(St. Duthus) (1000-1065)
OK, I ain’t no saint BUT………. The ‘football’ team in Tain, the village of which St. Duthuc is the Patron Saint, has ‘St. Duffus’ on their jerseys. Yeah, try to buy one! I have……… no dice!
St. Duthuc, born in Tain, is said to have predicted a raid by the Danish Vikings, saving many lives in the area.
Tain is the oldest Burgh in Scotland (first charter in 1066). The Chapel of St. Duthuc was a point of pilgrimage for many years. When King Robert the Bruce was in retreat, he sent his wife and daughter here for ‘safe keeping’ but the forces of England violated the sanctuary of the church and took the women captive. Bruce’s daughter was hung over a castle wall, in England, in a cage for 7 years. His wife, the daughter of an Irish nobleman, fared a wee bit better.
St. Duthuc reputedly died in Ireland but his remains were returned to Tain where they were interred in St. Duthuc’s Colligate Church in the 14th century. Around 1560, during The Reformation, the church ‘disappeared’. Bummer!
Gordon D. Duffus
From: <[email protected]> To:
Dear David,
"Butt Sicker" isn't Latin for Sutherland :-(
The slogan is in Auld Scots. "Sicker" means "Sure"........... I don't
recall what "Butt" means....... something like 'always' I think. I'm
working on it & shall reply to Bonnie (& you) when I get a definitive
answer. How could I forget this stuff?
I got a great reply today from a Heraldry website when I posed the Butt
Sicker question. The guy RAVED about the Duffus Website & wanted to know
why you hadn't applied for Arms from The Lord Lyon. I told him that I
would mention it to you.
More later,
Slainte,
Gordon
David Duffus wrote:
----- Original Message -----From: David DuffusSent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 9:35 PMSubject: Re: Duffus stuff, Motto?
Thanks Bonnie!Butt Sicker is Latin for "Sutherland." I'm passing your message on to Gordon Duffus in Chester, Virginia. Gordon is the official historian for the Sutherland Clan.Please let me konow if your family has any historic documents they might want to contribute to the site, e.g. family histories, old letters which you can scan in and email to me.I am sending out CD's with a copy of the Duffus site to Australian Duffuses. If your family would like to receive one, please send me your parents names and address.Best wishes,David Duffus----- Original Message -----From: [email protected]Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 4:38 AMSubject: Duffus stuff, Motto?
Hi,
My Name is Bonnie Duffus and I live in Australia, I'm 14 yrs of age and i find all of my background amazing. I have actually visited Duffus town plus the castle. I love the site, but am a bit confused by the motto, "Butt Sicker" What does it actually mean??? I would really like to know. Hope you'll reply soon, thank you very much.
From Bonnie
Hi David: I must confess that I have not checked the web site for some
time and do not know if you are still uploading info. I received some
information from England which gives us names of all my ancestor (William
Duffus's), brother & sisters, plus his parents and grandparents. This
would be new to the records previously provided. Si if you want this let
me know and I will send it on. So how are you, I bet the Duffus reunion in
Scotland took alot of your time. Jack Duffus Weiss tells me he enjoyed it.
I wish I could have made it. Any plans in the future for another? My
mother turned 85 in September and was doing fine until January when she
had some problems. She did have a mild heart attack, but after 12 days of
tests and monitoring they did an angiogram and found it was only some
restriction in two minor arteries and that the thre main arteries of the
heart were fine. It is treatable with medication and there was no damage,
so it really was the best outcome possible. I have been in touch with our
Australian cousins of late too and even involved with the Cunard
connection with the QEII retiring from service to North America but the
new Queen Mary II coming to Halifax in September. I hope I get an
opportunity to go on board. My new friend is Chairman of the Cunard
Steamship Society so I hope he has some pull. Ironically, he owns the
Duffus House Inn in Baddeck, which was a fluke, as he did not know of the
connection at the time he bought it. As a boy in Montreal his family was
close to the NA manager of Cunard and John had inherited his extensive
collection of Cunard memorabilia. Hope all is well with you. Hoe to hear
from you. Graeme Duffus
Received a good website tip from a Moray Rootsweb member this am:
www.oddquine.co.uk/register.htm
It's a list ("Russell's Morayshire Register: 1852") of all of those in
Moray, broken down by town/parish, who were elegible to vote for Members
of Parliament in 1852.
Among those listed were:
Elgin:
Alexander Duffus, Farmer, 237 High St.
Alexander Duffus, Cabinetmaker, 11 South College St.
James Duffus, Cabinetmaker, Jenkin's Close 50 High St.
Forres:
John Duffus, Plasterer, Caroline St.
Alexander Duffus, Plasterer, North Back St.
St. Andrew's-Lhanbryd:
Alexander Duffus, Farmer, Tyockside
Slainte,
Gordon
---- Original Message -----
Hello i am Stefannie Isobel Sutherland, and i was wondering if there is a chance u may be able to tell me if these people r my ancestors?? Tel me information u might need and i'll get back to you with the details that way u may be able to tell me! i am 17 by the way my family is from Peterhead (Sutherland family that is) This would be much appreciated Thank You Stefannie Sutherland
Dear David,
I have to admit to not knowing ANYthing about Forgue........ and couldn't
find any reference to it in my books (?) which was strange. I did manage to
locate it in a UK road atlas so at least I now know where it
is.Aberdeenshire locations aren't one of my strong points.
I requested (& it's done) that your Duffus website be listed on the Moray
OPR's site as a link to Parishes in Moray. It also fit a few more categories
on the site but that's where it was placed :-(
Checking that link today, I noticed the new addition to your photo of the
castle (I use the 'old' photo as my Screen Saver... thank you). The
inclusion of Kenneth was brilliant!
We are going back to Scotland next summer. Are you planning on a second
reunion then? I had thought that I might ask my retired RAF mate in Forres
to check with the RAF Kinloss pipe band to see if they'd join us (if the
reunion was planned) for a wee while...... maybe for the price of a keg ?
They wear the Sutherland tartan and watching and listening to them is really
cool.. But it's starting to look like Kinloss and a large section of the air
base next to Duffus will be shut down due to military cuts. The Black Watch
may also go.................
The effect of these closings and cutbacks on the local economy will be
devastating. There may no longer be a Duffus Inn, along with other
businesses in the area, if cuts occur. Another 'price of peace'?
Anyway, please tell me what you're thinking ref. another reunion next
summer. Margaret Duffus, in OZ, was also interested in 'coming back' again.
Take care....
Gordon
The attachment is a salmon jumping upstream at The Falls of Shin in
Sutherland........ thought you'd like it. Cindy took the photo.
davidduffus wrote:
Thanks Nathalie for your email. I wish that I could help you out. However, the only information I have about Forgue is what I put on the web site. Your linking Forge with "forge" may be correct. But I do think think that there was any iron mining in the area. You may want to email Gordon Duffus at [email protected]Best wishes,David Duffus----- Original Message -----From: Nathalie ForgueSent: Monday, July 26, 2004 11:33 AMSubject: Parish of Forgue
Good morning Mr. Duffus!I found your page web quite informative and interesting, especially on the parish of Forgue, in Scotland. Actually, your site gives the most information on this village! Indeed, my name is also Forgue, but... of French origin, from the Périgord :-) Quite surprising, isn't it? I was quite amazed myself, already a few years back, when I found out there was a village with the same name in Aberdeenshire! I went three times in Scotland, but had never seen the name before finding it on the net! Indeed, a very beautiful part of Scotland, like this entire country, of course!Consequently, I have a question for you if you do not mind : do you know what is the origin of this name Forgue. I read on your well documented site that the village was named Forrig initially. Would you know what it means? In French, it comes from "Forge", not meaning in my language "Forgery", fortunately, but "forge", where iron is produced! And would you know if there is a tartan for this name Forgue? Of course, I am not asking you to research this in depth, but just in case you know. If not, to tell me where I could find the information?Hope you have time to visit Scotland from time to time. I am sure you have been many times!Best regards!Thanks in advance!Have a nice day!Nathalie ForgueMontréal, Québec, Canada
----- Original Message -----
David,
Thank you for your reply.
I have quite alot of information on the Ogilvie part of my family tree from
when David Ogilvie married Isabella Duffus. It is Isabella's ancestors where I
struggle.
Thanks to your website I have found out that Isabella came from a large
family. She had many brothers and sisters who include:
John (1809)
James (1813)
Catherine (1818) - Isabella's Twin
Helen (1819)
William (1822)
Janet (1824)
Margaret (1827) - Twin
Sarah Watson (1827) - Twin
Anne (1831)
Margaret (1833)
John is the one that I am not 100 % sure of. Although the rest of the family
were born in Elgin John was born in Saint Nicholas, Aberdeen to Alexander
Duffus and Helen Watson.
Although finding out this information has brought a smile a mile wide to my
face it also brings one massive headache which is did they marry, have
children and where are their descendants now!
If anyone who views your website could help I would be delighted to hear from
them.
Regards,
Robert.
----- Original Message -----
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 3:45 PM
Subject: Hello from one of the Duffus Clan
Hi David,
I have found your web site of great interest, I have of late been
interested in finding out more about my surname and have gained more information
from your site.
Just some info on myself & family:-
I am 46 years of age and was born and raised in Aberdeen Scotland I am
married with two daughters, my father Andrew Duffus is 73 and lives in
Aberdeen, my brother also Andrew was born and raised in Aberdeen,
however he moved to live in Shetland on the island called Bressay approx 15
years
ago, he is also married with one daughter
I have been told by my father that his generation was the first of the
family to live in the city, we are from farming stock.
Unfortunately due to both my Brother and I having girls we will not be able
to continue the Duffus surname.
Hope you found the above of interest.
Kind Regards,
Gordon Duffus
Tyco Marine Services
Aberdeen
Tel 01224 484951
Fax 01224 485451
Hello I was surfing the web and came across the Duffus web site i found it quite
interesting. Peter Duffus, Valley Road,Box 231 Levack, Ontario P0M 2C0
Dear David
My name is Perri Stokes (nee Duffus) and I’m emailing you on behalf of my father Brian Duffus. He received the CD and letter last week but unfortunately he can’t look at it because he doesn’t have access to a computer.
Anyway, I rang and told him about the gathering at Duffus Castle next year and he was very excited. He went overseas for the first time in 2000 and missed the Duffus gathering by a matter of weeks. Dad and his partner are planning to go overseas again next year and want to include the gathering on their trip. If you could email me with further information as it comes to hand I will pass it on to my Dad.
Looking forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Perri Stokes.