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Clan Munro USA
Genealogy Pages
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 1914 - 2003 (89 years)
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| Name |
Robert William Munro [1, 2] |
| Born |
3 Feb 1914 |
Kiltearn, , Ross-Shire, Scotland  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
15 Dec 2003 |
| Person ID |
I32192 |
Munro |
| Last Modified |
12 May 2011 |
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| Notes |
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«i»The death of Billy Munro who died on 15 Dec 2003 at the age of 89 will be felt as a great loss by all Munros, for not only have they lost a true kinsman, but also an Honorary Vice-President and Honorary Historian of the Clan Munro (Association) and founding editor of this magazine. Through more than 60 years, Billy showed exemplary dedication to the clan while producing one of the finest clan association magazines with the same meticulous accuracy that can be seen in his extensive archive of all things Munro. He was a professional journalist of the old school, a prolific author and a respected historian with a fellowship of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
It can be said that Billy was a genuine Munro, having been born Robert William Munro at Kiltearn on 3 Feb 1914 to a family with long associations with Ferindonald. His father had the farm of Newton on the Novar estates where his maternal grandfather, John Meiklejohn, was the factor.
With the family's move to the farm of Hillend to the south of Edinburgh, Billy's education was at the Edinburgh Academy, and in 1933 he joined the editorial staff of "The Scotsman" where he learned the art and craft of news reporting by example and perserverance. The requirements of accuracy, good shorthand and strict adherence to the facts suited Billy's professional temperament, and his shorthand skills soon earned him a place on the paper's verbatim team.
In 1940, he was commissioned in the Seaforth Highlanders, and his journalistic skills were soon to be appreciated with his attachment to the Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate in India. Billy also served in Italy before being demobilised in 1946 and returning to the reporting staff of "The Scotsman". He married Jean Dunlop in 1958 and the following year they moved north to Inverness on his appointment as editor-in-chief of the Highland News Group. Returning to Edinburgh in 1963, he rejoined the staff of "The Scotsman" where he remained until 1969 when he took early retirement in order to pursue his own writing interests.
A fond memory for Billy, which can be seen as a testament to his professionalism, was of a three-week assignment to Greenland in the entourage of the King of Denmark, where a measure of devolution was being instituted. His expertise so impressed the royal host that he was rewarded with an annual presentation case of Tuborg lager from the Danish brewery. On one memorable occasion, Billy had left the full case by his desk but for the reporters on night duty the temptation was too great to resist. Billy returned to discover the empty case and a note of thanks from appreciative colleagues who bought him a bottle of sherry in return. He was chairman of the Edinburgh Press Club from 1955 to 1957 and president from 1969 to 1971.
Although he did not attend the inaugural meeting of the Clan Munro (Association) in 1937, his journalistic skills were quickly recognised and he was appointed honorary editor in 1939, a position he held until 1971, having produced the first 12 issues of the Clan Munro Magazine to a standard that many clan journals have tried to emulate. He became a council member and was made vice-president in 1963 and continued to assist, particularly with the clan newsletter and magazine, for the rest of his life. Within the clan itself, his knowledge of history and genealogy became legendary and he and his wife, Jean, contributed immensely to the success of the association both at home and abroad. He was to become the preferred reference for those researching historical Munro matters - anyone seeking enlightenment over doubtful information was quickly pointed in the right direction with the answer "Billy will know."
Billy was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, a member of the Scottish History Society, Scottish Genealogy Society and a trustee of the National Museum of Antiquities from 1982 to 1985. His unassuming demeanour hid a diligent mind dedicated to the conveying of facts accurately backed by meticulous research. He was the author of a number of historical publications: "Lachlan MacQuarrie of Ulva," 1944; "Donald Monro's Western Isles of Scotland and Genealogies of the Clans 1549" (editor), 1961; "Tain Through the Centuries (co-authored with his wife, Jean), 1966, which was commissioned of the Burgh's 900th anniversary; "The Glorious Northern Lighthouses," 1976; "Highland Clans and Tartans," 1977; "Edinburgh and the Borders," 1977; "The Munro Tree 1734." 1978; "Scottish Lighthouses," 1979; "Taming the Rough Bounds, Knoydart 1745-1784," 1984; "Acts of the Lords of the Isles 1336-1493" (co-editor with Jean), 1986; "Clan MacQuarrie: A History," 1996.
Billy modestly listed his recreations as historical research and writing, walking and visiting islands, but his quiet manner and droll sense of humour hid the wealth of work he undertook, voluntarily on behalf of others, not only for individuals, Clan Munro and his many contacts within his chosen fields of expertise, but also a life-long devotion to his faith. He was for many years an elder of the Church of Scotland, Fairmilehead, the East Church in Inverness and Saint Catherine's Argyle, Edinburgh, where he was both an elder and session clerk from 1974 to 1984.
His great knowledge of Highland history will be greatly missed by his many friends and acquaintances worldwide. However, it was his wish that the extensive archives gathered during his lifetime would be made available to researchers. Now housed at Storehouse of Foulis, Evanton, these form a significant part of the Munro library and are Billy's legacy to the clan. In turn, their accuracy and strict adherence to the facts serve as a suitably lasting memorial.«/i»
("Clan Munro Magazine" - 2005 - #24 - p. 44-45)
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Ref: "The Munro Tree (1734)" by R. W. Munro - Edinburgh (1978) - title page,
back of title page
Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA
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| Sources |
- [S691] Clan Munro Magazine, Clan Munro (Association), 2005 - #24 - p. 44-45 (Reliability: 3).
- [S668] RW Munro's Genealogy Database, Robert William Munro, (The collected genealogy notes of RW Munro, Hon. Historian of Clan Munro (Association) edited by Dr. Jean Munro, transcribed by Charles C. Munroe, III and others. Transcription completed Jan 2009. Original card file is kept at the "Storehouse of Foulis" near Foulis Castle in Scotland.), card 320 - 321 (Reliability: 3).
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