Scottish Links

A year or so ago I took a DNA test on Ancestry.com and enjoyed learning my "heritage" (no crazies showed up in my family history...but the, maybe I am the crazy). It's fun, if not important, and that was the end of it. But about one month ago another genealogical site, myheritage.com, sent me a message informing me that if I uploaded my DNA test result from ancestry.com, that it would give me a free trial and show me more about my ancestry. I did so. myheritage must want me to join their site because they are sending me so many interesting links to check on my ancestors, and now I finally have some information on my father's mother's paternal side.

Originally, I thought my father's mother's side of the family had roots in Ireland. But  from the information about the Lockharts, their surname, I learned that they were Scottish. Oh my. I need to buy a kilt and some bagpipes. The Lockhart hat immigrated to the United States (to Virginia in the late 1600's) apparently was Scottish. His family then moved to Northern Ireland and then that relative moved to the U.S.

More than 100,000 Scottish Protestants migrated to Ulster in Northern Ireland, but by 1717, conditions had reached such a point that many Ulster Protestants began a new migration; this time to the American Colonies. And one of those was my father's mother's family. It is estimated that more than a quarter million Scotch Irish immigrated to America between the years 1717 and 1775.  So I have an ancestor who was in the United States before there was such a country.

It makes sense because the Scottish word for Lake is Loc, as in Lockhart. The fun part was finding out who some of the Lockharts were and what they did during their lives. One was Sir Robert Lockhart the 7th of Cleghorn, county in Scotland, a prominent royal. Hmmm Maybe you should start calling me "Sir Stupid" to give some respectability to my rants here. I also found that former President Bill Clinton was spawned from a Lockhart. I am not happy about being related to Bill Clinton, but relieved I am not related to horrible Hillary Clinton.

The rest of the ancient Lockhart clan were an assortment of every possible social and economic class and of many different occupations. One relative is June Lockhart, the famed actress of the 40's and 50's. Another Lockhart was described as "Britain's greatest elephant trainer in the late 19th century. I also had Lockharts who both died and survived the famed Titanic sinking.

I hope that I didn't bore you with my genealogical report, but it was fun for me to read that information and pass it on to you. Sir Stupid has an urge to eat haggis now, and wishes that you have a Bonnie good day. Slainte sonas agus beartus (Health , wealth and happiness) to you.