An ancestor, an angel and cows with blue eyes.
#2 In Search of Roots
Arriving in the sleepy hamlet of Terregles, I know sparse details about the place where some of my ancestors lived. I wander to the old church to find it locked up, I head back to the car park to hear a cheery ‘morning’. I can’t resist; this might be the connection I need to learn more about my roots. And it is. Muir, is the name of the friendly voice, and he knows all about the area and the family. We get a personal guided tour of the church.
For centuries, the Maxwell family, not my ancestors, owned the land and everything on it. The church is in two halves, the catholic side is opened once a year for a Maxwell family service. Muir has the key, and we get to go inside. There is so much history, so many stories. In his soft Scottish lilt, Muir tells us stories of the incredible Lady Winifred Maxwell, who rescued her husband from the Tower of London, the only person ever to escape the Tower. She dressed him up in women’s clothes. She was also instrumental in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie. The deception had worked once before, and it did again. The Bonnie Prince escaped dressed in women’s clothing.
The church is the home of a beautiful statue of an angel, known as the Lady of Resurrection. She stands directly under a small amber window in the high ceiling above. At the summer solstice, the light shines directly through and illuminates the angel below. It’s nearly the 21st June, and the angel's shoulder is bathed in yellow light. It would be quite something to be here for the solstice.
In the 1930s, long after the Maxwells had vacated Terregles Castle, a 120-roomed mansion, my ancestor moved in. He and his family had walked from Ireland with a herd of cattle to set up home on the land. The mansion house was blown up in 1964, as it had become engulfed in dry rot, the family moved into the lodge house. The once beautiful gardens have now fallen into decline. There is still an air of grandeur, trees grow unencumbered, and the Galloway cattle make the most of their freedom. A new calf is being hand reared, he’s such a beautiful grey with sapphire blue eyes. It’s a rare trait, and very beguiling.
It’s a strange feeling to walk the path of those who have gone before, especially when you carry some of their genes. My ancestor had adventure, determination, and vision. I wonder what future generations will say about me.