No, I have not seen those names in my tree.

Hi Elizabeth, Aha I thought you would like this! I tried the chat room last night and really enjoyed that. I changed my background colour ... I think it's clearer now. Yes, I did read about the HAMILTONs ... didn't recognize anything so they must be 'other' HAMILTONS, which is too bad! I should show it to my Dad, the real expert.

Greetings Elizabeth. It is nice to see someone from a town I know well. I lived in Norman, Kenora for a dozen years in th 60's and 70's and have good memories.
My mother came from Melrose, Scotland and I an interested in Roxburghshire and Selkirk areas. Brown(e), Scott and Ramsay are also on my list.Welcome to Genealogy Wise which I thinks is a great site.

I am just getting back into my research after a break of eight months. I got involved with the local Historical Society and Genealogy Association and that distracted me. I will review my Scott records and get back to you. Family lore has it that Sir Walter Scott was a distant relative but I have yet to prove that.
I digress - I hear they tore down the Norman Hotel. I expect Bruce Vodrey has passed away as well. Time marches on. Keep in touch.

Just returned from 10 days in Scotland and I believe I got as close as any by visiting the town of "Plocton" a good walk north of Kyle of Localsh. Understand that there is upwards of 14 lines of Matheson's identified thru our DNA. Culd let you know of that prson if you'd like. Great stuff!! Good to "hear" from you and maybe more as time goes on.

Hello Elizabeth - Have not been on this site for some time, it has really changed. From what I can gather our Matheson (my grandfather Samuel) was the only one that I know of at this stage that came to NewZealand (year unknown) from Ireland and prior to that Scotland. Was very difficult obtaining information from the elders in our line before they all passed away (almost think there was something there they did`nt want made public) My questions were always answered - 'look to the future and not into the past' - Will dredge out the information and see if I have any old birth/death/marriage cert here with more information on them and get back to you. Kind regards - Bill Matheson

Hello Elizabeth - You have activated my interest in the family history again - Have got very limited information for you as follows - Samuel Matheson, born 1826, Died 1903, His father James Matheson, His mother Martha (nee Aynsley), Samuel married Sarah Ann Munro, they then went on to have 5 children, being James, Mavis, Samuel, John and my father William

Elizabeth, You asked about testing Mathesons from the Red River Settlement. I don't know where that is. I have Mathesons testing from the UK, NZ, AU, CAN, US, Norway. We just discovered a group that goes back to the kingdom of Dalriada. We've got Vikings and plenty of different Celtic lines. The more who test the more we are learning about the make-up of the clan.

BTY, some Campbells are also from the Kingdom of Dalriada as are MacGregors and some MacDonalds.

--Alice Fairhurst

We have testers from these parishes in Sutherlandshire: Lairg, Golspie, Dornoch, and Edderachyllis, but none so far from Kildonan. Would love to get some Mathesons from that area to test.

You can email me at alicefairhurst@gmail.com

Hi, My Matheson line came from Alexander MATHESON B: 1792 in
Bratten Of Leatty, Rogart, Sutherland, Scotland. Immigrated in 1814. The family was uprooted in the clearances after which they sailed to Pictou, Nova Scotia and settled in Earltown. On my husband's Fraser side there is a Christy Campbell who married Donald Fraser. In 1847, he came with his family from Gleneg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, to Glengary, Ontario, Canada where he lived two years, and then moved to the 5th Range in Harrington, Quebec, Canada. Any relation?

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I see you've been conversing with my Mom, Alice Fairhurst, so this replay may be familiar to you since it originates from her (She's the real family genealogist; I just dabble):

Our Scottish lines came into Canada and settled first in Glengarry County, Canada. First came the MacRaes. John (our line) and older brother Farquhar McRae left the property called Achnagart in Kintail and came to Canada They emigrated to Upper Canada in 1786 on the ship MacDonald or Sandaig. At the time of emigration Farquhar was already married to his wife, Catherine MacDonald, daughter of Angus Ban MacDonald of M'hunial, one of the organizers of the emigration. They were among the first settlers of Glengarry County. This emigration from Knoydart was 520 people - about one-quarter of the district's population and one-half of its tenants. First Farquhar and John were in Lot 2, 7th concession Charlottenburgh near the present city of Cornwall on the St. Lawrence River.

One of our McRae cousins has tested his DNA and it is confirmed to be of the chiefly line of the MacRaes of Kintail. The genealogy trail of the MacDonald line says our MacDonalds were descended from the chiefly line of MacDonald which started with Somerled.

Our Mathesons didn't come until about 1844-45. Widower Alexander Matheson came with his son Dougald and his family from Lochalsh Parish, which contains Kyle of Lochals, Scotland. Dougald;s wife was Isabella McKenzie who was b. 1810 in Ardelve, Lochalsh, Ross-shire, Scotland in a croft house that is still thatched and standing. They had 5 children in Scotland, John, Mary, Janet, Kenneth, and Alexander. Isabella died aboard ship and was buried at sea. We don't know if John and Alex died in Scotland or at sea. These Mathesons lived on a rented farm in Glengarry/Stormont area. The children were never schooled. Kenneth went to sea on the Sta. Lawrence and never returned home. Janet and Mary both married McRaes--Mary married a great-grandson of emigrant John McRae who was also named John McRae. Janet married Alex McRae whose roots were near Inverness. Both of these families came to Minnesota in the 1880-period.

Since the male Matheson line from Dougald disappeared and Alexander's other male children went to Glasgow and we don't know anything of their family, we found cousins descended from Alexander's older brother Murdoch who had two wives and many sons. We have had male descendants from 3 of the sons do DNA tests and they all match the chiefly line of the Mathesons.

That's why I do the Matheson, McRae, and McKenzie DNA projects and communicate with the McDonald DNA administrators.

It is through intermarriages in these four clans that we trace to James IV of Scotland through his bastard daughter, Margaret, who married a Gordon, and thence through various lines until we get Alexander MacRae of Inverinate marrying a MacKenzie and their granddaughter marrying into the Matheson line. So it has been a great adventure! - Alice

My Great Grandfather, William Matheson came from a farm at Gils Canisby in Sutherlandsire. I think my grandmother was concieved on the ship over as she wasn't listed in Edenburgh before and appeared in Herington, KS nine months later.

I,too, have some MacRe cousins but haven't followed that line. It seems like the MacRaes, Roses, and Mathesons came over together to Herington, KS or there abouts. There are Roses at the Kirk Cemetery in Gils Canisby.

Hi I am somehow related to John Pritchard and I was wondering if you can give me any insight.