Genealogy Pointers
November 17, 2015
In This Issue
Unprecedented Biographical Dictionary of Early Virginians
"Jacobitism & American Colonial Immigration," by David Dobson
Books on Jacobite & Related Scottish Emigrants
Unprecedented Biographical Dictionary of Early Virginians
Martha McCartney uses recent historical scholarship as she sets the stage in her
remarkable biographical dictionary, Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 16071635: A Biographical Dictionary. She then goes on to break new ground in the
story of the first generation of English settlement in Virginia by gathering "between
the covers of one book the largest congregation of Virginia founders since the
colony's 'ancient planters' took leave of James Fort."
To read an excerpt from the book, plus find out more about this unprecedented trove of
information, visit our blog at http://www.genealogyandfamilyhistory.com/unprecedentedbiographical-dictionary-of-early-virginia-immigrants/#more-2112.
"Jacobitism & American Colonial Immigration," by David Dobson
What was Jacobitism and what relevance did it have for immigration
to colonial America? Jacobitism was basically a movement
committed to restoring the House of Stuart to the throne of Great
Britain and Ireland. It originated when King James II of England, who
was simultaneously King James VII of Scotland, abandoned his
kingdoms and fled to France in 1689. His hurried departure was
prompted by the arrival in England of William of Orange, later to
reign with his wife as William and Mary. The dual monarchs were
succeeded by Queen Anne and thereafter followed the ruling House of Hanover.
Support for the House of Stuart could be found throughout the three kingdoms of England, Ireland,
and Scotland, especially among Catholics and High Anglicans. Hoping to reinstate the Stuart
regime, the Jacobites rose in rebellion on a number of occasions, notably in 1715 and in 1745. In
1715 the main centers of revolt were in Scotland and in the north of England, and the revolt's
failure led to many of its supporters being transported in chains to the colonies or taking refuge on
the continent. By 1745 Jacobitism had lost some of its appeal, especially in England and the
Scottish Lowlands. Instead, the main support came from the Highlands, and the ensuing Jacobite
defeat had severe repercussions there. Perhaps a total of 1,500 Jacobite prisoners were exiled to
the American Plantations in the aftermath of the rebellions of 1715 and 1745. At the same time
other Scots, such as the physician and future Revolutionary War martyr Hugh Mercer, fled to
America.
Continue reading . . . . .
Books on Jacobite & Related Scottish Emigrants
The Jacobites of Angus, 1689-1746
The Scottish county of Angus, or Forfarshire, made a significant contribution to the
Jacobite armies of 1715 and 1745. David Dobson has compiled a list of about 900
persons--including not only soldiers but also civilians who lent crucial support to
the rebellion. Arranged alphabetically, the entries always give the full name of the
Jacobite, his occupation, rank, date of service and unit (if military), and,
sometimes, the date of birth, names of parents, a specific place of origin, and a
wide range of destinations to which the Jacobites fled after each of the failed
insurrections.
Jacobites of 1715 and 1745. North East Scotland
In 1715 and again in 1745, a significant number of rebellious Scottish Jacobites could be found in
the North East, an area dominated by Episcopalian landowners allied to the House of Stuart. This
work identifies 2,000 North East Jacobites of 1715 and 1745, any number of whom either fled to
France or were forcibly transported to the New World (to Maryland and Virginia, in particular).
While the details vary, the biographical notices, in the aggregate, mention the individual's dates of
birth and death, the names or number of family members, town of origin, where he participated in
the rebellion, and what became of him after the insurrection was put down (capture, imprisonment,
execution, transportation, or flight).
Jacobites of Lowland Scotland, England, Ireland, France, and Spain, 1745
In preparing this volume, Mrs. Frances McDonnell examined records in the Scottish Record Office,
National Archives of Scotland, and the Scottish History Society, as well as the Public Record Office
in London. The end result of her labors is an alphabetical register of 1,500 Lowland, English, Irish,
French, and a handful of Spanish Jacobites. The descriptions are similar in scope to the two titles
above.
Jacobites of Perthshire, 1745
Drawing on papers at the Public Record Office in London and the Scottish Record Office in
Edinburgh, Mrs. Frances McDonnell has amassed as much as we are likely to know about the
Jacobites of Perth. Arranged alphabetically, upwards of 1,000 combatants are identified, at the
very least, by rank, position, disposition at the Battle of Culloden, and source. In addition, many of
these same Jacobites are referred to by other campaigns served in, civilian occupation, physical
appearance, and, where applicable, ship and date when transported to America.
The Jacobite Peerage. Baronetage, Knightage & Grants of Honour
The first part of this volume contains an alphabetical list of all titles known to have been bestowed
between December 11, 1688, and November 4, 1784, the date of the last title conferred by Charles
III. A biographical and genealogical account is given for each peer and baronet, together with the
names of their children. The second part, dealing with court appointments and chivalric honors,
contains lists of the knights created by the Stuarts; persons to whom certificates of noblesse were
granted; household, diplomatic, and consular appointments; Catholic archbishops, bishops, and
vicars-apostolic nominated by James II (VII) and by James III (VIII); and those who received naval
and military commissions.
Scots in Georgia and the Deep South, 1735-1845
This work contains the names of several thousand Scots who immigrated to Georgia and the Deep
South, settling in the area sometime between 1735 and 1845. Based on probate records, court
records, family papers, newspapers and journals, naturalization papers, church registers,
gravestone inscriptions, printed sources, and census returns, the information provided in this book
is of a broad and mixed character, generally giving some or all of the following details: name, place
and date of birth, occupation, place and date of settlement in Georgia or the Deep South, and
names of spouses and children.
Directory of Scots in the Carolinas, 1680-1830. [Volume 1]
In general, the compiler David Dobson provides the following details on 6,000 Scots transplanted
to the Carolinas: age, place and date of birth, and often names of parents, names of spouse and
children, occupation, place of residence, and the date of emigration from Scotland.
Directory of Scots in the Carolinas, 1680-1830. Volume 2
Since 1986 David Dobson has gathered an overwhelming amount of new information on another
thousand early Scottish immigrants to North and South Carolina (see above) based on his
research in Scotland, England, and the U.S., but especially at the National Archives in Scotland.
Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations, 1650-1775. 2nd Edition
Between 1650 and 1775, many thousands of Scots were banished to the American colonies for
political, religious, or criminal offenses. These exiles, together with a stream of petty criminals,
formed a sizable proportion of the Scottish population of colonial America. Mr. Dobson here
furnishes a list of these banished Scots, the ancestors of thousands of Americans living today. For
each person cited in this directory, some or all of the following information is provided: name,
occupation, place of residence in Scotland, place of capture and captivity, parents' names, date
and cause of banishment, name of the ship, and date and place of arrival in the colonies. This new
edition identifies 30% more banished Scots than in the original.
Scots on the Chesapeake, 1607-1830
In this book David Dobson attempts to bring together all available references to Scots in Virginia
and Maryland from sources scattered throughout Great Britain and North America. The result is an
exhaustive list of several thousand Scots known to have been in the Chesapeake region between
1607 and 1830, including, where known, details of birth, marriage, and death, occupation, age,
date of emigration, place of settlement, and family relationships.
Scottish Soldiers in Colonial America, Part One and Part Two
The French and Indian War of 1756-1763, in particular, led to significant recruitment in Scotland for
service in the American colonies. The experience gained by these soldiers would influence their
decision and that of their countrymen to subsequently settle in or immigrate to America. The list of
about 1,000 soldiers is arranged alphabetically and, while the descriptions vary widely, the
researcher will discover some or all of the following information in each one: soldier's name, rank,
military unit, date(s) and campaign(s) of service, place of birth, when arrived in North America,
civilian occupation, date and place of death, and the source of the information.
Scottish Soldiers in Colonial America, Part Three
Working from manuscripts in the Acts of the Privy Council and the Calendar of British State Papers
and published sources such as the Aberdeen Journal, the Edinburgh Advertiser, and the Georgia
Gazette, Dr. Dobson has uncovered information on an additional 750 Scottish colonial solders not
found in the book above.
Scots in the Mid-Atlantic Colonies, 1635-1783
This title identifies some 3,000 Scots who settled in the mid-Atlantic colonies prior to the
Revolutionary War. In point of fact, Scottish settlement in the middle colonies of America dates
from the early 17th century, and Mr. Dobson demonstrates that even before the establishment of
English colonies in that region in the 1660s, there were a number of Scots pioneers living with the
Dutch settlers of New Netherland and probably also in the Swedish settlements along the
Delaware.