As Dr. David Dobson explains in his new book, The Covenanters of Scotland, 1638-1690, the Wars of the Covenant occurred between 1639 and 1651, when Scotland and England were two independent countries, though both were subject to King Charles I. The cause of the Covenanter movement lay in the attempts of the Stuart kings to[…]Read more
A few weeks ago, we announced that fact that Genealogical.com is now the North American publisher of Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The essential genealogical guide to early modern Ulster, 1600-1800, by William R. Roulston. In order to better convey that enormity of this book’s coverage of the records pertaining to the genealogy of Northern Ireland, on[…]Read more
Here’s what they’re saying about a few of our popular titles. Free African Americans of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina from the Colonial Period to About 1820, Paul Heinegg “Heinegg’s pioneering publication has only grown with each edition . . . While these brief biographies are of great value, researchers should also pay attention[…]Read more
Northern Ireland native Chris Paton manages the popular blog, “Scottish Genes.” Mr. Paton has written textbooks on Scottish and Irish genealogy, and he is a highly regarded professional genealogist running his own research service out of the Scottish coastal town, Irvine, North Ayrshire. On May 5, Chris Paton posted a glowing review of Dr. David[…]Read more
Several months ago, we announced that Genealogical.com had published the preeminent textbook for Scots-Irish genealogy: William Roulston’s RESEARCHING SCOTS-IRISH ANCESTORS. The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600–1800. This 2018 second edition is a massively expanded version of its 2005 predecessor. The new edition includes additional information on church records and landed estate papers,[…]Read more
As the genealogist of a Scottish clan organization, I have for many years been frustrated by the notion of a “family coat of arms” and even more frustrated by the sale of such contrivances at Scottish and Celtic games and festivals where the organizers should know better. I strongly believe that you should be knowledgeable[…]Read more
David Dobson, our most prolific writer and compiler, has been on a roll again. In 2021, we published his excellent guidebook, Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond, which has garnered rave reviews from other experts like Chris Paton. We recently put together his multi-book series on the Scots-Irish into a fully-indexed two volume set entitled,[…]Read more
The new consolidated edition of Scots-Irish Links [1575-1875], by David Dobson identifies over 15,000 Scots-Irish inhabitants of the Ulster Plantation, and the indexes to those two volumes name an astounding 33,000 people connected to those inhabitants. Of course, even those numbers cannot compare with the wave of Scots who transplanted to Ireland. In the 17th-century[…]Read more
The Introduction to William J. Roulston’s magnificent textbook, Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The essential genealogical guide to early modern Ulster, 1600-1800, includes a historical essay that summarizes the events from the Nine Years War (1593-1603) to the Act of Union of 1800 that culminated in the solidification of the Ulster Plantation. Roulston devotes separate chapters to[…]Read more
Persons looking for Scots-Irish ancestors invariably discover that Ulster church records are a crucial source of information. Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors, by William J. Roulston, is the most comprehensive source in the field. Chapter 2 provides detailed coverage of Church of Ireland, various Presbyterian, Methodist, Moravian, Quaker, Roman Catholic, and Huguenot denominations. Excerpted below are the[…]Read more
The June 2022 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) features a long review of Dr. David Dobson’s 2021 book, Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond. Norman D. Nicol, Ph.D., the writer of the review and an expert on Scottish family history himself, assesses each chapter of the book, often adding a suggestion here[…]Read more
Published originally in 1944, The Scotch-Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania, by historian Wayland F. Dunaway, is still regarded as one of the most important textbooks for Scots-Irish ancestry. For one thing, the title is a bit misleading as the author not only covers the significant arrival of Ulster Scots in the Province of Pennsylvania but also[…]Read more
