Yours Ay

The Life and Letters of Ian Stewart McIntosh

Paul Lalonde embraced genealogy for the intrigue of uncovering family stories. Ian McIntosh’s letters are his greatest discovery yet.

Paul’s great grandfather Frank McIntosh left Scotland in 1912 seeking a life first in Australia and later in Canada. But where had Frank’s brothers landed? Family lore said they settled in Africa, but nobody was certain. Paul set out to solve this mystery, and his search led him to Grandpa Frank’s nephew – Ian McIntosh – and a long-term letter-writing relationship that shared family stories past and present. In many ways, it’s the story of a lifetime.

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Exerpts

Yours Ay

Yours Ay is a traditional Scottish closing for letters. The word “ay” or “aye” has its origin in the old Scottish word for “always.” Ian and Paul formed the lifelong habit of closing their letters with the term “Yours Ay.”

Getting to Yours Ay

I have the champion of all dinner party stories. This is more than just my imagination talking. I know because my story has been tested at parties, business meetings, overnight airplane chats and family gatherings, and the response has always been positive. It’s an ace up my sleeve, a guaranteed winner to turn up the excitement, keep all eyes focused on me, and throw open the door to a real wow factor. Believe me, this one is a winner.

As the years go on I have told the story in different forms, but the line “There I was – face-to-face with Hannibal Lecter” always generates some excitement. Yes, I’m talking about that intelligent, calm yet terrifying face from the Hollywood film Silence of the Lambs. I usually ask my audience, “Do you have that image in your mind? Good. You’re starting to get the picture.”

From Chapter 1

This quest had it all – the intrigue, the story and the possible connections. For me, it was bigger than the others, something that couldn’t be accomplished in a library or on a website. I called it a “lifetime goal” because I thought it would take that long. I imagined I would spend years or even decades putting together the pieces, following the clues and making connections that would someday tell the Rhodesia story.

The Letter Writers

Ian Stewart McIntosh

Born in Scotland, Ian McIntosh has lived in Africa and Great Britain. He served in the British Army during the Second World War, then in occupied Japan and India during the partition years. In 1948 he transferred to Southern Rhodesia and experienced key events in that country’s history, including the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) and the transition to Zimbabwe.

Paul Lalonde

Paul Lalonde is a writer and genealogist in Toronto, Canada. He has followed his family roots throughout Canada, USA, UK, Australia and Africa. He is currently researching a book on Frank Stewart McIntosh – Paul’s great-grandfather and Ian’s uncle – about his First World War experience with the Australian Light Horse.

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