Hi Jim, the connection with Ireland could be that your family were merchants. Along with the clergy (and soldiers), they moved about alot as they expanded their enterprises. They frequently made dynastic marriages with other merchant families in locations into which they hoped to expand. Sea travel was the norm (the trains were always running late!!!), so the distance between COrk and Derry wasn't so far by the sea route. Ships in those days regularly itinerated around the coasts of Ireland and Scotland stopping at ports that we no longer consider ports, picking up and dropping off cargo and passengers. They apparently stocked up on water in Cork before heading over the Water. To find your family in Ireland or Scotland you must learn how to do genealogy in these places. The majority of Scottish births and marriages are indexed in IGI. (www.familysearch.org and do some reading if you don't recognise "IGI"). We have far fewer parish records for Ireland. You must leverage Scottish records for as long as you can. I suggest you check wills and probates in Scotland, Ireland and England. Check England first -- Canterbury. If your ancestor owned land in Scotland and IReland or Scotland and Pennsylvania, then his will was probated in Canterbury. These are published and burnt onto CD. See www.genealogical.com or your local library. Beyond that check will and probate indexes. I sure can't tell you in an email how to do that. For starters you need to download the free guides to research in Ireland and Scotland from www.familysearch.org and study them. You need to read some articles and some books. The best on for Ireland is Falley "IRish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research". If you really want to find these folk, you will need to spend a fair amount of time learning how to go about it. Otherwise you'll not get too far, esp. in Ireland where the records are sparse. But you CAN do it, esp. with merchant families who will tend to show up in records. The genealogies of the Belfast merchant families are in our archives, from a recently published book (www.rootsweb.com, go to "Mailing Lists", click on Interactive search, type in our name). Check Ryan "Irish Records" for records related to merchants in Derry. Best of luck, too! Linda Merle ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: SAMJEM@aol.com Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 17:37:23 EST >In 1756-59 Daniel/Donald McMath emigrated to America and settled in Chester >County, PA. He supposedly had 5 sons, Samuel, William, John, Daniel and James >as well as 1 daughter. Family remembrances and theories indicate that this >family came from Ayrshire, Scotland. However, I believe there is a Scotch-Irish > connection. > >Samuel, my GGGG grandfather married Ella Baxter, reportedly born in Dublin, >Ireland. Also, when Daniel/Donald emigrated he apparently left 2 of his sons >with his brother Thomas in Derry County, Ireland. Thomas was a linen merchant. >I believe that Samuel was one of the sons left in Ireland. His first >daughter, first child, was Nancy born about 1767 in Cork County, Ireland. Samuel >arrived in America sometime between 1767 and 1772. The second child, Jane was >born in PA in 1772. > >>From Samuel forward to me, this is my maternal line, I have substantial and >verifiable documentation. Other data: > >Daniel/Donald b. about 1715 , d. 1795 West Bradford Township, Chester >County, PA >Samuel b. about 1743 in ? (various locations are Ayrshire, Edinburgh >Scotland and Donegel Ireland) d. 10 Aug. 1825 Huntingdon County, PA > >As I indicated almost all of the above data are family remembrances or >theories. I would like to verify or dispel the information I have and find where >this family came from and develop as much additional documentation as >possible. While I have looked at many references I must admit I have a rather solid >brick wall. Does anyone know where I might do further research? > >I apologize for the length of this query, but would appreciate any ideas or >suggestions. > >Jim Morey >Fort Collins, CO USA > > ________________________________________________________________ Sent via the WebMail system at mail.fea.net