Beechwood in the latest Anglo-Celtic Roots

The summer issue of Anglo-Celtic Roots, volume 13, number 2, is now out; read a list of the major contents here and scroll to the bottom of the page. ACR was awarded the Newsletter award for major genealogical societies for the second time in three years at the recent annual meeting of the National Genealogical Society in Richmond, VA. This issue maintains that standard.

Beginning in this issue is a series by Glenn Wright on "Brits at Beechwood" -- that's Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery. Last Sunday saw the annual summer tour of notable graves at Beechwood. The theme was Ottawa Poets and featured Duncan Campbell Scott, Arthur Stanley Bourinot, John Newlove, Nicholas Flood Davin, Marian "May" Osborne, William Wilfred Campbell, William Pittman Lett, and Archibald Lampman.

The story of William Pittman Lett was animated by "Mother McGinty" purveyor of beer and spirits in an establishment frequented by ladies with pretty ankles.

And there in whitewashed shanty grand,
With kegs and bottles on each hand,
Her face decked with a winning smile,
Her head with cap of ancient style,
Crowned arbiter of frolic’s fate,
Mother McGinty sat in state

You can read the Project Gutenberg version of Lett's Recollections of Bytown and Its Old Inhabitants here.

During the tour I walked with Glenn who passed on some astounding additional insights into the poets, so I'm certainly looking forward to reading his Beechwood series.

Another notable article with a Beechwood connection was by Margaret Burwell. Last year she was one of the animators on the Beechwood tour, which had a military theme. She spoke about her great aunt, Minnie K Gallaher, who was a nursing sister during WW1 and died in the sinking of the hospital ship Llandovery Castle on 27 June 1918. You'll have to find a copy of the issue to read this story of Margaret's great moment in genealogy.