Well... I'm not Scottish at all, after all...

[tripleblessed]

Without more info hard to be helpful, but I will point out that adoption is a
valid link in the line of descent if you're looking to establish a clan connection.
Also, non Scots do join clan societies simply on internal feelings of affinity,
and many are members of clans simply because they approached their choice
of chief and said I want in if you'll have me. The membership is who the chief says it is. Period.

On a relevant note, one of my lines is a Ross/Rose one. Both spellings in several generations. Clan Ross says if your name is anything like ours, or even if it isn't, join our society, pitch in , help out while you get your genealogy sorted out. You'll meet some great folk, have fun, maybe you turn to be ours. Maybe not. Then you can decide all over again. I find that a lovely attitude.

[Riverkilt]

The way the Scots travelled the world in days of yore we're all probably just a little bit Scottish. Thinking you're not Scottish probably just means you've got unexplored branches of the family tree.

I've been addicted to genealogy for 40 years. I've hit many walls. Every now and then a wall breaks and the finds on the other side are always unexpected and amazing.

You'll likely find Scots lurking out an unexplored branch of your family tree. Keep looking.

[Really a McQueen]

When researching the family, don't forget that the way a name was spelled was sometimes changed by some clerk processing the paperwork. (The clerk being the one who could write and spell in English).

A friend advised that in her family, a few generations back, two brothers came through Ellis Island and were processed by seperate clerks. One brother's last name was recorded as Norene, while the other's was recorded as Noreen. However the Swedish spelling was altogether different. But all three versions sounded the same.

In my own family, the ancestor from Scotland came over as a 'Mac', but was recorded in Canada somewhere along the line as a 'Mc'.

[CelticSire]

And I'll second that opinion. I have census records with my great-grandfather's last name spelled three different ways. Many times it all depended on who was writing it down. And when our ancestors came thru Ellis Island, or Baltimore, or whatever port of entry, the clerks had to decipher last names pronounced in many different foreign accents, often spoken by people who had little to no idea how their surname should be spelled in English anyway.

[Joshua]

Well, the spelling differences were quite common -

My father was adopted by his maternal uncle, which is why we have the surname Davis, instead of Trott which is his biological last name.

I've seen trott, trot, tratt, and trout but they all link up (same family member names/counties in census records).

The record stops with a Charles Francis "Frank" Trott born in Maryland. However, as I just discovered from a distant cousin who publicized his lifes-work of research on "Frank", my ancestor was actually adopted by Frank in or before 1850, and the actual father is James Trott, who is most likely Charles Francis' brother.

Frank's wife, Maria Urquhart, was disowned by her slave-owning family for running off with him, a Yankee. Once they eloped, they took a carriage to Buffalo Township Ohio, and built furniture until Charles built his (very respectable) fortune as a hotel and wool-mill owner.

As far as my real surname goes, if Adoption counts... then I'm a Welshie... Even though I'm ready for the "inbred Appalachian" jokes - My dad's grandparents had the same last name of Davis, even though they were of no relation whatsoever... I've tracked both lines, and they both started in Wales, moved to London (or Marlborough) England, then to Holland, then aboard the 2nd and 3rd Plymouth voyages (I found the names on the "Mayflower" manifests, but not on the original manifests which leads me to believe they came over on one of the "followup" trips to Plymouth).




Here are the things that amaze me most, as I grew up thinking (assuming) the following...
1. My ancestors would have fought for the Confederacy during the Civil war. (Not true - 3 ancestors fought in the Ohio militia, no one fought for the South).
2. I would have at least a few post-colonial immigrants in my bloodline. (So far, not true...)

[Silent Raven]

I actually just started looking into my genealogy as well. i started on Thursday on ancestry.com and got fairly far over the past four days. i was able to trace my dads side back to Scotland, coming to Massachusetts in 1888. I am getting married soon and am going to be wearing a kilt in celebration of my heritage, so i figured i would 'check and make sure' that i come from Scottish back ground. i still have not found out if i am actually of the MacPherson clan as i was always told but i am definitely of Scottish decent, so for know that's good with me! although i will keep diggin as much as i can. turns out im Scottish/Canadian on my dads side and Irish/English on my moms side.

[bdkilted]

Go to Maryland and get the records. I went to Michigan a few years back, to the court house in the county my g-g-grandparents lived. I ended up with not just their information (when they arrived, etc), but the marriage certificates of all of their children and a few other documents. I was able to use the date of arrival to find the ship they sailed on. I then got help finding the town they lived in England. Now I am trying to find the time. Point being, go to the source. You might find more than you need, but get a copy anyway. You never know when you might need it too.