What's in a name?

[jsharr ★]

Ryan's Boy Scout Troop assinged new patrols and patrol leaders.  Ryan's patrol chose the name "Shrubbery Patrol" and their patrol yell is
 

 

[onbike1939]

Since you ask.....quite a lot really.

Back in 1603 my family name on my Father's side (MacGregor), was banned by the English King and the use of it was punishable by death. The clan was forced to take other names and many chose the names of colours....White, Brown, Green etc. and this was the case with my family.

Not many people know that. 

[jsharr ★]

23 minutes ago, onbike1939 said:

Since you ask.....quite a lot really.

Back in 1603 my family name on my Father's side (MacGregor), was banned by the English King and the use of it was punishable by death. The clan was forced to take other names and many chose the names of colours....White, Brown, Green etc. and this was the case with my family.

Not many people know that. 

My family name comes from Lancashire and is said to come from an Old English term for a split rock or a bank oak, depending on which of the Google Brothers you ask.

[JerrySTL ★]

Ni!

[Zealot]

8 hours ago, onbike1939 said:

Since you ask.....quite a lot really.

Back in 1603 my family name on my Father's side (MacGregor), was banned by the English King and the use of it was punishable by death. The clan was forced to take other names and many chose the names of colours....White, Brown, Green etc. and this was the case with my family.

Not many people know that. 

I know that!!! Holy cow, I am of the MacGregor clan as well. I’ve traced my Scots lineage back to the 1300s.  My original US ancestor was Alexander Magruder – born Alexander MacGregor

B 1610 – Perth, Scotland - Dunblane

D 1677 – Calvert County, MD

Known as “The Immigrant”. Was sent to America in 1657 as a POW from the Battle of Worchester at Dunbar and became an indentured servant. But eventually became a wealthy land owner and Tobacco farmer with more than 5000 acres of property.

Changed his name based on the Proscription of 1603 by James VI that banned the MacGregor name and the subsequent persecution of the MacGregor clan.

One of his descendants was John Smith Magruder

B 1767 – PG County, MD

D 4/7/1825 – PG County, MD

On February 12, 1821, he legally changed the names of all his children to MacGregor.

And one of his great grandchildren was Susan Euphemia MacGregor, my patrilineal grandmother:

 

This is me wearing the black and red (Rob Roy) MacGregor tartan:

 

[onbike1939]

Now there's a thing. You are the first American I've seen that wears a kilt of the correct length.....congratulations. Many MacGregors of that period were forced to leave home up in the Sutherland region and emigrate or drift south. I take it you're aware of their reputation of cattle stealers and warlike ruffians. It's gratifying to find family connections so far away.....please send lots of money and food parcels and clear out the spare bedroom.

[Zealot]

1 hour ago, onbike1939 said:

Now there's a thing. You are the first American I've seen that wears a kilt of the correct length

That hopefully that makes up for my semi unorthodox use of the fly with the outlander coat (which my wife made, btw)... ?

I do have the proper formal dress.

Oh yes, am very aware of the reputation that the MacGregors had. Have done a fair amount of research and have a MacGregor lass there in Scotland who is keen on keeping me straight with the histories. ?

The spare room is open anytime. The money and food stuffs, well, If you ever utilize my hospitality, you’ll be treated well.  

Peace

[onbike1939]

3 minutes ago, Zealot said:

That hopefully that makes up for my semi unorthodox use of the fly with the outlander coat (which my wife made, btw)... ?

I do have the proper formal dress.

Oh yes, am very aware of the reputation that the MacGregors had. Have done a fair amount of research and have a MacGregor lass there in Scotland who is keen on keeping me straight with the histories. ?

The spare room is open anytime. The money and food stuffs, well, If you ever utilize my hospitality, you’ll be treated well.  

Peace

That is kind of you but given my decrepit state, travelling for me is not an option. It's good to hear from people with pride in their Scottish heritage and I take pleasure in it. I'm hoping that I live long enough to see my country as independent though the odds of this happening would seem to be lessening lately.

[jsharr ★]

I want to be Scottish in heritage but I an English.  Please do not show me your bum and attack me

[Zealot]

1 hour ago, onbike1939 said:

That is kind of you but given my decrepit state, travelling for me is not an option. It's good to hear from people with pride in their Scottish heritage and I take pleasure in it. I'm hoping that I live long enough to see my country as independent though the odds of this happening would seem to be lessening lately.

I do take pride in my heritage.  

 

Alba calls to me, deeply. Someday, before I’m too old and decrepit, I plan on visiting.

Were you ever to visit here, you’d see why the Scots who settled this part of the US called it home.  Appalachia is beautiful and I imagine it bears remarkable similarities to the old country highlands.  

 

 

that cabin is deep in the Shenandoah wilderness. It is where Mrs Z and I escape the real world and subsist off the land.  We have to backpack in and out.

This area is ripe with Celtic heritage and tradition.  I attend the Celtic Fests and Highland Games several times a year.

 

 I thought too that Scottish independence was on the horizon.  But not sure st the moment.

Please feel free to share heritage with me!

 

 

[Zealot]

4 minutes ago, jsharr said:

I want to be Scottish in heritage but I an English.  Please do not show me your bum and attack me

Sorry for the hijack, jsharr.  

[MoseySusan]

18 hours ago, jsharr said:

Ryan's Boy Scout Troop assinged new patrols and patrol leaders.  Ryan's patrol chose the name "Shrubbery Patrol" and their patrol yell is
 

 

How fun! 

[Wilbur ★]

My ancestors had their lovely waterfront home destroyed during the Jacobite rebellion.  

[onbike1939]

54 minutes ago, Zealot said:

I do take pride in my heritage.  

 

Alba calls to me, deeply. Someday, before I’m too old and decrepit, I plan on visiting.

Were you ever to visit here, you’d see why the Scots who settled this part of the US called it home.  Appalachia is beautiful and I imagine it bears remarkable similarities to the old country highlands.  

 

 

that cabin is deep in the Shenandoah wilderness. It is where Mrs Z and I escape the real world and subsist off the land.  We have to backpack in and out.

This area is ripe with Celtic heritage and tradition.  I attend the Celtic Fests and Highland Games several times a year.

 

 I thought too that Scottish independence was on the horizon.  But not sure st the moment.

Please feel free to share heritage with me!

 

 

I'm aware that your part of the country was heavily populated by Scottish settlers and that the traditions they brought are still alive today. I saw a great documentary about how Scottish traditional music still influenced your musical culture today but that was some years ago now.

These photos could have been taken on the west coast of Scotland and up to beyond Sutherland which was the MacGregor homeland. My Father's ancestors drifted south and finally ended up in Fife, which is in central Scotland not too far from Edinburgh. Most of my family became coal miners, my Father leaving school at fourteen to work alongside his Father at the coal face, and my uncles were also miners. I grew up in a mining village but was lucky  enough to avoid the mine......there were few old miners what with accidents and the black lung.

[onbike1939]

1 hour ago, jsharr said:

I want to be Scottish in heritage but I an English.  Please do not show me your bum and attack me

I'm sorry but this happens to be mandatory after a few drams........and I'm sorry to say that Texans do seem to be the natural target given your tendency to brag outrageously at every available opportunity.

I'm just sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this.....I feel really bad. 

[jsharr ★]

1 hour ago, Zealot said:

Sorry for the hijack, jsharr.  

It is unpossible to hijack a jsharr thread.  Lowjack maybe.  Carry on.

[12string]

21 hours ago, onbike1939 said:

Since you ask.....quite a lot really.

Back in 1603 my family name on my Father's side (MacGregor), was banned by the English King and the use of it was punishable by death. The clan was forced to take other names and many chose the names of colours....White, Brown, Green etc. and this was the case with my family.

Not many people know that. 

So, do you hyphenate "White-Brown-Green" or is it all one word?

For many years, my family told of our name having been once preceded by "Von".  One brother paid to have it put back on his name.  Another brother used it as a middle name for his 2 sons.

Come to find out that the "Von" name wasn't even officially the family name, it's something else altogether.  An interloper married into the family a few generations back and unofficially renamed his new stepchildren