Good morning List, As one of your lurkers here Mary....... .....and, Diana, how good to see your posts again. I am very interested in the surname M'Harg of all spelling and wonder if you all know if this is originally of Graham heritage? How true is it that McHargue sic are actually the Graham of old? Thanks. I know there's other places appropriate to post this query but I am especially interested in the thoughts of this group being you are all such experts (IMO) and with such versatility in your local knowledge. Added note, it is good to know that the list "mystery" is solved and resolved. I recently found the attempt to manage a RootsWeb Mail List impossible for me and I have new sympathy for those souls who labor to keep us informed. Further thanks are in order for that volunteer work. Linda McKee > Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2013 11:41:15 +0000 > From: Diana Henry <dianahhenry1@outlook.com> > Subject: [WIG LIST] M'HARG > To: "sct-wigtownshire@rootsweb.com" <sct-wigtownshire@rootsweb.com> > >>From the Dumfries Weekly Journal 14th September, 1824 > Sourced by Robert Wells > "At Newton-Stewart, on the 7th current, aged 74, James M'Harg, carter. He had been that morning at the port of Palneur for a cart of lime. After having disposed of the lime, and put the horse into the stable, he was returning into his own house, when he fell down, and in less than two hours was a corpse." > Diana Henry

Hi Folks, Yes, it is great to see List mode operational again. This is a response to Linda McKee <lasm4mckee@hughes.net> who wrote: <<I am very interested in the surname M'Harg of all spelling and wonder if you all know if this is originally of  Graham heritage?  How true is it that McHargue sic are actually the Graham of old?>> and <<I know there's other places appropriate to post this query but I am especially interested in the thoughts of this group being you are all such experts (IMO)  and with such versatility in your local knowledge.>> Hi Linda, have you looked at this website:  www.mchargueclan.org I met the webmaster recently while she was visiting our DGFHS Research Centre in Dumfries. She told me there is no evidence supporting this "story" about Maharg being the reverse of Graham.  Perhaps one hapless branch of Grahams made that change because of sheep stealing, or banishment by the king or other reasons of moral turpitude.   The Mac Harg family as a whole descends from a common Mac Harg ancestor.   The DNA evidence shows the common ancestor of the Mac Hargs / Mehargs / McHargs lived as much as 900 years ago.  Some form of our name has existed for that long. This predates the stories about the Graham switch which usually take place in the 16th century. We do not descend from the Grahams. (Please refer to the section on the DNA project for further information.)   The story appears to have started in The Steel Bonnet by George McDonald Fraser who does not give his source.  The DNA says that the story is not true. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is a similar story which makes McGEORGE, another D&G family name, a derivation of a rearranged McGREGOR. Cheer, Sandy ________________________________