RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 2, 2015
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
More than ten years ago, David Dobson launched a new series, SCOTTISH HIGHLANDERS ON THE EVE OF THE GREAT MIGRATION, 1725 - 1775. Continuously digging through all types of records since then, he inevitably discovers additional data. His latest volume in the series is THE PEOPLE OF THE HEBRIDES.
As the title implies, Dobson focuses on those islands lying off the coast of the Western Highlands of Scotland. The Hebrides form parts of the counties of Ross and Cromarty, Inverness, and Argyll and contain thirty-six parishes. Since Celtic was still spoken in these areas in the eighteenth century, that fact is reflected in the surnames and place names found in the records.
Genealogical research in this region can be challenging because the church registers—the backbone of Scottish family research—exist for only about a quarter of the Hebridean parishes before 1800. Extant registers are limited to the Presbyterian Church, the most popular denomination in the area. (Due to penal laws after the failure of the Jacobite Rising in 1715, Episcopal and Catholic churches lack baptismal and marriage records for much of that period.) In the absence of these records, Dobson delved into a variety of alternative sources.
Following his usual format, Dobson lists the names of the principal individuals alphabetically. Information about each person varies, but most entries provide the man or woman's name, a location (place of birth or residence, for instance), a date, and the source of the data. In some cases, details may also include occupation, military rank or service, the name of a parent or spouse, date of death, place of death, the name of the vessel on which he or she sailed to America, and place of settlement in the New World.
This latest volume sheds light on between two and three thousand people who had a connection to the Scottish Hebrides. Some recurring surnames are BAINE, BEATON, CAMPBELL, MCARTHUR, MCCASKILL, MACAULAY/MCCAULAY, MCCOIL, MACDONALD/MCDONALD/MACDONEL/MCDONNELL, MCDUFFIE, MCEACHERN, MCINNES/MCINNISH, MCINTYRE, MCIVER, MACKENIZE/MCKENZIE, MCKINNON, MCLACHLAN, MCLAINE, MCLEAN, MCLEOD, MCNEILL, MCPHAIL, MCPHADEN, MCQUARRY, MCQUEEN, and MORRISON.
Not all of the people mentioned in this work became settlers in North America. Nor did they necessarily have descendants who did. But chances are good that at least some of them had familial ties to the New World. Once a relationship is established, Dobson’s information may provide clues for further research overseas.
Overwhelmingly based on primary source material located in archives and libraries in Edinburgh, Dobson’s publication makes accessible many resources that not available online. SCOTTISH HIGHLANDERS ON THE EVE OF THE GREAT MIGRATION, 1725 - 1775: THE PEOPLE OF THE HEBRIDES will make another valuable addition to genealogical library holdings about the people of Scotland.
The 118-page paperback has an introduction, maps, illustrations, a list of names of emigrant ships from the Hebrides and names of their masters, and a key to sources. Names of main individuals are arranged alphabetically. To the book's price of $17.50, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $5.50 for one book and $2.50 for each additional copy; for UPS, the cost is $7.50 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional book. The volume (item order #8113) may be purchased by check, MasterCard, or Visa from Clearfield Company, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, Maryland 21211 (for phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website www.genealogical.com ).