2010 December - Clan MacRae Society of North America

Uaran
volume 34, number 3
CLAN M a cR AESgurr
SO CIE
T Y O F N O RT H AM ER ICA
306 Sur re y R o ad Sa va nnah Geo rg ia 314 10- 4 404
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Sgurr Uaran
Volume 34, Number 3
December 2010
The President’s Letter
Online at www.macrae.org
T
he seasons greetings to you all,
Thanksgiving has gone and the Christmas season looms ahead with all of its
portent of the coming year and what lies ahead for us all, individually and as a Nation. On
John M. MacRae-Hall, President
a daily basis we are treated to visions of gloom and despondency by the media at large. So
PO Box 404
very often their fervent desire to make sensational news out of mundane events casts a pall
Westminster, SC 29693- 0404
over times we should be enjoying. This wretched tendency was borne out recently during
a trip to Great Britain in October. The dire warnings we heard prior to our departure of
Valerie R. See, Secretary
terrorist activity, strikes by airport personnel, impossible traffic situations, runaway crime
PO Box 2282
and anarchy, all proved to be hollow threats. The whole trip was a delight. Airport and
Snohomish, WA 98291-2282
security personnel were polite and courteous. The flight in each direction, on time, smooth
Laura Belle Macrae, Treasurer
and comfortable. Our month-long stay was very pleasant and our fifteen hundred miles of
306 Surrey Road
motoring around was without drama or hold ups. Widespread communal strife was conspicuous by its absence.
Savannah, GA 31410-4407
During many happy interludes I recalled our pleasant participation, manning the
Larry W. Cates, Genealogist
MacRae tent at the Loch Hartwell games in Anderson South Carolina, just prior to our
6819 Red Maple Drive
departure. The one-day event was a delight. Plenty of space for everything, a moderate
Charlotte, NC 28277-2214
attendance and beautiful
[email protected]
weather. There was ample time
to talk with others and take time
Larry T. McRae, Editor
out to visit other clans and the
5108 Huntcliff Trail
various attractions. Not least
Winston-Salem, NC 27104
among these was a display of
Tel: 336.245.8969
Falconry by a Mr. Dale [email protected]
rowood of Sharpsburg Georgia.
He has several birds of prey including a Red-tailed Hawk, a
Peregrine Falcon and, surprisingly, a magnificent Barn Owl!
The highlight of the performInside this issue: ance occurred when the Peregrine refused to return from a perch in a high tree, seemingly
indifferent to the lure offered by the handler. The Red -tailed Hawk was then dispatched
Notes and Correspondence
2 and made short work of rounding up the truant who returned, post-haste, to the safety of
Upcoming Events
the glove on the arm of its handler. Altogether a day of leisurely companionship, free from
Results from Ancestor Search
the frenetic nattering of distraught Newscasters and their troubled perturbations. May you
Showing the Flag
Sheriffmuir
all enjoy a equally placid and splendid Christmas Holiday and a very happy, and hopefully
Honored Clan in Indiana
plenteous, New Year, keeping in mind the dedication of those who serve, abroad and at
Hugh MacRae and USMC
home, to protect our various freedoms. God bless them, their families, and all of us.
GMHPB in Scotland
— John Malcolm MacRae-Hall, K.C.T.J.
Hugh MacRae II, PresidentEmeritus
MacGregor Connection?
5
Report on the DNA Project
6
Genealogy Update
7
Raphael Ray, 1959-2010
10
Ceud Mille Failte
10
Larry & Mary Ruth McRae wish a Very
Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous
New Year to All who wear MacRae Tartan.
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Sgurr Uaran
Notes and Correspondence
MacRae Hunting Tartan Available in Cotton Yardage
P
eter Wilson, proprietor of Great Scot International
and a frequent visitor at MacRae tents, has had a bolt
of the green MacRae Hunting tartan woven in a midweight cotton. Until he’s sold it all, it’s available to
members of the Society for $15.95/yard. Contact Great
Scot International, toll-free telephone 1-877-359-8369
and mention your membership in Clan MacRae. A bolt
of this woven several years ago proved to be wonderful
for drapes, table cloths and ladies’ skirts. There also remains a stock of the double-width MacRae in America
tartan in 13 oz. wool at $55/yd. Contact either Peter or
John MacRae-Hall.
Upcoming Events
•
Robbie Burns Night Celebration in New Bern, NC,
Jan 22, 2011 sponsored by the Scottish Heritage Society of Eastern NC. Contact Brian Dodds,
[email protected].
•
Northeast Florida Highland Games and Festival, February 27, 2011, Jacksonville, FL. Contact John
Wayne McRae, [email protected].
•
Fort King George Scottish Festival, March 19, 2011,
Darien, GA. Contact Leon Folsom,
[email protected].
•
Tallahassee Scottish Highland Games and Celtic Festival, April 10, 2011, Tallahassee, FL. Contact Dan
McRae, [email protected].
•
Loch Norman Highland Games, April 16 – 18, 2011,
near Charlotte, NC. Contact Leon Folsom,
[email protected].
•
If you’re sponsoring a tent or otherwise involved
with Scottish games or other events, please let us
know. E-mail to [email protected] or call me at
336-245-8969.
volume 34, number 3
AL who is a grandson of Murdo MacRae. In a ‘small
world’ concidence, Ken lives about a half hour’s drive
from where I grew up in Mobile. From the family information he gave me, there's no doubt that he is descended
from Murdo MacRae of page 473 in the 1910 edition of
the History. This gives us the first known prospective
tester of the Clan Ian Charrach.”
With hopes for similar results, we present several
such requests. The first:
e are searching for descendants of Roderick
McRae, who was listed in the 1910 census of St.
Clair County, Illinois, where he lived in the city of
Belleville. In the family were wife Mayme, and sons
Roderick, Jr. and Murdo. Another son, Lester, was born
in 1910 after the census was taken. Roderick was born in
Scotland about 1875 and was the son of Roderick MacRae who married Flora Maclennan. The two Rodericks
were descendants of the Clan Ian Charrach as described
in the 1910 edition of the History of the Clan MacRae.
Roderick died in 1940 and is buried in the Walnut Hill Cemetery in Belleville, Illinois. He and Mayme
must have divorced between 1920, when they were listed
together in the St. Clair County census, and 1930, when
Mayme was listed as the wife of Fred Eberhardt. In that
year, Murdo was living with his mother and step-father
and was a salesman with Eberhardt’s stove foundry.
Nothing further is known about the son Roderick,
Jr. The son Lester may have been the Lester McRae who
was listed in the California death index as having been
born in Illinois on June 6, 1910 and died in Fresno, California on January 22, 1973.
If any one is a descendant of Roderick MacRae
or has information about this family, please contact Tom
McRae at [email protected] or call 704-536-9121.
W
Showing the Flag at Loch Hartwell
Some Results from Ancestor Searches
I
n our last issue, we ran a short piece seeking descendants of brothrs Murdo and John MacRae. Tom
McRae, who is involved in the Clan DNA Project reports
that “insertion of the filler … yielded instant results. Tonight I had a call from Ken MacRae of Mobile,
Resplendent in MacRae in America Tartan, John MacRaeHall with wife Babs manned the tent.
Sgurr Uaran
Page 3
Update on Sheriffmuir
I
n April, the Scottish Power Company, which is responsible for the proposed power line in the Stirling
area, announced that they would hold public consultations on mitigating the impact of the giant pylons. By
October, their idea of “consultation” had become clear:
where the power line crosses the Sheriffmuir battlefield
and enters Stirling, the company
will plant a few trees and paint the
pylons dark grey. According to the
Stirling Observer, Scottish Power
“ruled out burying the new line
underground, citing technical, environmental and economic reasons.”
In other words, get over it.
In September, the Scottish
government announced a variety of
mitigation measures over part of
the line between Beauly near Inverness and Denny near Stirling, including rerouting and burying a
lengthy stretch in the Cairngorms.
It’s also noteworthy that the British
government plans to pay for burying several miles of
MacRaes are Honored Clan in Indiana
The following report comes
to us from Murl McRae.
C
lan MacRae was the
Honored Clan at the
Columbus Scottish Festival
this year. For the tenth year
Margaret and Murl McRae
hosted the Clan MacRae
tent. Several MacRaes visited the tent on both Saturday and Sunday. Some of
the visitors had never attended Highland Games
before. They came because
they saw Clan MacRae
listed as Honored Clan in
the Festival Brochures. As
Honored Clan we led the
Parade of Tartans and were
given a page on the Festival
website.
volume 34, number 3
power line near the London site of the 2012 Olympic
Games. When Scottish Power held their “consultation” in
Stirling in October, these points and others raised a storm
of comment from the public, and the company representatives were, “… sent away with one message from a public
meeting on Monday – come back with a serious plan for
Stirling. And messages were also directed at Scottish
ministers: ‘Sort out the mess and DEMAND the line be
buried in sensitive areas’.”
At a subsequent demonstration held in
downtown Stirling in late October, a number of
speakers condemned the scheme. Commander
Jim MacRae, whom many will remember from the
tours organized by Bruce and Judy McRae, spoke
forcefully for defending Sheriffmuir, while Fraser
MacRae lamented that he couldn’t believe the
scheme was going ahead as planned. The hit of
the protest seems to have been Kenny Logan, a
sometime Scottish rugby star whose family farm
lies in the path of the pylons. From the newspaper
accounts, it seems that everyone present thinks
there are better routes that have not been explored.
There was no further news as Sgurr
Uaran was being finished. We will try to stay
abreast of the story.
Pictured below are (L to R): Michael MacCrae, Justin MacCrae, Margaret
McRae, Anne Rae Henderson, Fay Macrae Stewart and Murl McRae.
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Sgurr Uaran
More Ancestor Searches
T
he MacRae/McRae DNA project continues to
search for descendants of emigrants mentioned by
name in Alexander McRae’s History of the Clan
McRae.
We are searching for descendants of John
McRae, who was a hotel clerk in Union County, Oregon in 1910. He was descended from Rev. Donald MacRae, Vicar of Urray in 1649. John married Isabella Murchison and had four sons: Hugh Christopher, Rex, Murdock and James A. Rex had a son named John Sheldon McRae, who was born about 1920. Hugh Christopher died in Oregon in 1916 and Rex died there
in 1966.
We are also searching for descendants of Dr.
Donald MacRae, who emigrated to Council Bluffs,
Iowa and became mayor of that city. He was descended from Finlay MacRae of New Kelso, grandson of Alexander MacRae of Inverinate.
Donald’s son, Donald, Jr., was also a doctor
and became mayor of Council Bluffs after his father's
death. During the Spanish American War, Donald
MacRae, Jr. served as a major and surgeon with the
51st Iowa Regiment, which saw service in the Philippines. Later, he was a Professor of Anatomy at the
University of Nebraska at Omaha and served as VicePresident of the Iowa State Medical Society. He married Mary Virginia Miller and they had two children,
Marion and Donald III. Donald III married Joyce
Parker and they had a son, Donald MacRae IV, who
died in McMinnville, Oregon in 2000.
volume 34, number 3
If any one is a descendant of either John MacRae
or Donald MacRae or has information about either of
these families, please contact Tom McRae at [email protected] or call 704-536-9121.
An Honor for Hugh MacRae II
I
n recognition of his long support of the Armed Forces
in the Wilmington, NC, area, our Society’s President
Emeritus was invited to attend the installation ceremony
for the new Commandant of the Marine Corps. His invitation:
Grandfather Mountain Highlanders Place Well in World
Championships
T
he pipe band that wears MacRae tartan competed in several competitions
in Scotland this last summer, including
the World Championships in Glasgow. In
spite of their youth, the 25-member band
was one of 12 Grade IV bands, out of 40
entrants, that made it to the Finals. Their
final placement was 11th.
Sally Warburton, the band’s business manager, reports that for the dozen
teen-agers in the band, it was the trip of a
lifetime, and all feel very good about their
showing and about the band’s future.
At left: the Highlanders at the Grandfather
Mountain Games just before departure.
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Sgurr Uaran
Larry McRae — MacGregor?
E
xamination of your editor’s DNA shows that he
shares a common ancestor with Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor, Chief of Clan MacGregor. When I
asked a MacGregor genealogist at the Stone Mountain
Games about it, he was flabbergasted. Apparently I am
more closely related to The MacGregor than many MacGregors are. Our DNA Project Administrator, Alice
Fairhurst, believes that the evidence clearly shows that
the Kintail MacRaes are descended from the early Irish
kings of Dalriada, a lineage dating literally to the Dark
Ages. Since the MacGregors claim descent from those
same kings, it’s very possible that the two families are
somehow connected — roughly 1500 years ago. But I’m
happy to allow the MacGregors to claim kinship with the
MacRaes.
On the way to looking up their history, I came
across a delightful piece from London’s Daily Mail. It
was written by Fiona Armstrong MacGregor, Malcolm’s
wife and a well-known TV “presenter” (as they say in the
UK). Herewith some excerpts. Anyone interested can
find the whole article at dailymail.co.uk/femail/article1222739/Life-tartan-army-We-Armstrongs-start-fightphonebox--MacGregor-MacGregor.html#ixzz0rhJJoSo1
T
he vast Martin Luther King Boulevard in the baking
humidity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was where it
first hit me what it means to be married to a Clan Chief. I
was slowly marching – like any good wife – a step behind my husband, following the rather moth-holed pleats
of the old kilt that his grandfather had worn. Before us
was a band of pipers, behind us, an army of red, green
and black tartan-clad supporters. Our little band of Bravehearts was on a melting dual carriageway with a parking
lot on one side and a shopping mall on the other. It was a
Saturday afternoon. To our left, cab drivers were leaning
out of their windows honking their horns. To our right,
shoppers in the mall laughed and clapped as this snapshot
of ancient Scottish life passed by.
In my other world as a TV reporter, I might well
have been on the sidelines filming this strange scene.
Now I was on centre stage, slowly cooking in my hat and
heavy tartan suit and rather envying the men, who at least
had fresh air wafting up their kilts. It was a definitive
How Did I Get Here moment. Back home in Scotland,
attitudes to the ancient clan system are mixed. To some,
it is an intrinsic part of their heritage and identity. Others
find the tartan and shortbread image rather ridiculous.
But there is no doubt that those whose forebears left
Celtic shores to make a new life in the New World love
the whole piping, caber-tossing, Burns-reciting, haggishunting thing.
volume 34, number 3
My husband takes his job seriously; his role is to
be an authority on clan history and the wider Scottish
story and an active figurehead for the name. And in
crossing the Atlantic, we were keeping up a family tradition. My husband’s parents were there in 1959 for the
50th anniversary [of the Clan MacGregor Society’s
founding]. Mind you, times were different then. My husband’s father waltzed
through customs carrying a small armoury
of ceremonial metalwork – highland
broadswords and dirks
– while his mother
carried the family tiara
wrapped in a brown
paper bag to fool
would-be thieves.
Nowadays even the
skean dhu – a tiny
dagger – is impossible
to take through American customs. As for
our passports, they
really confuse the immigration officials.
We get “MacGregor –
Lady – now that’s a
real nice name,” or
“Hey, Lord, my
brother’s called Earl.”
Of course these clan societies may not be the
most accurate reflection of Scottish traditions, but they
do spread the Scottish story and bring people together in
fellowship. What’s more, they do wonders for tourism
and Americans will put their hands in their pockets to
make sure the story continues.
Though I asked myself, in Chattanooga, what on
earth I was doing there, I know the answer. We may be
separated by thousands of miles, but we are linked by
shared history. As one American MacGregor told me:
“How do you know where you are going if you don’t
know where you come from?”
The crest of Clan MacGregor
proclaims: “Royal is My
Race.” On the DNA evidence, MacRaes could make
the same claim.
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Sgurr Uaran
Clan MacRae DNA Project Update
F
ellow MacRaes,
We have come a long way with our MacRae
DNA Project. It seems like only yesterday that my wife
Judy gave me a kit as a present for Christmas in 2007. A
few months later Faye Moore wrote an article for the
April 2008 Sgurr Uaran updating us about the project; at
that time we had 46 MacRaes who had joined. It is now
December 2010 and we have 158 members in the MacRae DNA project! So having our little DNA project increase so dramatically in three short years is fantastic and
we can be proud of this achievement!
We are now seeing many MacRaes pairing up
into closer DNA groups. We have one large group with a
perfect 67 marker DNA match: Kenneth Gilbert McRae
of Little Rock, AR; Richard Weston McRae of Bradenton, FL; Duncan Christopher McRae of Fort Smith, AR;
and Scott Colin McRae of Billings, MT.
Then we have the following who are only
one marker removed (66/67 markers) from
the above four: Steven Clay McRae of
Graham, NC; Sage McRae of Kingston,
Ontario, Canada; John Elijah McRae of
Moultonborough, NH; Larry McRae of
Winston-Salem, NC; James William
McRae of Mount Gilead, NC; Michael
McRae of Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia; and Bruce Wayne McRae of Golden, CO.
We also have numerous smaller pairings of MacRaes as well. We have one group pair a perfect 67 marker
DNA match: Dr. Robert D. MacRae of Victoria, BC,
Canada and Dallas Marvin McCrae of Wallowa, OR.
Then we have Dr. Stuart Gordon MacRae of Ashford,
Kent, England being only one marker removed (66/67
markers) from them as well as Douglas Edward MacRae
of Te Keiti, NZ being only two markers removed (65/67
markers). Those of you interested in seeing these and all
other matches can go to http://www.familytreedna.com/
public/MacRae/default.aspx?section=results then scroll
down and select from several different MacRae charts.
Alice Fairhurst of Covina, CA, has done a wonderful job
of compiling all the different groups into easy-to-read
charts and she is to be complimented for all of her hard
work, time and effort.
We are making great headway, but we are in need
of more of those MacRaes who have a documented lineage back to Scotland. These MacRaes may not feel a
need to do DNA testing for themselves, but their DNA is
greatly needed to allow all of us to fully trace our family
lines accurately back to Scotland. Tom McRae and Larry
Cates (our USA Clan Genealogist) both of Charlotte, NC,
volume 34, number 3
have been working with Martin MacRae Halligan of Fort
William, Scotland, to locate more MacRaes with solid
paper trails to Scotland. They found several potential
testers and some paid for their test, but some could not
afford the $199.00 fee for the 67 marker DNA test.
And it is here that the MacRae DNA Project is
seeking your help. We are asking our fellow MacRaes to
contribute $50, $100, $200 or whatever they can afford
to the MacRae DNA project. We then can pool these
monies and help these benchmark MacRaes with the
costs associated with the 67 marker test. As you can see
above, we have an international group of MacRaes involved in the DNA Project, but we all need the assistance
of those with proven paper trails for the project to be a
complete success. If you would like to be a part of helping us advance our DNA Project, please follow these instructions to contribute.
1. Go to www.familytreedna.com/public/MacRae.
2. Scroll down to "General Fund" then select "Click
here" on the line relating to donations.
3. Follow the instructions for paying by (a)
Paypal; (b) Credit card; or (c) by check.
A final plea: if you have not had
your DNA tested, please sign-up for the 67
marker test. Or consider giving the 67
marker test as a Christmas present this year
to someone special for it will give for
generations to come! We would like to see
all the different branches and families of
the Clan MacRae become part of the DNA
Project. Please follow the below link if you want to sign
up for the 67 marker DNA Test for yourself or for
another family member as a Christmas gift.
https://www.familytreedna.com/order-form.aspx?
ty=1157&Group=McRae&code=
For questions or more information, please contact:
Alice Fairhurst DNA Project Co-ordinator
[email protected]
Faye Moore DNA Project Co-ordinator
[email protected]
Larry Cates Clan Genealogist
[email protected]
Tom McRae
[email protected]
Martin MacRae Halligan
[email protected]
Bruce W. McRae
[email protected]
God Bless and have a very Merry Christmas!
— Bruce W. McRae
Sgurr Uaran
Page 7
Genealogy
Our Clan Society Genealogist, Larry Cates, has been
busy with much new information to chew on. He sent the
following report of his recent activities.
GENEALOGIST’S UPDATE:
The Most Exciting Discoveries of 2010
by Larry Cates
O
ne of the great joys of studying family history is the
power of discovery to surprise you – even shake
you up a bit. A year ago today, I would have told you
that I had looked for clues about Southeastern McRaes in
almost every place available to me. I would never have
anticipated some of the new material that I’ve obtained
this year, often when I wasn’t even looking for it. Much
of it I attribute to the generosity and enthusiasm of correspondents. One item, in particular, flowed from the DNA
project, about which you’ve heard so much. Some revelations revised or overturned earlier conjectures I had
made from limited evidence. As a result, I’ve had cause
to thank my lucky stars on more than one occasion that
my research has not yet been published. While the DNA
project continues to expand at its current pace, it is probably prudent to continue to re-evaluate my thinking on
many lineages. So, without further delay, here are several momentous research finds for 2010.
•
Ann McRae McCrimmon was the mother of Duncan
McCrimmon of Telfair Co., GA and of his sister
Margaret McCrimmon McLennan. As family tradition tells us, Ann came to North Carolina with her
MacCrimmon husband (given name as yet unsubstantiated) and various McRae relatives. Both she and
her husband suffered early deaths about the time of
the Revolutionary War. Because of letters from the
McCrimmon and McRae Family Papers (MS 1876)
•
volume 34, number 3
at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah, and
from a chart handed down in the family of Alexander
P. McRae of Tattnall Co., GA (1811-1855), a later
immigrant (c. 1829) to this country, we now know
that Ann was part of the Achnagart family of MacRaes and a sister of Alexander McRae’s father Murdock McRae of Sheil House (d. 1846; see the History, p. 212). The History of Clan MacRae (1899)
makes no mention of this sister. Tradition alleges
that, after her death, Ann’s children (Duncan and
Margaret) were cared for by McRae relatives. If we
could determine who these “relatives” were, we
would have a good chance of placing them in the
MacRae family tree.
It is worth noting that, in 1813, Duncan McRae
of Telfair Co., GA, sold land in Richmond Co., NC
that had originally been conveyed in 1777 by Patrick
Saunders to Christopher McRae and Donald
McCrimmon, jointly. According to the family chart,
Ann McRae McCrimmon did have a paternal uncle
named Christopher McRae who is not mentioned in
the History and whose fate is unknown. We also
know that, in the 19th century, Colin and John MacRae of Camden, SC, printed several copies of a history of the Achnagart family written by a Murdock
McRae of Carr, Scotland, who was a grandson of the
aforementioned Murdock. A copy of this pamphletstyle publication has not yet been found, but we are
informed that one was sent to Donald MacRae of
Wilmington, NC, and may be among the Hugh
McRae Papers at Duke University. Thanks are due
here to Bobby Thompson.
From the same collection at the Georgia Historical
Society, MS 1876, come two interesting personal letters. Both were written to Christopher McRae (18151897), who was the son of John McRae (1780-1853)
and his wife Margaret McRae (1795-1882) of Mt.
Vernon, GA. One, dated 6 Jan 1877, was from Philip
McRae (1812-1880) of Cumberland (now Hoke) Co.,
NC, a son of Murdock McRae (1772-1832), gunsmith, and his wife Christian McRae (1782-1832).
This letter refers to Christopher of Mt. Vernon as
Philip’s “cousin.” This one is relatively easy to decipher. Philip’s mother Christian was a sister of Christopher’s mother, Margaret—both having been daughters of Long Daniel McRae of Mountain Creek in
Richmond Co., NC. The marriage bond for Christian
and Murdock McRae, dated 1800, is to be found
among Richmond County records, and the bondsman
was Donald McRae, doubtless Christian’s father.
The other letter is more inscrutable and adds further complication to the tortured kinship nexus of
Roderick McRae (1766-1850), about which we wrote
(Continued on page 8)
Page 8
Sgurr Uaran
(Continued from page 7)
•
at length in an earlier issue. It was sent to the same
Christopher in Georgia by Alexander Chisholm
McRae (b. 1834) of Clio, Marlboro County, SC,
March 14, 1857, and is likewise addressed, “Dear
Cousin.” Alexander C. McRae was the son of
Roderick A. McRae (1795-1869) and his wife Christian Chisholm (1795-1857) and the grandson of
Alexander McRae, Dunbar (d. 1824; wife Catherine),
all of Marlboro County. In the course of the letter,
Alexander refers to several cousins in Marlboro, including Duncan D. McRae (1803-1859), son of
Roderick (1766-1850) and Margaret McRae
(1770/75-1839), Mrs. McLucas (1807-1856), daughter of the selfsame Roderick, and Charles T. McRae
(1812-1872), son of Rev. Charles McRae (17681842) by his wife Margaret McRae (1770/75-1843).
Thus, we must now add the Alexander McRae
(Dunbar) family to the already complex Roderick
McRae cousinage.
The presumed identity of Daniel McRae (Red)
(1760/65-1841) of Anson Co., NC, has been recently
overturned. Previously, we thought him an elder son
of John McRae of Leith’s Creek in Robeson County
(d. 1780’s), but by the comparison of the signature
from his will with the signature on his brother Alexander’s administration bond (1823) in Richmond
County, we now know him to be the son of Christopher McRae (d. 1813/1818) of Martin’s Creek in
Richmond County. Alexander died childless, but his
other brother, Christopher, Jr. (b. c. 1770), moved on
to Lowndes Co., MS, with his son Murphy McRae.
This still leaves us with concerns about how this Red
Daniel might have been a cousin of Margaret
(McRae) Gillis and of Daniel McRae (1786/90 –
1850, Stiller) of Richmond County. This Margaret,
who was born c. 1808, was the wife of Malcolm
Gillis and daughter of Alexander McRae of Hamer’s
Creek, Montgomery Co., NC [d. 1833] by his wife
Mary McRae [d. 1849]. Mary, in turn, was the
daughter of John McRae of Leith’s Creek. The
cousinships are implied by two letters written in the
1870’s by a great granddaughter of Red Daniel and
which discuss her encounters with representatives
from these families and their claims of kinship to her.
By the way, this discovery opens up the possibility that the Daniel McRae who was likely the son of
John McRae of Leith’s Creek (d. 1780’s) in Robeson
(earlier in Richmond Co.) by his first wife (also a
McRae, given name unknown), could be discovered
through y-DNA comparison of a descendant. John’s
DNA is already represented in our study. A promising prospect for the identity of this Daniel is Daniel
•
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volume 34, number 3
M. McRae (1760/65-1843, Wayne Co., MS) who
married Margaret (1770/75-1845) a daughter of Phillip McRae (d. 1825, Anson Co., NC; wife Christian),
once a neighbor of John of Leith’s Creek, and who
later moved to Wayne Co., MS. Any male-line descendants of this Daniel who are willing to be tested
are requested to contact the Genealogist or Alice
Fairhurst, our DNA coordinator.
Due to an exact 67 marker match in our y-DNA testing project, we now know that the descendants of
John MacRae (1856-1941) of Montana, the descendants of Christopher McRae (1782-1855, Union Co.,
AR; parents, Philip and Margaret McRae), and the
descendants of John McRae (d. 1780’s) of Leith’s
Creek in Robeson Co., NC, share a very recent common ancestor. Because John of Montana’s lineage is
known through the History of the Clan MacRae
(1899) all the way back to the Rev. John MacRae
(1614-1673) of Dingwall and beyond, we searched
his forebears for a likely peg on which to hang the
descendants of the two North Carolina families. The
most likely candidate in our opinion was a brother of
John MacRae of Montana’s great grandfather, Finley
MacRae (Buidh; lived at Coilree in 1760). This
Finley’s brother John is mentioned, but not pursued
in the History (p. 149), and we believe that he may
well be identical with John McRae of Leith’s Creek
in Robeson Co., NC. We also believe that it is very
possible Philip McRae, father of Christopher McRae
of Union Co., AR, was a son and not the son-in-law,
as formerly believed, of John of Leith’s Creek. If
not that, he must have been a very close cousin of
John in the paternal line. The names in John’s family fit this scenario quite well.
Due to the generosity of LaVerne Hardin, who
shared an old typescript roster of her McRae family
mailed by a math professor in Missouri in the 1930’s
to a cousin in her family, I now feel confirmed in
identifying all the children of Colin McRae (d. late
1820’s, early 1830’s Montgomery Co., NC), among
whom was my own ancestress, Flora McRae (17701859, Montgomery Co., NC), wife of Finley McRae
(d. 1817). Prof. J. H. Scarborough gave as his source
his mother, who was a granddaughter of Colin
McRae. I had previously thought Flora possibly a
younger sister of Colin. This roster agrees with
many independent sources and surviving public records and adds a few previously unknown details.
For instance, one of Flora’s half-siblings, Kenneth
McRae of Montgomery Co. (c. 1790—c. 1838; wife
Rebecca Steed) had two children, Jane Seagraves,
wife of Hillsman Seagraves of Pike Co., GA, and
Martha (d. without marrying), whom I had not previ-
Page 9
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Sgurr Uaran
ously known. The courthouse fires in Montgomery
County would have placed some of this material out
of our reach, if not for survivals such as this.
Inez Reed and Derek Johnston have shared the discovery of a declaration and affidavit with regard to
the Loyalist service of Captain Alexander MacRae.
Captain MacRae led the vanguard of the Tory forces
across Moore’s Creek Bridge in an effort to join up
with the Royal Governor of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1776. This unit suffered heavy losses and
Captain MacRae was severely wounded during the
Revolution. He owned several tracts of land in Richmond County including parcels on Buffalo Creek and
Mountain Creek and 320 acres about five miles from
Colson’s Ferry on the Pee Dee which would place it
in the vicinity of Hamer’s and Dry Creeks, where my
ancestral families lived from about 1773 or 1774.
After the War, he fled with his wife Flora and daughter Barbara to Canada.
Reed and Johnston have shared a previously unknown declaration made by Flora McRae in 1822
after her husband’s death (23 Dec 1795) to continue
her pension. Through great effort, she managed to
obtain an affidavit from Scotland substantiating her
marriage to Alexander. This document was signed in
Scotland by Archibald MacRae (1744-1830), tacksman of Ardintoul, and Farquhar MacRae, tacksman
of Fadoch. Both stated that they had attended the
wedding of Flora (who was a MacRae prior to marriage) and Alexander in November of 1771 (Parish of
Glenshiel), solemnized by Rev. John Beatton. Reference to the History (p. 134) shows that Archibald had
a brother Alexander, only mentioned but not pursued,
and a sister who married Farquhar MacRae of
Fadoch. They had no sister named Flora. It is, therefore, relatively clear that Capt. Alexander MacRae of
North Carolina and New Brunswick is probably this
Alexander. Flora (who was born in 1750) may be
connected to the Hamer’s Creek MacRaes. 320 acres
is exactly half of the land patented by Duncan MacRae on Hamer’s Creek in 1774 and no other MacRae
land grants date from that era in the neighborhood.
There is some thought that Farquhar MacRae,
brother of Alexander and Archibald MacRae of
Ardintoul, may also have come to North Carolina
with this family, since the History claims explicitly
that he “came to America.”
We now know that the celebrated “Finley MacRae of
Nine Sons” (Fionla Bann, living at Bundalloch) considered by many the elder brother of Donald and
Duncan MacRae, immigrants to North Carolina, did
not in fact have Nine Sons and that his children did
not end up in the United States. The family is treated
in the 1910 Supplement to the History of the Clan
volume 34, number 3
MacRae (p. 462) and the sons are all named. The
famed immigrant (sometimes called Ian [“John”] or
Duncan) who supposedly died at sea and gave rise to
many Pee Dee MacRae families was not this Finley.
In fact, there may never have been nine sons. It is
suspected that some of these men were brothers, others brothers-in-law, and still others near cousins—a
true extended family who, through their close-knit
alliance, seemed like nine sons to descendants.
I suppose the moral of the story is that we should
never assume that we’ve found all there is find or that
anything we’ve held to be sacred and true will necessarily
stand up to extensive scrutiny. And certainly, it pays to
keep an open mind to each new bit of data, no matter how
trifling and insubstantial it may initially seem.
I would like to end this piece with two important
suggestions. The first of these is an acknowledgement of
my own limitations. My expertise with MacRae lineages
is one mostly confined to the Southeastern United States.
Yet some seventy percent or more of the inquiries I currently receive are related to Scottish, New Zealander,
Australian, and particularly, Canadian lines. We call our
group the Clan MacRae Society of North America, yet I
find myself ill-equipped to handle any query concerning
folks living north of the border. I would suggest that any
competent genealogist with ready access to records in
Glengarry, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or New
Brunswick would be a great asset to this effort—in fact,
would make an excellent co-genealogist, since one is certainly insufficient on these grounds.
My second suggestion is that a great deal of research remains to be done, particularly in Scotland and
that, as a future focus, in addition to our DNA project, it
would be immensely valuable to set aside funds for hiring
on-the-ground research in Scotland. Since most of our
ancestors were tenants, non property related records might
be most productive—as, for instance, records of deeds ( a
different record type than this implies in America), sheriff’s and commissary court records, and private records
from the former landlords of the MacRaes, whether
Mackenzie, MacLeod or Chisholm. Vast volumes of
these remain to be searched and in the absence of significant testamentary and parish materials, might reveal a
great deal about our ancestors just prior to emigration.
Every discovered reference to our kindred should be abstracted, referenced
and posted on our website for general
consumption. Surely, this will be the
work of many years, but, over time, it
will prove of immense value to future
Genealogists and members of our Society.
Sgurr Uaran
Page 10
volume 34, number 3
Ceud Mile Failte: 100,000 Welcomes to Our New Members
Mr. William McKay Cocke
PO Box 12095
Wilmington, NC 28405
Mr. Dave M. McCrae
350 Cee Run
Bertram, TX 78605
Ms. Colleen MacRae Miller
10616 Millgrove Rd
Springboro, PA 16435
Dr. Curtis J. Creath
6514 Tulip Ct.
Liberty Township, OH 45044
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph McCrae
931 Maysey Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78227
Mr. Clifford A. Smith
3604 S 3rd St. W
Missoula, MT 59804
Mr. & Mrs. Keith MacRae Dale
3593 Pimlico Dr.
Pleasanton, CA 94588
Ms. Anne Elizabeth McRae
537 SE 1st Terrace
Cape Coral, FL 33990
Ms. Virginia Smith
2135 W Military Rd
Zanesville, OH 43701
Ms. Jean Helms
197 Eagles View Rd.
Hayesville, NC 28904
Ms. Evan Allison McRae
3913 Castro Valley Blvd. #16
Castro Valley, CA 84546
Ms. Janet MacRae Smock
227 St. Johns Rd.
Fredonia, PA 16124
Mr. & Mrs. Rea Hinson, Jr.
703 Fearrington Post
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Mr & Mrs. Richard Ferrel McRay
18441 Song Sparrow Ct
Penn Valley, CA 95946
Ms. Mary Allison Swain
3913 Castro Valley Blvd #10
Castro Valley, CA 84546
Mr. Douglas MacRae Linneman
Po Box 941970
Atlanta, GA 31141
W
e welcome you to the Clan MacRae Society of North America.
I encourage all present members to note those new members
who may live in your communities. Call them and welcome them
aboard.
—John MacRae-Hall
Flowers of the Forest
Raphael Rea
July 20, 1959 – April 27, 2010
It is with sadness that we report the passing of a clansman. Leon Folsom submitted the following appreciation:
R
aphael Rea, or “Rea” as he was known, was a Clan
MacRae Society member who participated in the
Stone Mountain Highland Games weekends for more
than 20 years. He and his mother came for several years,
and then his wife, Leann joined them, coming on Sunday
of each year’s games. Leann and Rea joined the Millennial Gathering of MacRaes in 2000, traveling from Edinburgh and Stirling to Kintail for the memorable events of
that Gathering, and then he drove the west and north
coasts to go to Orkney. Wearing his weathered, hunting
MacRae tartan kilt, he participated in the Parade of Tartans at Stone Mountain yearly. We will remember him
fondly whenever we see his treasured claymore!
At right: Leann came by to visit the MacRae tent in 2010
and posed for a photo with Rea’s claymore.
Sgurr Uaran
Page 11
volume 34, number 3
WE INVITE YOU TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CLAN MacRAE SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA. COMPLETE AND MAIL
THIS FORM. IF YOU ARE NOW A MEMBER, COPY THIS APPLICATION FORM AND SEND IT TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND
ENCOURAGE THEM TO JOIN OUR SOCIETY.
THE CLAN MacRAE SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
Application for Membership
Qualifications for Membership: Any person bearing the name MacRae in any of its various forms and spellings or any Sept name of the Clan MacRae or the wife or descendant of such a person, e.g.
MacRAE
MacARRA
MacCRAW
MacCRIE
MacRA
MacRAY
RAE
CRAE
CREA
CREE
MacARA
MacCRA
MacCRACH
MacCRAE
MacCRAITH
MacCRAY
MacCREA
MacCREATH
MacCREE
MacCROW
MacCROY
MacGRATH
MacGRAW
MacRACH
MacRAITH
MacRATH
MacRAW
MacRIE
MACHRAY
McCrea
McRae
RAITH
RAY
REA
REATH
WRAY
Purposes: To enjoy Scottish clan traditions in friendly association with MacRaes; to inform members of the history, traditions, culture and life of
Clan MacRae; to maintain Eilean Donan Castle as the Clan Seat; to foster Scottish culture and traditions; to seek the recognition of a Chief of Clan
MacRae; and to support various worthy charities.
Annual Dues:
Individual/Family Membership (includes spouse and minor children) ..........................................................$30.00
Student Membership (up to age 21) ...............................................................................................................$15.00
Patron (including membership)....................................................................................................................$100.00 or more
Life Membership (includes spouse and minor children)…………………………………………………...up to age 61, $500
62 to 69, $350
70 and up, $100
NAME:
___________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
CITY:
____________________________________________ Zip: ___________________
PHONE: ____________________ E-Mail: ________________________________________________
If your name does not show the basis for membership, please explain your MacRae connection. For example "My maternal grandmother was Mary
MacRae."
________________________________________________________________________________
Please indicate particular Clan MacRae interests: News of other MacRaes
Clan MacRae social activities
Genealogy
Highland music, literature, etc.
Attendance at Highland Games
Fund-raising
Other, please specify:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Enclosed: $_____________ my dues for ___________, payable to “Clan MacRae Society of NA".
Return this form and your dues to:
Revised 4/2010
Clan MacRae Society of North America
306 Surrey Road
Savannah, GA 31410-4407
Page 12
Sgurr Uaran
volume 34, number 3
“Freedom and Whisky gang thegither!” — Robert
Burns
Three photos from Scotland. Clockwise from above
left: Brig-o-Doon, in Ayr, the bridge on the Doon
River across which Tam O’ Shanter fled from the
Devil; the Robert Burns monument in Ayr; the
Robert Burns house in Dumfries where he spent the
last years of his life.
Notice: Moving soon or recently
moved? Please send change of address
to:
Clan MacRae Society of North
America
306 Surrey Road
Savannah, GA 31410-4407
A Scottish Eggnog Recipe:
I
n the spirit of the Season, Judy McRae sends the following recipe for Highland Cream.
Ingredients:
8 oz Scotch whisky
3 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed
milk
10 oz heavy cream
2 Tbsp chocolate syrup
2/3 tsp coconut flavoring
Method:
Blend All Ingredients
Chill
Serve!
Have a Merry Christmas!