Re: Alexander Beaton, left scotland (skye) 1830 with...
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In reply to:
Re: Alexander Beaton, left scotland (skye) 1830 with...
jackie chisholm 3/11/07
It doesn't say anything about his ancestors, just that he came from the island of Skye to Cape Breton before 16 Nov 1830 with his wife, Mary, and 5 children, Anne, Kate, Donald, Isabel, John.
Skye could mean MacDonald or MacLeod if I understand the distributions of the major clans correctly. The Highland Beatons (also known as MacBeth) were not one of the great territorial clans but were allied with the different major clans. "MacBeth" is actually an occupational name. It means "Son of Life" and comes from the family occupation of physician. Some MacBeths adopted Beaton as a non-Gaelic equivalent in the 16th century. "Beaton" derives from the French city of Bethune and is the name of a prominent lowland family. There is a story that the two families are connected, but that seems to be more legend than fact. There's a book about the Beatons by a Professor Bannerman that goes into this whole question of the origins of the family name.
The Dictionary of Scottish Emigrants and Professor Bannerman's book are available through interlibrary loan--or a nearby library may have them. Ask your local public librarian how to find out and order the books.
More Replies:
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Re: Alexander Beaton, left scotland (skye) 1830 with...
jackie chisholm 3/12/07
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Re: Alexander Beaton, left scotland (skye) 1830 with...
duncan beaton 5/30/12
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Re: Alexander Beaton, left scotland (skye) 1830 with...