Thoughts on Bloodlines versus Families versus Surnames

[Kyle2 MacLea]

Dear David, You should put your head together with Donald Livingstone Clink on this.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Kyle, Good point regarding the McLeas. You have convinced me over the course of the last year that all or most of the McLeas throughout SCotland likely belong to our clan and should be considered as such. I must however confess to being completely confused by what I just read regarding the Lowland Livingstones and the DNA project, but I am glad everyone else understands. Hopefully an abridged version with explanatory footnotes will soon be coming for non scholars like myself. Are you following it all? That Niall and his father are descendants of a long line of Macdunsliebhe chiefs and Barons on the Island of Lismore is fact enough for me. If the DNA project can provide greater insight into the origins of the family and in connecting other Livingstones and Macleas out there then we are all in favour of that. I am not going to speculate on the results of any test of Dr. Livingstone's kin and the subsequent intrepretation of the results. That should be left to the experts. I have done my small part and hopefully the results will be what we are hoping for. There are a number of possible reasons for the family adopting the name Livingstone some more appealing to us than others depending on your point of view. Some of the principal Lowland Livingstones were forced to flee Scotland in the early 1700's long before Bonnie Prince Charlie's rebellion. Having been Jacobites they lost their title and property. How many remained in lowland Scotland and in what number shouldn't be difficult to determine. I do agree with the idea that there are alot of Livingstones in the Lowlands ultimately of Highland Origin. The DNA test would perhaps come in handy here in linking them to the Livingstones currently living in Western Argyll. regards Donald (Livingstone) Clink

[Kyle2 MacLea]

Hi Donald, not sure I have a good handle on the Lowland Livingston DNA relationships either, perhaps Andrew can give us a heads-up. As far as I understand it, though, there is no obvious relationship uncovered yet between those that have tested and believe themselves to be descended of the Lowlanders, and any other known Livingston group.

[Andrew Lancaster4]

Hi Kyle Concerning the lowland Livingstons (the family with all the Earls and so on) we have to remember that a branch appear to have settled in New York and continued to be important in politics there even until today. Perhaps as a result of this many American families with the surname Livingston hope to prove a link. What we find is that there are many families who claim the link who have entirely different DNA from each other. On the other hand only one family in the project seems to have a claim to be a recognized as having a paper trail back to them. He is indeed completely different from all the others in the project. For this and other reasons I am beginning to wonder if the lowland Livingstons will eventually turn out to have only handful of male lines - or maybe even one. Best Regards Andrew Best Regards Andrew