I got real lucky in discovering where we came from and when. My father tried his best to trace his ancestry but could only get back two generations. Courthouses had burned and records lost or never made so he didn't get far. He even tried to obtain information from Scotland but that ended in a dead end. There wasn't an internet when dad was alive as he died in 1990.Never looked into heritage, but my surname is the fourth largest group of Irish immigrants. I suspect they came over to escape the famine, as indentured servants or as prisoners. About 75% of Irish fought for the north. My grandmother on dads side was half Choctaw. Choctaw fought with the south, so I imagine my relatives fought for both sides.
One day I received a PM from someone in Scotland. He said he saw my name on facebook and wondered if I knew anything about my family. He said he lived where my family began and the roots were deep. He gave me information on the very beginning. We struck up a friendly relationship and sent me articles and pictures of tombstones in the local church graveyards. Also some of the ancient flags. I hope someday to meet. He lives in Drummore, Scotland which is near Stranraer.
St Johns Castle, Stranraer, Scotland.
