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ANN A. KIRKPATRICK HULL --- Founder and Editor Ann A. Kirkpatrick Hull first learned of her Scottish heritage when she was a small child. Even though her great grandmother told stories of castles and royal relatives, the rest of Ann1s family insisted the old lady1s tales were just 3fairy stories.2 Years later, Ann visited her great grandmother1s sister, Dot, in Arizona. Dot not only confirmed the stories but said that she1d visited Lady Pigot at Closeburn Castle the summer of her freshman year in College. Still, Ann1s family was not convinced. Then in the mid-1980s Ann decided to find the castle herself. Since the castle remains in family possession and is not on most maps or tourist guides, the task took several days. However, once she saw it, she was fascinated. Ever since that day, with the exception of a period in the 1990s, Ann has spent as much time in Scotland as is possible, usually two or three times each year.
In 1995 Ann returned to Scotland after being absent for a period of three years. In that short time the Galloway region, and especially Dumfries, had changed. Several old historic buildings in Dumfries had burned and lay in rubble. Also, some of the old medieval ruins had deteriorated noticeably. This, of course, is not to mention the addition of 3trailer parks2 in the countryside and other new additions which had not been their earlier.
Upset about the erosion of the historic feel of the area, and disappointed by the lack of available historic information on the once-famous Kirkpatrick family, Ann set out to form an international association whose purpose is to explore, preserve, and protect not only Kirkpatrick history, but also environment and historical sites of Galloway. It is one of her goals to see the replanting of the once tree-covered Forrest near Closeburn Castle. Hundreds of years ago, the king, who enjoyed hunting, let several thousand sheep loose. The sheep ate and deforested the area.
Ann began her efforts by enlisting the aid of local historians in Scotland and America and by mailing flyers to Kirkpatrick family members. The association1s mailing list includes nearly 7000 Kirkpatrick households, of which about 500 are active participants.
JEANNE E. HILLJeanne E. Hill, M.B.A., is the technical editor of The Kirkpatrick Historical. It is Jeanne1s duty to make sure that the newsletter is not only easy to read, but that it is also of a quality that is useful to historians and researchers.
RAY SCHENCKAlthough Ray does not possess a college degree, his vast knowledge of history and his extensive collection of reference books has made him a valuable aid. Since history books often contradict themselves, it is Ray whom we call when things get confusing.
JENNIFER CHRISTINE HAMILTON Jennifer Christine Hamilton, like Ann, has spent much time traveling throughout Scotland and is an amateur historian. Christine is currently working on a degree in foreign languages and has been helpful in translating ancient books and papers. Jennifer is also our resident Macintosh Expert.
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