- Aug 3, 2014
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ChavaK was asking me to share about my Scottish ancestry, and I thought, Hmmmmm, maybe it would be fun for all of us to share our little tales. I'll start, and then all of you can add yours.
. I'll be interested in seeing all of your own stories.
I began by tracing back a Scottish branch of my family known by the name of Abernathy. It turns out that they were once a powerful clan aristocracy in Scotland, but the Clan was destroyed by Robert the Bruce. You remember all those naughty aristocrats in "Braveheart" who sided with England? Well the Abernathy Lords were the chief culprits. Bad, nasty, traitor Abernathy's! The men were immediately executed, and the women were married off into other clans such as the Frasers and Leslies. My line became part of clan Leslie. Thus was the end of clan Abernathy.
Hundreds of years later, in the 1651 Battle of Worcester, Robert Abernathy fought as a Captain (meaning the family had regained some sort of aristocratic title) under Lord Leslie, who was the chief commander in Scotland. The battle was lost, and its leaders imprisoned in the Tower of London to await execution, including Robert. Thankfully, his execution was commuted, and he was sent instead as an indentured servant to the American colonies. There he worked hard until he gained his freedom. He married, and the rest, as they say, is history. Re: The first Robert Abernathy - Genealogy.com
The history of the Abernathy line is interesting. It goes back through Malcolm of Abernathy -- you remember him from Shakespeare's Macbeth. His wife was Margaret, who was canonized a Saint; while Malcolm turned a blind eye, she drained the treasury dry giving to the poor.
Before Malcolm, the records pretty much vanish, but we know that the line was established by King Orn of the Picts who resisted the Romans. He was temporarily exiled and met St. Brigit of Ireland, who converted him to Christianity. He returned to Scotland and, and who built the very first Church at Abernathy. His sons after him were known by that geographical designation. Thus began the clan of Abernathy.
I should start of by saying that 99.9% of my ancestors are just normal folks, average Joe's like me. Nothing to really write home about. It's just this .1% that is incredible. Because with each generation our family tree expands exponentially, they say that *everyone* has cool stuff in their family tree. It's just being lucky enough to find it. But finding a King or saint or whatever seems actually to be a common thing. In fact, there are some 16 million descendents of genghis khan--not me, though
. I'll be interested in seeing all of your own stories.I began by tracing back a Scottish branch of my family known by the name of Abernathy. It turns out that they were once a powerful clan aristocracy in Scotland, but the Clan was destroyed by Robert the Bruce. You remember all those naughty aristocrats in "Braveheart" who sided with England? Well the Abernathy Lords were the chief culprits. Bad, nasty, traitor Abernathy's! The men were immediately executed, and the women were married off into other clans such as the Frasers and Leslies. My line became part of clan Leslie. Thus was the end of clan Abernathy.
Hundreds of years later, in the 1651 Battle of Worcester, Robert Abernathy fought as a Captain (meaning the family had regained some sort of aristocratic title) under Lord Leslie, who was the chief commander in Scotland. The battle was lost, and its leaders imprisoned in the Tower of London to await execution, including Robert. Thankfully, his execution was commuted, and he was sent instead as an indentured servant to the American colonies. There he worked hard until he gained his freedom. He married, and the rest, as they say, is history. Re: The first Robert Abernathy - Genealogy.com
The history of the Abernathy line is interesting. It goes back through Malcolm of Abernathy -- you remember him from Shakespeare's Macbeth. His wife was Margaret, who was canonized a Saint; while Malcolm turned a blind eye, she drained the treasury dry giving to the poor.
Before Malcolm, the records pretty much vanish, but we know that the line was established by King Orn of the Picts who resisted the Romans. He was temporarily exiled and met St. Brigit of Ireland, who converted him to Christianity. He returned to Scotland and, and who built the very first Church at Abernathy. His sons after him were known by that geographical designation. Thus began the clan of Abernathy.
