Lately I have been researching my family history and it is so fascinating to trace my family through the years, the different states they lived in, the countries they left, the legacy they created. I am part Scottish, and as such, am part of a few different clans with their own tartans (plaids registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority). My Welsh and Irish family names also have their own tartans, so even if you are not Scottish, but are British, Welsh, Irish or Cornish, you may find your family tartan.
I love that my history can be traced back over centuries and that I am part of a rich cultural tradition.
MacFarlane Hunting Tartan
Here are some fun resources to look at your family tartans:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/- Official Tartan Register
http://www.house-of-tartan.scotland.net/ - click on your family name, they list a brief history of that particular tartan, the you can also purchase products made
http://www.scotchcorner.com/tartan-index.html
In general, I am using a couple different resources to learn my family history--
-ask your elders- self explanatory but a few conversations can help get you started in the right direction, and can also illuminate where the details might be sketchy and needs more in depth searching.
-public records - it depends on the state/town and the type of information sought but some documents are available for free and online.
-ancestry.com - I don't pay for it but there is still some info available for free and can help connect family names and locations.
-google books - I found a couple books about local history where my ancestors were mentioned, and thanks to google books I was able to view the passages that mentioned their names. Sometimes .pdf versions might be available on regular old google to read in their entirety.
-findagrave.com - morbid but odds are members of your family were buried at the the same cemetery, or someone may have already linked the various relatives together across different cemeteries. This is how I learned I have some Southern roots, I thought my family only ever lived in Northeast and Midwest!
- websites for your family names - even if none of your close relatives have looked into your family history, odds are one of your distant relatives has already started and can provide info about your extended family and family roots.
-DNA testing- Okay I have not done this but I have been thinking about this for some time. I am a very thoroughly mixed Anglo/Celtic/German blend but am curious to know more exact details. Also, it may help explain a missing piece in my family tree-- my Irish family history is unclear-- I don't know anything other than the surname. Maybe If I can link my DNA to a specific Irish clan that would help?
MacDonald Tartan
I still haven't found the best way to synthesize all the information I am gathering, right now I just save everything in bookmarks or jot a few notes down in my phone. When I figure that out I will update this post.
McFie Tartan
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