Hello: I am new subscriber to this mailing list and an utter newbie at Scottish family history research ... so I have a lot to learn ;-). My interest in this constellation of surnames -- MARSHALL, McGOWAN, and HUGGINS-- begins in County Tyrone, Ireland. We've been able to trace our HUGGINS line back to c.1700 at Glenarb townland in Aghalow parish, Co Tyrone. Scotland --in particular, Dumfries-- enters the picture when the will of William HUGGINS was proved in 1868. One of the trustees was James Hairstens McGOWAN of Dumfries, solicitor. Other names in this will include: - a grand-niece, Annie McGowan - William MARSHALL of Dumfries - James Hairstens McGOWAN and his wife, Annie, and their daughter, Emily A later will, of William's sister Margaret, proved in 1876, also mentions: - a grand-nephew, Joseph Garibaldi MARSHALL, son of William, a medical doctor of Dumfries - Joseph's brother, John James Hairstens MARSHALL The HUGGINS-MARSHALL connection dates back to c.1760 when a Joseph MARSHALL of County Tyrone married a daughter of John HUGGINS [c.1700-1747]. It is the MARSHALL connection transferring to Dumfries and the introduction of the McGOWAN --and possibly also McGRAIN-- surnames that are presenting new, and interesting, research challenges. If anyone recognizes these names and/or has suggestions where to start, I welcome your responses. I would also like to learn if it is possible to pinpoint more precisely the Scottish place origin of our HUGGINS ancestors; for instance, are there surname distributions summarized from tax or similar records that I should be looking at? Thanks in advance, Alison Causton Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada