visits when I was quite young, they would say, "I'm from Cape Breton," you know, not from Nova Scotia.... Television people said to us, "Well, regrettably, there's no point in us com? ing down because we do not consider as Celts that you are noteworthy because you did not keep up the lan? guage ." And that was true. ?%' Malcolm Mclnnes. 1828-1808. Passenger on the Breadalbane. Married Ann McLeod. I believe that is very, very true. We have gone to the dancing and the other things associated with Balmoral. But the Celts, it was the language.... You (in Cape Breton) have retained the true Celtic, the true Highland Gaelic. I could tell that when I was there. I went to hear the North Shore Gaelic Singers. They still had a Gaelic church service, you see, in South Haven. That was only once a month, but I mean we haven't had a Gaelic church service in New Zealand, well, we were hard pressed to find (a min? ister).... Oh, I can hear my grandmother's funeral service. (The minister) really gave a wonderful service, and he spoke a lot of Gaelic because he knew she spoke the Gaelic. And then he told the church, it was a packed church, "Why are we let? ting it fall away, why are we letting our For information on 48,000 Christian Book Titles, CALL US! 50 McKeen Street GLACE BAY, N. S. BIA 589 849-6365 Ron May pontiac buick gmc ltd. Serving Cape Breton Over 18 Years • Sale of New - Used - Cars - Trucks • Goodwrench Service • Body Shop • Parts Dept. (902)539-6494 • 1-888-4R0NMAY • 1-888-476-6629 147 PRINCE STREET • SYDNEY PONTIAC IMLEOK GAAC TRUCKS RON MAY iSMr 67 .-'

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