CLAN MACKAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21979, 14 June 1933, Page 14

CLAN MACKAY

A LONDON GATHERING SCOTTISH OAK FOR DUTCH CHURCH. (From" Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, April 28. Members of the Clan Mac Kay in New Zealand and of other Scottish clans may be interested to hear of the prosperous Clan Mac Kay Society of London,: which held its final dance for the season last evening. This society has for its founder and energetic' and enthusiastic honorary secretary Mr Peter M. M'Kay, the New Zealander who has achieved some amount: of fame by reason of his cleverly-designed artificial limbs which have, done so much to relieve the handicap of mutilated exservice men throughout the country and the dominions. 0 ■ . V . The gathering took the form of a dance, where a majority of the. men-wore the dark green tartan kilt of their clan, .and joined with true Highland vigour in the Scottish dances which figured in the programme. The .bon. secretary seems to' have imported into the society he loves so well something of the friendliness and jollity one more frequently finds at such functions in New Zealand. At least thr.ee New Zealanders were present. During the evening the gold chain of office was transferred from the ex-presi-dent, Mr George T. M'Kay (of Hampshire), to Mr Charles Edward M'Kay (of London).

, !The society are keeping in close touch with the M'Kays of Sweden and .of Hoi-: land. Somewhere about 1649 the first Baron M'Kay took a whole regiment of his clan to Sweden to fight for King Gustaves Adolphus, and those'men who remained and took grants of land developed the name von Key. In receipt democratic times they have dropped the “ von.” .Later, of course, the M'Kays provided a small standing array for Holland, and Lbrd Reay, the thirteenth peer and chief of the London Society, belongs to the Dutch branch of the’clan, and has his property in that country. In , September. the Dutch M'Kays are celebrating the tercentenary of the Scottish Church in Rotterdam, and they desireto have a new communion table made, from an oak tree taken from the manse of one of the Covenanting counties. They approached the London Society, who have arranged to send timber from the manse at Wamphray, Dumfriesshire. The table will be made and carved in Holland.