Where Do I Come From?

[macwilkin]

I've started to write a response to this three times, and each time, I've not posted it, and gone away from this thread.

I sympathise with your desire to know more about your ancestors. But I'm somewhat uncomfortable with a subtext that I'm reading, which may not be intended. The subtext is this: that being American is somehow inferior to being Celtic.

My family has been in America for a long time. My earliest ancestor arrived here somewhere in the neighborhood of ten thousand years ago, while the latest arrived more than a century ago. In other words, in the living memory of my family, the only nation we've known is America. For me, this is not a disconnection from my roots -- it is my roots! When I think of who I am, and where I came from, my answers tend to center around Tucson and Arizona.

And I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

And I think you're reading too much into this gentleman's post.

Regards,

Todd

[slohairt]

I almost forgot. Hicks is an Anglo-Saxon diminutive of Richard. The terminal "s" makes it a patronymic.

Apparently the Anglo-Saxons had difficulty pronouncing the Norman alveolar (trilled) "r". Thus, we have Hick or Dick (Rick), Hob or Bob (Rob), Hodge (Roger). In Scotland, however, there has never been difficulty in rolling an "r", so these names are never indigenous to Scotland.

[slohairt]

Reavis is an Anglo-Saxon occupational surname derived from Gerefa, a lord's representative. This, incidentally is also the origin of the word Reeve.

Sutton (as in Sutton Hoo), is an Anglo-Saxon topographical name meaning South farmstead.

Yow: Who knows? Possibly an Anglo-Saxon etymology from yeo or yew?

[Mr. MacDougall]

And I think you're reading too much into this gentleman's post.

I freely acknowledge that possiblity.

[Packhound]

Thanks to all who have posted here.

My purpose in asking this question was to perhaps learn a little more about my family ties to the "Old Country". I am impressed by the contributions that my ancestors made to this country. (I can qualify for membership in the Sons of the Revolution and Sons of the Confederacy through several ancestors. A great grandfather was in the 3rd NC, fought at Gettysburg, was wounded, captured, paroled and served the remainder of the war until Appomattox when Grant surrender to Lee. ) I am eyeing the Carolina tartan and am making a kilt now in Black Stewart. (To honor my step-grandmother who was a Stewart.)

Frankly, I like solids and tweeds. However, it seems that in my part of the world people don't readily recognize a kilt unless it is a tartan and accompanied by bagpipes.

[Makeitstop]

Frankly, I like solids and tweeds. However, it seems that in my part of the world people don't readily recognize a kilt unless it is a tartan and accompanied by bagpipes.

I'm with you on that. And the way I see it, that's all the more reason for me to wear a solid kilt, in order to educate the masses.

[macwilkin]

Frankly, I've never really understood why some folks get so bent out of shape when folks associate their kilts with pipers & the pipes. I consider it to be a compliment to be mistaken for someone who has spent a great deal of time, blood, sweat and tears to play an instrument that has led men in to battle, and comforted the widow and orphan, not to mentioned outlawed as an "instrument of war".

Regards,

Todd

[Kid Cossack]

Frankly, I've never really understood why some folks get so bent out of shape when folks associate their kilts with pipers & the pipes. I consider it to be a compliment to be mistaken for someone who has spent a great deal of time, blood, sweat and tears to play an instrument that has led men in to battle, and comforted the widow and orphan, not to mentioned outlawed as an "instrument of war".

Regards,

Todd

Todd:

It's a question of semantics, but I saw it as a matter of people NOT associating tweed or solid kilts with the tartan and the bagpipes. I'm entirely in agreement that the association with bagpipes is one of the many cool things about the kilt. Some of us have had people argue that we were "beskirted" when out in tweed kilts, that's all!