title: NXT TakeOver

text: Only one NXT TakeOver event had to be canceled. was originally set to air live from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on April 4, 2020. The event was initially postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began effecting WWE's programming in mid-March; however, it was ultimately canceled with matches planned and scheduled for the event moved to weekly episodes of "NXT", beginning April 1.


title: NXT TakeOver

text: In September 2021, the NXT brand went through a restructuring, being rebranded as "NXT 2.0", reverting to a developmental territory for WWE. In October, it was speculated that the company may end the TakeOver series as another TakeOver event was not scheduled for 2021 after TakeOver 36 in August. On November 9, 2021, NXT's next PPV and livestreaming event was announced as WarGames to be held on December 5, 2021. Unlike the previous WarGames events, however, the announcement confirmed that the event would not be a TakeOver event, thus ending the TakeOver series. Vengeance Day, Stand & Deliver, and In Your House would also continue on as their own events following TakeOver's discontinuation, although the 2022 Vengeance Day aired as a television special instead of airing on PPV and via livestreaming, while the 2022 editions of Stand & Deliver and In Your House only aired via livestreaming and not on PPV.


title: NXT TakeOver

text: Although the TakeOver series was discontinued, the "Mat Men Podcast" reported that WWE may use the TakeOver name again if an NXT event is held in a large venue, such as sharing the same venue with one of WWE's major events, and held as a support show for one of those events, like several previous TakeOvers had done.


title: Artemisia annua

text: Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood, sweet annie, sweet sagewort, annual mugwort or annual wormwood (), is a common type of wormwood native to temperate Asia, but naturalized in many countries including scattered parts of North America.


title: Artemisia annua

text: An extract of "A. annua", called artemisinin (or artesunate), is a medication used to treat malaria. Discovery of artemisinin and its antimalarial properties by the Chinese scientist, Tu Youyou, led to award of the 2011 Lasker Prize and 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.


title: Artemisia annua

text: "Artemisia annua" belongs to the plant family of "Asteraceae" and is an annual short-day plant. Its stem is erect brownish or violet brown. The plant itself is hairless and naturally grows from 30 to 100 cm tall, although in cultivation it is possible for plants to reach a height of 200 cm. The leaves of "A. annua" have a length of 3–5 cm and are divided by deep cuts into two or three small leaflets. The intensive aromatic scent of the leaves is characteristic. The artemisinin content in dried leaves is in between 0% and 1.5%. New hybrids of "Artemisia annua" developed in Switzerland can reach a leaf artemisinin content of up to 2%. The small flowers have a diameter of 2–2.5 mm and are arranged in loose panicles. Their color is green-yellowish. The seeds are brown achenes with a diameter of only 0.6–0.8 mm. Their thousand-kernel weight (TKW) averages around 0.03 g (in comparison, wheat has a TKW of approximately 45 g).


title: Artemisia annua

text: The growing period of "Artemisia annua" from seeding through to harvest is 190–240 days, depending on the climate and altitude of the production area. The plant is harvested at the beginning of flowering when the artemisinin content is the highest. Dry leaf yields of "Artemisia annua" plantations vary between 0.5 and 3 tonnes per hectare.


title: Artemisia annua

text: In terms of the climate "A. annua" prefers sunny and warm conditions. Its optimal growth temperature lies within 20 and 25 °C. Annual temperature sums of 3500–5000 °C (sum of temperatures higher 10 °C over one year) are required to guarantee a proper maturing. The rainfall during the growing season should not be less than 600 mm (annual rainfall higher 1150 mm). Especially the seedlings of "A. annua". are susceptible to drought or water lodging. The mature plants on the other hand are quite resistant to those climate conditions. Nevertheless, the preferred soil conditions for "A. annua" are light soils with deep topsoils and good drainage properties. But it is reported, that the plant is adaptable to different soil types. Paired with the relatively low demand on the environment "Artemisia annua" can have characteristics of a neophytic plant.


title: Artemisia annua

text: "A. annua" is best sown in rows to facilitate removal of weeds, which has to be done mechanically or manually because herbicides are typically not used. It is recommended to sow 1.4 – 2 seeds per square meter. The fertilizer requirements are on a low level. Potassium should be used as base fertilizer. It is taken up by the plant during the whole growing season. Nitrogen is required during early branching stages, an amount of approximately 70 kg N/ha is sufficient for the plant. Phosphate on the other hand is required during the blooming stages. Phosphate fertilization can lead to a higher artemsinin content in the leaves. The application of salicylic acid on the leaves shortly before harvesting the plant also can raise its artemisinin content. Besides few viral diseases "Artemisia a." has no major diseases that need to be controlled.


title: Artemisia annua

text: The harvest of the plant is best done in the state of flower budding. The whole plant is harvested and cut into branches which are dried in the sun or in an oven. The drying temperature should not exceed 40 °C. The dry branches are shaken or beaten to separate the leaves from the stem. The leaves are then packed into fabric bags and shipped to further processing. It is important that the temperatures during transportation and storage never get higher than 40 °C, otherwise artemisinin gets volatile and is lost into the air. The leaves should not be crushed before long time storage (one year). The optimal storage conditions are either 20 °C with 85% relative humidity (RH) or 30 °C with 30–40% RH.


title: Artemisia annua

text: In 1971, scientists demonstrated the plant extracts had antimalarial activity in primate models, and in 1972, the active ingredient, artemisinin (formerly referred to as arteannuin), was isolated and its chemical structure described. Artemisinin may be extracted using a low boiling point solvent, such as diethylether, and is found in the glandular trichomes of the leaves, stems, and inflorescences, and is concentrated in the upper portions of plant within new growth.


title: Artemisia annua

text: The first isolation of artemisinin from the herb occurred from a military project known as Project 523, following the study of traditional medicine pharmacopoeias performed by Tu Youyou and other researchers within the project. "A. annua" contains diverse phytochemicals, including polyphenols such as coumarins, flavones, flavonols, and phenolic acids which have unknown biological properties in vivo. Other phytochemicals include 38 sesquiterpenes. Dihydroartemisinin is the active metabolite of artemisinin, and artesunate is a water-soluble derivative of artemisinin.


title: Artemisia annua

text: Research to develop antimalarial drugs led to the discovery of artemisinin in the 1970s by Chinese scientist, Tu Youyou, who shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. An improved extract was obtained by using a low-temperature, ether-based extraction method, further showing the artemisinin derivative, artemether, to be an effective antimalarial drug.


title: Artemisia annua

text: Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone with an endoperoxide bridge and has been produced as an antimalarial drug. The efficacy of tea, made with either water or urine and "A. annua", for the treatment of malaria is dubious, and is discouraged by the World Health Organization (WHO). Research has found that artemisinin is not soluble in water and the concentrations in these infusions are considered insufficient to treat malaria. A 2012 review stated that artemisinin-based remedies are the most effective drugs for the treatment of malaria. A 2013 review suggested that although "Artemisia annua" may not cause hepatotoxicity, haematotoxicity, or hyperlipidemia, it should be used cautiously during pregnancy due to a potential risk of embryotoxicity at a high dose.


title: Artemisia annua

text: The WHO has approved riamet (Coartem), a combination of lumefantrine (120 mg) and artemether (an artemisinin derivative extracted with ether, 20 mg) in repeat treatments over two days, producing efficacy of up to 98% against malaria.


title: Artemisia annua

text: The proposed mechanism of action of artemisinin involves cleavage of endoperoxide bridges by iron, producing free radicals (hypervalent iron-oxo species, epoxides, aldehydes, and dicarbonyl compounds) which damage biological macromolecules causing oxidative stress in the cells of the malaria parasite. Malaria is caused by apicomplexans, primarily "Plasmodium falciparum", which largely reside in red blood cells and contain iron-rich heme-groups (in the form of hemozoin). In 2015, artemisinin was shown to bind to a large number cell targets, indicating its potential for diverse effects.


title: Artemisia annua

text: Despite global efforts in combating malaria, it remains a large burden for the population, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. As of 2013, it seems that the pathogenic agent of malaria is becoming resistant to artemisinin-based drugs. Emergence of artemisinin resistance has been identified in Cambodia and the border of Thailand. Although the WHO recommends artemisinin-based remedies for treating uncomplicated malaria, artemisinin resistance has become a concern. The causes that affected the emergence of artemisinin resistance include the use of artemisinin-based remedies. Encouraging herbal alternatives are in the pipeline, but a more dependable solution for the eradication of malaria would be the creation of an effective vaccination. Resistance will likely spread to other endemic areas across the world.


title: Artemisia annua

text: In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), "A. annua" is prepared with hot water to treat fever. Due to duplication in ancient TCM sources, "A. annua" is more commonly referred to as "qinghao" (), the modern Chinese name for "Artemisia carvifolia", as opposed to its current Chinese name "huanghuahao".


title: Daniel Defense

text: Daniel Defense is an American arms manufacturer founded in 2002 by Marty Daniel in Savannah, Georgia. Following substantial growth from a 2002 U.S. Army Special Forces grant for M4 upper receivers, Daniel Defense expanded in 2009 and moved into a new manufacturing facility in Black Creek, Georgia, where it is now based.


title: Daniel Defense

text: The company's flagship gun is the DDM41 AR15-style rifle, which it sells in automatic form to the military and in semi-automatic form to civilians. Firearms sold by Daniel Defense have been used to carry out mass shootings, including the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting.


title: Daniel Defense

text: Daniel Defense began as a hobby of its founder, Marty Daniel. Its year of establishment is variously reported as 2000, 2001, or 2002. Daniel's wife, Cindy Daniel, is chief operating officer of the company. Both Daniels are outspoken supporters of Donald Trump and other Republican Party candidates. The company adopted a direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales model and offered "buy-now-pay-later" plans, allow consumers to acquire costly weapons immediately and pay in installments over time.


title: Daniel Defense

text: Daniel Defense is among the largest privately held manufacturers of firearms and firearm accessories in the US, and by 2014 it had been named to the "Inc." 5000, a list of fast-growing privately held U.S. companies, three times. However, the company is small relative to other gun manufacturers like Colt and Smith & Wesson.


title: Daniel Defense

text: In its early years, Daniel Defense manufactured rails, the components of firearms to which scopes, laser sights, and other accessories are attached. The company dramatically expanded in 2003, after winning a $20 million U.S. Special Forces contract for specialized rails for M4 rifles.


title: Daniel Defense

text: In 2009, the company began manufacturing its own rifles and cold hammer forged barrels. The company produced 24 guns in 2009 and 10,000 guns in 2010. The company manufactured slightly fewer than 53,000 guns in 2020, with less than 1% of U.S. firearms market share.


title: Daniel Defense

text: The company's flagship product is the Daniel Defense DDM4 AR-15 style rifle. The company sells the DDM4 to the U.S. Department of Defense, foreign militaries, and civilians; the rifle is sold in automatic form to military and police, and in semi-automatic form to civilians. In 2014, Daniel Defense sold DDM4 to Missouri State Police and North Dakota Highway Patrol, making its first sale of that gun to law enforcement agencies. Daniel Defense also manufactures the barrel and gas block for USSOCOM's Upper Receiver Group-Improved (URG-I).


title: Daniel Defense

text: According to "Forbes" magazine, in 2016 Daniel Defense had sales of $73 million and 279 employees. Marty Daniel stated in 2016 that 90% of the company's sales were to consumers, and 10% were to governments.


title: Daniel Defense

text: The company initially was located in Garden City, Georgia, sharing space with Daniel's other business making overhead doors and fireplaces. In 2008, the company outgrew the space and moved to Black Creek, Georgia, where it is now based. The company opened a 90,000-square-foot facility in Ridgeland, South Carolina in 2012, but announced the closure of that facility in 2016. In late 2017, construction of a new $29 million, 300,000 square foot building for the company was completed in Black Creek, consolidating the company's previous locations in Black Creek and Ridgeland. The formal ribbon-cutting for the new Black Creek facility which employs 210 people, held in May 2018, was attended by Georgia's governor, Nathan Deal, and other state and local officials.


title: Daniel Defense

text: The National Rifle Association of America selected the Daniel Defense V7 as the 2017 gun of the year.


title: Daniel Defense

text: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company accepted a $3.1 million loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Program.


title: Daniel Defense

text: Daniel Defense is known for its provocative online advertisements. Some of the company's advertisements use pop-culture references or characters that appeal to youth, including references to the "Call of Duty" series of video games, to "Star Wars" characters, and to Santa Claus.


title: Daniel Defense

text: Daniel, the company's founder and CEO, has positioned himself as a provocateur, mocking gun control measures and engaging in publicity stunts to promote the company's products. Ryan Busse, a former executive at gun company Kimber who later became a critic of the gun industry, called Daniel Defense "basically the poster child" of "egregious, aggressive marketing" by gun sellers. Everytown for Gun Safety has also criticized Daniel Defense's advertisements for glorifying "violence and war" in marketing.


title: Daniel Defense

text: In December 2013, Daniel Defense was involved in controversy when it submitted a television commercial to a group of Fox affiliates for broadcast during local commercial time in the network's broadcast of Super Bowl XLVIII. The stations rejected it, citing the National Football League's commercial policy which states: "Firearms, ammunition or other weapons are prohibited; however, stores that sell firearms and ammunition will be permitted, provided they sell other products and the ads do not mention firearms, ammunition or other weapons."


title: Daniel Defense

text: Daniel Defense responded to the rejection by criticizing the NFL's policy and the decision of those Fox affiliates, asserting that its ad did not contain any firearms and focused instead on the company's surrounding outdoor merchandise, falling within the exceptions in the policy. The NFL responded to the claims by denying any involvement in the rejection of the advertisement, but it did confirm that its policy does ban commercials with firearms in them, and in the end, it was not accepted or aired.


title: Daniel Defense

text: The arsenal of the 64-year-old perpetrator of 2017 Las Vegas shooting included two Daniel Defense AR-15 style rifles. He killed 60 people and wounded 411, making it the deadliest mass shooting in US history.


title: Daniel Defense

text: On May 24, 2022, at Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a Daniel Defense DDM4 V7, an AR-15 style rifle was used by the shooter who fatally shot nineteen students and two teachers, and wounded seventeen others. The gun was located near the body of the perpetrator.


title: Daniel Defense

text: Daniel Defense was met with social media backlash in the wake of the shooting, including criticism for a now-deleted Twitter post made on May 16 depicting a child holding a Daniel Defense rifle. The manufacturer withdrew from the annual NRA convention held in Houston a few days after the shooting, stating that they believed it wasn't an appropriate time to be promoting their products due to the "horrifying tragedy in Uvalde" where "one of [their] products was criminally misused".


title: Daniel Defense

text: On June 3, 2022, the attorney representing the father of one of the victims requested information from Daniel Defense about their marketing strategy to teens and children. A separate legal action from a school employee also filed a request with the Texas court requesting the same information. This was because the assailant legally purchased fire arms the day after his 18th birthday on May 17, 2022.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: The Longaberger Company is an American manufacturer and distributor of handcrafted maple wood baskets and other home and lifestyle products. The company opened in 1973, was acquired in 2013 by CVSL, Inc., and closed in 2018. The following year, Xcel Brands acquired the intellectual property and relaunched the brand, expanding it to include home goods such as furniture, food, jewelry and other handcrafted products.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: Founded by Dave Longaberger, the family-owned and -operated company used multi-level marketing to sell its products. It was one of the primary employers in Dresden, Ohio, before it moved to Newark, Ohio, in 1997. At its peak in 2000, it had $1 billion in sales, employed more than 8,200 people directly, and had about 45,000 independent distributors (called Home Consultants) selling its products directly to customers. Along with baskets, the product line eventually included wrought iron products, pottery, wooden lids, and other products.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: Its former corporate headquarters on Ohio's State Route 16 is a local landmark known as the "Big Basket." Built to resemble the company's top-selling product, the "Medium Market Basket", the seven-story edifice is a well-known example of novelty architecture.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: In 1919, J.W. Longaberger began an apprenticeship with The Dresden Basket Factory. After the company failed during the Great Depression, Longaberger continued to make baskets on the weekends. Eventually, he and his wife Bonnie Jean (Gist) Longaberger raised enough money to purchase the closed basket factory and start a business of their own.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: The fifth of J.W. and Bonnie's 12 children, Dave, opened J.W.'s Handwoven Baskets in 1973. Starting in 1978, the company began selling Longaberger baskets through home shows using a multi-level marketing model. Each basket, made in various sizes, was handmade and signed by the maker. At its peak, the company employed more than 8,200 people, not counting its direct sales consultants. A combination of a recession and changing tastes in home decor reduced sales, which dropped from 2000's peak of $1 billion, to about $100 million in 2012. In 2013, the company was taken over by a holding company CVSL, Inc., which later became JRJR Networks.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: The Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, the NAACP Image Awards and others have used gift baskets made by Longaberger.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: In May 2015, Tami Longaberger, who had led the company since Dave died in 1999, resigned as chief executive officer and director of the company.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: In February 2016, the company said it would sell the Basket Building and move its employees to Longaberger's factory in Frazeysburg, Ohio.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: As of April 2016, there were fewer than 75 full-time and part-time employees; about 30 of those still made baskets.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: On May 4, 2018, a note was sent out from a sales force supervisor that the company had ceased operations. In June 2018, the company filed for bankruptcy.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: The Longaberger brand was revived in 2019 when its intellectual property was purchased by Xcel Brands, led by Robert W. D'Loren, and a licensing agreement was reached with basket-weavers Dresden & Co. Tami Longaberger and her sister took part in the firm's re-launch. D'Loren stopped selling baskets through home parties and rebranded the company to include artisan home goods, furniture, food products, and other items. He also focused on digital marketing through social media.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: In the 1990s, Longaberger commissioned NBBJ and Korda Nemeth Engineering to build an unusual headquarters on a 21.5-acre lot in eastern Newark: a seven-story building that would resemble one of the company's baskets. The 180,000-square-foot building, located near the intersection of Route 16 and Ohio Route 146, was difficult to design and build because the upper floors were wider than the floors below them; for example, the second floor has 20,000 square feet and the top floor has to 25,000 square feet. The basket handles weigh almost 150 tons and can be heated during cold weather to prevent ice from falling onto the building's glass roof. The building opened in 1997.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: The company stopped paying property taxes on the building at the end of 2014. Employees moved out in 2016.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: In December 2017, the building was purchased for $1.2 million by Steve Coon, a Canton, Ohio-based developer who owns Coon Restoration, and his partner, Bobby George of Cleveland. By November 2018, the pair had put it up for sale. In 2019, Coon said the building had not sold, that he was planning to turn the building into a luxury hotel, and that he was working to have the building added to the National Register of Historic Places.


title: The Longaberger Company

text: On October 20, 2019, Heritage Ohio – the state's official historic preservation organization – held the first tour of the building since its 2016 closing as part of fundraising efforts. More than 600 people participated. Executive director Joyce Barrett said, “People were in tears and hugging each other” because "they were so happy to be back in the Basket.”


title: Dwight McNeil

text: Dwight James Matthew McNeil (born 22 November 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Everton. Born in England, McNeil is eligible to play for Jamaica through family heritage.


title: Dwight McNeil

text: McNeil was born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester to parents Tracy and Matty McNeil, who was a professional footballer in the English Football League for Macclesfield Town and Stockport County. He has two younger siblings, Baillie and Chiara, and he attended the Oasis Academy in Oldham. He regularly watched his father play in non-league for Hyde United and first started playing football at the JJB Sports centre in Trafford. It was there that scouts from Bolton Wanderers pursued him for a trial, but after initial rejections from his parents, Bolton eventually got their way and he started training with them. At age five, he was offered the chance to join the academy at Manchester United, the club he supported as a child. He stayed in the United academy until the age of 14 when he started struggling for game time and was subsequently released.


title: Dwight McNeil

text: Within a week of his release, McNeil went on trial at the Burnley Academy. In July 2016, he was rewarded with a two-year scholarship and was a regular member of the under-18 squad and occasionally played for the Development Squad. In February 2018, he travelled with the first team squad for the Premier League game against Swansea City but failed to make the match-day squad. On 10 April 2018, following the end of his scholarship, he signed a professional two-year contract with the option of a third year in the club's favour. On 13 May 2018, he made his first team debut in the final match of the 2017–18 season when he replaced Aaron Lennon as a late substitute in the 2–1 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth. McNeil scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 home win against West Ham United on 30 December 2018. On 16 October 2020, McNeil signed a new long-term contract at Burnley, keeping him at the club until 2024.


title: Dwight McNeil

text: On 28 July 2022, McNeil signed for Premier League club Everton on a five-year contract. Burnley and Everton came to an agreement for a transfer fee reportedly in the region of £20 million, including potential add-ons. On 6 August, McNeil made his debut for the club in a 1–0 loss against Chelsea in the Premier League. On 1 October 2022, McNeil scored his first goal for Everton in a 2–1 away win over Southampton.


title: Dwight McNeil

text: In March 2019, McNeil received his first call-up for the England U20s ahead of U20 Euro Elite League fixtures against Poland and Portugal. McNeil made his debut as a starter in a 3–1 defeat to Poland at St. George's Park. In May 2019, he was included in the U20 squad for the 2019 Toulon Tournament and scored his first international goal during the 4–0 victory over Guatemala on 11 June 2019.


title: Dwight McNeil

text: On 30 August 2019, McNeil was included in the England U21 squad for the first time. He eventually made his U21 debut during a 2–2 draw against Slovenia in Maribor on 11 October 2019.


title: Dwight McNeil

text: As well as England, McNeil is eligible to play for Jamaica as one of his father's parents was born in Jamaica.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Usman Ɗan Fodio (; 15 December 1754 – 20 April 1817) was a Fulani scholar, Sunni Islamic religious teacher, revolutionary, and philosopher who founded the Sokoto Caliphate and ruled as its first caliph.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Born in Gobir, Usman was a descendant the Torodbe clans of urbanized ethnic Fulani people living in the Hausa Kingdoms since the early 1400s. In early life, Usman became well-educated in Islamic studies and soon, he began to preach Sunni Islam throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. He wrote more than a hundred books concerning religion, government, culture, and society. He developed a critique of existing African Muslim elites for what he saw as their greed, paganism, violation of the standards of the Sharia.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Usman formed and began an Islamic religious and social revolution which spread from Gobir throughout modern Nigeria and Cameroon, and was echoed in a jihad movement led by the Fula people across West Africa. In 1803, he founded the Sokoto Caliphate and his followers pledged allegiance to him as the Commander of the Faithful (). Usman declared jihad against the Hausa Kings and defeated the kings. Under Usman's leadership, the caliphate conquered Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Southern Niger and most of Northern Nigeria. Ɗan Fodio declined much of the pomp of rulership, and while developing contacts with religious reformists and jihad leaders across Africa, he soon passed actual leadership of the Sokoto state to his son, Muhammed Bello.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: He encouraged literacy and scholarship, for women as well as men, and several of his daughters emerged as scholars and writers. His writings and sayings continue to be much quoted today, and are often affectionately referred to as Shehu in Nigeria. Some followers consider ɗan Fodio to have been a mujaddid, a divinely sent "reformer of Islam".


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Shehu ɗan Fodio's uprising was a major episode of a movement described as the Fula jihads in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. It followed the jihads successfully waged in Futa Bundu, Futa Tooro, and Fouta Djallon between 1650 and 1750, which led to the creation of those three Islamic states. In his turn, the Shehu inspired a number of later West African jihads, including those of Seku Amadu, founder of the Massina Empire, Omar Saidou Tall, founder of the Toucouleur Empire, who married one of ɗan Fodio's granddaughters, and Modibo Adama, founder of the Adamawa Emirate.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Usman was born in December 1754 and was a Fulani descendant of a Torodbe family that was well established in Hausaland. His father Muhammad Fodio was an Islamic scholar. Usman's mother Hauwa is believed to be a direct descendent of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. While Usman was young, he and his family shifted Degel where he studied the Quran. At age 20, he set up his own school in Degel and preached for a stricter observance of Islam.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Soon after, he became well educated in classical Islamic science, philosophy, and theology and also became a revered religious thinker. His teacher, Jibril ibn Umar was a powerful intellectual and religious leader at the time, who was a staunch proponent of Jihad. In 1774, Usman began his itinerant preaching as a "Mallam" and continued preaching for twelve years in Gobir and Kebbi, followed by further five years in Zamfara. Among Usman's well-known students include his younger brother Abdullah, the Hausa King Yunfa and many others.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Usman criticized Hausa rulers with his writings, condemning them for enslavement, worshiping idols, sacrificial practices, taxation practices, arbitrary rule and greed. He also insisted on the observance of the Maliki fiqh in personal observances as well as in commercial and criminal law. Usman also denounced the mixing of men and women, pagan customs, dancing at bridal feasts, and inheritance practices contrary to Sharia. He was also influenced by the mushahada or mystical visions he was having. In 1789 a vision led him to believe he had the power to work miracles, and to teach his own mystical "wird", or litany. His litanies are still widely practiced and distributed in the Islamic world. In the 1790s, Usman later had visions of Abdul Qadir Gilani, (the founder of the Qadiri tariqah) and an ascension to heaven, where he was initiated into the Qadiriyya and the spiritual lineage of the Prophet. Usman later became head of his Qadiriyya brotherhood calling for the purification of Islamic practices. His theological writings dealt with concepts of the mujaddid (renewer) and the role of the Ulama in teaching history, and other works in Arabic and the Fula language. Usman broke from the royal court and used his influence to secure approval for creating a religious community in his hometown of Degel that would, he hoped, be a model town. He stayed there for 20 years, writing, teaching, and preaching. As in other Islamic societies, the autonomy of Muslim communities under ulama leadership made it possible to resist the state and the state version of Islam in the name of sharia and the ideal caliphate.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: In 1780–1790s, Usman's reputation increased as he appealed to justice and morality and rallied the outcasts of Hausa society. The Hausa peasants, slaves and preachers supported Usman, as well as the Fulbe and Fulani pastoralists. These pastoralist communities were led by the clerics living in rural communities who were Fulfude speakers and closely connected to the pastoralists. Many of Usman's followers later hold the most important offices of the new states. Usman's jihad served to integrate a number of peoples into a single religious-political movement.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: In 1797–98, King Nafata of Gobir forbade "Shaykhs" to preach, wear turbans and veils, prohibited conversions, and ordered converts to Islam to return to their old religion. This was highly resented by Usman who wrote in his book in his book "Tanbih al-ikhwan 'ala ahwal al-Sudan" (“"Concerning the Government of Our Country and Neighboring Countries in the Sudan"”) Usman wrote: "The government of a country is the government of its king without question. If the king is a Muslim, his land is Muslim; if he is an unbeliever, his land is a land of unbelievers. In these circumstances it is obligatory for anyone to leave it for another country".


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: In 1802, Nafata's successor Yunfa, a former student of Usman, turned against him, revoking Degel's autonomy and attempting to assassinate Usman. Yunfa then turned for aid to the other leaders of the Hausa states, warning them that Usman could trigger a widespread jihad. In February 1804, Usman and his followers, carried out a "hijra" (migration) to the western grasslands of Gudu, where they turned for help to the local Fulani nomads. Usman's followers entitled him the Commander of the Believers (), and elected him as the leader. They also gave the title "Sarkin Muslim" (Head of Muslims) to Usman. In the same year, Usman started the jihad and founded the Sokoto Caliphate. By this time, Usman had assembled a wide following among the Fulani, Hausa peasants and Toureg nomads. This made him a political as well as religious leader, giving him the authority to declare and pursue a jihad, raise an army and become its commander. There were widespread uprisings in Hausaland and its leadership was largely composed of the Fulani and widely supported by the Hausa peasantry, who felt over-taxed and oppressed by their rulers.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: After Usman's declaration of Jihad, he gathered an army of Hausa warriors to attack Yunfa's forces in Tsuntua. Yunfa's army, composed of Hausa warrios and Tuareg allies, defeated Usman's forces and killed about 2,000 soldiers, 200 of whom were "hafiz" (memorizers of the Quran). Yunfa's victory was short-lived as soon after, Usman captured Kebbi and Gwandu in the following year. At the time of the war, Fulani communications were carried along trade routes and rivers draining into the Niger-Benue valley, as well as the delta and the lagoons. The call for jihad reached not only other Hausa states such as Kano, Daura, Katsina, and Zaria, but also Borno, Gombe, Adamawa, Nupe. These were all places with major or minor groups of Fulani "alims".


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: By 1808, Usman had defeated the rulers of Gobir, Kano, Katsina, and other Hausa Kingdoms. After only a few years of the Fulani War, Usman found himself in command of the Hausa state and the Fulani Empire. The Sokoto Caliphate had become the largest state south of the Sahara at the time. In 1812, the caliphate's administration was reorganized, with Usman's son Muhammed Bello and brother Abdullahi dan Fodio carrying on the jihad and administering the western and eastern governance respectively. Around this time, Usman returned to teaching and writing about Islam. Usman also worked to establish an efficient government grounded in Islamic law.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: The Sokoto Caliphate was a combination of an Islamic state and a modified Hausa monarchy. Muhammed Bello introduced Islamic administration, Muslim judges, market inspectors, and prayer leaders were appointed, and an Islamic tax and land system was instituted with revenues on the land considered "kharaj" and the fees levied on individual subjects called jizya, as in classical Islamic times. The Fulani cattle-herding nomads were sedentarized and converted to sheep and goat raising as part of an effort to bring them under the rule of Muslim law. Mosques and Madrassahs were built to teach the populace Islam. The state patronized large numbers of religious scholars or mallams. Sufism became widespread. Arabic, Hausa, and Fulfulde languages saw a revival of poetry and Islam was taught in Hausa and Fulfulde.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: In 1815, Usman moved to Sokoto, where Bello built him a house in the western suburbs. Usman died in the same city on 20 April 1817, at the age of 62. After his death, his son Muhammed Bello, succeeded his as "amir al-mu’minin" and became the second caliph of the Sokoto Caliphate. Usman’s brother Abdullahi was given the title "Emir of Gwandu" and was placed in charge of the Western Emirates of Nupe. Thus, all Hausa states, parts of Nupe and Fulani outposts in Bauchi and Adamawa were all ruled by a single political-religious system. By 1830 the jihad had engulfed most of what are now northern Nigeria and the northern Cameroons. From the time of Usman ɗan Fodio to the British conquest at the beginning of the 20th century there were 12 caliphs.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Usman has been viewed as the most important reforming leader of Africa. Muslims view him as a "Mujaddid" (renewer of the faith). Many of the Fulani led by Usman ɗan Fodio were unhappy that the rulers of the Hausa states were mingling Islam with aspects of the traditional regional religion. Usman created a theocratic state with a stricter interpretation of Islam. In "Tanbih al-ikhwan 'ala ahwal al-Sudan", he wrote: "As for the sultans, they are undoubtedly unbelievers, even though they may profess the religion of Islam, because they practice polytheistic rituals and turn people away from the path of God and raise the flag of a worldly kingdom above the banner of Islam. All this is unbelief according to the consensus of opinions".


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: In "Islam outside the Arab World", David Westerlund wrote: "The jihad resulted in a federal theocratic state, with extensive autonomy for emirates, recognizing the spiritual authority of the caliph or the sultan of Sokoto".


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Usman addressed in his books what he saw as the flaws and demerits of the African non-Muslim or nominally Muslim rulers. Some of the accusations he made were corruption at various levels of the administration and neglect of the rights of ordinary people. Usman also criticized heavy taxation and obstruction of the business and trade of the Hausa states by the legal system.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Dan Fodio believed in a state without written constitution, which was based on the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the ijma.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Usman ɗan Fodio was described as well past 6 feet, lean and looking very much like his mother Sayda Hauwa. His brother Abdullahi dan Fodio (1761–1829) was also over 6 feet in height and was described as looking more like their father Muhammad Fodio, with a darker skin hue and a portly physique later in his life.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: In Rawd al-Janaan (The Meadows of Paradise), Waziri Gidado ɗan Laima (1777–1851) listed ɗan Fodio's wives as:


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: His first cousin Maymuna with whom he had 11 children, including Aliyu (1770s–1790s) and the twins Hasan (1793– November 1817) and Nana Asmaʼu (1793–1864). Maymuna died sometime after the birth of her youngest children.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Aisha ɗan Muhammad Sa'd. She was also known as "Gaabdo" (Joy in Fulfulde) and as "Iyya Garka" (Hausa for Lady of the House/Compound). Iyya Garka was famed for her Islamic knowledge and for being the matriarch of the family. She outlived her husband by many decades. Among others, she was the mother of:


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Abdullahi dan Fodio, brother of Shehu ɗan Fodio stated that their family are part Fulani, and part Arabs, they are Arabs through Uqba ibn Nafi who was an Arab Muslim of the Umayyad branch of the Quraysh, and hence, a member of the family of the Prophet, Uqba ibn Nafi allegedly married a Fulani woman called Bajjumangbu through which the Torodbe family of Usman ɗan Fodio descended. Caliph Muhammad Bello writing in his book Infaq al-Mansur claimed descent from Prophet Muhammad through his paternal grandmother's lineage called Hawwa (mother of Usman ɗan Fodio), Alhaji Muhammadu Junaidu, Wazirin Sokoto restated the claims of Shaykh Abdullahi bin Fodio in respect of the ɗan Fodio family been part Arabs and part Fulani, while Ahmadu Bello in his autobiography written after independence replicated Caliph's Muhammadu Bello claim of descent from the Arabs through Usman ɗan Fodio's mother, the historical account indicates that the family of Shehu ɗan Fodio are partly Arabs and partly Fulani who culturally assimilated with the Hausas and can be described as Hausa-Fulani Arabs. Prior to the beginning of the 1804 Jihad the category Fulani was not important for the Torankawa (Torodbe), their literature reveals the ambivalence they had defining Torodbe-Fulani relationships. They adopted the language of the Fulbe and much ethos while maintaining a separate identity. The Toronkawa clan at first recruited members from all levels of Sūdānī society, particularly the poorer people.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: However, they spoke the Fula language, married into Fulbe families, and became the Fulbe scholarly caste.


title: Usman dan Fodio

text: Usman ɗan Fodio "wrote hundreds of works on Islamic sciences ranging from creed, Maliki jurisprudence, hadith criticism, poetry and Islamic spirituality", the majority of them being in Arabic. He also penned about 480 poems in Arabic, Fulfulde, and Hausa.


title: Pema Khandu

text: Pema Khandu (born 21 August 1979) is an Indian politician and the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He is son of former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu. Since assuming office of chief minister in July 2016, he and his government have twice changed their party affiliation; in September from the Indian National Congress to the Peoples Party of Arunachal, and then in December 2016 to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Previously he had served as Minister of Tourism, Urban Development and Water Resources in Nabam Tuki's government.


title: Pema Khandu

text: Khandu is the eldest son of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who died in a helicopter accident on 30 April 2011 on a constituency visit to Tawang. He is a graduate from Hindu College (Delhi University). Khandu is a Buddhist by religion.


title: Pema Khandu

text: Post his father's death, Khandu was included in the state government as Cabinet Minister for Water Resource Development and Tourism. He won the by election to his father's constituency uncontested Mukto on 30 June 2011 as an Indian National Congress candidate.


title: Pema Khandu

text: Khandu became a secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee in 2005 and the Tawang District Congress Committee president in 2010. He was elected Congress Legislature Party leader on 16 July 2016 replacing Nabam Tuki.


title: Pema Khandu

text: Khandu was re-elected unopposed from Mukto in the 2014 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election.


title: Pema Khandu

text: Khandu took the oath as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh on 17 July 2016 at the age of 36 years following a year-long political crisis.


title: Pema Khandu

text: On 16 September 2016, 43 MLAs from the ruling party, under the CM Pema Khandu, defected from Indian National Congress to People's Party of Arunachal, an ally of Bharatiya Janata Party.


title: Pema Khandu

text: On 21 December 2016 in a high octane drama Khandu was suspended from the party by the party president and Takam Pario was named as the next likely Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh replacing Khandu after People's Party of Arunachal suspended Khandu along with 6 other MLAs.


title: Pema Khandu

text: In December 2016, Khandu proved majority on the floor of the house with 33 of the People's Party of Arunachal’s 43 legislators joining the Bharatiya Janata Party as the BJP increased its strength to 45 with support of two independents as it had 11 MLAs already. He became second Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh of Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh after 44 days Gegong Apang led government in 2003.


title: Pema Khandu

text: In 2019 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Khandu won a landslide victory for Bharatiya Janata Party by winning 41 of 60 seats and its allies Janata Dal (United) with 7 states and National People's Party won 4 seats. Khandu took oath as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister on 29 May 2019.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It Be", "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today", the carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", and "Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending".


title: Charles Wesley

text: Charles Wesley was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, the son of Anglican cleric and poet Samuel Wesley and his wife Susanna. He was a younger brother of Methodist founder John Wesley and Anglican cleric Samuel Wesley the Younger, and he became the father of musician Samuel Wesley and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley.


title: Charles Wesley

text: He was educated at Oxford University, where his brothers had also studied, and he formed the "Holy Club" among his fellow students in 1729. John Wesley later joined this group, as did George Whitefield. Charles followed his father and brother into the church in 1735, and he travelled with John to Georgia in America, returning a year later. Following their evangelical conversions in 1738, the Wesley brothers travelled throughout Britain, converting followers to the Methodist revival through preaching and hymn-singing. In 1749, he married Sarah Gwynne, daughter of a Welsh gentleman who had been converted to Methodism by Howell Harris. From 1756 his ministry became more static and he ministered in Bristol, and later London.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Despite their closeness, Charles and John did not always agree on questions relating to their beliefs. In particular, Charles was strongly opposed to the idea of a breach with the Church of England into which they had been ordained.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Charles Wesley was the eighteenth child of Susanna Wesley and Samuel Wesley. He was born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England, where his father was rector. In 1716, at the age of 8, he entered Westminster School, where his brother Samuel was usher. He was selected as King's Scholar in 1721 and head boy in 1725–26, before matriculating at Christ Church, Oxford.


title: Charles Wesley

text: At Oxford, Charles formed a prayer group among his fellow students in 1727; his elder brother, John, joined in 1729, soon becoming its leader and moulding it in line with his own convictions. They focused on studying the Bible and living a holy life. Other students mocked them, saying they were the "Holy Club", "Sacramentarians", and "the Methodists", being methodical and exceptionally detailed in their Bible study, opinions and disciplined lifestyle. The Wesleys' future colleague, George Whitefield joined the group. Charles tutored while studying; he graduated in 1732 with a master's degree in classical languages and literature. Charles followed his father and brothers into Anglican orders, being ordained as a priest in September 1735. That same year his father died.


title: Charles Wesley

text: On 14 October 1735, Charles and his brother John sailed on "The Simmonds" from Gravesend, Kent for Savannah in Georgia Colony in British America at the request of the governor, James Oglethorpe. Charles was appointed Secretary of Indian Affairs and while John remained in Savannah, Charles went as chaplain to the garrison and colony at nearby Fort Frederica, St. Simon's Island, arriving there Tuesday, 9 March 1736 according to his journal entry. Matters did not turn out well, and he was largely rejected by the settlers. In July 1736, Charles was commissioned to England as the bearer of dispatches to the trustees of the colony. On 16 August 1736, he sailed from Charleston, South Carolina, never to return to the Georgia colony.


title: Charles Wesley

text: In 1738 the Wesley brothers had religious experiences: Charles experienced a conversion on 21 May, and John had a similar experience in Aldersgate Street just three days later. A City of London blue plaque at 13 Little Britain, near the church of St Botolph, Aldersgate, off St. Martin's Le Grand, marks the site of the former house of John Bray, reputed to be the scene of Charles' evangelical conversion. It reads, "Adjoining this site stood the house of John Bray. Scene of Charles Wesley's conversion by faith in Christ on May 21st 1738".


title: Charles Wesley

text: Charles felt renewed strength to spread the gospel to ordinary people and it was around then that he began to write the poetic hymns for which he would become known. In January 1739, he was appointed as curate to serve at St Mary's Church, Islington, but was forced to resign when the churchwardens objected to his evangelical preaching. Later that same year, finding that they were unwelcome inside parish churches, the Wesley brothers took to preaching to crowds in open fields. They were influenced by George Whitefield, whose open-air preaching was already reaching great numbers of Bristol colliers. From 1740, John and Charles were the joint leaders of the Methodist Revival and evangelised throughout Britain and Ireland. They were opposed by many Anglican clergy, especially when their appointed lay preachers began to preach in parishes without seeking permission. In Newcastle Charles established its first Methodist society in September 1742, and he faced mob violence at Wednesbury and Sheffield in 1743 and at Devizes in 1747.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Following a period of illness, after 1756 Charles made no more journeys to distant parts of the country, mainly just moving between Bristol and London. Increasingly in his later years Charles became the mouthpiece of the so-called 'Church Methodists'—he was strongly opposed to a separation of Methodism from its Anglican roots. In the 1780s, he was especially dismayed by his brother's ordination of priests to serve in America ("see "), which he criticised in a published poem.


title: Charles Wesley

text: In April 1749, he married the much younger Sarah Gwynne (1726–1822), also known as Sally. She was the daughter of Marmaduke Gwynne, a wealthy Welsh magistrate who had been converted to Methodism by Howell Harris. They moved into a house at 4 Charles Street in Bristol in September 1749. Sarah accompanied the brothers on their journeys throughout Britain, until at least 1753.


title: Charles Wesley

text: In 1771, Charles obtained another house, in London, and moved into it that year with his elder son. By 1778 the whole family had transferred from Bristol to the London house, at 1 Great Chesterfield Street (now Wheatley Street), Marylebone, where they remained until Charles' death and on into the 19th century. The house in Bristol still stands and has been restored, however the London house was demolished in the mid 19th century.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Only three of the couple's children survived infancy: Charles Wesley junior (1757–1834), Sarah Wesley (1759–1828), who like her mother was also known as Sally, and Samuel Wesley (1766–1837). Their other children, John, Martha Maria, Susannah, Selina and John James are all buried in Bristol, having died between 1753 and 1768. (See monument in garden on north side of junction of Lewis Mead and The Haymarket, Bristol.) Both Samuel and Charles junior were musical child prodigies and, like their father, became organists and composers. Charles junior spent most of his career as the personal organist of the Royal Family, and Samuel became one of the most accomplished musicians in the world and is often called "the English Mozart". Samuel Wesley's son, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, was one of the foremost British composers of the 19th century.


title: Charles Wesley

text: On his deathbed he sent for the Rector of St Marylebone Parish Church, John Harley, and purportedly told him "Sir, whatever the world may say of me, I have lived, and I die, a member of the Church of England. I pray you to bury me in your churchyard." At the age of 80, he died on 29 March 1788, in London. His body was carried to the church by six clergymen of the Church of England. A memorial stone to him stands in the gardens in Marylebone High Street, close to his place of burial. One of his sons, Samuel, became the organist at the church.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Charles Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter. Among the collections (hymnals) of Wesley's hymns published in his lifetime were "Hymns on God's Everlasting Love" (1741, 1742), "Hymns on the Lord's Supper" (1745), and "Short Hymns on Select Passages of the Holy Scriptures" (1762), together with others celebrating the major festivals of the Christian year. His hymns are marked by their strong doctrinal content (notably the Arminian insistence on the universality of God's love), a richness of scriptural and literary allusion, and the variety of his metrical and stanza forms. They are considered to have had a significant influence not only on Methodism, but on Christian worship and modern theology as a whole.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Wesley's poetry included epistles, elegies and political and satirical verse. A collected edition of "The Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley", edited by George Osborn, was published in thirteen volumes in 1868–1872. Osborn's collection has now been supplemented by the three volumes of "The Unpublished Poetry of Charles Wesley".


title: Charles Wesley

text: Jason E. Vickers states that Wesley's 'conversion experience' in 1738 had a clear impact on his doctrine, especially doctrine concerning the power of the Holy Spirit. The change was most prominent in his hymns written after the same year. From his published work "Hymns and Prayers to the Trinity" and in Hymn number 62 he writes "The Holy Ghost in part we know, For with us He resides, Our whole of good to Him we owe, Whom by His grace he guides, He doth our virtuous thoughts inspire, The evil he averts, And every seed of good desire, He planted in our hearts." Charles communicates several doctrines: the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the depravity of mankind, and humanity's personal accountability to God.


title: Charles Wesley

text: In the course of his career, Wesley published the words of between 6,500 and 10,000 hymns, many of which are still popular. These include:


title: Charles Wesley

text: The words to many more of Charles Wesley's hymns can be found on Wikisource and in his many publications.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Some 150 of his hymns are in the Methodist hymn book "Hymns and Psalms", including "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing", and "The Church Hymn Book" (In New York and Chicago, US, 1872) where "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" is published. Many of his hymns are translated into other languages, and form the foundation for Methodist hymnals, as well as the Swedish "Metodist-Episkopal-Kyrkans Psalmbok" printed in Stockholm in 1892.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Wesley's hymns are notable as interpretations of Scripture. He also produced paraphrases of the Psalms, contributing to the long tradition of English metrical Psalmody. A notable feature of his Psalms is the introduction of Jesus into the Psalms, continuing a tradition of Christological readings of the Psalms evident in the translations of John Patrick and Isaac Watts. The introduction of Jesus into the Psalms was often the source of controversy, even within Wesley's own family. Charles' brother Samuel Wesley wrote a poem against such practice. Of particular importance is Wesley's manuscript Psalms, held in the archives of the Pitts Theology Library at Emory University.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Wesley is still remembered for his ministry while in St. Simon's Island, Georgia, by the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church; in 1950, the conference opened a Christian retreat center on the island by the banks of the Frederica River, designating it Epworth by the Sea in honour of his and John's birthplace.


title: Charles Wesley

text: He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on 2 March with his brother John. The Wesley brothers are also commemorated on 3 March in the Calendar of Saints of the Episcopal Church. Charles is commemorated on 29 March in the Calendar of Commemorations by The Order of Saint Luke; John is commemorated on 2 March; their parents are also commemorated.


title: Charles Wesley

text: As a result of his enduring hymnody, the Gospel Music Association recognised his musical contributions to the art of gospel music in 1995 by listing his name in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.


title: Charles Wesley

text: Wesley's hymns are utilised in not only Methodist churches but other Protestant denominations, and have been adopted by the Roman Catholic Church. Wesley wrote two of the so-called Great Four Anglican Hymns: "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending".


title: Charles Wesley

text: 24 May 2007 was celebrated as the tercentenary of Wesley's birth, with many celebratory events held throughout England, even though Wesley was in fact born in December 1707. The date of 24 May is known to Methodists as Aldersgate Day and commemorates the spiritual awakening of first Charles and then John Wesley in 1738.


title: Charles Wesley

text: In November 2007, An Post, the Irish Post Office, issued a 78-cent stamp to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Wesley's birth.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Darren Edward Andrew Randolph (born 12 May 1987) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club West Ham United and the Republic of Ireland national team. He has previously played for the Republic of Ireland U21 team. Randolph has also represented Ireland at basketball.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Having progressed through the youth ranks at Ardmore Rovers and Premier League club Charlton Athletic, Randolph turned professional in 2004 with Charlton. He spent time on loan at Welling United, Accrington Stanley and Gillingham before making his Charlton debut in the last match of the 2006–07 season. Despite the club's relegation from the Premier League, he was unable to cement a regular starting position, and had two loan spells during 2008, at Bury and at Hereford United. Having made just 20 appearances for Charlton in six years, he moved on to Scottish Premier League side Motherwell in July 2010. He played regularly for Motherwell over three years, then returned to England to join Birmingham City, for whom he missed only one Championship match in two seasons. He signed for West Ham United in 2015 and Middlesbrough two years later.


title: Darren Randolph

text: In 2006, Randolph made ten appearances for the Republic of Ireland under-21 side, and a single appearance for the Republic of Ireland B team. He made his full international debut for the Republic of Ireland in September 2012, in a 4–1 victory over Oman. He played for the nation at UEFA Euro 2016.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Randolph was born in Bray and played school football with Ardmore Rovers. He joined Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2003 by virtue of the links between the Irish and English clubs. When leaving Ardmore Rovers, the club placed Randolph in the Hall of Fame.


title: Darren Randolph

text: As a youngster, Randolph spent a month on loan at Conference South club Welling United in 2004; he played four league matches and once in the FA Cup. He spent the beginning of the 2005–06 season on loan at Accrington Stanley in the Conference National, and at the end of the season, signed an extension to his Charlton contract to run until 2009. In August 2006 he joined League One Gillingham on a month's loan.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Randolph made his first-team debut for the already relegated Charlton in their last match of the 2006–07 Premier League season, away against Liverpool. Replacing loanee Scott Carson, who was ineligible to play against his parent club, Randolph performed well, limiting Liverpool to two goals, one of which was a penalty kick in the 90th minute for a 2–2 draw. He was second-choice behind Nicky Weaver in 2007–08, and in February 2008, joined Bury of League Two on loan. After featuring 14 times, Randolph was recalled by Charlton to cover for Weaver, who was sent off in a match against Plymouth Argyle. He started Charlton's next match, at home to Southampton, and contributed to a farcical own goal when he appeared to catch a high ball, then dropped it into the net via teammate Paddy McCarthy.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Randolph joined Hereford United on a season-long loan in July 2008. He started 14 of the first 17 matches of the season, which included an "outstanding" performance against Leeds United at Elland Road, where he conceded only once from Leeds' 19 shots on target.


title: Darren Randolph

text: On 11 November 2008, it came to light that Randolph had refused to play in an FA Cup match against Dagenham & Redbridge, amid speculation that another goalkeeper would be joining Hereford. He was fined two weeks' wages and it was announced he was unlikely to play for Hereford United again. The following day, goalkeeper Matt Murray joined Hereford on a month's loan deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Graham Turner said in his "Hereford Times" column that it was a situation that he had never experienced before in nearly 30 years of management, it was not what he expected from a professional player, and had he been a contracted player, his contract would have been terminated forthwith. In response, Randolph expressed his unhappiness with Turner's statement, and received support from Charlton manager Alan Pardew. Randolph made no more appearances for Hereford, and returned to Charlton in January 2009.


title: Darren Randolph

text: In his second match back, on 17 January 2009, Randolph conceded four goals in a Championship match against Sheffield Wednesday. This was to be his last appearance of the season. Nevertheless, he was offered, and eventually signed, a one-year contract ahead of the 2009–10 season. He was again second choice, this time behind Rob Elliot, and made his first appearance of the season in November, in the FA Cup against Northwich Victoria. Despite "a string of stunning first half saves", the Conference North team won 1–0 to inflict what the local newspaper described as the "most embarrassing defeat in the club's 104-year history". Randolph regained his starting place in March 2010 after Elliot was injured, and kept it for the remainder of the season, including the play-offs, in which Charlton lost on penalties to Swindon Town in the semi-finals.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Although Charlton offered Randolph a new contract, he chose instead to join Scottish Premier League club Motherwell on 1 July 2010 on a free transfer. He signed a three-year-contract at Fir Park. Randolph made his Motherwell debut in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, in a 1–0 win over Icelandic side Breiðablik. The club were eliminated by Danish club OB in the play-off round; Motherwell complained to UEFA about OB fans throwing cigarette lighters at Randolph during the first leg. Randolph established himself as first-choice goalkeeper; in his first season, he broke John Ruddy's club record of 15 clean sheets on 27 February 2011 in a 2–0 win over Celtic. He helped Motherwell reach the 2011 Scottish Cup Final, but they lost 3–0 to Celtic; he suggested afterwards that Motherwell had been unlucky.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Randolph began the 2011–12 SPL season with four clean sheets, and finished it as an ever-present. On 28 April 2012, he provided an assist for Henrik Ojamaa's second goal of the match in a 5–1 win over St Johnstone. He was the only Motherwell player to be named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Because 2011–12 runners-up Rangers entered administration, they were ineligible for UEFA competitions, so Motherwell's third-place finish earned the club entry into the Champions League for the first time. Randolph made his Champions League debut against Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round. Motherwell lost 3–0 on aggregate to go out of the competition, but entered the Europa League play-off round. Randolph played in both legs against Spanish side Levante but his team were again eliminated.


title: Darren Randolph

text: In a 0–0 draw against Heart of Midlothian on 24 November 2012, Randolph caught Hearts' Callum Paterson's head with his leg as he challenged for a high ball; no card was issued, leading Hearts' manager John McGlynn to describe Randolph as a "lucky man". A few days later, the Scottish Football Association charged Randolph with "violent conduct by kicking an opposing player" and offered a two-match ban; Motherwell appealed, but the ban was upheld. Together with teammates Shaun Hutchinson, Nicky Law and Michael Higdon, Randolph was named in the 2012–13 PFA Scotland Team of the Year. Motherwell finished the season in second place behind Celtic, so qualified for Europe for the second year running.


title: Darren Randolph

text: With Randolph's contract due to expire at the end of the season, Motherwell manager Stuart McCall said in mid-April that there was only a "slim possibility" of keeping him at the club. On 10 May 2013, McCall confirmed that Randolph would be leaving, and four days later, English Championship club Birmingham City announced that Randolph would join them on a free transfer once his Motherwell contract expired. He signed a two-year contract to commence on 1 July. He went straight into the starting eleven, made his debut in a 1–0 defeat at home to Watford on 3 August, and remained ever-present in Championship matches throughout the season, though Colin Doyle played in all Birmingham's cup ties.


title: Darren Randolph

text: The unbroken run continued into the next season, until Randolph was sent off late in the home defeat to Bolton Wanderers on 18 October 2014 for bringing down Craig Davies (who missed the ensuing penalty), so was suspended for the next match. He was ever-present in league matches for what remained of the season, and also made his first cup appearance for the club, in the FA Cup fourth-round defeat by West Bromwich Albion. Manager Gary Rowett said that had a Premier League club made a bid for Randolph's services in the January transfer window, he would not have stopped him leaving, but he wanted to keep him at Birmingham. The club confirmed in May that he had rejected the offer of a contract extension, and would leave as a free agent under the Bosman ruling at the end of his existing deal.


title: Darren Randolph

text: On 30 May 2015, West Ham United confirmed that Randolph would join the club on 1 July when his contract with Birmingham expired. He made his debut on 2 July in a 3–0 victory over Lusitanos in a Europa League qualifying match. Randolph made his league debut for West Ham in a 4–3 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth on 22 August 2015. He continued in goal, and kept a clean sheet in a 3–0 win against Liverpool on 29 August which was West Ham's first league win at Anfield since 1963. Randolph played in West Ham's last three matches of the 2015–16 season which included their final match at the Boleyn Ground, a 3–2 victory over Manchester United. He played in 15 matches in all competitions over the season.


title: Darren Randolph

text: In July 2016, Randolph signed a new, four-year contract with West Ham. Following a goalkeeping error by first choice goalkeeper, Adrián, in a match against Stoke City in November 2016, Randolph became West Ham's regular goalkeeper.


title: Darren Randolph

text: On 22 July 2017, Randolph signed a four-year contract with Championship club Middlesbrough, for a reported transfer fee of £5 million. The player made his first appearance for the club on 29 July 2017, in a 2–1 friendly victory over FC Augsburg. Following his arrival, he was reunited with former West Ham United teammate, Ashley Fletcher, who signed for Middlesbrough on 28 July. On 1 August 2017, it was confirmed that Randolph would wear the number 25 shirt for the 2017–18 season. Randolph made his league debut for Middlesbrough on 5 August 2017 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, which resulted in a 1–0 defeat. He held his first clean sheet the following week, when his team won 1–0 to division newcomers Sheffield United at the Riverside Stadium. He held a second consecutive clean sheet in their next fixture, a 2–0 victory at home against Burton Albion.


title: Darren Randolph

text: On 15 January 2020, it was announced that Randolph was returning to West Ham following an agreement with Middlesbrough. The transfer fee was reported as £4 million.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Randolph has represented the Republic of Ireland at U15, U16, U17, U18, U19, U21, B, and senior levels. He was called up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad for the first time in March 2011 for a match against Macedonia. He was again called up in May, for match against Northern Ireland and Scotland in the Nations Cup, but again did not feature.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Randolph made his full international debut in a friendly against Oman on 11 September 2012, coming on as a substitute in a 4–1 win. His second Republic of Ireland appearance was against Spain on 12 June 2013, again as a substitute; he made a "brilliant fingertip save" from Santi Cazorla before conceding a late goal by Juan Mata as Spain won 2–0. On 8 October 2015, Randolph replaced Shay Given in the 44th minute against Germany in a 2016 European Championship qualifying match and provided the long ball assist for Shane Long's winner in the 70th minute in a match won 1–0 by the Republic of Ireland. Randolph played every match for the Republic of Ireland at Euro 2016, against Sweden, Belgium and Italy before being defeated by France.


title: Darren Randolph

text: His father Ed Randolph played basketball for UCD Marian and was one of the first American imports to the Irish Basketball League. His mother, Anne Randolph (née Walsh), is a folk singer originally from Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo. He is a past pupil of St. Cronan's Boys National School and Presentation College, Bray. He had a long-term relationship with Rochelle Wiseman from girl group The Saturdays.


title: Darren Randolph

text: Randolph and singer Alexandra Burke began a relationship in 2021, and their first child was born in July 2022.


title: Remote Play

text: Remote Play is a feature of Sony video game consoles that allows the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 to transmit its video and audio output to another device; previously this could only be a PlayStation Portable or PlayStation Vita. In 2014, it was expanded to include the use of PlayStation TV, Xperia smartphones and tablets (Z2 and later), and PlayStation Now. In 2016, it was expanded to Microsoft Windows PCs and macOS. In 2019, support for Android and iOS devices was eventually added. Support for remote play of PlayStation 5 games to other devices was added in November 2020 just prior to the new console's launch.


title: Remote Play

text: Similar functionality is provided on Nintendo's Wii U console, using the Off-TV Play function. This feature essentially allows compatible home console games to be played on the handheld.


title: Remote Play

text: While seldom implemented on PS3, Remote Play is a mandatory feature on all PS4 games, except for games that utilize peripherals such as PlayStation Move.


title: Remote Play

text: "Remote Play allows a PSP system to connect wirelessly to a PS3 system and transfers some functionality of the PS3 to the PSP system. With remote play, a PSP system may access files that are located on the PS3, as well as, play certain software titles ..." Sony later amended this definition to apply between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita as well. The premise of Off-TV Play on the Wii U is similar in concept, in how the video game console does all of the processing, but sends the image and sound straight to the Wii U GamePad's screen instead of a television screen. Similarly, in the case of Remote Play, the PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 do all of the processing, but transmit the image and sound to the PlayStation Portable or PlayStation Vita screens and speakers. While typically in reference to Sony consoles and handhelds, it has been used in different ways as well. In April 2010, a firmware update was released for the PS3 that allowed Remote Play between it and the Sony VAIO brand desktops and laptops and Sony Xperia brand smartphones and tablets as well.


title: Remote Play

text: Interactivity between Sony's home video game consoles and handheld video game console is traced back as far as 2006, prior to the PlayStation 3's launch, when journalists noticed a PlayStation Portable icon, with the title "Remote Play", on pre-release versions of their PS3. The functionality was officially revealed just prior to the PS3's launch in October 2006, at Sony's "Gamer's Day" event, where Sony demonstrated the ability to transfer the PS3's output to a PSP instead of a television, through showing downloaded PlayStation games and movie films being transmitted to a PSP's screen and speakers. Sony announced that all original PlayStation games would support the feature, but they had to be digital, not disc-based, media from the PS3's internal harddrive. This later changed by the end of 2007, when a firmware update made it so any original PlayStation game was compatible with Remote Play, even disc-based ones.


title: Remote Play

text: Despite Sony's early emphasis on Remote Play and original PlayStation game support, it was used very sparingly between the PS3 and PSP, with very few PS3 titles allowing for its use. The feature was even removed from several titles before their final release, most notably "Gran Turismo HD" and "Formula One Championship Edition". Most titles were small PlayStation Network-only titles. The 2007 PS3 title "Lair" was notable for being one of the few original, physical Blu-ray disc releases to work between the PS3 and PSP.


title: Remote Play

text: In late 2011, just prior to the launch of the PlayStation Vita, video game website Eurogamer published a rumor stating that a firmware update for the PS3 would provide Remote Play compatibility for all PS3 games when using Remote Play between a PS3 and Vita. The premise seemed plausible, with websites reporting that Sony had shown working demonstrations of the concept prior to the rumor at the Tokyo Game Show, showing "LittleBigPlanet 2" and "Killzone 3" supporting the feature. Despite this, the rumor was declared false by Sony, who said that the feature had to be implemented on the software side by developers on an individual basis, not on a hardware level.


title: Remote Play

text: PS3 to Vita Remote Play went on to be rarely implemented as well. It retained any games supported by PS3 to PSP Remote Play support, including all original PlayStation games, but was again rarely used by actual PS3 games. Only a few games supported it, namely HD Remasters such as "The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection" and the "God of War Collection".


title: Remote Play

text: President of Sony's Worldwide Studios for Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Shuhei Yoshida summarized the issues with PS3 to Vita Remote Play:


title: Remote Play

text: "The single biggest issue, why there are not many PlayStation 3 games that support Remote Play, was that it was optional – the system didn't do much. The game has to set aside some memory or CPU to be able to do that, and usually, memory is the most precious resource that [development] teams fight amongst each other for. So when it comes down to the priorities, these are features that are very easy to drop."


title: Remote Play

text: Despite this, unofficial hacks to the PS3 firmware have been reported to unlock the Remote Play feature in a number of PS3 games with varying degrees of success. Games such as "Battlefield 3" and "BioShock Infinite" have been shown to technically be feasible, though still impossible to do without unofficially hacking the PS3's firmware.


title: Remote Play

text: In June 2013, Sony announced that all PlayStation 4 games would be compatible with Remote Play with the PS Vita, with the exception of games which conceptually would not work, such as ones that heavily revolve around PlayStation Eye use. Otherwise, contrary to PS3 to PS Vita Remote Play, PS4 to PS Vita Remote Play is designed on a hardware level, meaning that all games are automatically compatible, and it is only up to developers to make sure the controls adapt well to being played on a Vita instead of a DualShock 4. This iteration of Remote Play was developed by Gaikai, who also developed PlayStation Now. Remote Play on the updated PlayStation Vita 2000 was shown at Tokyo Game Show in 2013.


title: Remote Play

text: PS4 firmware update 1.70 introduced full remote play functionality for the PlayStation TV, allowing users to play PS4 games in a separate room or house, on a television set with a PS TV device remotely connected to the PS4.


title: Remote Play

text: Remote Play with the PS4 is available for Android smartphones and tablet computers running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later, and requires a DualShock 4 in order to play games. The service was made available on 28 October 2014, exclusively on Sony's Xperia Z3 series phones, and was expanded to Sony's older Z2 series a month later. In October 2019, support was expanded to all Android smartphones with the release of PS4 system software 7.00.


title: Remote Play

text: With the release of PS4 system software 3.50 on 6 April 2016, Remote Play was made available on Windows PCs and macOS. A DualShock 4 controller is required to use it, and must be connected through a USB cable or wirelessly via a separate accessory. 1080p streaming is available when using a PS4 Pro model.


title: Remote Play

text: Cloud gaming and Remote Play are some of several Gaikai-powered streaming services announced for the PlayStation 4 through its PlayStation Now service. Cloud gaming differs from Remote Play in that Remote Play allows games on home devices to operate remotely over a wireless network, while cloud gaming refers to a game that resides on a distant server rather than on a user's device.


title: Remote Play

text: Support for PlayStation 5 games was added to the app in early November 2020, just prior to the console's launch on November 12, 2020.


title: Remote Play

text: In 2007, Sony made all original PlayStation games, when played on a PlayStation 3, compatible with Remote Play on the PSP. Additionally, Sony announced that all PlayStation 4 games will be playable on the PlayStation Vita. Beyond these two scenarios, Remote Play was a feature that was sparingly implemented in games. The below chart indicates instances when Remote Play on PS3 is an available feature.


title: Caithness

text: Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by sea. The land boundary follows a watershed and is crossed by two roads (the A9 and the A836) and by one railway (the Far North Line). Across the Pentland Firth, ferries link Caithness with Orkney, and Caithness also has an airport at Wick. The Pentland Firth island of Stroma is within Caithness.


title: Caithness

text: The name was also used for the earldom of Caithness ( 1334 onwards) and for the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1708 to 1918). Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area lies entirely within the Highland council area.


title: Caithness

text: The "Caith" element of the name "Caithness" comes from the name of a Pictish tribe known as the "Cat" or "Catt" people, or "Catti" (see Kingdom of Cat). The element comes from Old Norse and means "headland". The Norse called the area ("headland of the Catt people"), and over time this became "Caithness".


title: Caithness

text: The Gaelic name for Caithness, , means "among the strangers" (referring to the Norse). The name of the Catti survives in the Gaelic name for eastern Sutherland, , and in the old Gaelic name for Shetland, .


title: Caithness

text: Caithness extends about north-south and about east-west, with a roughly triangular-shaped area of about . The topography is generally flat, in contrast to the majority of the remainder of the North of Scotland. Until the latter part of the 20th century when large areas were planted in conifers, this level profile was rendered still more striking by the almost total absence of woodland.


title: Caithness

text: It is a land of open, rolling farmland, moorland and scattered settlements. The county is fringed to the north and east by dramatic coastal scenery and is home to large, internationally important colonies of seabirds. The surrounding waters of the Pentland Firth and the North Sea hold a great diversity of marine life. Notable features of the north coast are Sandside Bay, Thurso Bay and Dunnet Bay, Dunnet Head (the northernmost point of Britain) and Duncansby Head (the north-east tip of Britain); along the east coast can be found Freswick Bay, Sinclairs Bay and Wick Bay. To the north in Pentland Firth lies Stroma, the only major island of the county. Away from the coast, the landscape is dominated by open moorland and blanket bog known as the Flow Country which is the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe, extending into Sutherland. This is divided up along the "straths" (river valleys) by more fertile farm and croft land. In the far south the landscape is slightly hillier, culminating in Morven, the highest peak in the county at 706 m (2,316 ft).


title: Caithness

text: The county contains a number of lochs, though these are smaller in comparison with the rest of northern Scotland. The most prominent are Loch Heilen, Loch of Wester, Loch Scarmclate, Loch Watten, Loch of Toftingall, Loch Stemster, Loch Hempriggs, Loch of Yarrows, Loch Sand, Loch Rangag, Loch Ruard, Loch an Thulachan, Loch More, Loch Caluim, Loch Tuim Ghlais, Loch Scye, Loch Shurrery, Loch Calder and Loch Mey.


title: Caithness

text: The underlying geology of most of Caithness is Old Red Sandstone to an estimated depth of over . This consists of the cemented sediments of Lake Orcadie, which is believed to have stretched from Shetland to Grampian during the Devonian period, about 370 million years ago. Fossilised fish and plant remains are found between the layers of sediment. Older metamorphic rock is apparent in the Scaraben and Ord area, in the relatively high southwest area of the county. Caithness's highest point (Morven) is in this area.


title: Caithness

text: Because of the ease with which the sandstone splits to form large flat slabs (flagstone) it is an especially useful building material, and has been used as such since Neolithic times.


title: Caithness

text: Caithness is one of the Watsonian vice-counties, subdivisions of Britain and Ireland which are used largely for the purposes of biological recording and other scientific data-gathering. The vice-counties were introduced by Hewett Cottrell Watson, who first used them in the third volume of his "", published in 1852. He refined the system somewhat in later volumes, but the vice-counties remain unaffected by subsequent local government re-organisations, allowing more accurate comparisons of historical and modern data. They provide a stable basis for recording using similarly sized units, and, although grid-based reporting has grown in popularity, they remain a standard in the vast majority of ecological surveys, allowing data collected over long periods of time to be compared easily.


title: Caithness

text: The underlying geology, harsh climate, and long history of human occupation have shaped the natural heritage of Caithness. Today a diverse landscape incorporates both common and rare habitats and species, and Caithness provides a stronghold for many once common breeding species that have undergone serious declines elsewhere, such as waders, water voles, and flocks of overwintering birds.


title: Caithness

text: Many rare mammals, birds, and fish have been sighted or caught in and around Caithness waters. Harbour porpoises, dolphins (including Risso's, bottle-nosed, common, Atlantic white-sided, and white-beaked dolphins), and minke and long-finned pilot whales are regularly seen from the shore and boats. Both grey and common seals come close to the shore to feed, rest, and raise their pups; a significant population over-winters on small islands in the Thurso river only a short walk from the town centre. Otters can be seen close to river mouths in some of the quieter locations.


title: Caithness

text: Much of the centre of Caithness is known as the Flow Country, a large, rolling expanse of peatland and wetland that is the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe. Around of the Flow Country is protected as both a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the name Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands, and a portion is further designated as the Forsinard Flows national nature reserve.


title: Caithness

text: In 2014 of the eastern coastline of Caithness between Helmsdale and Wick was declared a Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area under the title East Caithness Cliffs. The cliffs are also designated as both a Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation.


title: Caithness

text: The Caithness landscape is rich with the remains of pre-historic occupation. These include the Grey Cairns of Camster, the Stone Lud, the Hill O Many Stanes, a complex of sites around Loch Yarrows and over 100 brochs. A prehistoric souterrain structure at Caithness has been likened to discoveries at Midgarth and on Shapinsay. Numerous coastal castles (now mostly ruins) are Norwegian (West Norse) in their foundations. When the Norsemen arrived, probably in the tenth century, the county was inhabited by the Picts, but with its culture subject to some Goidelic influence from the Celtic Church. The name Pentland Firth can be read as meaning Pictland Fjord.


title: Caithness

text: Numerous bands of Norse settlers landed in the county, and gradually established themselves around the coast. On the Latheron (south) side, they extended their settlements as far as Berriedale. Many of the names of places are Norse in origin. In addition, some Caithness surnames, such as Gunn, are Norse in origin.


title: Caithness

text: For a long time, sovereignty over Caithness was disputed between Scotland and the Norwegian Earldom of Orkney. Around 1196, Earl Harald Maddadsson agreed to pay a monetary tribute for Caithness to William I. Norway has recognised Caithness as fully Scottish since the Treaty of Perth in 1266.


title: Caithness

text: The study of Caithness prehistory is well represented in the county by groups including Yarrows Heritage Trust, Caithness Horizons and Caithness Broch Project.


title: Caithness

text: Caithness originally formed part of the shire or sheriffdom of Inverness, but gradually gained independence: in 1455 the Earl of Caithness gained a grant of the justiciary and sheriffdom of the area from the Sheriff of Inverness. In 1503 an act of the Parliament of Scotland confirmed the separate jurisdiction, with Dornoch and Wick named as burghs in which the sheriff of Caithness was to hold courts. The area of the sheriffdom was declared to be identical to that of the Diocese of Caithness. The Sheriff of Inverness still retained power over important legal cases, however, until 1641. In that year, parliament declared Wick the head burgh of the shire of Caithness and the Earl of Caithness became the heritable sheriff. Following the Act of Union of 1707, the term "county" began to be applied to the shire, a process that was completed with the abolition of heritable jurisdictions in 1747.


title: Caithness

text: The county began to be used as a unit of local administration, and in 1890 was given an elected county council under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. Although officially within the county, the burghs of Wick and Thurso retained their status as autonomous local government areas; they were already well established as autonomous burghs with their own burgh councils. Ten parish councils covering rural areas were established in 1894.


title: Caithness

text: Wick, a royal burgh, served as the county's administrative centre. The county council was based at the County Offices, 73, 75 and 77 High Street, Wick.


title: Caithness

text: In 1975, the Local Government council and the burgh councils were superseded under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 when Caithness became one of eight districts, each with its own "district council", within the new two-tier Highland region. When created, the district included the whole of the county plus Tongue and Farr areas of the neighbouring county of Sutherland. The boundary was soon changed, however, to correspond with that between the counties. Caithness was one of eight districts in the Highland region.


title: Caithness

text: Highland region was also created in 1975, as one of nine two-tier local government regions of Scotland. Each region consisted of a number of districts and both regions and districts had their own elected councils. The creation of the Highland region and of Caithness as a district involved the abolition of the two burgh councils in Caithness, Wick and Thurso, as well as the Caithness county council.


title: Caithness

text: Wick, which had been the administrative centre for the county, became the administrative centre for the district.


title: Caithness

text: In 1996 local government in Scotland was again reformed, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, to create 32 unitary council areas. The Highland region became the Highland unitary council area, and the functions of the district councils were absorbed by the Highland Council.


title: Caithness

text: In 1996, Caithness and the other seven districts of the Highland region were merged into the unitary Highland council area, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. The new Highland Council then adopted the former districts as management areas and created a system of area committees to represent the management areas.


title: Caithness

text: Until 1999 the Caithness management and committee areas consisted of 8 out of the 72 Highland Council wards. Each ward elected one councillor by the first past the post system of election.


title: Caithness

text: In 1999, however, ward boundaries were redrawn but management area boundaries were not. As a result, area committees were named after and made decisions for areas which they did not exactly represent. The new Caithness committee area, consisting of ten out of the 80 new Highland Council wards, did not include the village of Reay, although that village was within the Caithness management area. For area committee representation the village was within the Sutherland committee area.


title: Caithness

text: New wards were created for elections this year, 2007, polling on 3 May and, as the wards became effective for representational purposes, the Highland Council's management and committee structures were reorganised. The Caithness management area and the Caithness area committee were therefore abolished.


title: Caithness

text: In 2007 the Highland Council, which is now the local government authority, created the Caithness ward management area, which has boundaries similar to those of the historic county. It was divided between three new wards electing councillors by the single transferable vote system of election, which is designed to produce a form of proportional representation. One ward elects four councillors. Each of the other two elects three councillors. Also, the council's eight management areas were abolished, in favour of three new corporate management areas, with Caithness becoming a ward management area within the council's new Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross operational management area, which covers seven of the council's 22 new wards. The boundaries of the Caithness ward management area are not exactly those of the former Caithness management area, but they do include the village of Reay.


title: Caithness

text: The ward management area is one of five within the corporate management area and until 2017 consisted of three wards, the Landward Caithness ward, the Thurso ward and the Wick ward. Each of the other ward management areas within the corporate management area consists of a single ward. In 2017 the three Caithness wards were reduced to two 'Town and County' wards, each returning four members to the Highland Council, this was a reduction of two Councillors from the last election in 2012. The new wards are Thurso and Northwest Caithness and Wick and East Caithness.


title: Caithness

text: Since May 4, 2017 Caithness has been represented by four Independent Councillors, two Scottish Conservative Councillors and two Scottish National Party Councillors. The current Chairman of the Caithness Committee is Donnie Mackay (Independent) and the Civic Leader position is held by A.I Willie Mackay (Independent) both being installed on 16 June 2017 at the first Caithness Committee of the new council.


title: Caithness

text: Prior to implementation of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, civil administration parishes were also parishes of the Church of Scotland, and one Caithness parish, Reay, straddled the boundary between the county of Caithness and the county of Sutherland, and another, Thurso had a separate fragment bounded by Reay and Halkirk. For civil administration purposes, implementation of the act redefined parish boundaries, transferring part of Reay to the Sutherland parish of Farr and the fragment of Thurso to the parish of Halkirk.


title: Caithness

text: In the cases of two of the parishes, Thurso and Wick, each includes a burgh with the same name as the parish. For civil administration purposes each of these parishes was divided between the burgh and the landward (rural) area of the parish.


title: Caithness

text: Civil parishes are still used for some statistical purposes, and separate census figures are published for them. As their areas have been largely unchanged since the nineteenth century this allows for comparison of population figures over an extended period of time.


title: Caithness

text: Halkirk was formed at the Reformation by the merger of the ancient parishes of Halkirk and Skinnet. Watten was created from part of Bower parish in 1638.


title: Caithness

text: Although created under "local government" legislation (the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973) community councils have no statutory powers or responsibilities and are not a tier of local government. They are however the most local tier of statutory representation.


title: Caithness

text: Under the 1973 Act, district councils were obliged to implement community council schemes. A Caithness district scheme was adopted in 1975, dividing the area of the district between 12 community councils.


title: Caithness

text: Statutory status for community councils was continued under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, and a Caithness scheme is now the responsibility of the Highland Council.


title: Caithness

text: The area of the former district of Caithness is now covered by 12 community council areas which are numbered and described as below in the Highland Council's "Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils in Caithness", October 1997. Current community council names and contact details are given on a Highland Council website.


title: Caithness

text: The Caithness constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain (1708 to 1801) and the Parliament of the United Kingdom (1801 to 1918) represented essentially the county from 1708 to 1918. At the same time however, the county town of Wick was represented as a component of Tain Burghs until 1832 and of Wick Burghs until 1918.


title: Caithness

text: Between 1708 and 1832 the Caithness constituency was paired with Buteshire as "alternating constituencies": one constituency elected a Member of Parliament (MP) to one parliament and then the other elected an MP to the next. Between 1832 and 1918 Caithness elected an MP to every parliament.


title: Caithness

text: In 1918 the Caithness constituency and Wick were merged into the then new constituency of Caithness and Sutherland. In 1997 Caithness and Sutherland was merged into Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.


title: Caithness

text: The Scottish Parliament constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross was created in 1999 and now has boundaries slightly different from those of the House of Commons constituency. It was replaced by the larger constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Ross in 2011.


title: Caithness

text: The modern constituencies may be seen as more sub-divisions of the Highland area than as representative of counties (and burghs). For its own purposes, however, the Highland Council uses more conservative sub-divisions, with names which refer back to the era of district councils and, in some cases, county councils.


title: Caithness

text: In the Scottish Parliament Caithness is represented also as part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region.


title: Caithness

text: There are also a few villages large enough to have amenities such as a shop, a cafe, a post office, a hotel, a church or a bank. These include Castletown, Dunbeath, Dunnet, Halkirk, John o' Groats, Keiss, Lybster, Reay/New Reay, Scrabster and Watten.


title: Caithness

text: Caithness is served by the Far North railway line, which runs west–east across the middle of the county serving Altnabreac and Scotscalder before splitting in two at Georgemas Junction, from where the east branch continues to Wick whilst the north branch terminates at Thurso.


title: Caithness

text: Stagecoach Group provided bus transport between the major towns, and on to Inverness via Sutherland and Ross-shire.


title: Caithness

text: The ferry port at Scrabster provides a regular service to Stromness in the Orkney Islands. Ferries also run from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope on South Ronaldsay. A summer-only ferry runs from John o' Groats to Burwick on South Ronaldsay.