Scottish radical roots of a canny global player

Published on Monday 7 June 2004 03:30

IN 1991, Ronald Reagan returned to his Scottish roots to visit the church where two of his ancestors married early in the last century.

Wearing a tartan jacket, Reagan, then 80, and his wife Nancy took part in a service at Castlehead church in Paisley, where, with other worshippers, they sang Amazing Grace.

Reagan’s ancestors Claud Wilson, a weaver and radical, and Peggy Downie, his housemaid bride, were married in the church in 1807.

The Reagans were greeted by the church’s minister, the Rev Gordon Kirkwood, who told them: "We understand, Sir, that one of your family members from generations past himself worshipped in this very church and thus we feel greatly honoured at your presence with us."

Afterwards, the Reagans were presented with a picture of the church painted by a local housewife, Margaret Barrie.

"He seemed quite delighted and said it would have a place of great honour," Mrs Barrie said.

Mr Kirkwood said that the Reagans were "very gracious", apologising for their late arrival due to traffic problems and telling him they would normally have been worshipping in their local Presbyterian church in Bel Air at that time.

Mr Kirkwood added: "We were able to show him a burial record. He wanted to know if any of his ancestors were buried in the church graveyard. We said it was very likely, but unfortunately because the stones are very worn it is not possible to say where."

Reagan’s Paisley connections were unearthed by Renfrew District Council’s historians around the time of his visit as president to England and Ireland in 1984.

Peggie Downie’s father, David Downie, also a radical weaver, was found guilty of sedition in 1794 for conspiring to raise an armed rebellion.

He was sentenced to be hanged and disembowelled, but this was commuted to transportation after a local outcry.

Later in his visit, Reagan was welcomed into the international whisky fraternity at Blair Castle in Perthshire when he was made a Keeper of the Quaich, a member of the 200-member body which exists to promote the Scotch whisky industry.

Quite what Reagan had done to deserve the honour was unclear but, according to a public relations official, his fourth cousin was a "famous moonshiner from Wester Kintyre".