Scottish Author Seeks Descendants of 6,500 Lost Boys

July 21, 2010 - PRLog -- The Mars Training Ship was moored on the River Tay near Dundee, Scotland for sisty years between 1869 and 1929.Gordon has almost completed a second book about the fate of many of the boys, 'Sons of the Mars', and would like to discover and hear from some of the boys' descendants.
In 19th century Scotland, poverty and disease were rife and, although transportation to Australia had stopped in 1857, many children had no option other than to steal to survive and a good number ended up in prison. This could not go on, however, and so the idea of a training ship for Dundee was born. 'We'll Send Ye Tae the Mars' is the fascinating history of how it all happened and how the Mars helped thousands of boys and equipped them to find a new life away from the poverty and crime.

Many of the boys joined the British Royal Navy, Merchant Navy or merely emigrated finding adventure and new lives, some very successful, all over the world.
Gordon said, "We have a website www.sonsofthemars.com which has been in successful in attracting genealogy enquiries from many parts of the globe.However, due to the diversity of locations, worldwide, in which the boys found themselves settling, I think we are only scratching the surface. Although the ship was based near Dundee, the boys were sent from all over Scotland and sometimes further afield, it is possible family genealogy researchers do not immediately see a connection with Dundee. The first book, 'We'll Send Ye Tae the Mars' is only the beginning of the story."
An interview with Gordon Douglas can be viewed on the BBC's site via http://www.sonsofthemars.com .

About the Author

Born in Dundee, Scotland, Gordon Douglas now lives across the River Tay in Wormit and can see the mooring place of the Mars from his window. Gordon was educated at Harris Academy, Dundee and then Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art, Dundee, where he graduated in Graphic Design and Photography. An extremely talented musician and songwriter / composer Gordon has written apart from, songs, several musicals, been involved with community projects and wrote a musical for the Princes Trust, playing in front of HRH's Prince Charles and Prince Harry. He is currently working simultaenously on two other books and a film script.

About The Website

Launched in late 2008, http://www.sonsofthemars.com was designed as an acommpaniment to 'We'll Send Ye Tae the Mars' and features an online database of some of the boys. At the moment they are about half-way through entering just basic details. There are many newspaper articles about the Mars from local media along with many, interesting stories which emerged during Gordon's Mars research which are as diverse as a Russian Bear running amok in Dundee to the poet William McGonagalls shambolic stage appearances in Dundee and the visit to Scotland of Buffalo Bill. Please pay the site a visit http://www.sonsofthemars.com.


'We'll Send Ye Tae the Mars
by Gordon Douglas
Black & White Publishing
October 2008  
Extent 160 pages
Format: Landscape paperback, 210 x 297 mm
Plate/Illustrations: 30 full-page b/w photographs
ISBN10: 1845022300
ISBN13: 9781845022303  

The book can be previewed and bought from the website link  http://www.sonsofthemars.com

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