Scottish Ancestors

[Alan H]

My research ends around 1730 or so, with two lines. My paternal grandfathers been "done" by others back to the mid 1600's.

Good for you for finding out more!

[gilmore]

...Unfortunately, we can't find any info (ie birth, marriage, christening) from Northern Ireland. The only place I can think to look is the PRONI, but they don't have anything online. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears. (eyes)

You might try testing your Y DNA, if it is a patrilineal (father's father's father's, etc) brick wall. Family Tree DNA at www.ftdna.com is the leading company, has the largest database, and is therefore the place you are most likely to find a match or near match to your own Y DNA. You are not likely to uncover hard, documents, but it may give you a clue to where to look, and as importantly, clues where it wouldn't be useful to look. FTDNA has a FAQ that does a fairly good job of explaining what you can and cannot expect. While you are there, you might take a look at their list of surname projects to see if some one has organized one for your name.

Although they have $99 test for 12 markers, most people get 25 or 37 tested. You can test fewer and upgrade to more markers later.

If you get tested there (or anywhere) you can enter your test results at www.ysearch.org, to see if there are matches or near matches with men who have tested with other companies. Or you could just go there and do a search for your surname and see what you find.

Good luck!

[TheKiltedWonder]

My research ends around 1730 or so, with two lines. My paternal grandfathers been "done" by others back to the mid 1600's.

Good for you for finding out more!

Others got my maternal grandmother's family back to the 1340's. It pays to be able to work with an obscure last name (not Scottish though).

[Clockwork John]

Others got my maternal grandmother's family back to the 1340's. It pays to be able to work with an obscure last name (not Scottish though).

I'm not that lucky. I'm a Campbell.

[Coinneach]

That's great! I envy you. I have an English line going back to the 15th century, but my McArthur line is stuck about the 18th...this guy, I'm sure, is the one that came across, I just can't confirm it yet. Good work!

[bjproc]

You might try testing your Y DNA, if it is a patrilineal (father's father's father's, etc) brick wall. Family Tree DNA at www.ftdna.com is the leading company, has the largest database, and is therefore the place you are most likely to find a match or near match to your own Y DNA. You are not likely to uncover hard, documents, but it may give you a clue to where to look, and as importantly, clues where it wouldn't be useful to look. FTDNA has a FAQ that does a fairly good job of explaining what you can and cannot expect. While you are there, you might take a look at their list of surname projects to see if some one has organized one for your name.

Although they have $99 test for 12 markers, most people get 25 or 37 tested. You can test fewer and upgrade to more markers later.

If you get tested there (or anywhere) you can enter your test results at www.ysearch.org, to see if there are matches or near matches with men who have tested with other companies. Or you could just go there and do a search for your surname and see what you find.

Good luck!

this sounds ok, is there a uk version of this?

[Jock Scot]

Well done.I can see not only an I o S kilt arriving,as Rex has suggested ,but a trip to the island as well.In the near future?

[auld argonian]

As I mentioned in earlier threads, a well-to-do member of my family did almost all the research back in the 1930's...got me to Old James in Londonderry back in the early 1700's. They seem to have recently redone the website that contained the information and shaved it down by removing all of the fun stuff like the spurious stories and speculaton...damn shame.

Anyway, they also included this...I'm sure that some of you have seen it before but it's apropro:

THE THIRTEEN COMMANDMENTS FOR NAMES

From George Horton

A "Tongue-In-Cheek" viewpoint of a family researcher.

(1) Thou shalt name your male children: James, John, Joseph, Josiah, Abel, Richard, Thomas, William.

(2) Thou shalt name your female children: Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, Maria, Sarah, Ida, Virginia, May.

(3) Thou shalt leave No trace of your female children.

(4) Thou shalt, after naming your children from the above lists, call them by strange nicknames such as: Ike, Eli, Polly, Dolly, Sukey, --- making them difficult to trace.

(5) Thou shalt Not use any middle names on any legal documents or census reports, and only where necessary, you may use only initials on legal documents.

(6) Thou shalt learn to sign all documents illegibly so that your surname can be spelled, or mis-spelled, in various ways: Hicks, Hick, Hix, Hixe, Hucks, Kicks, or Robinson, Robertson, Robison, Roberson, Robuson, Robson, Dobson.

(7) Thou shalt, after no more than 3 generations, make sure that all family records are lost, misplace, burned in a courthouse fire, or buried so that No future trace of them can be found.

(8) Thou shalt propagate misleading legends, rumors, and vague innuendo regarding your place of origin:

(A) You may have come from: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales...or Iran.

You may have American Indian ancestry of the _____ tribe...

(C) You may have descended from one of three brothers that came over from ____.

(9) Thou shalt leave No cemetery records, or headstones with legible names.

(10) Thou shalt leave No family Bible with records of birth, marriages, or deaths.

(11) Thou shalt Always flip thy name around. If born James Albert, thou must make all the rest of thy records in the names of Albert, AJ, JA, AL, Bert, Bart, or Alfred.

(12) Thou must also flip thy parents' names when making reference to them, although "Unknown" or a blank line is an acceptable alternative.

(13) Thou shalt name at least 5 generations of males and dozens of their cousins with identical names in order to totally confuse researchers.

Best

AA

[Big Paul]

OK, I know that some of you will totally be able to relate to this...I'm SO EXCITED!! I was just able to get my MacArthur ancestors back further than anyone in my family has ever been able to find...all the way to my great-great-great-great-great-great-great (7 greats!!) grandfather Angus MacKarter! Angus was born app. 1685, Isle of Islay, Scotland and he was a piper to Clan Donald; Angus' son was Charles born appp. 1706, Isle of Skye and Charles was the last hereditary piper at Duntulum.

One of Charles' sons was Alexander, born app. 1760, Isle of Skye. Alexander was also a piper, but was denied the position of piper to Clan Donald, at which time he went to America...One of Alexander's sons was also named Alexander. Alexander the younger had a son named Henry Vale MacArthur, who had a son named Henry Columbus MacArthur, who had a daughter named Elsie Mary McArthur (born in 1900). Elsie was my great grandmother, and I actually knew her when I was a little kid. One of Elsie's daughters is Nita, my grandmother (who, sadly, has Alzheimers'...she'd love this info!), one of Nita's daughter's is Sue, my mother...then, there is good ol' me - pipesndrumsnun!

I'm soo happy for you!! Congrats!

Where did you find your information on the members from Scotland?

[Thunderbolt]

As I mentioned in earlier threads, a well-to-do member of my family did almost all the research back in the 1930's...got me to Old James in Londonderry back in the early 1700's. They seem to have recently redone the website that contained the information and shaved it down by removing all of the fun stuff like the spurious stories and speculaton...damn shame.

Anyway, they also included this...I'm sure that some of you have seen it before but it's apropro:

THE THIRTEEN COMMANDMENTS FOR NAMES

From George Horton

A "Tongue-In-Cheek" viewpoint of a family researcher.

(1) Thou shalt name your male children: James, John, Joseph, Josiah, Abel, Richard, Thomas, William.

(2) Thou shalt name your female children: Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, Maria, Sarah, Ida, Virginia, May.

(3) Thou shalt leave No trace of your female children.

(4) Thou shalt, after naming your children from the above lists, call them by strange nicknames such as: Ike, Eli, Polly, Dolly, Sukey, --- making them difficult to trace.

(5) Thou shalt Not use any middle names on any legal documents or census reports, and only where necessary, you may use only initials on legal documents.

(6) Thou shalt learn to sign all documents illegibly so that your surname can be spelled, or mis-spelled, in various ways: Hicks, Hick, Hix, Hixe, Hucks, Kicks, or Robinson, Robertson, Robison, Roberson, Robuson, Robson, Dobson.

(7) Thou shalt, after no more than 3 generations, make sure that all family records are lost, misplace, burned in a courthouse fire, or buried so that No future trace of them can be found.

(8) Thou shalt propagate misleading legends, rumors, and vague innuendo regarding your place of origin:

(A) You may have come from: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales...or Iran.

You may have American Indian ancestry of the _____ tribe...

(C) You may have descended from one of three brothers that came over from ____.

(9) Thou shalt leave No cemetery records, or headstones with legible names.

(10) Thou shalt leave No family Bible with records of birth, marriages, or deaths.

(11) Thou shalt Always flip thy name around. If born James Albert, thou must make all the rest of thy records in the names of Albert, AJ, JA, AL, Bert, Bart, or Alfred.

(12) Thou must also flip thy parents' names when making reference to them, although "Unknown" or a blank line is an acceptable alternative.

(13) Thou shalt name at least 5 generations of males and dozens of their cousins with identical names in order to totally confuse researchers.

Best

AA

Truer words have never been spoken when it comes to family history...