This week Americans, the world over, will be celebrating American
Independence Day on the 4th of July. Taking part in the celebrations will
be many of Scots descent whose forebears settled in America. At the time
of the American War of Independence Scots were to be found fighting on
both sides but this week we wish to recall the two Scots who signed the
American Declaration of Independence.
The first is the Rev John Witherspoon who was born near Haddington, East
Lothian , in 1722 and who died in New Jersey in 1794. John Witherspoon was
a theologian, educator and revolutionary, and was the only clergyman to
sign the Declaration of Independence.He was said to have more charisma
than George Washington himself! His first political action in Scotland
ended in failure. In 1745 he marched with a group of fellow students to
try and prevent the capture of Edinburgh by the Jacobite army. His band
were swiftly captured and disarmed and taken as prisoners to Doune
Castle.by their Jacobite captors. He escaped from the castle by means of a
rope made from rags. The young student then became a Kirk minister and as
his fame spread many nations sought his service but he choose to accept an
invitation from America to be Principal of Princeton College, a post he
took up in 1768. He soon threw himself wholeheartedly into the American
revolutionary struggle for Independence. He seems to have had the ability
to find the right phrase for the right time. When a colonial orator argued
that the colonists were "not ripe for independence" Witherspoon replied
"In my opinion sir, we are not only ripe for independence, we are rotting
for it." 21st century Scotland is in the same position! John Witherspoon
is buried at Princeton and is honoured with a colossal statue in Fairmount
Park, Philadelphia.
The other Scot to sign the Declaration, James Wilson, came from the other
side of the Forth from John Witherspoon and was born near St Andrews,
Fife, in 1742. He died in Pennsylvania in 1798. He left university without
a degree, studied accountancy for a short time, then emigrated to New York
where he quickly became involved in political agitation. He taught Latin,
then turned to Law and became very prosperous. His later career saw him
involved in banking, land speculation and other commercial enterprises. He
was a very able chiel and is seen by many in America as the 'Father of the
Constitution' as many Scottish legal terms are in the American
Constitution and this is attributed to Wilson. He later became a member of
the United States Supreme Court and was the first Professor of Law at the
University of Pennsylvania.
A recipe with an American flavour is appropriate for the week which
includes the 4th of July and American Lemon Loaf fills the bill. Once
again we are grateful to 'The Anniversary Cook-Book of the Dumfriesshire
Federation SWRI 1922 - 1992' for this week's recipe.
American Lemon Loaf
Ingredients : 4 oz ( 100 g ) margarine; 5 oz ( 150 g ) castor sugar; 8 oz
( 225 g ) plain flour; 1.5 teaspoons baking powder; 1 egg; 1 lemon; 1/2
cup milk
Beat margarine and sugar to a creamy consistency. Add beaten egg and
grated rind of lemon. Add flour, baking powder and milk gradually. Put
into one large or two small loaf tins. Bake at 180 deg C, 350 deg F, gas
mark 4, for 3/4 to 1 hour. Squeeze lemon. Add 4 dessertspoons sugar and
pour over loaf when ready. Hae a braw Independence Day.
