Amelia Island Genealogical Society
Press Release
Submitted Rob Portegies-Zwart
Program Chair, AIGS
April 18, 2022
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, April 19 at the Fernandina Beach Public Library, 25 N 4th St. Speaker Chip Kirkpatrick will present Keeping it in the Family. The presentation is open to the public.
Kirkpatrick will talk about his hobby of historical metal detecting, and in particular about an amazing piece he found on the Florida/Georgia border. It is a strange antique silver Scottish medallion, heavily engraved with illustrations, phrases and mottos, with direct links to William Wallace (Braveheart), Robert the Bruce and Chip’s own family. It is believed to be brought here by one of the Highlanders under Oglethorpe when he founded the colony of Georgia, and was likely lost in combat when the militia came to Amelia Island to avenge the murder of two Scots.
Shortly after his retirement from BellSouth/AT&T, Chip Kirkpatrick was introduced to metal detecting. Since then, he gave up fishing and has been spending his time searching for historical relics in NE Florida and SE Georgia, which he offers to schools, museums and libraries. He has received several awards for his finds, and has been published in magazines in the US, UK and Scotland. Kirkpatrick offers a free recovery and return service for anybody who has lost an item of personal value.