I've been researching for weeks... and it's pretty obvious...

[Joshua]

I'm about as Scottish as everything else... "A Wee Bit".

Maternal Side - Mostly English, however dating back to the 1500's in America, by way of Holland (mostly Pilgrims/Puritans). Very little deviation in the Paternal side of my Maternal side. Maternal/Maternal is typical Appalacian Scots-Irish and I'm having a tough time tracking down specifics, lots of very common names.

Paternal Side - My dad was adopted, so I followed his maternal line all the way to Wales - down to the first person to have the surname "Davis", the son of a man with the name David Ab Iuean (Of John, born in the 1500's) - who had dozens of children that all kept the Davis surname.

Paternal, biological Father's last name was Trott, tracked back as far as I can ends up in Maryland in the late 1700's with possible ties to England and France but nothing concrete. However his great-great-grandmother was an Urqhart, granddaughter of a Deacon William Urqhart from Cromarty, Scotland. This deacon was married to a MacKaye, and his son (of the same name) was married to a MacIntyre (American born).

What does this mean? Well, maybe I won't have as hard of a time finding my tartan now... :-)

Although, I do find the Welsh National to be a fairly stunning tartan and look forward to wearing it one day soon.

[Downix]

Welcome Cousin, I too am decent from Deacon William Urqhart from Cromarty.

[robbiethepiper]

Geneology is surely fascinating. Whilst researching the Irish half of my ancestry I came across a farm worker who proudly stated his place of birth to be the REPUBLIC of Northern Ireland. Dangerous words!!!

[Joshua]

Welcome Cousin, I too am decent from Deacon William Urqhart from Cromarty.

For a Deacon, that man surely did some procreating... I lost count of how many children were on the census books for this man... so I'm sure there are several thousands of us around the United States and Canada.

I thought it was odd that the record seems to point that he sent his family to Canada in the late 1700's - it's in the New Brunswick/Nova Scotia records to be exact, where him and his son both passed. I wonder if he was a loyalist, found better lands/money, or if he just desired to be around more Scots?

His grandaughter married my great, great grandfather... a man with the last name of Trott and barely any history beyond earlier than 1740's Maryland... no immigration records, census records, nothing. I'm starting to look up similar names, truitt, trot, traut, trout... but no dice.

[Dall_Piobaire]

Hi Joshua.

Been where you are, fun and frustratiing isnt it.

You cite leiden, in your line, pilgrim connection, my I ask to whom you are related. On my paternal side I am 12th generation direct from Henry Samson, one of only two teenagers on the Mayflower. Irish married in.
Now Mum's side, greatgrandfather direct from Scotland-Ulster to NS, finally MA, looking for work as a carpenter.

Though blood may be thicker than water, the feeling and connection you have at heart may be thicker even than blood.

[Lyle1]

His grandaughter married my great, great grandfather... a man with the last name of Trott and barely any history beyond earlier than 1740's Maryland... no immigration records, census records, nothing. I'm starting to look up similar names, truitt, trot, traut, trout... but no dice.

The colonial officials were not very interested in keeping track of immigrants from the British realm; since the colonies were British, those folks were not considered foreigners. On the other hand, the officials were not quite sure about the great influx of Germans and Swiss in the early 1700's;those folks were carefully enumerated, and the lists are a great asset for genealogists.

[Joshua]

Hi Joshua.

Been where you are, fun and frustratiing isnt it.

You cite leiden, in your line, pilgrim connection, my I ask to whom you are related. On my paternal side I am 12th generation direct from Henry Samson, one of only two teenagers on the Mayflower. Irish married in.
Now Mum's side, greatgrandfather direct from Scotland-Ulster to NS, finally MA, looking for work as a carpenter.

Though blood may be thicker than water, the feeling and connection you have at heart may be thicker even than blood.

Haven't found an actual Mayflower connection, however I have found a Jamestown connection - through my adoptive grandmother's family line... so while not a blood relation, it is a soul relation (I have started another tree tracking down my father's real parents, which is where I found the Urquhart connection).

One mister William Thomas Hancock, killed in 1622 at the Jamestown massacre. His grandson married the grandaughter of another Jamestown massacre victim, a Reverend John Bailey (or Bayley, depending on the record you are reading). Both men were mentioned in the 1607 Jamestown census. John Bailey's daughter was born in Holland, which is why I mention the Puritans. The paper trail takes him from London, to Holland, then to the Americas.

I will also mention, thus far I am amazed by the amount of genealogical information stuffed away in the English records.

[Dall_Piobaire]

Well good luck on the journey, it will continue to be rewarding and frustrating.

For me, it gave a sense of perspective, and a feeling of being part of belonging and being a part of a broader history. It's funny the circularity you find as well