Scottish Genealogy - W. Duncan MacIntosh's website

About tracing your Scottish family tree...

You can find your Scottish ancestry yourself. It's not necessary to pay someone $35+ for a generic "family history," or hundreds more for extensive research.

Also, don't bother with the Coat of Arms offered from several companies; that design was created for one person, not the entire family's use. Successive generations change at least one element in the ancestral Coat, and then register the new one. (This is different from your family crest, shield, badge, or slogan.)

By contrast, your family tartan is probably genuine... but you'll usually select the plaid of your nearest maternal Scottish ancestor. Try the Clan Finder at TartanWeb.

(Also, if you're new to all of this, remember that you can say Scottish, or Scots, but "Scotch" is the beverage.)

But let's talk about your family tree...

Starting your research

First of all, you're going to find that certain names are enormously popular and appear throughout modern Scotland. If you're starting with an American ancestor and trying to work back, please do your homework in America, first.

This means starting with the ancestor nearest to you, on that particular family line.

It's tempting to leap up three or more generations, because you've always heard that so-and-so was your ancestor, but that is a grave mistake.

Start with your nearest living ancestor on that family line, usually your parent or grandparent. Get his or her birth certificate, and see the names of his/her parents. Note all of the information about the one on the family line you're tracing.

Now, if that descendant of the Scottish family was in the US, you will look for his/her death certificate, usually in the same place as you found the birth certificate for his/her child. (Usually a state, county, or town office.)

The death certificate will provide information about that person's ancestry.

Keep tracing back, confirming information using birth, marriage, and death records. All of them usually list the person's parents, place of birth, and birth date.

If you seem to lose someone in this process, use the US Census records. These are usually available at your local public library. You'll first use an index to locate your ancestor, and then check the microfilm showing the actual census taker's notes for that ancestor.

The census may include helpful information such as place of birth, when the person immigrated to the US, whether or not he/she applied for citizenship (in which case that office will have even more paperwork and information to help you), and more.

Once you finally secure the information you need about the ancestor born in Scotland, you can sit at your computer and start tracing the family back.

Yes, the helpful folks at the LDS Family History Library, aka familysearch.org, have the Scottish records online. In fact, they have almost everyone who was ever in the Church of Scotland (in Scotland) on CD-ROM at their Family History libraries, and online.

But...

There are a few pitfalls to avoid.

First, do not assume that, to be your ancestor, the person must have spelled his/her last name the same as you do. In my own family, the name was spelled Mackintosh in Scotland, then McIntosh after Ellis Island, and finally changed to MacIntosh by a later descendant.

Even in Scottish records, you'll find different spellings of first and last names. One reason for this is that spellings were generally not standardized until the late 19th century, in some areas.

Also, watch out for identical names. Sometimes you'll find five cousins, all named the same, and all born within a year of each other.

Be very careful of assuming that one is your ancestor, and not another.

Check the location. Check the parents' names. Verify everything, if possible.

If you have any doubts, do not continue your research up the line until you've verified the work you've already completed.

However...

There is one very helpful tradition in Celtic families: They usually name the eldest son after the child's paternal grandfather. That is, the oldest son has the same given name as his father's father.

When you're looking for ancestors, look for repeating family names. If Alexander was the eldest son and you're trying to identify his grandfather, check all of the possible Alexanders, first.

And finally...

When you finally do get to Scotland to see the ancestral homestead, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. Scotland is unique, and probably more impressive than you expect.

Unless your ancestor lived in the city, you may want to hire a local taxi for half the day, so you can go from one location to the next without getting lost. When our family visited Nairn, the first house we visited was not the correct one. We were glad to be with a taxi driver who knew the area, and understood the back roads so we could find where the MacIntoshes and MacPhails had lived, early in the 20th century.

In Scotland, time has less importance than it does in the US. So, you may find people talking about your ancestor as if he rode down the path on his bicycle, yesterday. The stories can be fresh, detailed, and delightful.

Be sure to take your camera, and plenty of film! You'll be amazed at how much of the "old" Scotland remains, just as your ancestor left it.

And carry business cards. Your new-found cousins will want to remain in contact with you.

Scotland is a magnificent country which values its history, and maintains a sense of character and integrity that is rare in today's busy world.

Helpful Links

Scotlandclans.com, links to many Scottish research sites.
Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry, a UK-based site with helpful links.
And, of course, Cyndi's List offers an extensive list of helpful Scottish links for family history.
Planning a trip? Check Travelocity, Scotland.
Also, preview the landscapes at Scotland's Colours, spectacular online photos.
Before visiting Scotland for research, see The National Archives of Scotland.
You'll find many Scottish links at Scotland.org, and the Scottish Google Directory.
Or, to do some armchair shopping, check the Tartan Shopping Mall, and the links at U.S. Scots.

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