The 1881 census index shows a very large number of people called Robertson, Reid and Duncan in Scotland. These names were found in significant numbers in Perthshire but there were many other families with these names living in the surrounding counties. Many others had migrated for work and were found in the big cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and further afield in other parts of Great Britain and in Ireland. These surnames were already found in significant numbers in the counties surrounding the clan area by the middle of the 18th century.
The Clan Donnachaidh Society does not have the documentary resources to trace the history of the very large number of families carrying Clan surnames. Rather, it focuses on the Clan's shared history and heritage.
The main archive resources are to be found in the National Records of Scotland and in local archives and libraries. Some records such as the censuses are available on genealogical websites such as Ancestry. These websites have lots of useful indexes but it is very important to confirm the details by consulting original records. Many family-related records held by the National Records of Scotland, such as birth, death and marriage certificates, baptism records and wills and testaments are available on the Scotlands People website. If you are starting to compile your family tree the best advice is to work backwards in time. Start with a person whose full name you know, together with identifying details such as place and date of birth, marriage or death. Usually tracing a Scottish line of ancestry back to 1855, when civil registration began, is fairly straightforward.
If your ancestor moved away from Scotland or just from the home area it may be more difficult to identify the right family in Scotland. Many people had the same given name and even within the same locality it may not be easy to identify the correct John Robertson, John Reid or John Duncan. If your family emigrated in the 19th century it may be possible to find relevant emigration records or information on marriage and death certificates in the country of settlement that will help you identify the family. For an earlier period, it may be necessary to search in a wider range of documentary sources to fill gaps in the records both in the country of settlement and in Scotland.
If someone in the family has already drawn up a family tree or you have found a family tree in a book or online, it is very important to check every generation of it, as fresh information may have become available since the tree was drawn up. Many documentary sources that are now available online have only recently become easily accessible. In particular, if an older tree does not quote sources, it is important to find confirmation of the details from original documentary sources. Many family trees that confidently identify the place of origin of a Scottish ancestor who emigrated before the 19th century may not be correct.
It may be possible to identify an ancestral area of origin or a connection with another family of the same name by DNA testing. Y chromosome DNA testing is the most effective way of tracing a particular lineage further back as it is possible to identify a genetic line back over many centuries. Traditionally surnames follow the male line but initial matching may go back to the period before surnames. This test should be taken by a man who has an unbroken male-line descent from the family concerned. A genetic match with another man with the same surname suggests a family connection, though a high-resolution test is needed to confirm how close the relationship is. Family Tree DNA offers Y chromosome DNA tests and there is a Clan Donnachaidh DNA project. It should be noted that the surnames Robertson, Reid and Duncan have many different origins and there may be no immediate match with a family from a known geographic location in Scotland.
There are occasions when DNA testing may produce unexpected results. However, in many cases where there is no immediate match with the same surname it may simply be that no one else from the relevant family lineage has tested. A genetic match with another family with the same surname may not be able to reveal the exact relationship as older documentary records may have been lost. However, through a relationship with a family from a known location in Scotland you may be able to discover your family's ancestral area. Surnames were adopted very late in parts of Perthshire and there are many different origins in the clan area in particular as it has become evident that people adopted their name by association with the Chief, not because they were related to him in the male line. Even if you do not get an immediate match, once a test has been carried out there is always a chance that a match will turn up eventually as more people test.
