Our Family is `Ulster Scot` a description derived from our probable  participation in the `colonization` of Ireland by the British almost four  centuries ago. The majority of Scots who migrated to Northern Ireland went  there as part of these organized settlement schemes in the period 1605-1697.  These `Plantation` settlements were confined mostly to the Province of Old  Ulster, in the Counties of Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Donegal, Cavan,  Fermanagh, and Londonderry. As many as 200,000 Scots crossed the North Channel  to settle in Ulster in this period. It`s a good bet that our Family migrated  to Ireland during this time. The primary purpose of the plantation scheme was  to populate the northern counties of Ireland with loyal British Protestant  subjects, to counterbalance and dominate the Irish Roman Catholics. Many  problems arose for the Scots in Ireland. In 1639, they were forced to sign an  oath of allegiance, swearing to never oppose the King`s command. This oath was  later called the Black Oath. Scots who did not sign were punished. Native  Irishmen considered the Ulster Scots as intruders and in an uprising in 1641,  many Scots suffered. Later, the English revolution of 1688 helped to solidify  the Scots` position in Ireland. Irish Catholics rose up in support of James  II, while the Scot Presbyterians supported William of Orange. The war ended in  1691 with Ireland submitting to the new King William and the effective rule of  Ireland by a protestant British government. Throughout the next century,  troubles continued for all Irish peoples beset by a continuation of sectarian  and religious trouble, famine, adverse economic and trade conditions, and a  growing resentment of an untenable taxation regime. It is therefore not  surprising that our ancestors chose to escape these conditions through the  onward emigration to Canada. That our Family chose and eventually found peace  and liberties unknown previously, was testament to a courage, strength and  perseverance seldom experienced in our own time. Imagine for a moment the  anxieties of sailing across the ocean for upwards of 3 months, and the  ultimate exhiliration of seeing our country for the first time...the  wonderment of entering the St. Lawrence River, staring at the wild forests and  shorelines of the Saguenay, passing Isle d`Orleans, mesmerized by the sounds  and views from the rolling ship deck of Old Quebec and Montreal and the onward  stage travel through the untamed woods of the Ottawa Valley and eventually  reaching the rollings hills of Simcoe County. But they did it. In the true  spirit of our family motto, `Cursum Perficio` our Forbearers `completed the  course` and began their new lives.  Enjoy your time at this website. We invite  you to sign the Guestbook and participate in the fascinating discovery and  documentaion of our Family History.

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