Scotch-Irish-L Archives

Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 1998-12 > 0913557268


From: Edward Andrews <>
Subject: Re: SI Charactristics
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 13:54:28 +0000


linda Merle wrote:
>
> Gee, Health Education Network, pretty grim picture! I am of the northern
> end of the Ulster Scots settlers -- you only get a partial picture if you look at
> the southern end. There was a settlement in Newburgh, New York -- okay,
> Wallkill, to be specific. There were settlements in Lancaster and through
> the center of PA and into the West. Besides moving south (or arriving in
> the south), we moved to Kentucky and Ohio, etc, etc, etc. You might want
> to compare the characteristics of the rural Ulster Scots with those of
> non Ulster Scots to determine if the effects are simply a case of "rural
> isolation" or not. Largely -- I suspect it is!
>
> What is characteristic of the Ulster Scot community in Western PA,
> still rural (we don't like cities) is the introvertedness as well as a stubborness.
> The reaction to threat is to attack. Somewhere I have a description of them
> from 1830 -- I'll find and post!

When you remember that Glasgow is heavily S-I, of a slightly
different form, the health thing ties in.
Both Glasgow and N.I have very bad heart records, and this is tied in
with a poor diet.
I believe that we also smoke too much.
There is a fairly strong temperance tradition in Ulster (at least
until recently) It is assumed that up to 50% of both communities in
Ireland do not drink Alcohol. Yet given the drinking figures it must
be recognized that those who do drink, drink more than their
statistical share.
Edward Andrews

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