William McGregor, 1732 - ~1807

[Rex_Tremende]

William McGregor, 1732 - ~1807

Anyone in a kilt this side of the Atlantic will inevitably be asked or presumed to be Scottish. Until I started poking around my family tree – which was after I started wearing kilts to try and identify some family tartans I was “entitled” to wear – I was under the impression that my immigrant heritage was largely English and German. Though I always say I have some Scot in my pedigree, I usually de-emphasize that point and offer other reasons for wearing the kilt. Now I can say with a bit of pride and reasonable certainty that, yes, I do in fact have some Scottish DNA (but my reasons haven't changed).

I’ve known for a long time that my maternal great-grandmother was a McGregor (but I never cared for the tartan). The problem I have always had was that I was so culturally removed from home country that I am what you might call a “domestic breed,” and don’t feel any real connection. In fact it turns out that most of my ancestors were hanging their tricornes in the Colonies since the mid 1600’s and other branches stop short in the mid 1700’s to early 1800’s, hinting at possible immigrations where the record trail runs cold. I am a product of early immigrations, not later ones.

At my parents’ house this weekend, my father let me borrow a copy of a McGregor Genealogy, a record of descendants of six children (out of seven or eight) of a one William McGregor (born 1772 in North Carolina, I later found out), compiled in 1962 by a very distant relative. Since I was born in 1963, my older brother is listed in it, but I am not. This prompted me to go back and look at the chart I’ve been putting together for the last couple of years and look for updates.

So, with gratitude for the help of all the other people who’ve compiled their data into http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/, I finally found the McGregor who brought his seed with him from Glen Orchy and started spreading it around here: William McGregor, born 1732, possibly near Loch Ossian. His father was William McGregor, born 1700 in Perthshire. Here is what I understand from what I’ve seen written about him (I freely admit not doing any of the work or checking any facts):

The 1732-William, a minister, may have been residing in Minginish, Isle of Skye, when he left for distant shores. He arrived here with brothers Bartlett and John in tow from Scotland around the time his first child, William, was born in 1772, and settled in Montgomery County, NC. He was given license to preach in 1776 by the Sandy Creek Baptist Church, and from 1778 to ~1806 he was the pastor of the Mouth of the Uwharry River Baptist Church, and a Justice of the Peace until 1786.

William was the first person of record to purchase land in Anson County, and also apparently had a home in Stanley County. Of the latter, a later occupant of the home, the Prussian physician Dr. Francis Joseph Kron, wrote in 1835: “Here did live and die an old Scotchman, Macgregor, from Apion's Glens who left the Scotch Kirk to preach in North America Baptist meeting houses. We are indebted to the old man's love of fruit for a choice apple orchard, the only sign though on the whole premises that he cared much about prosperity."

William died sometime after 1807. His children may have moved on to South Carolina, but ended up settling in Tennessee. Some of their children, especially those of William Jr., ended up in Kentucky, where my family calls home today.

To view ones family tree is an awesome thing. It is a little overwhelming (if a little solipsistic) to consider all the lives and stories that combined to make my own. Yes, I am McGregor, and yes I am German (a descendant of Kreitz/Kreiss, Starks), and English (Barnett, Flowers, Sledd, Pace, Payne, Poindexter – which could be Huguenot-French, and a Newsome from at least 1553 – hey Matt! We could be related), but I am also a wee bit of Swiss (Zbinden, Bynggeli/Binkley), a lot Welsh (Powell, Griffith), and way more Scottish than I had thought (Abernathy, Blue, McCreary, and possibly Copeland and Hamilton).

In the front of McGregor Genealogy there is this quote, attributed to an anonymous Scotchman [sic]:

A people which take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors are not likely to achieve anything worthy to be remembered, with pride, by remote descendants.

Regards,
Rex, really digging that MacCreary tartan, No. 3338!

[Nick the DSM]

great find, man! thats interesting.

[turpin]

Congrats on finding the tree, Rex. It is so easy to lose several hours following one line after another, discovering new old ancestors.

[cessna152towser]

Excellent find. I just love reading these family histories that tell the story of the past from the ordinary man's perspective and not just the views of the rich and famous.
You really must pay a visit to Loch Ossian and Glen Orchy when you visit Scotland - besides your ancestry it is a very beautiful area.

[Jock Scot]

Glen Orchy and Loch Ossian are beautiful parts of Scotland.If you did'nt know, the areas are not too far(in different directions though) from Fort William.If you"Google":-the Corrour Estate, you will find out a wee bit about Loch Ossian.The estate has its own station and is one of the more remote places of the Highlands.

[Coinneach]

Rex, that's a great discovery! My cousin's and I are still looking for our over-the-water Scot. We think we know who he is, we just can't confirm him. The greatest fun is learning the stories of our ancestors.

A few years ago I realized I'd been taught the story of a collateral relative in elementary school. It was a very weird feeling...like they're reaching out to give us clues.

[fluter]

Congratulations, Rex!

Which tartan don't you like? I think you'd look quite handsome in a belted plaid like the gent on this page.

My MacGregor was a John Gregg, who seems to have come over from Co. Antrim about 1750. However, we have not definitively traced him across the water, though there is correspondence with a sister back in Ulster. Naturally, there were at least 3 John Greggs who flourished about that time!!! this one in South Carolina.