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Archiver > DNA-R1B1C7 > 2011-04 > 1302090091


From: "Sandy Paterson" <>
Subject: Re: [R-M222] Cowan
Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2011 12:41:31 +0100
References: <620d7.5a159e15.3ac8f84f@aol.com><BLU116-W21CD0DF0BCCCF2C7C0283A9A00@phx.gbl>
In-Reply-To: <BLU116-W21CD0DF0BCCCF2C7C0283A9A00@phx.gbl>


Iain

My guess is that Kennedy kit number 117943 is a highlander.

Am I right?

Sandy




-----Original Message-----
From:
[mailto:] On Behalf Of Iain Kennedy
Sent: 03 April 2011 09:28
To:
Subject: Re: [R-M222] Cowan


John,

They are all brick-walled Americans which is why I run my own separate
testing project over here. Most of them are so-called Scots-Irish who sailed
over from Derry and are most likely of lowland Scots descent. The highland
branch rarely went to the modern States but turn up in large numbers in
Canada (especially Ontario) and Australia.

Like most common surnames the Kennedys are a mixture of haplogroups and both
lowland and highland branches contain a mixture of M222 and non-M222. It
isn't possible to determine via STR testing if the M222 ones have a
significant common descent, nor to work out the historical source of the
highland branch.

I know Brian well and he was the first to point out to me the Deer entry.
There is in fact a Kennedy branch who trace back to this area in
Aberdeenshire in the early 1400s but they are difficult to pin down for
testing and again, it's not proven whether they are native or connected with
one of the other groups.

Iain






> From:
> Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2011 18:08:15 -0400
> To:
> Subject: Re: [R-M222] Cowan
>
> In a message dated 4/2/2011 3:57:39 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
> writes:
>
> I'm relieved John found references to Lochaber in his MacGillivray
> material since this is the area where I am studying the highland Kennedys
and I
> come across the name a lot. It seems to be much more localised than
Cowan.
>
>
>
> Iain, you haven't given your opinion on who you think the M222 Kennedys
> were in the FTDNA Project. I presume you think they're Scotttish,
possibly
> from Lochaber? And not from Galloway?
>
> A version of Kennedy history I see quoted fequently says:
>
> "The Clan Kennedy is said to originate from a branch of the Celtic Lords
> of Galloway and they are associated with the Carrick district of Ayrshire
in
> the far south-west of Scotland. John Kennedy of Dunure and Cassillis
> married the heiress of the Carrick earls. " [from Electric Scotland]
>
>
> A theory posted on this site by a Brian Kennedy seems the best
explanation
> though:
>
>
> Note from _Brian Kennedy_ (mailto:)
> I have a theory for you concerning the origin of the Kennedies. I have
> posted this postulation with the Kennedy Society of North America also.
(I'm
> in the States) For all of my life people have questioned how my name
could
> be Scottish in origin when most think it to be exclusively Irish.
Therefore,
> I have done some independent study on the subject.
>
> All the histories of the Kennedy name in Scotland have focused on early
> manuscripts that spell the name with a "K". Their conclusions briefly are

> that the name originated in Southwestern Scotland (Carrick) around 1200
AD.
> However, all of these histories ignore the 10th Century "Book of Deer".
> (which is now in Cambridge University, reportedly looted by the English
during
> the Scottish Wars of Independence!) This Latin folio has early 12th
Century
> Gaelic notes added to the spaces besides the columns and at the end.
>
> These Gaelic notes in the Book of Deer describe the founding of a
> Monastery in present day Aberdeenshire by Saint Drostan and Columba. It
also
> annotates land grants in the area during the reign of David I
(1124-1153). The
> document is notable as the oldest existing example of Gaelic written in
> Scotland (except for stone inscriptions) and is in Old Irish and an early
form
> of Scots Gaelic.
>
> Among the land owners in that place and time was one Cormac mac Cennedig.

> (Cennedig was apparently Cormac's father's given name as mac means "son
> of".)
>
> It is well known that the Irish Annals call the high king Brian Boru;
> Brian mac Cennetig as Cennetig was Brian's father's name. The Annals also

> mention other Cennetigs seemingly unrelated to the Dal Cais tribe of
Brian Boru
> and his ilk.
>
> The two are identical names as Scots Gaelic often uses a "d" where the
> Irish has a "t".
>
> It is clearly evident to me that the given name Cennetig or Cennedig was
> quite common in Gaelic speaking areas during the middle ages (as were
names
> like Donnchadh or Muiredach) and accounts for its arising independently
as
> a surname in the forms "MacKennedy" or "MacCennetig" all over this Gaelic

> cultural matrix from Moray to Munster.
>
> So now when people ask me how can Kennedy be a Scottish name I can reply
> confidently that it was a common given name that arose as a surname in
> diverse areas of both Gaelic speaking Scotland and Ireland during the
middle
> ages.
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> R1b1c7 Research and Links:
>
> http://clanmaclochlainn.com/R1b1c7/
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