Ancestors

[IceWondresss]

Does anyone know someone with the lastname Brown living in Scotland?? Is it a popular name there??

[ANDY-J]

Ice Wondress.
Brown is a very common name in Scotland.

[cranberry]

Anyone know anything about McKenzie's.That's my mom's family. I've been trying for a long time with no luck. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Marhar]

Here are a few details about your Mothers clan

MacKenzie Clan
and related septs Septs of the Clan MacKenzie
Charles, Clunies, Cromarty, Ivory, Kenneth, Kennethson, MacBeolain, MacConnach, MacIver, MacIvor, MacKenna, MacKerlich, MacMurchie, MacMurchy, MacQuennie, MacVanish, MacVinish, MacWhinnie, Murchie, Murchison, Smart.

The MacKenzie Clan's forefathers once walked and lived in the spectacular scenery of the far North of Scotland

MacKenzie : Origin of the Clan Name
The name MacKenzie, or MacCoinneach in Gaelic, means literally, "Son of Kenneth", whose name in turn is derived from the Gaelic for "fair" or "bright".

The original Kenneth lived in the 13th Century and was descended from a younger son of Gilleoin of the Aird, from whom can also be traced the once powerful Earls of Ross.

Mackenzie Clan's Ancestry
Clan MacKenzie rose rapidly in importance during the 15th Century through the acquisition of lands extending across Scotland from the west to east coasts, in the counties of Ross and Cromarty, and parts of Sutherlandshire.

Kenneth, the 12th Chief was created Lord MacKenzie of Kintail (1609). Kintail's brother Sir Roderick MacKenzie, the "Tutor of Kintail," was progenitor of the present Chief of the clan, the Earl of Cromartie. On December 3rd, 1623, Kintail's son Colin was raised to the dignity of Earl of Seaforth.

Clan Mackenzie; a Military Clan
A number of famous army regiments have been raised from the MacKenzie clan, including the Highland Light Infantry (raised in 1777), the Seaforth Highlanders (raised in 1778), and the second battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders, known as the Ross-shire Buffs (raised in 1793). All those regiments wore the MacKenzie tartan.

The Mackenzie Crests
The MacKenzie crest shows 5 peaks of mountains inflamed with the motto: "LUCEO NON URO" (I Shine, Not Burn). The flaming mountains are perhaps connected with the practice of setting fires on high hills as signals or beacons.

A second Crest usually associated with the Clan is that of the Mackenzie of Seaforth. It shows a Stag's Antlers with the motto: "CUIDICH' N' RIGH" (Save the King) .. The legendary origin of this crest goes back to the 13th century. Kenneth of Kintail was in a royal hunting party. When a wounded stag charged the King, Kenneth shouted "Cuiddiche an Righ" (Save the King) and shot the stag. As a result, the King awarded Kenneth the stag's head as his crest.

A perhaps more historically accurate version is that the stag's head represented the tribute that Kenneth paid to the King each year. Whichever, the chief of the clan is known in Gaelic as "Caberfeigh" or deer's antlers. The stag's head or the flaming mountains, by themselves, is the Chief's crest. The belt around it indicates loyalty to the chief and this form may be worn by clan members.

The clan's Sloidhgharim or war shout makes reference to a high hill, or as loosly translated "Mountain in Kintail".

The Mackenzie Clan's Homeland in Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty is a northern county of Scotland.

The mainland portion is bounded N. by Sutherland and Dornoch Firth, E. by the North Sea and Moray Firth, S. by Beauly Firth and Inverness-shire and W. by the strait of the Minch. The island portion, consisting of as much of the island of Lewis as lies north of a line drawn from Loch Resort to Loch Seaforth, is bounded on the W., N. and E. by the Atlantic, and S. by Harris, the southern part of Lewis.

Many islands are scattered principally off the west coasts of Lewis and the mainland.

On the North Sea front the chief indentations are Beauly Firth and Inner Moray Firth, marking off the Black Isle from Inverness-shire; Cromarty Firth, bounding the districts of Easter Ross and the Black Isle; Moray Firth, separating Easter Ross from Nairnshire; and Dornoch Firth, dividing north-east Ross from Sutherlandshire.

Ross was originally the land bounded by the Moray Firth and Dornoch Firth. Cromarty was formed from the lands in the north of the peninsula known as the Black Isle, to which were added various estates from Ross-shire. Ross was constituted as a county in 1661 and Cromarty in 1685 and again in 1698. They were amalgamated in 1889.
Hope this is enlightening for you

Marhar

[William_Hook]

Does anyone have any information about the surnames Hook, Girdwood, Mellis or George?

Thank you in advance for any help given.