Tour Scotland Johnny Cash Ancestry

The first Album I ever bought was by Johnny Cash. Little did I know then that Johnny was a fellow " Fifer " his roots being in North Fife, Scotland. To this day, Johnny Cash is my favourite singer. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry.

An American country and western singer, who embarked upon a spiritual quest following the death of her famous father to learn more about her family’s 800-year-old link with the Howe of Fife, has spoken of her love for “magical” north-east Fife, while giving unexpected global publicity to local businesses. Rosanne Cash, daughter of the late country music legend Johnny Cash, can trace her ancestry back to King Malcolm IV of Scotland, and felt “ spiritually revived and humbled ” when she visited local attractions including the former country retreat of the Stuart kings at Falkland Palace. Accompanied by her daughter Carrie, Rosanne took a break from filming a show at the BBC in Glasgow and was chauffeur driven
75 miles to the Howe of Fife where she visited Falkland and and Strathmiglo.

Records held by Falkland Palace show that King Malcolm awarded a large estate to the Earl of Fife in 1160 when he married the king’s niece, whose name was Cash or Cashel. A 15th century map sited the estate between Falkland and Strathmiglo. The clan Cash originated from Malcolm’s sister, Ada, and streets in Strathmiglo and Falkiand still carry the name Cash, as do Easter Cash, Wester Cash and Cash Farms. The American Cash connection came about in 1612 when mariner Wiffiam Cash sailed from Scotland to Salem, Massachusetts, with a boatload of pilgrims. He later decided to settle in America. The Cash name has also been linked to the clan MacKintosh.

Rosanne first visited Falkland with her record producer husband John Leventhal in March 1998 to see for herself her family roots. She told The Courier then that her interest was sparked by her father who, in the 1970s, began delving into the subject after a chance encounter on a transatlantic flight with thelate Major Michael Crichon-Stewart Ninian’s father. Johnny visited Fife several times in the 1990s to try and plug gaps in his family tree. On her recently-updated official website, which is accessible to millions of internet users across the globe, Rosanne has revealed that she felt compelled to return to Fife following the death of her father, aged 71, in September. Rosanne said of her trip, “ We went straight to the tiny town of Strathmiglo, in Fife, and searched for all the Cash names. We saw Cash Wester street, and Cash Easter, and Wester Cash farm, and Cash Feus, and all kinds of Cash references. It was really thrilling. The area is spectacularly beautiful, like a dream of rolling green hills, riddled with mist and towers and stone. If geography can be in your cells, and in your deepest memory, then it came out of the realms of the unconscious and fully alive for me and Carrie that day. ”

The country singer explained how they drove on to Falkland. The whole village was practically closed that day, but Warbeck’s restaurant was open on the square and there they had lunch. When they came out they noticed the Violin Shop. They peered in the window, and saw many violins and antiques, but what caught Rosanne’s eye was an old teapot that reminded her of an old family heirloom back in the US. The shop was locked, but the owner, Bob Beveridge, was traced and he opened it for them. She said, “I picked up the teapot right away and told him I’d like to buy it, and he put it aside while we wandered around, looking at his old books, violins, china and toys.

“ Our American accents were unmistakable, obviously, so he said, by way of conversation, " So, are you here looking up your ancestry? " “I told him that this was the very area my ancestors were from, all the way back to the 12th century. “ He said, " Oh! and what is your surname?’ I said, Cash. He smiled, " Like Johnny Cash ? Because he was Scottish, too, you know. " I told him that he was my father. “ The gentleman, Bob Beveridge, looked at me with wide eyes. He told me that he had met my father, when he was there filming a television special (in the 1980s). He told me that he had spent the day with him, and he began telling me stories about my dad and the townspeople, and the affect he had on those who came into contact with him.

“ He told me that my father would sit at the entrance to the castle to rest, and that the people in the town would come around to talk to him. Bob paused and went upstairs and brought back a photo of himself and my father, from that day. “ I stood in the middle of Bob Beveridge’s violin shop with tears rolling off my face, as he talked about my father with such delight, and told me stories about his kindness and his greatness. "

“ I left Fife feeling spiritually revived, and humbled, and cracked open and connected to my past, to my future, to my family. ” Yesterday Mr Beveridge revealed that when Rosanne returned to New York, she sent him a hand written letter of thanks and a programme from the service at Johnny Cash’s funeral. He said, “She genuinely loves the area. Having met her father years ago, it was great to meet her. I’m sure she’ll come back.”

And she has returned many times since.