Rattray Videos
Clan Rattray Cairn inauguration
Between the gatherings of 2008 and 2012 Clan Rattray Society acquired the land at the top of Craighall Gorge, above Craighall Rattray Castle. To mark this special occasion at the next Clan Gathering in 2012, everyone was asked to bring a small stone to place at the cairn in the Highland Gaelic Scots time honoured tradition of remembering someone or a past event. This video recards this very special occasion. (14mins 47 secs) https://youtu.be/d_Cjdgavbdw
The videos below:-
These videos might be of interest to the wider Clan Members, they have been created by James Rattray, once of Killiecrankie now in South Wales. The videos have largely involved my brothers, Rulzion, Hugh and David as we set off to discover links with our ancestors. We thought these might be of interest to the wider Clan members, some of whom are related. We are one of the many descendants of James Rattray of Ranagulzion who joined Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite army and fought at Culloden in 1746.
Battle of Killiecrankie - 27th July 1689.
James Rattray of Killiecrankie as we refer to him within our family was one of Bonnie Dundee’s Jacobite Cavalry at the battle.
Part 1 - Rulzion, David and I set off to discover what his castle, Corb Castle might have looked like. There is one relatively intact 17th century castle still in existance. During the videos you will realise there were many of these small family castles scattered in the Perthshire highlands from Blairgowrie and Rattray up to Glenshee. https://youtu.be/uuzSWuNsz3U
Part 2 - Having seen Whitefield Castle and discovered what a Perthshire 17th century castle looked like, we now head off to find where Corb Castle once stood. Along with one or two tales from that time. https://youtu.be/z8wlBVcLE8w
Part 3 - In this final video I trace the route that James Rattray of Corb took to the Battle of Killiecrankie. The part played by the Jacobite Cavalry and the aftermath of the battle when James Rattray returns to Corb. (33mins.) https://youtu.be/fpAKZSknR7Q
History and origins of Corb and Drumturn - by Rulzion Rattray https://youtu.be/X79q7tVEA-M
Alasdair Mairns plays his pipes when the Rattrays visit Whitefield Castle, Clan Gathering 2022. - https://youtu.be/tyFZorX7x58
XLV Rattray’s Sikhs, today’s 3 Sikh Battalion Indian Army.
The story of Sikh wrestling and how in 1856 Captain Thomas Rattray recruited a battalion of Sikhs, later known as XLV Rattray's Sikhs. Both the Sikh and Highland Scot cultures enjoy wrestling. Captain Rattray was set with task to raise a Sikh Battalion. Many in the East India Company Army did not believe he would do it. Rattray came up with innovative recruiting method, going from village to village in the Punjab offering to wrestle the village champion. This story has always been known in the Rattray family. But here we hear the story from Kulawan Singh Sandu, the Great Great Grandson of Honorary Captain, Subedar Major Sardar Lenha Singh O.B.I 1st Class of Lahore telling us how he heard the same story from his grandmother. We are very proud of our shared history, we the descendants of the founding members of the XLV Rattray's Sikhs meet up in Delhi on 7th February 2017. https://youtu.be/BDREzex0hwA
150th Anniversary of XLV Rattray’s Sikhs, today’s 3 Sikh. In February 2006, Thomas Rattray's grand children were guests of 3 Sikh Indian Army celebrating the 150th anniversary of the razing of XLV Rattray's Sikhs by Captain Thomas Rattray. Today XLV Rattray's Sikhs is 3 Sikhs in the Indian Army. These are some short clips of the celebrations taken by James Rattray, Thomas Rattray's great grandson. https://youtu.be/QYf59_VUh-s
3 Sikh Rattrays visit 1st February 2017. This is a simple record of our Rattray family visit to 3 Sikh in January to February 2017 to commemorate the Battle of the Hai when, as it was then XLV Rattrays Sikhs lost so many men in the first World War in Mesopotamia, today’s Iraq. It was a great honour to be invited and to be looked after so well. Thank you 3 Sikh it was a real privilege to be with you. https://youtu.be/WaJVZCdxWM8
3 Sikh (XLV Rattrays Sikhs) Piping tradition helps to connect us all. The Clan Rattray Society was contacted in 2015 by a Sikh pipe band travelling to Scotland to take part in the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow. They contacted us a clan because they knew the Rattray’s Sikhs had a pipe band saying, they believed it to be the oldest Sikh Pipe Band in the world. I do not know if this is true, but the pipe band has been around a long time, well over 100 years. Having worked with the Sikhs, in particular Harbinder Singh Rana to set up a Sikh heritage trail in Highland Perthshire, I offered to take the Sikh Pipe Band on a tour of this trail. They returned four years later in 2019. This video is a record of their trip playing on the Scottish Sikh Heritage trail in Kenmore, Castle Menzies and Blair Castle. The Malaysian Sikh Pipe Band went on to win their grade in the World Championships in Glasgow. Listening to them in this video, you will understand why. We are very proud of our shared heritage. https://youtu.be/Tv58TwKRzmQ
Colonel Thomas Rattray’s retirement house and grave in Sherbourne a market town and civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. His house today is part of Sherbourne School, we are met and taken to his house. (30 mins 22 secs) https://youtu.be/d3sDOuAtfQk
John Rattray and the Rules of Golf
First Rules of Golf Leith Links John Rattray Statue - This is the story of some dedicated people in and around Leith who wanted to commemorate the fact that the World’s Oldest known rules of golf originated at Leith Edinburgh, Scotland. Our small clan society supported them in our small way as they set out to raise the funds to create this magnificent statue. Our thanks also must go to Michael Rattray of Glasgow who did so much to ensure the Clan Rattray Society was represented and gave pour support. https://youtu.be/mpbh-ddSUKY
Killiecrankie Battlefield and destruction of our Jacobite Heritage.
It is one of the quirks of life, to find yourself living on Killiecrankie Battlefield when the Scottish Governement announces they are going to dual the major road that passes through the 1689 Jacobite Battlefield. We, Rulzion, Hugh, David and I produced a series of videos to try and make people aware of the issues.
The A9 passing through the heart of the Battlefield where the highland Jacobite Clan army defeated the Scottish Government regular red coat army. https://youtu.be/siVZkJzZEoc
Location of the Scottish Government Army Battle Line and the poorly researched Transport Scotland road builders battle line location. David, Rulzion and Hugh explain why the Scottish Government red coat army could not have stood where the road builder locates them. Our concern was the Scottish Government were over seeing the destruction of important Jacobite history. https://youtu.be/Nu0z2T1etKU
True location of the Scottish Government Army Battle Line against the Jacobite Gaelic-Highland Clans. David puts forward the argument based on Transport Scotland archeology that the A9 already crosses the original battle line. Interestingly Historic Environment the protector of Scottish Battlefields, accepted this arument as valid. https://youtu.be/dbqegBzmLJU
The impact of the 17th century muskets - We walk the battlefield and discuss the impact of the 17th century muskets. How General Hugh McKay chose his battle line to maximise the fire from his muskets on the Jacobite Clans. The range of the muskets, how to General Hugh McKay the Scottish Government redo coat army commander maximised the terrain to give his troops every chance of success. https://youtu.be/MdbL1ijnSes
The Rattrays travel to India in the late 1700s.
The first Rattrays in 1750s India. William Rattray's Downie Park, in Angus, Scotland. Rulzion, Hugh, David and I along with wives, Rosie, Sian and Helen and niece Emma Rattray explore William Rattray's Downie Park. Why did three of James Rattray of Culloden’s six sons go to India? What was life like in the late 1700s in India? I could not have produced this video without David and Rullzion's information on William Rattray and Hugh’s magnificent data base. https://youtu.be/SbbCWTRq5ts
James Rattray of Culloden’s eldest son and grandson.
James Rattray of Culloden, the last Jacobite had six sons, his eldest was David Rattray who trained to be a doctor in Edinburgh and headed south to Warwickshire, where he and his son Charles practiced in to the 19th century. In 2021 Hugh, David, our cousin Mark Luckhust and I, met up with Local historian Anthea Hiscock, who had incredible depth of knowledge about Whilton and the Freemans. Charles Rattray married Marianne Freeman who had a long local history. It was a real treat and honour to have your family history explained to you in great depth.
Part 1 - We meet Local historian Anthea Hiscock who explains the history of the Freemans and the early history of England and the land the Freeman family had once owned/controlled. (48 mins 26 secs) https://youtu.be/VvZ42rWLJyg
Part 2 - We go on a tour of Whilton with Local historian Anthea Hiscock who points out the Freeman - Rattray land marks and buildings. (59 mins 01 secs) https://youtu.be/NexKh-1tGeU
Part 3 - The continuation of the Whilton tour and the incredible story of the Reverend Langstone Freeman, his wealth and how it came to the Rattrays. (42 mins 35 secs) https://youtu.be/u87w5cDgOnQ
Part 4 - The head off to Daventry and Coventry to look for the Rattray sites. (17 mins 52 secs) https://youtu.be/ejqYABG6uJY
The Rattrays & Archer Thomsons.
This is not such a historical topical story, but it is one I personally hold dear to my heart. Our Great Grandfather Thomas Rattray the founder of the XLV Rattray’s Sikhs sister, Marrianne Jenetta, married Archer Thomson. Their daughter Marrianne Selina left everything she had to our father and his two sisters as he had been killed in World War 1.
We discovered Marrianne Selina’s Selworthy in Somerset, England. My brother David discovered Marrianne Selina had privately published a book talking about the village she grew up. Selworthy in on the north of Exmoor, in the South of England. Hugh & Sian, David, Helen and Emma, Kathleen and I set off on a summer’s day to see what we could find of Marrianne Selina’s 1850s Selworthy. https://youtu.be/wBp12XsCew8
Part 1 the Rattray’s of Bath. Having discovered Marianne Selina, we set off to discover where she lived and is buried in Bath, England. https://youtu.be/IDhRREIUprU