House of Alexander

It is with great pleasure that I welcome John Alexander of Australia to my website. Last December, he appeared “out of the blue” with the following message:

I think you are going to get a surprise. I am John Alexander from Raphoe, 5 miles from Eredy, now Errity adjacent to Manorcunningham, east side. My brother James and I are what remains of John of Eredy. Eredy is a townland, its farming country, no Alexanders live there, long gone. I took some digital photos 4-5 months ago, Dad died on family farm, I went for his funeral in July, and was there for his 90th birthday 16 March this year. I reside these days in Australia, since 1969, now 60 years old. Back and forth quite often, as Mum is on the farm. She is 89 next month, originally from Strabane, just over the river 6 miles away. Always said she and dad were related, very far out. James is not a history person, but I am — member Donegal Historical Society, into British Israelism and what John of Eredy was like as a person.

I’ve still got my North Irish accent. it will not change. My wife Hazel, her folks are from County Tyrone. I have a mountain of family tree stuff — Mum is a walking encyclopedia on Alexanders — we talk for hours on the subject.

Regards, John Alexander

Well, John has been “a man of his word,” continuing to send many great photos and massive amounts of information. Some time back, I approached John on the possibility of posting some of his work on my website, and he responded with the following statements:

Hi Sarah,

Perfect, your suggestion is the way to go. The real thing from down under, starting from my first email, which is a bit of an explanation anyway. Perhaps a few emails that Americans would find interesting, you would know which, or stick them all in! Could only give the folks a window of life in Ulster, ancient and within living memory. There is a lot more to explore.

We must discuss further your proposition to publish some of this stuff on the internet. Put a few of my e-mails on that you think Americans would appreciate, and see what the result is. I don’t want anything, I’m just happy to write. I think you need to write how I appeared out of the blue, and from AUSTRALIA, above all places. Tell me what you think. Now, I must try to ring you folks soon. We are living in Melbourne 38 years this September, the old accent is still there, OK for now, it’s 0916 Saturday night.

Bye, Cousin John.

Hi Sarah,

Congratulations on your recent award, well earn’t. Yes, go ahead, use your judgement, publish, If it gets Alexanders in America reinterested in the old sod, that’s great, and anyone else for that matter. But the book is paramount. Thank your husband for his words of encouragement, we’ll enjoy a cup of tea soon.

So say the authorities at this address:

http://dna-project.clan-donald-usa.org/DNAmain4.htm - Cached
_______________________________

Any one of us with R1b DNA could be both Scottish and Irish, and descend from Clan Donald!  Ultimately, any one of us could also be connected to Somerled.

Those with R1b DNA had been interbreeding with the Irish for some 800 years before Somerled ever appeared on the Scottish scene.  At the time of Somerled’s arrival with his R1a DNA, our ancestors were probably all cousins many times over!  What that means is that because of the great amount of interbreeding which had occured over a period of 300-500 years and after 14 generations, in all probability, they all would have shared all of the same grandparents!

Besides that, some of us may have R1b DNA that came to Scotland from Norway between 800–1100 to Scotland, as Norway’s population now is now 25% Rlb.  That would have given  another 600 years, or so, of interbreeding with both the Scottish and the Irish.  In addition to that, our genetic mixing with the Irish went on for at least another 1,200 years!

Therefore, there are, indeed, a number of ways through which we who have R1b DNA, could be connected to Somerled and his descendants, the Lords of the Isles, the last one to be removed from office!

After that, the second (different) MacAlister line of chiefs was initiated by Sir Colin Campbell; they are the ones from whom our ALEXANDER family members descend, and we certainly are the ALEXANDER family with the R1b DNA!

For further information, please take time to read the information on this very same website.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sarah Alexander Culton

DNA Haplogroups

R1a and R1b

compiled by

Dr. Sarah Alexander Culton

June 7. 2007

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Somerled (The Norse Scot foe of the Vikings) - Rla

MacDonald Clan - Rla

MacAlister Clan - Rla

Alexander Family of Menstri - Rla

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Colla Uais (Father of the Irish Clans) - Rlb

Niall of the Nine Hostages (Ireland) - Rlb

Campbells (Scotland) - R1b

DNA Test Results for Descendants of Alexanders who settled in Cecil County, Maryland - Rlb

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Well, what could all this mean?  In all seriousness and facing reality in this matter, the “paper trail” says we descend from the MacAlisters and the new DNA results appear to be saying that we descend from the Irish or the Campbells on our paternal side of the family!  Apparently, either sometime before or after migrating to Ulster, Ireland, there may have been a case of false paternity where the biological father was a Campbell or an Irishman (R1b) instead of the MacAlister (R1a) husband of the mother who gave birth to the child/children!

None the less, the child/children would have been raised in a Scottish Alexander family and have the same Alexander (MacAlister) name, which is continuing to be passed down generation after generation!

Oh well, I guess our branch of the Alexander family could be carrying the blood of an Irishman or a Campbell, and if so, that is OK with me!

THE NATIONAL SOCIETY

COLONIAL DAMES XVII CENTURY

By virtue of the power bestowed on us as National Officers:

We hereby declare

SARAH MATILDA ALEXANDER CULTON

A Member of

THE COLONIAL DAMES XVII CENTURY

She is entered on the Book of the National Society as a descendant of

JAMES ALEXANDER of MARYLAND

21st day of March, 2007

Signed:

Ruth Keeling Hemmingway, President General

DeLores L. Dupuis, Registrar General