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Monday, July 21, 2008

The Spanish-Scottish Connection

Recently, a woman from Arizona was visiting her sister and brother-in-law’s church in Spain. When Horizons, a publication of Regular Baptist Press, was distributed to the attendees, she was surprised to read the lead article’s by-line, “Jim Dyet.” You see, her maiden name is Dyet, a very uncommon name even in my native Scotland. Wanting to learn more about me, she contacted the Horizons editor in Schaumburg, Illinois, who in turn contacted me.

I called the Arizona woman last night, and we had a lengthy conversation. Her grandfather, William Dyet, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, just a few miles from where my father William Dyet and I were born. Apparently, she had researched the Dyet name and found quite a few William Dyets with origins in and around Glasgow. Her grandfather had been a coal miner. So had mine. He was killed in a coal mine explosion.

As the conversation progressed, I learned that Jean, the Arizona woman, had judged dog shows in the Valley of the Sun. Her knowledge of canines was apparent when she told me interesting facts about our rare-breed Coton de Tulear, Sadie, and our daughter Sherrie’s Chinese Cresteds.

Perhaps Jean and I are cousins. It is hard to connect the dots on a Scottish family tree because so many similar names pop up. Many parents gave their sons royal names: William, James, and John. Robert and Bruce are also popular Scottish names. My older brother is William Wallace Dyet. My younger brother is Bruce Robert Dyet.

It was good to share a wee bit of family history with another Dyet, and it especially good to know people even half a world away read what I write. I dinna like tae waste words!



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