Wilson septs

[Sean Wilson]

Does anyone know if Wilson's have associations to clans other than Gunn, Innes and Macfarlane? I've also heard that in Yorkshire, the Wilsons, along with those Iliving in the old abolished county of Berwickshire are (in general) descended from the Wilsons of clan Macfarlane rather than the Wilsons of Gunn or Innes....

If so it kind of opens up a whole new branch of tartans I would otherwise not have considered...

[The Wizard of BC]

Sean,

Can you tell us where in Scotland your people come from?

This idea of where your ancestors come from is actually more important that the name you carry.

There could be people named Wilson anywhere in Scotland. It is a common enough name. But if your people come from the East coast of Scotland or from anywhere South of the Town of Stirling, then they are most likely lowlanders. All the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen etc. are all in the Lowlands. The majority of the population of Scotland are from the Lowlands.

The Highland Clan system existed only in the Highlands or the extreme NW part of the country and the islands.

If your people are not from the Highlands they are probably not part of the Highland Clan system. This idea that everyone of Scottish ancestry is part of a Highland Clan is perhaps the most enduring myth.

This is also, sometimes, true of those who carry the last name of a Highland Clan.
Douglas is recognized as a Scottish Family but not a Highland Clan.
If your last name is Gordon and your people come from the North around The Western part of Aberdeenshire or the Moray area you could be part of the Gordan Clan. If however your last name is Gordon but your people come from down South near E. Ayrshire or Galloway, you may not be part of the Highland Clan.

This idea is also made worse by the fact that there is no, single, all authoritative list of Septs. Each Clan Chief may choose which he or she accepts and these are subject to change.

Yes, today we recognize more Lowland Scottish families under the broad term Clan. And yes, if you go to a Highland Games, and talk to those manning the society tents and booths you may hear all sorts of things. A society may or may not actually represent the Clan. Some are more social than they are Clan and sadly some are totally fanciful.


So again Sean, do you know where your people come from? Have you traced your genealogy? (and I'm sorry but looking up your last name on the internet is not doing your genealogy.)

[Sean Wilson]

Sean,

Can you tell us where in Scotland your people come from?

This idea of where your ancestors come from is actually more important that the name you carry.

There could be people named Wilson anywhere in Scotland. It is a common enough name. But if your people come from the East coast of Scotland or from anywhere South of the Town of Stirling, then they are most likely lowlanders. All the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen etc. are all in the Lowlands. The majority of the population of Scotland are from the Lowlands.

The Highland Clan system existed only in the Highlands or the extreme NW part of the country and the islands.

If your people are not from the Highlands they are probably not part of the Highland Clan system. This idea that everyone of Scottish ancestry is part of a Highland Clan is perhaps the most enduring myth.

This is also, sometimes, true of those who carry the last name of a Highland Clan.
Douglas is recognized as a Scottish Family but not a Highland Clan.
If your last name is Gordon and your people come from the North around The Western part of Aberdeenshire or the Moray area you could be part of the Gordan Clan. If however your last name is Gordon but your people come from down South near E. Ayrshire or Galloway, you may not be part of the Highland Clan.

This idea is also made worse by the fact that there is no, single, all authoritative list of Septs. Each Clan Chief may choose which he or she accepts and these are subject to change.

Yes, today we recognize more Lowland Scottish families under the broad term Clan. And yes, if you go to a Highland Games, and talk to those manning the society tents and booths you may hear all sorts of things. A society may or may not actually represent the Clan. Some are more social than they are Clan and sadly some are totally fanciful.


So again Sean, do you know where your people come from? Have you traced your genealogy? (and I'm sorry but looking up your last name on the internet is not doing your genealogy.)

Thank you for the lengthy feedback. In all honesty I only have a few stories and anicdotes from my Grandmother to go on and none of them recounterd the area of Scotland her grandfather came from. She has passed away now, and none of my family recall her mentioning a particular area either. I guess the only factual way to peruse this would be to apply for birth certificates.

That being said, I was interested in generalities I. E. If certain families were known to have moved to other parts of Britain as part of family feuds, clearance or other happenings in history. In particular Wilsons to Yorkshire?

I really appreciate your reply and value the information provided.

[The Wizard of BC]

May I suggest you try at your local museum. Local museums are often be best sources for the sort of information for what families were from or moved into a particular area.

[freep]

I've found Ancestry.com to be very useful, particularly when combined with DNA testing.

[Mike S]

Be careful when you head down the Ancestry.com road however. It positively teems with errors, and many of those posting direct and collateral family histories have not done due diligence with their fact checking to a sufficient degree. Check and double check before assuming that others have.

[freep]

Be careful when you head down the Ancestry.com road however. It positively teems with errors, and many of those posting direct and collateral family histories have not done due diligence with their fact checking to a sufficient degree. Check and double check before assuming that others have.

Ancestry does provide a good starting place and combined with DNA results can be a very useful tool.
Genealogy generally is a fuzzy science and thus, your mileage may vary. . .

[Pleater]

I found Ancestry.com useful in some ways - I found long lost family but also contacted three people to correct their family tree details with what I discovered.

My father's mother was a Wilson, from a family of engineers.

Her father, though, was a farmer who married a farmer's daughter. They farmed near Barnsley in South Yorkshire, using steam power and traction engines, but the origins were Scottish. I have not had time to follow that line back out of Yorkshire, but will probably do that one of these years.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Sean Wilson]

I found Ancestry.com useful in some ways - I found long lost family but also contacted three people to correct their family tree details with what I discovered.

My father's mother was a Wilson, from a family of engineers.

Her father, though, was a farmer who married a farmer's daughter. They farmed near Barnsley in South Yorkshire, using steam power and traction engines, but the origins were Scottish. I have not had time to follow that line back out of Yorkshire, but will probably do that one of these years.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

Interesting. .. my grandparents (Wilson) and father were from Sheffield, although I was born in Barnsley...

[Sean Wilson]

Many thanks to everyone for their feedback... looks like a bit of geniological digging is needed lol