WebCatt's Genealogy

Matheson

Info about the Gathering of the Clans --- July 1998
and some other hints for tree climbing

from J. Kurt Matheson

Yes, it was lovely! I took lots of photos. We flew in to Inverness and stayed for two days. On the third day, we traveled to Southerland and stayed in Dornoch. I did visit Bonar Bridge and Invershin where my people were from before they came to North Carolina. On Wednesday, we traveled to the west coast to Loch Carron and stayed the remainder of the time, traveling the region to all of the events of the Clan gathering.

The Clan Matheson gathering was most successful. I have never seen so many friendly people named Matheson in one place at the same time. Attending were members from the US, Canada, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, England and Scotland. I encourage all of you to join the Clan Matheson Society. There are numerous contacts within the membership that could help you. The web address is www.matheson.org. I believe the annual dues are twelve dollars US.

Also, the daughter of the late Clan Chief, Torquel Matheson, is preparing a book for publication in 1999. It was written by her father, before his death. This will be most interesting as it contains information not available in the 1900 Matheson Genealogy Book. I still encourage you to purchase and research the 1900 edition. It will help you have a better understanding of the lines involved.

I know most of you are asking, “Where do I go for information?” I would say, you should read the book, then try to determine where your line came from. This can normally be accomplished by reviewing the names of the male members in the family after they arrived in the new country. There is a pattern of naming males in a family given by order of birth.

[from the Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society website]

Males
First-born Son - Father's father's name
Second-born Son - Mother's father's name
Third-born Son - Father's name
Fourth-born Son - Father's eldest brother's name
Fifth-born Son - Father's 2nd brother's or Mother's oldest brother's name

Females
First-born Daughter - Mother's mother's name
Second-born Daughter - Father's mother's name
Third-born Daughter - Mother's name
Fourth-born Daughter - Mother's eldest sister's name
Fifth-born Daughter - Mother's 2nd oldest sister's or Father's oldest sister's name

In some cases you will find that the order is reversed with the first and second children, i.e. the First-born son being named after the Mother's father and the Second-born son after the Father's father. If this is the case then the daughters are also usually reversed.

There are other means as well. For the Southerland group, I purchased a copy of a book called “The History of Lairg”, which has additional information not found in the 1900 book but references it as well. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but will do so in the next week. The wife of the late Clan Chief Torquel Matheson told me it was “quite interesting reading and a worthy purchase.”

Please save your money and do not hire someone to research the family in Scotland. Most of these ventures have been unsuccessful.

J. Kurt Matheson
Greenville, SC

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