House of Alexander

I wish to share with you some of my thoughts, my experiences and my findings about our Alexander family heritage. First of all, as I examined what some folks have said about our family history, I found a range of irregularities from small weaknesses to stories that are just not true! Let me say that I do not believe that these are necessarily through purposeful intent, but that they may have happened as the result of a set of circumstances. Some researchers claim to have documentation for their genealogical connections, but what it may turn out to be is a collection of the same names given by several different individuals, and nothing more. Just because something is copied several times by several different people does not mean that it is accurate! Reasons for weaknesses to occur in the first place range from simple errors to “hiding skeletons in the closet.” There have been times in history, particularly early-on, when our ancestors were involved in actual life-threatening activities for themselves as well as for their descendants! Small wonder it is that many of our ancestors went to great lengths to deny their family connections!

None the less, each family connection should be supported with all the primary, secondary, or circumstantial evidence that can be found. Based on this evidence, or lack thereof, a conclusion should be formulated. It should be kept in mind that “the sun never sets” on any genealogical conclusion. If a second researcher can come up with stronger contradictory evidence, then the former findings may be refuted and the latter ones accepted. That would hold true until such time as anyone else could provide evidence to the contrary! Family researchers should work much like detectives and juries. Good family historians weigh and evaluate evidence as jurists do, but there is no such thing as admissible or inadmissible evidence. No genealogist relies on a judge to determine what can or cannot be heard, but looks at every available “shred” of information.

For example, finding the old country connections for the Scotch-Irish (historical name used by Queen Elizabeth I and King James II for those from Scotland who migrated to Ulster, Ireland, during the early 1600’s) Alexander family members back across the “big pond” seemed a formidable task! I could not find satisfactory evidence for what had already been reported, so I proceeded to do my own original research. I took a fresh look at the entire scenario. First of all, Dr. F. A. Sondley in his book called The Descent of the Scottish Alexanders, traced the early ancestors by relying on records obtained from the British Royal line (Lord of the Isles and Clan Chiefs). This was a start! Since each leader received his position through patrimony or birthright, it was an established and verified genealogical line! Margaret Stewart, a daughter of King Robert II of Scotland married John of Clan Donald. (From here, it seemed reasonable for me to proceed in the forward direction rather than in the reverse.) Dr. Sondley followed this branch of the Royal line on down to Alisdair or Alexander in English, two of whose sons took the name of their father as their family name. Dr. Sondley said, “From them the Scotch Alexanders are descended,” and there he stopped short! However, history tells us that one son was Celestine whose family died out, which left John Dubh Alexander and his descendants as the theoretical ancestors of the Scotch-Irish Alexander family.

This all seemed reasonable, but where was the evidence? I had to find it! Well, Clan Donald research revealed that John Dubh of Clan Donald had one known son named Angus Og who married Isobella, daughter of Chief Sir Colin Campbell. He was in control of Clan Donald in Kintyre after their fall from power. Angus Og was murdered and his father, John Dubh of Clan Donald and Lord of the Isles (branch of the British Royalty on his mother’s side of the family) had been evicted for conspiring with the English! Subsequently, his father-in-law Sir Colin Campbell named John Dubh as Constable of Tarbert Castle. (Internet: Clan Campbell of America, “Some Unexpected Incidents: Clan Donald and Clan Campbell) John Dubh, formerly of Clan Donald, then became the first Chief of the newly formed MacAlisters of Loup Clan in Kintyre.

In conclusion, some of the descendants of John Dubh MacAlister, then of Clan MacAlister (Alisdair or Alexander) have been located in Ulster, Ireland, and on to America. How do I know? Primarily, because each and every one of the eventual descendants of John Dubh in Kintyre, Scotland, and on to Ulster, Ireland, held a position of authority through the strict law of patrimony or birthright as explained above. Each and every ancestor named on this Scotch-Irish Alexander family was originally placed there and held his position of authority by virtue of his biological (genealogical) inheritance. It is my sincere hope that his new look at an old issue will prove beneficial to each of you.