Which Clan?
Clan MacLaren?
I've put together the information on this page for a couple of reasons. One is that I am now a grandfather and I've done so in the hope that someday one of my children or grandchildren may become interested in their roots. You never know, some of the information they may want, just might be right here.
Another reason is, that prior to this, nobody in my immediate family has taken the time to really explore just where we Patterson’s come from, so I decided to have a look for myself.
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Robert Patterson was the first of our line to come to Australia in 1832 from County Cavan, Ireland. He was the son of Mark Patterson, born 1786 who was married to Margaret.
That is, unfortunately, the earliest we know about us, and in an endeavor to find more, I have done some research on the internet, been in touch with “Ulster-Scots” in Sydney, took out membership of Clan MacLaren and joined several DNA family name research groups. (Patterson, MacLaren, MacAulay, Farquarson, Campbell, & Scottish Clans.)
I have taken this course due to the 4 Courts bombing of 1922 by the IRA, which destroyed 90% of Ireland’s records, making it highly unlikely that any of our Irish family history will ever be found.
What I have found so far is……………………
PATTERSON is a Scottish name.
The first Patterson’s to go to Ireland did so when King James I sent a large group of Scots to Ulster as plantationists. Patterson was one of the 400 surnames on the list of the very 1st group in 1606-1641. Nearly all of these plantationists left the Lowlands and Borders regions of Scotland with very few originating from the Highlands.
That is, unfortunately, the earliest we know about us, and in an endeavor to find more, I have done some research on the internet, been in touch with “Ulster-Scots” in Sydney, took out membership of Clan MacLaren and joined several DNA family name research groups. (Patterson, MacLaren, MacAulay, Farquarson, Campbell, & Scottish Clans.)
I have taken this course due to the 4 Courts bombing of 1922 by the IRA, which destroyed 90% of Ireland’s records, making it highly unlikely that any of our Irish family history will ever be found.
What I have found so far is……………………
PATTERSON is a Scottish name.
The first Patterson’s to go to Ireland did so when King James I sent a large group of Scots to Ulster as plantationists. Patterson was one of the 400 surnames on the list of the very 1st group in 1606-1641. Nearly all of these plantationists left the Lowlands and Borders regions of Scotland with very few originating from the Highlands.
In a list of Scottish names appearing on Muster Rolls and Estate Maps of Ulster, dated 1607-1633, the name Patterson appeared just 5 times, in Countys Tyrone x 1, County Fermanagh x 1, County Derry x 1, County Down x 1 and County Donegal x 1. There were none in Counties Antrim, Armargh or Cavan, the other Ulster Counties.
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From “The Surnames of Scotland” by George F Black comes this…………………
MacPhedran, Macphedron, MacPheidran. ‘Son of little Peter’ or ‘Peterkin’
The MacPhedrans of Argyllshire believe themselves to be originally MacAulays.
The native home of the Clan Pheadirean (Patterson) was on the North side of Loch Fyne where they were formerly numerous.
Dominicus M’Fedran and his male heirs had charter of the one mark land Sonnachan, Argyllshire, 1349 as attested by a notorial copy made in 1488. Duncan glas M’Phedrein held land at Port Sonnachan, 1629 and Gilpatrick M’pheddrin was sasine witness 1650.
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From “The Book of Ulster Surnames“ by Robert Bell comes…………………
PATTERSON. This name is among the twenty most common in Scotland.
Although found in all the provinces of Ireland it is common only in Ulster where it is one of the forty most numerous names. It is among the first five in Co. Down and is very common too in counties Antrim, Armargh, Derry, and Tyrone.
It also takes the forms Paterson and Pattison.
The name is from the lowlands of Scotland and means ‘Patricks son’.
However, a few Highland Gaelic names were also made Patterson. MacFeat, MacPatrick,MacPhaedrick, MacPhater and MacPhatrick were all originally MacPhadruig, itself a shortening of earlier MacGille Phadruig, meaning ‘son of the devotee of (St.) Patrick’. All these names were made Patterson or Paterson and also Kilpatrick. Also the Galloway name MacFetridge, in Gaelic MacPhetruis, meaning ‘son of Peter’ was made Patterson.
The Irish name MacPhaidin has been used as a gaelicisation of Patterson. It means ‘son of little Pat’ and is usually anglicized as MacPadden and Padden.
In the mid 19th century Patterson was found in 12 out of the 14 baronies of Antrim, and in Down was most common in the barony of Upper Castlereagh.
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From "Genealogical and personal history of Fayette county, Pennsylvania" by John Wolfe Jordan, comes.....
THE PATTERSON LINE
There is a tradition in the Patterson family that they have been in Ireland since the planting of Ulster, and ever since that time inhabitants of Manor Cunningham; that their crest was a boar's head; very likely there was more than that, but that is the only part handed down in their family.
It is a matter of history that a Patterson, Robert or James, was one of a company of gentlemen that came over from Scotland at the invitation of Charles the First, in the year of 1613. Each of these gentlemen was assigned lands, and Patterson was given land afterward called Manor Fort Cunningham. This historical fact agrees with the tradition in the family of Robert Patterson's ancestors. Another Patterson came over in 1614 and settled on another quarter called Mone-gragam, but not far from Robert, hence it is to be presumed that they were brothers.
James Patterson 1/3 Monegragane, All Saints Parish - 1 Nov 1614
From: John Cunningham, Gentleman, who oversaw 1,000 acres called Dunboy
Robert Paterson 1/7 Magherymore, Raymoghy Parish 1 May 1613
From: James Cunningham, who oversaw 1,000 acres call Moyegh
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Which Clan?
The following is information gained from Colin Sproule, co-ordinator of Ulster-Scot, Sydney.
All of the following Clans claim Patterson as a sept.
1) MacAulay. (inc Lennox / MacFarlane) Who were part of the ancient Clan Alpin dating back to AD 850
2) Campbell
3) Lamont, (inc MacEaracher / Farquharson)
4) MacLaren
What is interesting is that all of these Clans (except Farquharson) were located in much the same area, that being Argyll, indicating that just maybe, our bloodline comes through them all. What follows has been written about each of them in the book, “Scots Kith and Kin”
1) MacAulay
The Dunbartonshire MacAulays claim descent from MacGregor and hence MacAlpin stock. Seated at Ardincaple (now Helensburgh) since at least the 13th century, they were under protection of and closely connected with the old earls of Lennox. It is from a brother Aulay of the earl in Alexander II’s time that the clan name is believed to derive. A branch that removed to Loch Fyne took the name MacPhedran which became Patterson.
Alpin
Tradition claims MacAlpin as the oldest and most purely Celtic of the Highland clans, of royal descent from the dynasty of Kenneth MacAlpin who united Picts and Scots into one kingdom from the year 850, and transferred his capital to Perthshire, from DunAdd in Dalriada (beside Loch Crinan). However, no clan of the name survived into the heyday of the clan system, though individual MacAlpins are recorded from the 13th century, mostly then in Perthshire. Clan MacGregor claims origin from that royal MacAlpin stock; as also do MacAulay, MacDuff, MacFie, MacKinnon, MacNab and MacQuarrie.
2) Campbell
Like their name itself, frequently interpreted as Cam-beul, this forthrightly ambitious clan claims origin both Celtic and Norman, though the accounts vary. One relates how Malcolm of the clan anciently named O Duibhne or MacDiarmid, went as a widower to Norman France, where he married an heiress of the Beauchamp family and adopted that name. A son Archibald accompanied the Conquerer in 1066, and became founder to several English lines, these bringing changes on the name, as Beachamp to Beecham, Campobello, Kemble. Hugo de Morville, David 1’s High Constable and assistant feudaliser, married Beatrix de Campobello and introduced Campells as vassals on his Ayreshire lands.
Of their main stem, rising to its dukedom of Argyll, we hear of them in possession at Lochow (Loch Awe) after Alexander II’s conquest of Argyll. This need not contradict the other tradition of Lochow as O Duibhne territory from long earlier. It would clinch with the Campbell aptitude for backing the winning authority, and with their later royal commission to suppress the refractory MacDonalds of 1614 and oust them from Kintyre. The troublesome MacGregors of Perthshire had just previously been treated to a similar policing. And Highland memories run deep. Among many Campbell branches, that of Breadalbane illustrates their other aptitude, for successful marriage, being begun by a 14th century match with the Glenorchy heiress.
3) Lamont
The Clan MacEaracher (i.e. from some Farquar chief, earlier than the northern Farquharsons ancestor) were the immemorial of their part of Argyllshire, centred on Castle Toward in Cowal. A chief of his son in the 13th century seemingly acquired a special judicial rank that earned the clan, or its earliest branch, the new name ‘Law Man’, hence Laumon, Lamont and other variations. The clan lost power and territory to Campbells and other neighbours, through marriages and less gentle means. A Dunoon monument recalls the 1646 capture and destruction of Toward Castle with the subsequent massacre of many principal Lamonts on the excuse of their adherence to the royalist cause. The chief’s seat thereafter became Ardlamont, at the other end of the Kyles of Bute.
Farquharson
A branch of Clan Chattan, the Aberdeenshire Farquharsons or MacEarachers descend from Farquhar, some of the Shaw MacIntosh of Rothiemurchus, Strathspey, who was awarded lands in Braemar by the Bruce, for assistance against the northern Comyns. No such motive could be ascribed the clan for their devotion to the Stewart causes in after centuries. From Farquhars grandson Finlay, comes MacKinlay and some other sept names. The clan extended well into Perthshire, but MacEarachers of around Argyllshire are of Lamont or other origin.
4) MacLaren
The older form, MacLaurin, is nearer to the Gaelic pronunciation.
Whether originally named after the martyred St. Lawrence, or from Loarn, son of the Erc who founded Scottish Dalriada about 503, and namer of the district of Lorn, the clan does claim descent from three brothers from the area now Argyllshire who served with Kenneth MacAlpin in his successful campaign of 843-50 to unite the Northern Picts into Scotland.
A branch remained in their first home-country and were for long in possession of Tiree, but those three brothers awards in Balquhidder and Strathearn became the clans main territory. Here they enter records surviving from the 13th century and at Balquhidder lies Rob Roy MacGregor in the MacLaurin burial ground; not the only encroachment between these two clans. In their long record of loyalty the MacLaurins frequently followed the Appin Stewarts, with whom they had blood ties, and it was a MacLaurin who escaped Cumberlands troops by flinging himself over the Moffatt ‘Beef-tub’.
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From further reading and studying the various clans’ websites, I feel that I can narrow the search down to just 2 clans that we could belong to. They are Clan MacAulay and/or Clan MacLaren.
My reasons are that Clan MacLaren are open to all Patterson’s and have a well documented Patterson history. There are more Patterson’s belonging to this clan than any other and through all probabilities, we belong to it as well.
Clan MacAulay also has a good historical record of Patterson dating back to the Clan MacPhedran who evolved their name into Patterson.
Both Clans have an ancient history, claiming descendancy from the royal MacAlpin line.
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DNA results
I have been advised that I (and therefore all the males in this line of Patterson’s) belong to YDNA Haplogroup “I”.
This result is very interesting.
“R” is the dominant Celtic haplogroup and appears in about 75% of Scottish people. This is the group I was expecting to belong to. Haplogroup “I” appears to be in less than 15% of the Scottish people.
In the 1st step, the scientists have broken down my DNA results and put it in I2b1* clade which identifies it as having a mutation, "m-223", that they know happened about 14,000 years ago, just after the end of the last Ice Age, in the area we now know as southern Denmark and the northern German plains.
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From “The Surnames of Scotland” by George F Black comes this…………………
MacPhedran, Macphedron, MacPheidran. ‘Son of little Peter’ or ‘Peterkin’
The MacPhedrans of Argyllshire believe themselves to be originally MacAulays.
The native home of the Clan Pheadirean (Patterson) was on the North side of Loch Fyne where they were formerly numerous.
Dominicus M’Fedran and his male heirs had charter of the one mark land Sonnachan, Argyllshire, 1349 as attested by a notorial copy made in 1488. Duncan glas M’Phedrein held land at Port Sonnachan, 1629 and Gilpatrick M’pheddrin was sasine witness 1650.
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From “The Book of Ulster Surnames“ by Robert Bell comes…………………
PATTERSON. This name is among the twenty most common in Scotland.
Although found in all the provinces of Ireland it is common only in Ulster where it is one of the forty most numerous names. It is among the first five in Co. Down and is very common too in counties Antrim, Armargh, Derry, and Tyrone.
It also takes the forms Paterson and Pattison.
The name is from the lowlands of Scotland and means ‘Patricks son’.
However, a few Highland Gaelic names were also made Patterson. MacFeat, MacPatrick,MacPhaedrick, MacPhater and MacPhatrick were all originally MacPhadruig, itself a shortening of earlier MacGille Phadruig, meaning ‘son of the devotee of (St.) Patrick’. All these names were made Patterson or Paterson and also Kilpatrick. Also the Galloway name MacFetridge, in Gaelic MacPhetruis, meaning ‘son of Peter’ was made Patterson.
The Irish name MacPhaidin has been used as a gaelicisation of Patterson. It means ‘son of little Pat’ and is usually anglicized as MacPadden and Padden.
In the mid 19th century Patterson was found in 12 out of the 14 baronies of Antrim, and in Down was most common in the barony of Upper Castlereagh.
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From "Genealogical and personal history of Fayette county, Pennsylvania" by John Wolfe Jordan, comes.....
THE PATTERSON LINE
There is a tradition in the Patterson family that they have been in Ireland since the planting of Ulster, and ever since that time inhabitants of Manor Cunningham; that their crest was a boar's head; very likely there was more than that, but that is the only part handed down in their family.
It is a matter of history that a Patterson, Robert or James, was one of a company of gentlemen that came over from Scotland at the invitation of Charles the First, in the year of 1613. Each of these gentlemen was assigned lands, and Patterson was given land afterward called Manor Fort Cunningham. This historical fact agrees with the tradition in the family of Robert Patterson's ancestors. Another Patterson came over in 1614 and settled on another quarter called Mone-gragam, but not far from Robert, hence it is to be presumed that they were brothers.
James Patterson 1/3 Monegragane, All Saints Parish - 1 Nov 1614
From: John Cunningham, Gentleman, who oversaw 1,000 acres called Dunboy
Robert Paterson 1/7 Magherymore, Raymoghy Parish 1 May 1613
From: James Cunningham, who oversaw 1,000 acres call Moyegh
-------------------------------------------------------------
Which Clan?
The following is information gained from Colin Sproule, co-ordinator of Ulster-Scot, Sydney.
All of the following Clans claim Patterson as a sept.
1) MacAulay. (inc Lennox / MacFarlane) Who were part of the ancient Clan Alpin dating back to AD 850
2) Campbell
3) Lamont, (inc MacEaracher / Farquharson)
4) MacLaren
What is interesting is that all of these Clans (except Farquharson) were located in much the same area, that being Argyll, indicating that just maybe, our bloodline comes through them all. What follows has been written about each of them in the book, “Scots Kith and Kin”
1) MacAulay
The Dunbartonshire MacAulays claim descent from MacGregor and hence MacAlpin stock. Seated at Ardincaple (now Helensburgh) since at least the 13th century, they were under protection of and closely connected with the old earls of Lennox. It is from a brother Aulay of the earl in Alexander II’s time that the clan name is believed to derive. A branch that removed to Loch Fyne took the name MacPhedran which became Patterson.
Alpin
Tradition claims MacAlpin as the oldest and most purely Celtic of the Highland clans, of royal descent from the dynasty of Kenneth MacAlpin who united Picts and Scots into one kingdom from the year 850, and transferred his capital to Perthshire, from DunAdd in Dalriada (beside Loch Crinan). However, no clan of the name survived into the heyday of the clan system, though individual MacAlpins are recorded from the 13th century, mostly then in Perthshire. Clan MacGregor claims origin from that royal MacAlpin stock; as also do MacAulay, MacDuff, MacFie, MacKinnon, MacNab and MacQuarrie.
2) Campbell
Like their name itself, frequently interpreted as Cam-beul, this forthrightly ambitious clan claims origin both Celtic and Norman, though the accounts vary. One relates how Malcolm of the clan anciently named O Duibhne or MacDiarmid, went as a widower to Norman France, where he married an heiress of the Beauchamp family and adopted that name. A son Archibald accompanied the Conquerer in 1066, and became founder to several English lines, these bringing changes on the name, as Beachamp to Beecham, Campobello, Kemble. Hugo de Morville, David 1’s High Constable and assistant feudaliser, married Beatrix de Campobello and introduced Campells as vassals on his Ayreshire lands.
Of their main stem, rising to its dukedom of Argyll, we hear of them in possession at Lochow (Loch Awe) after Alexander II’s conquest of Argyll. This need not contradict the other tradition of Lochow as O Duibhne territory from long earlier. It would clinch with the Campbell aptitude for backing the winning authority, and with their later royal commission to suppress the refractory MacDonalds of 1614 and oust them from Kintyre. The troublesome MacGregors of Perthshire had just previously been treated to a similar policing. And Highland memories run deep. Among many Campbell branches, that of Breadalbane illustrates their other aptitude, for successful marriage, being begun by a 14th century match with the Glenorchy heiress.
3) Lamont
The Clan MacEaracher (i.e. from some Farquar chief, earlier than the northern Farquharsons ancestor) were the immemorial of their part of Argyllshire, centred on Castle Toward in Cowal. A chief of his son in the 13th century seemingly acquired a special judicial rank that earned the clan, or its earliest branch, the new name ‘Law Man’, hence Laumon, Lamont and other variations. The clan lost power and territory to Campbells and other neighbours, through marriages and less gentle means. A Dunoon monument recalls the 1646 capture and destruction of Toward Castle with the subsequent massacre of many principal Lamonts on the excuse of their adherence to the royalist cause. The chief’s seat thereafter became Ardlamont, at the other end of the Kyles of Bute.
Farquharson
A branch of Clan Chattan, the Aberdeenshire Farquharsons or MacEarachers descend from Farquhar, some of the Shaw MacIntosh of Rothiemurchus, Strathspey, who was awarded lands in Braemar by the Bruce, for assistance against the northern Comyns. No such motive could be ascribed the clan for their devotion to the Stewart causes in after centuries. From Farquhars grandson Finlay, comes MacKinlay and some other sept names. The clan extended well into Perthshire, but MacEarachers of around Argyllshire are of Lamont or other origin.
4) MacLaren
The older form, MacLaurin, is nearer to the Gaelic pronunciation.
Whether originally named after the martyred St. Lawrence, or from Loarn, son of the Erc who founded Scottish Dalriada about 503, and namer of the district of Lorn, the clan does claim descent from three brothers from the area now Argyllshire who served with Kenneth MacAlpin in his successful campaign of 843-50 to unite the Northern Picts into Scotland.
A branch remained in their first home-country and were for long in possession of Tiree, but those three brothers awards in Balquhidder and Strathearn became the clans main territory. Here they enter records surviving from the 13th century and at Balquhidder lies Rob Roy MacGregor in the MacLaurin burial ground; not the only encroachment between these two clans. In their long record of loyalty the MacLaurins frequently followed the Appin Stewarts, with whom they had blood ties, and it was a MacLaurin who escaped Cumberlands troops by flinging himself over the Moffatt ‘Beef-tub’.
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From further reading and studying the various clans’ websites, I feel that I can narrow the search down to just 2 clans that we could belong to. They are Clan MacAulay and/or Clan MacLaren.
My reasons are that Clan MacLaren are open to all Patterson’s and have a well documented Patterson history. There are more Patterson’s belonging to this clan than any other and through all probabilities, we belong to it as well.
Clan MacAulay also has a good historical record of Patterson dating back to the Clan MacPhedran who evolved their name into Patterson.
Both Clans have an ancient history, claiming descendancy from the royal MacAlpin line.
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DNA results
I have been advised that I (and therefore all the males in this line of Patterson’s) belong to YDNA Haplogroup “I”.
This result is very interesting.
“R” is the dominant Celtic haplogroup and appears in about 75% of Scottish people. This is the group I was expecting to belong to. Haplogroup “I” appears to be in less than 15% of the Scottish people.
In the 1st step, the scientists have broken down my DNA results and put it in I2b1* clade which identifies it as having a mutation, "m-223", that they know happened about 14,000 years ago, just after the end of the last Ice Age, in the area we now know as southern Denmark and the northern German plains.
To find out more, I joined the I2b project and they have been able to break my results down even further, into I2b1cont2b subclade. This subclade originated in the area we know as north western Germany, Denmark and Holland, with northern Germany and southern Denmark being the hot spot.
Another sublclade, I2b1a Isles is found exclusively in the British Isles, but I2b1cont1, on the other hand, is not found in the British Isles at all.
More recently the I2b1cont2b has been rebranded as I2a2a3 and "Eupedia" has this to say about it...
I2a2a3 is commonly known as the I2 Continental clade (except Continental 3). It is the largest of the four subclades of I2a2a and is found predominantly in Germanic countries, with a particularly high concentration in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, England and in Northwest Sicily (Norman settlement). It is also found at lower densities throughout the rest of Europe, from Portugal to Russia. I2-Z161 is thought to have been propagated around Europe by the Danish Vikings (Britain, Normandy, Sicily), the Swedish Vikings (Baltic, Russia, Ukraine), the Goths (Moldova, Balkans, Italy, south-west France, Spain), the Suebi (Portugal and Galicia), the Lombards (attested by a hotspot in Campobasso, Molise), and the Franks (Rhineland, Belgium).
The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISoGG), indicates that fully boiled down, our Patterson "Y" haplogroup grouping now stands as I2a2a1b2a2a1a
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How did our DNA get into Ireland/Scotland?
No one knows for sure, and we can only guess at the following.
Of interest is that at about the time of the m-223 mutation, 14,000 years ago, due to low sea levels, there existed an area of land, Doggerland, which joined Britain to Europe. It transformed the North Sea into a large bay, with its western shore being the east coast of Scotland. Therefore, I expect that the I2b1 haplogroup was in the British Isles because of this land bridge, thousands of years before the Vikings and Anglo Saxons existed.
Evidence indicates that this was a very fertile area with large rivers and flat farming land.
Another sublclade, I2b1a Isles is found exclusively in the British Isles, but I2b1cont1, on the other hand, is not found in the British Isles at all.
More recently the I2b1cont2b has been rebranded as I2a2a3 and "Eupedia" has this to say about it...
I2a2a3 is commonly known as the I2 Continental clade (except Continental 3). It is the largest of the four subclades of I2a2a and is found predominantly in Germanic countries, with a particularly high concentration in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, England and in Northwest Sicily (Norman settlement). It is also found at lower densities throughout the rest of Europe, from Portugal to Russia. I2-Z161 is thought to have been propagated around Europe by the Danish Vikings (Britain, Normandy, Sicily), the Swedish Vikings (Baltic, Russia, Ukraine), the Goths (Moldova, Balkans, Italy, south-west France, Spain), the Suebi (Portugal and Galicia), the Lombards (attested by a hotspot in Campobasso, Molise), and the Franks (Rhineland, Belgium).
The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISoGG), indicates that fully boiled down, our Patterson "Y" haplogroup grouping now stands as I2a2a1b2a2a1a
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How did our DNA get into Ireland/Scotland?
No one knows for sure, and we can only guess at the following.
Of interest is that at about the time of the m-223 mutation, 14,000 years ago, due to low sea levels, there existed an area of land, Doggerland, which joined Britain to Europe. It transformed the North Sea into a large bay, with its western shore being the east coast of Scotland. Therefore, I expect that the I2b1 haplogroup was in the British Isles because of this land bridge, thousands of years before the Vikings and Anglo Saxons existed.
Evidence indicates that this was a very fertile area with large rivers and flat farming land.
The area disappeared when the ice retreated and the sea level rose. Doggerland had an area of high hills. These hills are still in existence and the area is the well known "Doggerbank", beneath the North Sea.
Viking Blood?
Should you decide to disregard this “Doggerland” theory of how haplogroup I2b1cont2b got into Britain, then we could, as an alternative, choose another theory which indicates that there is a very high likelihood that there is Danish (not Norse) Viking blood in our line of Patterson’s which would have arrived via Viking settlements in Britain, or from their raiding parties. |
This map indicates that there was a Viking settlement in Argyll/Kintyre in the 9th century, where all 3 clans were later located. It also shows that there was a Danish Viking settlement on the east coast of Northern Ireland and not far from County Cavan, where our paper trail ends.
Was this how our "I2b1" got there?
All of this would indicate that our DNA was either already in Britain for thousands of years before Dalriada, or arrived at about the same time, but from another direction, Denmark.
We know that the “I” haplogroup was originally from the middle east and moved west along the Mediterranean coast and then north as the ice age retreated about 25,000 years ago, and that the 223 mutation happened about 12 or 14,000 years ago. These two dates indicate a deep, ancient history, contrasting with the Celts, cAD50-500 and later the Vikings, cAD800-1100, who are relatively modern in comparison.
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Oldest known Relatives
Our paper trail indicates that my oldest known relative is Mark Patterson, b 1786, father of Robert Patterson, as mentioned above.
My DNA testing has found that I am an exact match with a chap in the USA, who's oldest known ancestor is a Thomas Patterson, born in Ireland 1757 and died in 1816. These two lines run parallel to each other, but must converge at some point in the past.
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Famous (near) relative
Within just a short genetic distance (of 1, as close as you can get without being an exact match) from me and every other male direct descendant of Mark, is Tennessee Congressman, David (Davy) Crockett, “King of the wild Frontier” and of “The Alamo” fame. At sometime in the distant past, this man and I have a common ancestor.
Was this how our "I2b1" got there?
All of this would indicate that our DNA was either already in Britain for thousands of years before Dalriada, or arrived at about the same time, but from another direction, Denmark.
We know that the “I” haplogroup was originally from the middle east and moved west along the Mediterranean coast and then north as the ice age retreated about 25,000 years ago, and that the 223 mutation happened about 12 or 14,000 years ago. These two dates indicate a deep, ancient history, contrasting with the Celts, cAD50-500 and later the Vikings, cAD800-1100, who are relatively modern in comparison.
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Oldest known Relatives
Our paper trail indicates that my oldest known relative is Mark Patterson, b 1786, father of Robert Patterson, as mentioned above.
My DNA testing has found that I am an exact match with a chap in the USA, who's oldest known ancestor is a Thomas Patterson, born in Ireland 1757 and died in 1816. These two lines run parallel to each other, but must converge at some point in the past.
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Famous (near) relative
Within just a short genetic distance (of 1, as close as you can get without being an exact match) from me and every other male direct descendant of Mark, is Tennessee Congressman, David (Davy) Crockett, “King of the wild Frontier” and of “The Alamo” fame. At sometime in the distant past, this man and I have a common ancestor.
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Even though it hasn’t shown up any matches with Scottish clans yet, the YDNA testing has shown up some rather strange things that are peculiar to just me. I have what is known as a “RecLoH (recombinational, loss of heterozygosity) doubling mutation” which simultaneously affected STR's 459, 464 and CDY. These three STR’s live in a duplicated pair of pieces of the Y chromosome, and sometimes one is lost or one of the pair aligns with the other and simply copies (writes over) its repeats from the other.
It looks like this;
DYS #385 a, b 15, 15
DYS #459 a, b 10, 10
DYS #464 a, b, c, d 14, 14, 14, 14
DYS #CDY a, b 38, 38
One expert says….”what I suspect has happened is that one copy has written over the other during the formation of the sperm cell. If this is true all the differences between you and others on these markers could be just one mutation event, not several as would be indicated from just comparing marker values”.
(Probably as a result of my fathers occupation at the time as a garage proprietor, and the fact that he constantly handled petrochemicals).
By reading between the lines, I gather, that if it wasn’t for this mutation making me quite unique, I could be a much closer match to a confirmed member of a Scottish Clan than I am presently.
My results are on the files of the affore mentioned projects and should any matches show up in the future, I am assured I will be advised.
In the mean time, I am a proud and paid up member of Clan MacLaren.
With the hope of overcoming this RecLoH handicap in investigating our early history,
I urge any other direct male descendants of Robert Patterson 1808-1880 to take a DNA test with FTDNA. Perhaps then, with clearer results, we may find earlier generations and a link to a Scottish clan.
Family Tree DNA http://www.familytreedna.com
Clan MacLaren Society of North America http://www.clanmaclarenna.org
Clan MacLaren Society Worldwide. Based in Scotland. http://www.clanmaclarensociety.com