Genealogical conundrum

[ThinBlueLine]

HeathBar,

Joining the clan societies is definitely an option, I do what I can to support and honor every part of my ancestry. My surname is very common and is either Welsh or German. I have not yet been able to dig far enough back to determine which one it is.


ForresterModern,

You are correct about the genealogical connection. And the issue of upsetting the clan is what I am trying to avoid. I am also trying to make sure I do not wind up insulting members of the clans that I would be claiming.

[davedove]

historically, there were a number of ways to join a clan: be born into it, marry into it, or be adopted (officially or unofficially) by it. It sounds like your ancestor was effectively adopted.

Now, it's true that it's not a blood link and some clan societies may have an issue with that, but it's unlikely.

[HeathBar]

Joining the clan societies is definitely an option, I do what I can to support and honor every part of my ancestry. My surname is very common and is either Welsh or German. I have not yet been able to dig far enough back to determine which one it is.

Not knowing the timeframe of the family in question, anytime a man marries a single mother and takes her child as his own, he is to be honored. And I am glad that you are honoring him by bringing his own heritage into your life. If I were you, I would pick one of the clan socieities to join. Then become active with that society. Participate and help out in the clan tent. That would be the best way to honor his memory. If you tried to join and honor all three, you could end up spreading yourself too thin and get burt out. You could still make a monetary donation to the other clans in his name to honor those sides.

[ThinBlueLine]

HeathBar,

I forgot to add the time frame, my mistake. The marriage was in 1843.

[jordanjm]

The way I see it you have extra bonus family. If you ever find the bio dad you will just have one more line.

[MacLowlife]

We live in interesting times. These days, you can go by more than the shape of a nose or the color of eyes, or presence or absence of earlobes ( Take that, Blofeld ) and can theoretically establish blood connection to people via DNA testing. On the other hand, if you are talking about people who have been dead for a century or so, you probably can't establish actual paternity so much as kinship. YOu might want to check out this company:

https://www.23andme.com/


I believe there are some other dna projects connected to specific clan groups, such as MacLeod, but I don't know enough to comment, much less advise on them.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

There is absolutely no reason -- traditional, legal, or moral-- that would prevent you from asserting membership in the clan into which your ancestress married, despite the birth status of her natural offspring from whom you descend.

When your ancestress married, her children-- whatever their last name-- became members of the clan by fosterage, an ancient Highland custom.

Your ancestress became part of a clan upon marriage, and transmitted that "right" of clan membership to all of her children. Legally the children of a marriage take precedence over natural children regardless of age, but all share equally in the parents estate, and that includes an equal share in clan membership.

Morally there can be no objection to any child -- regardless of the status of its birth -- enjoying the same natural rights to inherit property (and membership in a clan is a heritable right) as any other person.

That said, there is no impediment to your joining the appropriate clan or clan society. I would, however, suggest that with multiple clan choices you consider the clan to which you have the strongest connection (ie: the most recent ancestor of that name) as "your own", and consider the others as collateral "cousins", interesting, but not "your" clan.

[Riverkilt]

Just my thoughts - illegitimate or legitimate is a state function - has nothing to do with genetics or bloodline.

Obviously right and good to honor a clan who's members made your ancestor's life better back when.