U of G to Host Scottish Studies Colloquium
March 26, 2007 - News Release
The University of Guelph’s Scottish studies spring colloquium March 31 will explore religion and military history.Members of the public, the media and the academic community are welcome to attend.
Four experts will discuss historical military and religious conflicts throughout the day. The event will be held at the University of Toronto’s Knox College, 59 St. George St. in Toronto.
The conference talks will begin at 1 p.m. Stuart Macdonald, a University of Toronto professor, will examine the legacy of Margaret Wilson, who was allegedly drowned in 1685 for refusing to swear loyalty to the king.
“Historical debate has raged over whether the execution ever took place, and Margaret Wilson has become a major figure for historians of 17th-century Scotland,” said Graeme Morton, U of G's Scottish Studies Foundation Chair. “Dr. Macdonald will explore Wilson’s heritage as ‘martyr, mascot or icon.’”
U of G post-doctoral researcher Karly Kehoe will examine the status of Scottish Catholics and their relationship to a national identity that was long based on Presbyterianism.
Also from Guelph’s Scottish studies program, Prof. Kevin James, a panellist for History Television’s Ancestors in the Attic will take participants behind the scenes of the fast-paced new series. On the show, James uses his expertise in Scottish and Irish history to explain the potential limits of using different kinds of archival sources.
U of G PhD student Kris Gies will discuss how the British territorial force was reformed after the Boer War and immediately prior to the First World War.
Cost of the conference is $25 general, $20 for members of the Scottish Studies Foundation. Lunch and refreshments are included.
For more information or to register, call 519-824-4120, Ext. 53209, or send e-mail to scottish@uoguelph.ca. For more details about the colloquium, visit the Scottish studies website: www.uoguelph.ca/scottish.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982.
