Re: Castle at the Cross

[Margaret Rintoul/Neil Sinclair <rinsin@globalserve.net>]

Dear Mr. Pincus & Darwin;
I tried reaching you directly Mr. Pincus and if so you can
reply. The suggestion I have is as follows; if people wish
to send me concrete proposals, I have the address of the
owners and would be pleased to share something factual. I
caution however that it has been a year since I have
communicated with them. Reference to the Nova Scotia
Government is a bit premature as there is a lot of horse to
go before the cart.
Neil Sinclair

Ramsey-Styer, Darwin wrote:

> Dear Mr. Pincus:
>         I am sorry to take so long in getting back to you,
> however, I
> was called out of town on emergency family business and
> just arrived
> home today.  I would be very interested in excavating the
> site properly
> and would love to have volunteers.  We would need to
> determine if the
> site is actually available for excavation (I believe the
> owners were
> actually interested in profiting from the site, which is
> highly unlikely
> unless it can be proven to be of significance).  The
> owners must be
> contacted, the Nova Scotian government should be contacted
> for rules and
> regulations, and a comprehensive plan must be developed.
> There is a
> great deal to be considered in an undertaking of this sort
> but it is
> feasible.  I am certainly interested in discussing this
> with you
> further.  I have several projects that I intend to
> complete this week
> (by Friday afternoon) and would be free to discuss this
> then.  Let me
> know your thoughts and we'll get together.  Darwin
>
> PS how old is your daughter?  I decided to do this when I
> was 4, against
> the advice of many people.  I always try to encourage the
> interest of
> others since that is the only way anything of value will
> ever get done!
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Michael Pincus [SMTP:gate@APK.net]
> > Sent: Monday, May 04, 1998 4:02 PM
> > To:   sinclair@zilker.net
> > Subject:      Re: Castle at the Cross
> >
> > Michael Pincus responds:
> > Very interesting data. I would be interested
> > in financing a proper excavation of the site
> > by a trained and credentialed archaeologist
> > or historian, as well as a proper film shoot.
> > If interested please email to me. Only hitch
> > is that I and my daughter would insist on being
> > able to get ourselves dirty, and help as amatuer
> > assistents. Come back! MSP
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Ramsey-Styer, Darwin wrote:
> > >
> > > Dear Margaret,
> > > Thank you so much for clarifying this.  I am new to
> this list (last
> > > Friday, 4-17-98) and really appreciate the
> explanation.  I am an
> > > archaeologist, as well as a Sinclair, and I truly
> believe in
> > checking my
> > > facts.  I have had a great deal of trouble believing
> anything that
> > has
> > > been stated before concerning the exploration of the
> New World and
> > the
> > > Sinclair involvement because of the lack of documented
> sources.
> > > (However, all of this undocumented dribble is coming
> from only one
> > or
> > > two people that don't believe in footnotes.)
> > >   I have been an archaeologist for the last 13 years,
> I have both a
> > BA
> > > and an MA in anthropology (focus in Southeastern
> Archaeology), and
> > write
> > > archaeological reports on a daily basis.  In all of my
> work, if I
> > had
> > > ever stated a fact without citing the original
> reference I would
> > have
> > > failed (if in school) or been laughed out of
> professional meetings.
> > > However, even though I am a professional, that doesn't
> mean
> > avocational
> > > historians and archaeologists can not document their
> own work as
> > well.
> > > I have attended many presentations by amateur
> historians and
> > > archaeologists that are equally as good as anything by
> trained
> > > professionals.  Documentation is not difficult and can
> make all the
> > > difference in whether or not a work is useful...
> Thank you so much
> > for
> > > supplying the reference to Michael Bradley's book.  I
> will be sure
> > to
> > > find and refer to it for further research.
> > > As to influencing the Nova Scotian government to
> increase their
> > > preservation efforts... I am not sure we can do
> anything.  If a site
> > is
> > > on private property, in the US,  we have no legal
> recourse to
> > preserve
> > > it.  I would suspect the laws are very similar in Nova
> Scotia.
> > However,
> > > it might be possible to contact various preservation
> groups and
> > > societies within Nova Scotia.  Many of these groups
> have educational
> > > programs designed to increase the public awareness of
> the need for
> > > preservation, trained excavators, and scientific
> excavation.  Once
> > the
> > > general public is educated and interested in the
> cause, it becomes
> > > easier to influence the government as well as private
> land owners.
> > > However, I would be surprised if it didn't take quite
> a long time.
> > I am
> > > heavily involved with the professional archaeology
> society here as
> > well
> > > as the avocational group.  We work constantly to
> educate the public
> > and
> > > yet I am asked on almost a daily basis what neat
> dinosaurs I have
> > found
> > > lately.  Still, I keep at it hoping someday to make
> and impression.
> > >                                         Sincerely,
> > >                                         Darwin Ramsey
> > >  ----------
> > > From: Margaret Rintoul/Neil Sinclair
> > > To: sinclair@zilker.net
> > > Subject: Re: Castle at the Cross
> > > Date: Friday, April 17, 1998 3:28PM
> > >
> > > Dear John and Michael;
> > > "THe Sinclair Castle" at the cross Nova Scotia needs
> to be
> > > introduced to some of our clan. For Sinclairs that are
>
> > > interested in the Sinclair expedition this site is
> initially
> > > mentioned in Michael Bradley's book Holy Grail Across
> the
> > > Atlantic, Honslow Press 1988. In this book it was put
> > > forward that there was a settlement created which
> became the
> > > Castle at the Cross in the middle of Nova Scotia by
> Henry
> > > Sinclair and the site has received some mention in his
> other
> > > books and other writings of the expedition...
> > >
> > > I visited the site which is on private lands in 1996
> and
> > > there is little evidence remaining of any edifices but
> what
> > > what there was became certainly significant. I saw
> physical
> > > remains of a well, and stone foundations that were
> certainly
> > > old. It was not a castle in the sense that we would
> think of
> > > castles. Anything built and referred to as a castle in
> 1398
> > > or so referred to more correctly to a building or
> buildings
> > > that could be fortified but really used as habitation.
> There
> > > may have been a buildings that were constructed but
> from eye
> > > level one did not see a huge area being involved.
> However in
> > > my uneducated eye it was very old, located on a height
> of
> > > land and in the middle of Nova Scotia between the Bay
> of
> > > Fundy and the Atlantic. It was a logical site for an
> old
> > > habitation and certainly far removed from water
> access. That
> > > sid some backyard digging had occurred. I had the
> > > opportunity to write the owner and speak to them with
> the
> > > following advice;
> > > First that the site should be closed and left as is
> until
> > > experts could be found to properly conduct an
> examination. I
> > > further urged that while the site was interesting and
> > > controversial (there are many skeptics) it should
> receive
> > > proper designation as an historical site. Again the
> property
> > > is on private lands and no site preservation was
> undertaken
> > > from day one. To make matters worse there was
> speculation as
> > > how to make money from the site and should anything be
> of
> > > historical interest then the worst one could do would
> be to
> > > commercialize it with no evidence of what existed. I
> would
> > > add that the Government of Nova Scotia is not only
> short
> > > sited on historical matters but when it came to
> historical
> > > preservation it was grossly negligent. I only hope the
> site
> > > is "preserved" and not dug up until a proper
> archeological
> > > study can be made. The lead of Clan Sinclair in Nova
> Scotia
> > > may have some more insights.
> > >
> > > I also have no insight whether the site is still
> rapidly
> > > found. It was known to locals and was the very dickens
> to
> > > find from any published material and it was not on the
>
> > > historical sites being stuck in the middle of nowhere.
> If
> > > you are interested in the NS Sinclair Historical tour
> you
> > > may want to check out another travesty to historical
> > > preservation, Oak Island. While I have satisfied
> myself that
> > > Henry Sinclair did not bury any treasure there this
> site is
> > > one of the most significant mysteries on the eastern
> > > seaboard and should have been preserved from an
> historical
> > > perspective, and again the people of Nova Scotia and
> their
> > > government let that site get destroyed too with no
> care or
> > > preservation of artifacts no study of any kind and a
> > > terrible treasure hunt that turned up nothing. What I
> did
> > > leave this site with is a curiosity as to how Red Oaks
> came
> > > into the region. Planted from 1398? Again no studies
> and
> > > hence only books of speculation.
> > >
> > > If anyone is following the History in Nova Scotia this
>
> > > summer a couple of spots are interesting and worth
> visiting.
> > > Louisburg has plaques suggesting that Prince Henry
> landed
> > > there, and the cannon mentioned in Sinclairs book are
> there
> > > mostly replicated but they did exist. Of most
> historical
> > > interest is that the Basques had been visiting Nova
> Scotia
> > > well before 1400 for the Fish and the Grand Banks. I
> would
> > > not be surprised if others did as well. This area as a
>
> > > fishing destination was not a surprise to every
> European. By
> > > the way of interest, Guysbouough NS has also laid some
> plans
> > > for significant celebrations and the most recent
> published
> > > history of Nova Scotia by Lesley Choyce does mention
> the
> > > Henry expedition as historical fact.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps. Because this network runs on shared
> > > information is it helpful for all of us, if some
> background
> > > is put forward when making an inquiry so we may all be
>
> > > educated at the same time.
> > > Keep up the fine work, it is a most interesting
> > > communication network of clansmen.
> > > Neil Sinclair, Toronto
> > > Descendant of Argyll Scotland
> > >
> > > Michael Pincus wrote:
> > >
> > > > Michael Pincus responds:
> > > > Please fill me in. Is there a sight here I missed?
> > > > Thank you, MSP
> > > >
> > > > John Duguid wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Does anyone out there have any recent information
> on the
> > > > Sinclair "Castle at
> > > > > the Cross" in Nova Scotia. The last I heard there
> was
> > > > talk of carrying out some
> > > > > excavations to ascertain whether or not the
> structure
> > > > could be dated to the
> > > > > visit of Prince Henry in 1398.
> > > > >
> > > > > John Duguid