Scottish and Irish Diaspora - Populating Canada

[rocscotjoe]

It is remarkable how the family has thrived and multiplied in Canada while they have withered away in Scotland, is it something in the Canadian water?

I think it is the immigrant experience. People had larger families to try to have as many wage earners as they could. My Dad was the youngest of six brothers, all of them had good sized families, one of his brothers had seven children, I am the oldest of four, and have three adult children of my own.

Near as I can tell, we are likely Highland Scots who left after Culloden and went to Ireland, my family emigrated to Nova Scotia, then the US through Boston, ending up in Western Maryland. We were miners back then. My grandfather moved to Western PA to the steel mills and my core family is mostly there. I have been in touch via Facebook with a woman in NS who tells me there are a lot of us still in Canada, and my wife and I are planning a 30th anniversary trip to the Maritimes to check it out.

BTW, there IS something in that Canadian water. They make FABULOUS beer! eh?

[denmcdough]

What a sad story. I can definitely feel that you need your cousins in Canada more and more.

As a first generation American ~ dad born in Ireland 1896, mom in Italy 1910 ~ I'm lucky to have a multitude of relatives. I have met many of my Italian ancestors, but am having a very difficult time connecting with the Irish side.

Anyway, good luck hooking up with your relatives! Go for it!

[CMcG]

Withering family size is a trend here in Canada as well... my great-grandfather (like the good Irish Catholic that he was) had 13 children in his first family and another 11 with a second wife after the first one died in child birth! My grandfather had 5 kids and my father had just one (me).

My family tree has a great girth in the roots but they seem to be digging less and less deep as time goes by. A product of the modern world or a result of changes to the immigrant mentality once established in a new home?

[jhockin]

I hear what you are saying!
I got some 'family tree' info, on my MacNaughton ancestors, last year. Robert MacNaughton, born in Scotland about 1776; emigrated to Canada, with his family, and settled in Dalesville Quebec, about 1824. Following the family tree, there are now thousands of descendants ( or maybe 10's of 1000s?). No doubt, this why we hear that thre more people of scottish descent living outside of Scotland, than Scot living inside of Scotland - and more than lived in Scotland at the time of the '74.