It has been almost a year since I have offered to make copies of some of the more important Scots-Irish research materials from my collection.  Most of my time is currently devoted to www.stringsandbeyond.com (any guitar players??) so this will be the only opportunity to acquire these materials for the balance of the year. I have added one new item: Carolina Scots,  by Douglas Kelly and Caroline Kelly 1739 Publications, Dillon, SC an Historical and Genealogical Study of Over 100 Years of Emigration. Caroline was my son's Latin teacher at Charlotte Christian School and this book is the long awaited second edition which is the history of the Scottish and Gaelic diaspora in the Carolinas.  If your ancestors were part of the Cape Fear Scots who came from the Highlands of Scotland and settled in Moore, Cumberland, Hoke, Richmond, Robeson, or Scotland counties then this book is for you. In addition I have the following materials: Rockbridge County, Virginia Notebook, Compiled from Articles by Dr. George W. Diehl as published in the News-Gazette, Lexington, Virginia.  Additional charts and notes have been added as well as a surname index.  Compiled by A. Maxim Coppage III, 242 pages.   For a number of years, the late Dr. George W. Diehl contributed historical and genealogical articles to the News-Gazette, Lexington, Virginia, published by M.W. Paxton, Jr.  The clippings from the paper were sent to Mr. Coppage for the "Virginia Collection"  In many instances information may be found showing where families originated in Scotland or Ireland, the places lived before settling in the Rockbridge County, Virginia area and the relationships between various clans or as Dr. Diehl so aptly named this phase of pioneering, "A Rockbridge Seed-box." A Tribute to the Principles, Virtues, Habits and Public Usefulness of the Irish and Scotch Early Settlers of Pennsylvania, Chambersburg, Pa. Printed by M. Kiefer & Co. 1856, 171 pages.   From the preface the following:  "The writer of the Tribute contained in this work, had long desired to see from the Historical publications in Pennsylvania, a vindication of the character and principles of the Irish and Scotch early settlers of this great State and their descendants against reproach, as well as aspersion, cast upon them in some modern publications having pretensions to Historical accuracy"....Lots of detail on the early members of the church as well as problems with the Indians and the struggle over land rights during the westward expansion. The Scotch-Irish In The Colonies: 1750-1790 A Thesis Presented for the Degree of Master of Arts by Kathryn R. Aikin, A.B., The Ohio State University, 1933 Contents include Introduction, Early Settlements, Daily Life on the Frontier, Educational and Religious Activities, Military Pursuits, and Political Participation and Conclusion.  This is also a GREAT Bibliography, the most important part of any thesis. The Laggan and its Presbyterianism and In the Days of the Laggan Presbytery, 1905,1908, by the Rev. Alexander Lecky, B.A., member of the Royal Sociey of Antiquaries of Ireland, Belfast, Davidson & McCormack, 54 Kings St.  211 pages    On our recent trip to Donegal we met J.B. Shannon, age 90, who assisted in the 1975 reprinting of this book.  He is the last living person who had anything to do with these books and he says they are still the BEST source for Ulster Presbyterian research.  From Lecky I quote, "The lists of names of former generations of Lagganeers, and their places of abode, that are given in the Appendixes, and which NEVER before appeared in print, whilst they may of necessity prove dull reading to those who have no acquaintance with the locality, will not, I hope, be altogether uninteresting to those who bear the same name or live in the same places." Fighters of Derry, Their Deeds and Descendants, being a Chronicle of Events in Ireland during the Revolutionary period 1688-1691, by William Young, Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 350 pages.    One of the most difficult sources to locate, in fact almost impossible.  Months worth of reading and packed with great genealogy.  Contains the following biographical sketches: 1.  The leaders of the County Associations who, with their levies, took part in the preliminary operations and contributed much of the man power for the Defence. 2.  The Apprentice Boys and those responsible for shutting the gates on the 8th Dec. 1688. 3.  The actual Defenders during the 105 day siege (over 1200 genealogical sketches) 4.  Those engaged in the relief of the city A History of the Siege of Londonderry and Defense of Enniskillen in 1688 and 1689, with Historical Poetry and Biographical notes, by the Rev. John Graham, M.A. Rector of Magilligan in the Diocese of Derry.  Includes the Battles of the Boyne, Athlone, and Aughrim and the siege and Capitulation of Limmerick by Lord McCaulay, Toronto, 1869    The historical poems are family genealogies about those who were at Derry and where they came from.  Along with "Fighters of Derry" these two sources contain more actual genealogical information than any others I have seen. Three Hundred Years in Innishowen, Being More Particularly an Account of the Family of Young of Culdaff with Short Accounts of Many Other Families Connected with Them, by Amy Young, 1929, The Linenhall Press, Belfast, 311 pages.    Some of the names included are Young, Hart, Harvey, Cary, Vaughan, McLaughlin, Skipton, Richardson, Knox, Ussher, Smith, Nesbitt, Chichester, Ball, Lawrence, Crofton, Boyd, Stuart and many others. The Laggan and its People, by S.M. Campbell, privately printed. A look at the history of the Laggan (Presbyterian Derry/Donegal) through the eyes of a local historian. Draws on local lore, Abercorn papers, records from PRONI. The Tinkling Spring: Headwater of Freedom, A Study of the Church and Her People, 1732-1952, by Howard McKnight Wilson, 1954, Fisherville, Virginia 542 pages.    The best source of information on the Scotch-Irish of Augusta/Rockbridge Counties in Virginia.  Includes the Baptismal Records of the Rev. Craig.  In-depth study of the early families of the Shenandoah Valley. Castle's Woods: Frontier Virginia Settlement, 1769-1799, a thesis presented to the Faculty of the Department of History, East Tennessee State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of master of Arts, by James W. Hagy, 1966, 150 pages.    The most popular of the documents offered, this covers the families who settled in Russell county, Virginia when it was considered the frontier.  If your ancestors came through southwestern Virginia, this document is the history of your family.  Contains information on specific families as well as the farmers, speculators, artisans, and preachers who resided there.  Lots on the Indian battles that were a daily feature of life on the frontier.  Names like Russell, Walker, Porter, Cowan, Houston, Boone, Montgomery, Fraley, Thompson, Anderson, Kilgore, and 50 or so other "Scotch-Irish" families make this an invaluable resource for your family history. The Reverend Samuel Houston, V.D.M., by George West Diehl, 1970, McClure Publishing Co. 125 pages   History of the early Virginia Presbyterians through the life of the Rev. Samuel Houston, kin to Sam Houston of Texas fame. Several of these books are available in only a few major University libraries and in the case of Fighters of Derry it was copied from microfilm because I was never able to find an actual copy in the US.  Professor Hagy gave me permission to copy his thesis and I may have one of the only remaining original copies. It was of particular interest to me because the Cowan family was one of the "frontier families of southwest Virginia."  I only send this post to a few of rootsweb's many thousands of lists and these are the ones where the people came from Scotland to Ulster to Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and points west.  These Scots-Irish research materials follow that path.  If you are interested in obtaining any of the above documents please contact me at [email protected] for details. Thanks, Robert Cowan