More Genealogy

[Eujeankilt]

I was poking around the internet this morning and stumbled across this site - http://www.genealogyweb.com/index.htm

Having a genealogy my great-uncle put together, I did searches on spouses surnames in my ancestry and found two Irish surnames (Means and Welsh) and one Dutch (Good). I found several English and a couple English/Scottish Border Ridings. Anyone know what Scottish Border Ridings means?

Now I have solid connections to the Celtic world I can document.

This site also has information on the origin of the use of surnames http://www.genealogyweb.com/Origin.htm and presents evidence that the Normans were of Viking ancestry, who through Norman family connections, had and empire that rivaled the Romans. It also claims that many Normans settled in Scotland too. Since my direct ancestry is from Normandy, it's too much of a strectch to claim Scottish ancestry as well.

It's amazing what you can justify if you try

Anyway, it's an interesting site to browse.

Dale

[davedove]

I've recently discovered I MAY have some more Scottish ancestry. My dad's paternal grandmother was a Cruthis which is supposed to be Scottish in origin. I've only been able to tract that line to Randolph County in North Carolina 1754, so I don't yet have a definite link to Scotland yet on that line, but it's a definite maybe.

What I have found is that it may be from the Dumfries area.

[cessna152towser]

A Scottish Border Common Riding, or Riding of the Marches, is an annual tradition where the town's horsemen ride round the town's boundaries on horseback to formally confirm the town's claim on the common land. The leader of the riding is appointed annually and is variously known as the Cornet, Reiver, Callant, Braw Lad etc. depending on ther town. If your ancestor is listed under Border Ridings this suggests he led his burgh's Common Riding one year. After being leader he would have been left or right hand man in the two following years. Over the years the rituals have become more elaborate with a series of ride-outs to neighbouring towns in the weeks prior to the actual Common Riding to exercise the horses. Excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed at these events. Common Ridings have been in the news for all the wrong reasons and it is only within the past few years that women have been allowed to take part. Nowadays the common land is usually held by a common good fund administered by the local council and is let for farming, with the public having access. Hawick's Common Riding derives from the Burgh Charter by Queen Mary but also commemorates the Battle of Hornshole of 1514 when a group of English yobs from Hexham thought they could loot Hawick in the aftermath of Flodden but were seen off by the local youth who captured their flag. In some of the border towns lots of kilts are worn throughout the common riding events although here in Hawick kilts are normally only worn to the formal Cornet's Ball.

[macwilkin]

This site also has information on the origin of the use of surnames http://www.genealogyweb.com/Origin.htm and presents evidence that the Normans were of Viking ancestry, who through Norman family connections, had and empire that rivaled the Romans. It also claims that many Normans settled in Scotland too. Since my direct ancestry is from Normandy, it's too much of a strectch to claim Scottish ancestry as well.

Check out this article on the Clan Hay web site:

http://www.clanhay.net/HISTORY/Normandy_Roots.php

Many of the great Scottish families have Norman ancestry, including the Hays, Bruces, the Cummings/Comyns, etc. Same with Ireland -- many of the Irish surnames with the "Fitz" prefix are actually Norman in origin.

There are also a fair number of folks from Flanders in Scotland as well:

http://www.amg1.net/scotland/fleminfl.html

For information about the Anglo-Scottish Border's turbulent history, the best read, INHMO, is George MacDonald Fraser's "The Steel Bonnets" - GMF is the author of the "Flashman" series and served in the Border Regiment in Burma in WWII and in the Gordons.

And, here is a good web site about the Hawrick Common Riding:

http://www.hawickcallantsclub.co.uk/commonriding.htm

Cheers,

Todd

[mudd]

Hey, I like that site!
It tells me that my surname is of Scottish origin. It also tells me that my grandmother’s name is Irish and my other grandmother’s name is Welsh.
I had already known that my mother’s fathers name was a sept of clan Macintosh.
Cool! *head bobbing up and down*

[Kilted KT]

nice site, although now I am thoroughly confused. Previous research, as well as most tartan-finder sites associate Thompson with the McTavish clan. This site shows it as a part of the MacThomas clan, meaning I have the wrong tartan.

Anyone have any ideas which is more apt to be correct?

[pdcorlis]

This site shows it as a part of the MacThomas clan, meaning I have the wrong tartan.

Anyone have any ideas which is more apt to be correct?

Paging Matt Newsome... Paging Matt Newsome...

[arrogcow]

nice site, although now I am thoroughly confused. Previous research, as well as most tartan-finder sites associate Thompson with the McTavish clan. This site shows it as a part of the MacThomas clan, meaning I have the wrong tartan.

Anyone have any ideas which is more apt to be correct?

I wouldn't trust this site as far as I could throw it. It is one of the many scam sites that sell made up stuff to unsuspecting amature genealogists.

For instance on the site, I can buy a scroll that states my name comes from Normandy. Farther down the page, I can buy another scroll that states my name is from Devonshire. Another site says my name is from Cornwal.

This site states that my coat of arms is a blue background there is a gold hand with a silver wing holding a silver sword. Others have given me three black wreaths on a blue and white background. And for the record I know families don't have coats of arms only individuals do - something this site should know.

Finally they state that my name has no tartan associated with it, but the Scottish Tartan Authority clearly states that I am "entitled" to the Aberdeen district tartan (I've found this in books as well). Granted I think someone at the STA probably just randonly assigns a tartan to any surname not previously recorded when someone asks, but this web site did not even bother to check with the largest tartan recorder in the world.

Adam

[macwilkin]

I wouldn't trust this site as far as I could throw it. It is one of the many scam sites that sell made up stuff to unsuspecting amature genealogists.

For instance on the site, I can buy a scroll that states my name comes from Normandy. Farther down the page, I can buy another scroll that states my name is from Devonshire. Another site says my name is from Cornwal.

This site states that my coat of arms is a blue background there is a gold hand with a silver wing holding a silver sword. Others have given me three black wreaths on a blue and white background. And for the record I know families don't have coats of arms only individuals do - something this site should know.

I'm ashamed to say that I didn't look at the web site before, Adam, but thank you for bringing this to light -- this is a bucket-shop, and you are 100% correct, there is no such thing as a family crest -- arms belong to individuals, not the surname (at least in British & Irish heraldry). Stay far, far away from places like this. They may be "honest businessmen", but they are selling misinformation and generalisation to unsuspecting individuals with good intention. I dealt with this on an almost daily basis as a genealogy librarian.

Finally they state that my name has no tartan associated with it, but the Scottish Tartan Authority clearly states that I am "entitled" to the Aberdeen district tartan (I've found this in books as well). Granted I think someone at the STA probably just randonly assigns a tartan to any surname not previously recorded when someone asks, but this web site did not even bother to check with the largest tartan recorder in the world.
Adam

More likely, Adam, there are a number of people in Aberdeenshire with your surname -- that doesn't mean that there might be others with that surname in other parts of Scotland, but a large concentration may have or still reside there. For instance, there are Williamsons all over Scotland, but my branch come from Fife.

Regards,

Todd

[Livingston]

arms belong to individuals, not the surname (at least in British & Irish heraldry).

AND Scottish heraldry. The Lord Lyon is the person that grants coats of arms to individuals.