McIntyre tartan

[Bikehonda600]

Good Saturday to all,

After searching and still researching my family heritage, I know my Grandmother, Maiden name King, her mother McIntyre.

Questions:
1. Is this Scottish or Irish?
2. If Scottish, is there a Tartan?

Thanks in advance.

[figheadair]

Answers:

1. Yes, Scottish. Contrary to what some claim, the 'Mc' version is but a spelling variation, actually it's a contraction.
2. Yes, several but the oldest, and nicest IMO, is the pattern sometimes referred to a Glenorchy. More here.

[neloon]

I expect you know of this link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacIntyre

Alan

[Bikehonda600]

I expect you know of this link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacIntyre

Alan

Sir Alan,

Actually, I didn't know about this. is Mc like Mac?

[Bikehonda600]

Another question:

When tracing the Linage - is it like the "jewish" (using the mother's side)? Or please explain how.

Thanks again.

Good Saturday to all,

After searching and still researching my family heritage, I know my Grandmother, Maiden name King, her mother McIntyre.

Questions:
1. Is this Scottish or Irish?
2. If Scottish, is there a Tartan?

Thanks in advance.

[The Wizard of BC]

Some of the best advice is to do your genealogy. This does not mean following just a name but determining where, geographically, your people are from.

It is a paper chase. You start with your birth certificate which will give you your parents names and perhaps where they are from. You go to that place and find their birth certificate, marriage license, legal documents like tax records or census records. That leads to the next piece of paper. On and on, back and back you follow this paper trail. Without a paper trail do not have an actual genealogy. Family memories and stories can help but will usually only go back as far as a living relative.

If, for example your people are from Glasgow or Edinburgh they may not be part of a Highland Clan. This idea that all Scots are members of a Clan is one of those enduring myths. The truth is that the Highlands are only the NW part of Scotland. The Highlands even today, are much less populated than the cities and the rest of Scotland.
You can be 100% Scottish, born and raised in Scotland and not be part of a Highland Clan.

It is also quite common for the spelling of names to change. Remember that prior to very recent times most people did not read or write. So someone would say their name and the person doing the writing would spell what they heard. I've actually seen a court document where one guy's name is spelled three different ways on the same page.

Yes, as has been pointed out Mc, is just an abbreviation of Mac. There are those who believe that Mc denotes Irish descent and is the basis of the Irish being called "Mic's" or "Mick" in N. America. Some of the reason is that you do find a lot of people in Ireland who's name starts with Mac or Mc but you find "O'" almost as much. (O' is Irish for Grandson of). Another reason is that the first name Michael or Mike is very common.

When doing a genealogy you must remember not to follow just one line. If you go back just 5 generations you will have had 32 grandparents. Each one contributed to who you are today. They may have come from many different places and have many different names.

So the advice is "Do not rely on a name only. Do your research and find out where your people come from."

[Bikehonda600]

O Wonderful Wizard,

I did exactly as stated below. First, I started with Paper, and while paper has ran out, the only thing I know is my people are from Sandy Mush, Bumcombe Co, in the mountains of Asheville; which is the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

While visiting a music store, Dulicmer Shop in Townsend TN, the lady there mentioned the Scottish settled the Appalachian mountains. That is all I know, and I was hoping to find my Scottish heritage, if it exists. Hence, the using of Paper and thinking McIntyre or McEntyre is where it has led me to.

If my people came from Asheville, and I found many connections there, does that mean I'm not Scottish? I just want to know for sure.

Your wisdom, I await, O wise one.

Some of the best advice is to do your genealogy. This does not mean following just a name but determining where, geographically, your people are from.

It is a paper chase. You start with your birth certificate which will give you your parents names and perhaps where they are from. You go to that place and find their birth certificate, marriage license, legal documents like tax records or census records. That leads to the next piece of paper. On and on, back and back you follow this paper trail. Without a paper trail do not have an actual genealogy. Family memories and stories can help but will usually only go back as far as a living relative.

If, for example your people are from Glasgow or Edinburgh they may not be part of a Highland Clan. This idea that all Scots are members of a Clan is one of those enduring myths. The truth is that the Highlands are only the NW part of Scotland. The Highlands even today, are much less populated than the cities and the rest of Scotland.
You can be 100% Scottish, born and raised in Scotland and not be part of a Highland Clan.

It is also quite common for the spelling of names to change. Remember that prior to very recent times most people did not read or write. So someone would say their name and the person doing the writing would spell what they heard. I've actually seen a court document where one guy's name is spelled three different ways on the same page.

Yes, as has been pointed out Mc, is just an abbreviation of Mac. There are those who believe that Mc denotes Irish descent and is the basis of the Irish being called "Mic's" or "Mick" in N. America. Some of the reason is that you do find a lot of people in Ireland who's name starts with Mac or Mc but you find "O'" almost as much. (O' is Irish for Grandson of). Another reason is that the first name Michael or Mike is very common.

When doing a genealogy you must remember not to follow just one line. If you go back just 5 generations you will have had 32 grandparents. Each one contributed to who you are today. They may have come from many different places and have many different names.

So the advice is "Do not rely on a name only. Do your research and find out where your people come from."

[neloon]

If my people came from Asheville, and I found many connections there, does that mean I'm not Scottish? I just want to know for sure.

(I think this may sound very rude but I'm trying to be helpful.)

How can you possibly be Scottish - you are a US American and, as I understand it, you are not allowed joint citizenship with another nation. Despite its title, 99.99% of membership of this site are likewise not Scots. Of course, some fraction of their ancestry might be of Scottish origin and, before that, Viking, French, English, Italian, Polish ...
Concern with one's forebears seems to be a particularly US thing which we don't really understand in the UK - seems to be something to do with "roots". For example, an English person with one or both Scottish parents might subconsciously be aware of such descent but few would take note of a Scots grandparent or anything further back. Think of recent UK Prime Ministers with names like MacMillan, Home, Blair, Cameron - they would not be regarded by themselves or anyone else as anything but English. In the same way, although many Scots are of recent Irish extraction, they think of themselves only as Scots. And we have 100% Scots with surnames such as Patel, D'Agostino, Ng - our next door neighbour is a very patriotic member of the clan Mojsiewicz.
Most Scots have no concern about clans/families - they smack too much of feudalism for such a relatively left-wing country (no politics,please). So they would wear their clan tartan if they have a clan (generally by reason of surname) but that's about as far as it goes. They would probably know very little of their clan's history - why would they, what use would it be?
I'm afraid, if you want to be Scots, you have to be born in Scotland or live in Scotland. That does not, of course, preclude you from enjoying Scottish history, our national dress, our languages, music and culture generally and we are grateful for your interest and enthusiasm. Keep it up!

Alan

[tripleblessed]

http://www.census-online.com/links/NC/Buncombe/

Being curious, I looked. Spent some enjoyable times on Sandy Mush Creek Road. Did not see McIntyres in
the 1800 or 1820 census, but some Kings. Interesting to me to see many Scots and Welsh, some Philipps
I might be connected to, and a bunch of Rushings. Not related to either of us, probably, but I was assistant
art director on a moonshine movie based on the life of a man named Rushing who was on our shoot with us.
The movie served as the pilot for the "Dukes of Hazzard", an expanded version.

[RSHAW]

thank you for your honest post. I believe many people in the US, as well as other countries which do not have a history as long as Scotland and other European countries desire a connection to their ancestral roots. Some groups living in immigrant nations, especially recent arrivals hold on to a strong sense of their native lands while other groups who have lived in the new country for generations at some point seek to find their roots and where the fit in a greater sense. Unfortunately the romantic vision is what appeals not recognizing that nations are dynamic and not static states. So to say "I am a Scottish",when in truth it is your great grandfather who was born in Scotland is not accurate. Further, if what one knows about Scotland is colored through the lens of a distant relative, one really does not know the modern present day Scotland. Nevertheless, it is still a great joy to respect the history and national dress of Scotland