Thank you Sinead for your kind words of welcome. And thank you too everyone
who has written to me not only through the list but also on a private basis.
I am amazed that my simple little story should have produced such a
heart-warming response! And I will reply to you all.
Being brand new here, I am not sure what the 'etiquette' is, so am operating
on the principle that if the mail came through the list - it gets answered
through the list and if private - then privately. I hope that is correct.
That's an interesting co-incidence Sinead that you have a Clarke/Sinclair
connection as well and that your lot ended up in New Zealand and Australia
too.
My Clarks were definitely thoroughly embedded in Caithness and were traceable
as far back as records would allow.
However Sinead's letter brings to mind a very pertinent point which is of
importance to anyone new to family research. Don't ever allow variations in
the spelling of a surname to put you off. A good example here is Clarke with
an 'e' as in Sinead's family and Clark without an 'e' as in mine.
In fact, great-great grandfather Sinclair Clark was born with an 'e' and was
buried without one!
My Russell family in Shetland, before the Russell was anglicised and
formalised in the early 19th century, was variously Russland, Rusland,
Ruslin, Russlin - everything but Rosslyn or Roslin! Which brings me to the
thousand dollar question. Could someone please explain the difference between
the spelling of Rosslyn' as in the chapel and 'Roslin' as in the village and
institute!
Regards,
Antonia.
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