Forwarded by permission of the original poster, Alex Hughes <alex@hughes567.freeserve.co.uk>. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: PML Search Result matching ("(calhoun or calhoon) andnot Co*") or cahoon or colquhoun Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 09:31:59 -0800 From: Alex Hughes <alex@hughes567.freeserve.co.uk> . Source: CoTyroneIreland-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [CoTyroneIreland-L] What's In A Name? A friend from Canada sent this to me, just forwading on. tata Alex - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Descendants of the Ulster Scots The question, What does it mean to be of Ulster Scottish ancestry? raises the question of who were the Ulster Scots. On the face of it, they were persons of Scottish ancestry from Ulster, that old province in the north of lreland, now consisting of the nine counties of Armagh, Down, Antrim, Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan. However it is confused by the North American experience of commonly calling these people Scotch- Irish. The majority of these persons settled in Ulster from the lowlands of Scotland during the so-called Plantation Period (see Celtic Heritage, October/November 1997, p.22). They were settled by the English rulers of Ireland on land previously held by rebellious native Irish. They remained in the north of Ireland for at least 150 years (three to four generations) before moving for economic, political and religious reasons to Canada, the United States, or even Australia and elsewhere. During their stay in Ireland, they were influenced by Irish customs and culture. The language of a good portion of the Scots who arrived in Ulster was derived from the Central Scots language and called Lallans. However, there was a significant group who spoke Gaelic and it seems that Scottish Gaelic was intelligible to the Irish then. The first book to be printed in Irish Gaelic for the Presbyterians in 1567 was a translation of the Calvinist Book of Common Order, commonly called John Knox's Liturgy. In fact, Gaelic speaking Scots had been coming to Ulster for several centuries before the arrival of the Plantation settlers. The distance across the Irish sea to Scotland at the nearest point is only 13 miles. As early as the 14th century, members of the MacDonald clan of the Hebrides had established themselves in the Glens of Antrim where their name was influenced by the slightly different Irish Gaelic and spelled MacDonell. Other Scottish families, including the MacLeans, MacAllisters, MacCabes and MacSweeneys also crossed to Ulster. They were first brought to Ireland by Irish chiefs to serve as galloglasses, or mercenaries, in battles with the Anglo-Normans and in time inter-married with native Irish and settled among them. Thus we return to the first answer suggested; that an Ulster Scot is someone who traces their ancestry to the North of Ireland but whose forebears previously lived in Scotland. Scots Ulster Surnames Armstrong: Among the 50 most common surnames in Ulster, it is found in County Fermanagh where Elliot and Johnston, the two other major Scottish riding clans from the borders are present in the 16th century. In the decade following 1603, when King James Vl, newly king of England and Scotland, began a ruthless campaign to pacify the borders, the Armstrongs, along with other riding clans, were dispersed, with many coming to Ulster. Colhoun: This Scottish clan name has been most popular in Counties Derry and Tyrone since the Plantation. Early in the 17th century, Sir John Colquhoun of Luss bought some 1000 acres in the Newtowncunningham district of County Donegal from Sir Walter Stewart of Minto in Roxburghshire. He brought over several members of the Colquhoun clan and these were the ancestors of most of the latter day Colhouns of Ulster. Craig: Scottish name common in Counties Antrim, Tyrone and Derry. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name was common in Edinburgh and throughout the Scottish lowlands. Sir James Craig of Edinburgh was one of the 50 Scottish lords or undertakers of the Plantation, and in 1610 he was granted 1000 acres in County Armagh. He sold this and bought land in County Cavan where he settled many of his kinsfolk. Hamilton: Among the 15 most common names in Counties Tyrone and Down, and among the 20 most common in County Antrim, it is mostly associated with the Plantation period of settlement as six of the Scottish undertakers and two of the nine chief undertakers were Hamiltons. They received huge grants of land in Counties Cavan, Armagh, Tyrone and Fermanagh. Mackay: Chiefly found in Counties Antrim, Armagh and Down, the first Mackays in Ulster were known as MacCoys, were believed to be associated with Clan MacDonald, and were followers of the MacDonells. The name is some- times spelled MacKee and daring the Plantation, Sir Patrick MacKee of Largs, Ayrshire, was granted 1000 acres in the Donegal town area. Montgomery: Most in Ulster are descended from the Scottish landlord family of Sir Hugh Montgomerie, an advisor to James VI, King of Scotland and England, who during the Plantation period brought a great number of his kinsfolk to Ulster to settle in Counties Down, Donegal, Fermanagh and Monaghan. One of the most famous Ulsterman was Field Marshall Viscount Montgomery, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War II, who was from Donegal.