Posted on: Buteshire Scotland Queries Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/Scotland/Bute/399 Surname: McCurdy, McKirdy, Cameron, Stewart ------------------------- "Cairn" is a place (farmstead?) at Ballintoy, County Antrim, Ireland. Petheric McKirdy (later Petheric McCurdy) also known as "Petheric of Cairn" b. 1640 (most likely on or near the Isle of Bute, Scotland) Son of Daniel, b. 1622. Grandson of Donald, b. 1598, and Peggy Cameron (who may have been a great-granddaughter of James IV of Scotland). Petheric married in the summer of 1667, Margaret Stewart, daughter of Charles Stewart of Ballintoy, Ireland, a direct descendant of King Robert II of Scotland (and several Sheriffs of Bute). Charles Stewart was the son of Ninian Stewart of Kilchattan and Grisel Stewart (d. of John Stewart, Sheriff of Bute). "Petheric" appears to be a variation of name "Patrick". Petheric escaped with brothers from Royalists in Scotland to Northern Ireland in November of 1666. Petheric was a Presbyterian, and he supported William of Orange against James II of England. About 25 years after moving to Ireland he fought at the Battle of Boyne. He is also said to have been at the siege of Londonderry, with his two sons, John and Daniel. His great-grandson, Alexander, is the head of the Nova Scotia, Canada, branch of the McCurdy family. References: "The Ancestral McCurdys" by H. Percy Blanchard The Covenant Publishing Co., London, 1930, pp. 26, 32-33. "The McCurdys of Nova Scotia" by H. (Henry) Percy Blanchard, The Covenant Publishing Co., London, 1930, pp. xiii - xiv, and chart one.