I don't want to beat a dead horse.....

[Johnnieboots]

All,
My mothers side is Walker and they emigrated from Scotland to the US in the 1870's, I've no information other than that ...I've been reading all the Walker post on here I can find; the results being that Walker is generally assumed to be a sept of both the MacMillan and MacGregor clans, and that both readily accept the Walkers into their individual clans.
My question is this....which clan do I realistically choose and are there any guidelines that I should use in doing so?

Regards, Johnnie.

[Theyoungkiltman]

Whichever one you like better or both to tell you the truth. A macpherson can join both the clan macpherson and clan chattan or either. All a matter of personal choice.

[Downunder Kilt]

Whichever one you like better or both to tell you the truth. A macpherson can join both the clan macpherson and clan chattan or either. All a matter of personal choice.

TYK are you referring to joining the Clan association or being a member of the clan? They are two different entities. If you are are Macpherson and associate yourself as a person of that Clan, it does not mean you are a member of the association. Equally if you are a Macperson Clan person, you are also a Chattan person as Macphersons are part of the Chattan Clan, not necessarily the association though. Cheers

[Theyoungkiltman]

TYK are you referring to joining the Clan association or being a member of the clan? They are two different entities. If you are are Macpherson and associate yourself as a person of that Clan, it does not mean you are a member of the association. Equally if you are a Macperson Clan person, you are also a Chattan person as Macphersons are part of the Chattan Clan, not necessarily the association though. Cheers

Yes that is what I meant as the op was refering to being "accepted" by the clans...

[Cengle54]

All,
My mothers side is Walker and they emigrated from Scotland to the US in the 1870's, I've no information other than that ...I've been reading all the Walker post on here I can find; the results being that Walker is generally assumed to be a sept of both the MacMillan and MacGregor clans, and that both readily accept the Walkers into their individual clans.
My question is this....which clan do I realistically choose and are there any guidelines that I should use in doing so?

Regards, Johnnie.

I'm working on Walker heritage as well. I'm thinking this link might possibly be my roots. DNA testing leans this way but not totally inclusive. Did you have any Rutherford's in your US family....like a first or middle name? Note the Rutherford wife in this link.
Guess I should introduce myself formally since I've been browsing for a few months!

i forgot got to add the link! http://familypedia.wikia.com/wiki/Jo...I_(c1682-1734)

[Jock Scot]

You may or may not end up with a satisfactory answer, I don't know. Have you any idea where your ancestor came from in Scotland? That might tie you to a Clan area?

Failing that, you could do what some Scots do in your position and pick a tartan and stick with it! Remember that we do not discuss tartans in normal daily life and we do not usually wear more than one tartan, so when we see someone wearing a MacOnion tartan-----assuming that we happen to recognise it! ------no one is the least bit interested in why you are wearing it. The two hour " tartan justification" lecture is just not a conversation we have.

I quite accept and understand the need to know where we came from is important to some of us, but that is not always possible to discover and that is a problem that some Scots have too. If, at the end of your search you come to a dead end, pick the tartan that you like and enjoy it.

Hold on a minute! The thought occurs to me that the Walkers have a tartan and if my very fallable brain is working correctly, it is a Clan, or at least a family with their own tartan.

[tripleblessed]

I'll not be a lot of assistance in your Walker lines; mine were here before the Revolution. They migrated into North Carolina with their neighbors and kin by marriage, Cones, Duggans, Harrisons, having now 250 years of confusing entanglements. Here in Georgia they met other Scots/Welsh/Irish/English lines who had done the same and combined the confusion. As genetics come from (oddly enough) both parents, and many indigenous peoples worldwide, including some clans, were matrilineal; some of us are more torn and/or prone to honor multiple lines equally. The system forced on us by the kings who stole the power of the people is not enforceable here in the US. While we do recognize that is the standard, or norm, or perhaps even mean, Scots approach, we here may opt for a different viewpoint. That is, the Norman view (Jock, please pardon pun ), while perfectly valid and beyond reproach, may not sit comfortably on all our shoulders.

Please note no disrespect intended, my lines include many of those kings (Plantagenets, House of Dunkeld, HREs, etc., that is, Norman); whether I agree with their choices is irrelevant. They stood up and people followed. Not my place or my job to judge,
just to be present acknowledging their flaws as well as their contributions, one of which is me. About that last, you'll have your
own opinion.

[Jock Scot]

Triple blessed.

No worries my dear chap.

[Cengle54]

I'll not be a lot of assistance in your Walker lines; mine were here before the Revolution. They migrated into North Carolina with their neighbors and kin by marriage, Cones, Duggans, Harrisons, having now 250 years of confusing entanglements. Here in Georgia they met other Scots/Welsh/Irish/English lines who had done the same and combined the confusion. As genetics come from (oddly enough) both parents, and many indigenous peoples worldwide, including some clans, were matrilineal; some of us are more torn and/or prone to honor multiple lines equally. The system forced on us by the kings who stole the power of the people is not enforceable here in the US. While we do recognize that is the standard, or norm, or perhaps even mean, Scots approach, we here may opt for a different viewpoint. That is, the Norman view (Jock, please pardon pun ), while perfectly valid and beyond reproach, may not sit comfortably on all our shoulders.

Please note no disrespect intended, my lines include many of those kings (Plantagenets, House of Dunkeld, HREs, etc., that is, Norman); whether I agree with their choices is irrelevant. They stood up and people followed. Not my place or my job to judge,
just to be present acknowledging their flaws as well as their contributions, one of which is me. About that last, you'll have your
own opinion.

if what I've found is correct, my 3rd GrGrandfather was born somewhere in a Scotland, married a McMillan (not sure if that was before or after coming to US). They were in NC before the American Revolution.

[Cengle54]

You may or may not end up with a satisfactory answer, I don't know. Have you any idea where your ancestor came from in Scotland? That might tie you to a Clan area?

Failing that, you could do what some Scots do in your position and pick a tartan and stick with it! Remember that we do not discuss tartans in normal daily life and we do not usually wear more than one tartan, so when we see someone wearing a MacOnion tartan-----assuming that we happen to recognise it! ------no one is the least bit interested in why you are wearing it. The two hour " tartan justification" lecture is just not a conversation we have.

I quite accept and understand the need to know where we came from is important to some of us, but that is not always possible to discover and that is a problem that some Scots have too. If, at the end of your search you come to a dead end, pick the tartan that you like and enjoy it.

Hold on a minute! The thought occurs to me that the Walkers have a tartan and if my very fallable brain is working correctly, it is a Clan, or at least a family with their own tartan.

If the link I inserted is accurate they would have been from Wigton. I just have not confirmed it.