Namesakes

[Kilted Sapper]

After speaking with the Ross's in their tent at the Scottish games in Ohio they were the ones who got me searching for the Andrews who fought under Clan Ross. I looked up on various sites and found that most Andrews started off in the highlands and then moved south to Dumfrieshire, then I am sure they moved further south into England and eventually in America.

But let me be a little more clear as to my question, if I was to be wearing a kilt from the Ross clan and either competing in the games or if asked the question, Whats your lineage? I would like to respond in the proper form, i.e Stiverson with the Andrews Sept of Clan Ross! Or however it would be said!

[gilmore]

Not to dissuade you from wearing whatever you want, but....

The lists of septs, or surnames associated with a clan, are notoriously inaccurate and full of fantasy.

When we do genealogical research, we ALWAYS start with the most recent person, oneself and one's parents, then work our way backward, rather than picking some one in the distant path, then deciding to be descended from them, and trying to work our way forward and claim som relatinship. Likely one isn't related.

There are only two ways to discover ancestry. One is tracing the paper trail backward in time, documenting one generation before moving on the the previous one. The other, which is new and sometimes but not always helpful, is DNA testing. You might find the FAQ at www.familytreedna.com informative.

The problem with just picking a clan from a list and deciding to be descended from them is not so much that one is usually mistaken, but that it can lead others to repeat the same mistake, and that it gets passed on and on. A relative of mine did just that, and now one misinformed nephew has an expensive kilt in a clan that we have no association with, while another had the clan crest tattooed across his back. And neither are all that interested in correcting the misinformation, since it has gotten under their skin, so to speak.

Since you ask, I would say the proper form when asked one's lineage is to simply speak the unadorned truth: "My surname is Stiverson, and I don't know what my lineage is." There is nothing at all wrong with not knowing.

[BoldHighlander]

Very sound advice.

Prior to my first starting to conduct genealogical research of my family, we were under the impression that we were some how connected to the Gordons. A cousin of mine also went to the trouble of buying said kilt & getting said tattoo (despite my telling them I wasn't so sure about the truth of it). As it turned out I found no connection to the Gordons, but to a number of other clans. To this day though, my cousins & aunt don't want to believe the truth, all because he jumped the gun

The moral of the story, listen to Gilmore on this. You'll save yourself a lot of $$$ & headaches. It might take longer to verify where you came from, but the rewards are worth it in the long run!

When we do genealogical research, we ALWAYS start with the most recent person, oneself and one's parents, then work our way backward, rather than picking some one in the distant path, then deciding to be descended from them, and trying to work our way forward and claim som relatinship. Likely one isn't related.

There are only two ways to discover ancestry. One is tracing the paper trail backward in time, documenting one generation before moving on the the previous one. The other, which is new and sometimes but not always helpful, is DNA testing. You might find the FAQ at www.familytreedna.com informative.

The problem with just picking a clan from a list and deciding to be descended from them is not so much that one is usually mistaken, but that it can lead others to repeat the same mistake, and that it gets passed on and on. A relative of mine did just that, and now one misinformed nephew has an expensive kilt in a clan that we have no association with, while another had the clan crest tattooed across his back. And neither are all that interested in correcting the misinformation, since it has gotten under their skin, so to speak.

Since you ask, I would say the proper form when asked one's lineage is to simply speak the unadorned truth: "My surname is Stiverson, and I don't know what my lineage is." There is nothing at all wrong with not knowing.

[Chas]

But let me be a little more clear as to my question, if I was to be wearing a kilt from the Ross clan and either competing in the games or if asked the question, Whats your lineage? I would like to respond in the proper form, i.e Stiverson with the Andrews Sept of Clan Ross! Or however it would be said!

Hi Sapper,

Whether this will help or not, I don't know.

As far as I have discovered, EVERY clan will accept a person as a clan member as long as they undertake to support that clan and as long as they pay the membership fee. This is little different to when a man went to a clan chief and swore allegiance to him to become a member of the clan. Then, a man paid with service, now with money; but the allegiance is the same. If Clan Ross accept you as a member then that is between you and them; it is no one else's business.

There are no Lineage Police. If someone asks you your lineage, they are either being polite and trying to make conversation or they are trying to look important. No one in the whole world knows all the possible septs of all the clans and more importantly 'No One Cares'.

When someone asks 'How do you do?', they expect the same in return. They do not want to hear about that little bowel problem you've been having this last week; watch their eyes glaze over as you tell them. Likewise, 'What's your lineage?' should be replied with a snappy 'Sept of Clan Ross' and nothing more.

What if you, or one of your ancestors was illegitimate - born on the wrong side of the blanket as it is so politely said? Would anybody expect you to reveal your relative's indiscretion to a totally random stranger in a field. I think not. None of their business.

If you are happy to be in Clan Ross, that is your lineage and association. Clan is another word for family. Wear the tartan, work in the clan tent, be a good family member. There is not a lot else that a man can either ask for or deliver.

Regards

Chas

[Scotus]

When someone asks 'How do you do?', they expect the same in return. They do not want to hear about that little bowel problem you've been having this last week; watch their eyes glaze over as you tell them. Likewise, 'What's your lineage?' should be replied with a snappy 'Sept of Clan Ross' and nothing more.
Chas

This is the best advice I've read in this thread. As Chas and Jock Scot have said, have a quick confident reply. My grandmother bore a Scottish maiden name and my mother has a Scottish maiden name, but I choose to wear a tartan that goes quite a ways back because of personal, historical, and genealogical reasons. Since I bear an English surname, when asked the question, I reply, "I have a family connection with the clan." I know that would be obvious because of the tartan I'm wearing, but it's like Chas said, when people ask, "How are you?", they really expect you to say, "I'm fine; and you?". They don't want to know about the bad day you're having, nor does anyone really want to know your exact genealogical connection to a certain clan. Hope this is helpful advice.

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

...If Clan Ross accept you as a member then that is between you and them; it is no one else's business...more importantly 'No One Cares'...None of their business...If you are happy to be in Clan Ross, that is your lineage and association. Clan is another word for family...
Chas

Right on!