The name has been traced from Scythia & Gaul, from Spain to Scotland and then on. The English name of Ettrick is directly descended from the Scottish ' Douglas '. Of this there is firm evidence. It is a persistent fable that the name derives from Sitrick the Viking,there is no such person or any other Dane in the McKitrick ancestry.

The paternal & maternal surnames of Sitrick are Cuaron & Gormfaith ( Gormley ). No Dane or Norseman ever succeeded in invading Southern Scotland. Some think that they may have fought at Bannockburn, they were not Highlanders and there is no coat of arms.

Land was owned by Ettricks as early as 1234. ( One thinks of the Ettrick valley / Etteridge ).

'Son of ' ie Mc / Mac came to Scotland from Ireland in the 9th century but was not adopted until between 1000 to 1200 AD.

In the mid-1600's James McKittrick of Wigtown was a Attorney / Notary. William McKittrick a rich merchant, was married to Isobel Maxwell, daughter of Lord John Maxwell of the ' Hilles '.

There were no McKittrick's in Ireland before early 1600's, appearing in Randalstown, Antrim and Lisburn, Co Down by 1610. The McKittricks, that were in Ulster, whether before, during or after plantation became victims of its purpose. When imports of flaxseed and exports of textiles were stopped, all exports had to be sold to England at fixed prices. The Irish mills could not survive and thus began the exodus to America and elsewhere in 1718 and 1775. There is a letter from Alexander McKittrick in Co Down to his brother Samuel telling of the Potato failure and the high cost of rent, land etc,,.

Sampson McKittrick's beginings are not definetly known, his son ( Sampson 2 ) was born in Armagh.

It is known, that ,

Sampson (2) McKittrick ( 1835 - 1891 ) married Mary Mills( 1840 - 1907 ). They were married on 25th December 1856 in Salford. Amongst their children , Robert - Mary Ann - Samson - Sarah ,,,,

William John ( 1857 - ? ) married Eliza Cookson ( ? - ) and from their children ,

Eliza - Ruth - William John - William - John -

Robert ( 1887 - 1957) ( pictured here ), married Alice Siddle ( 1883 - 1972 ) Of their children,

Robert ( 1916 ) John ( 1918 ) ,

James ( 1920 - ) married Vera Cooke( 1923 - ), from their children , Margaret ( 1947 ), Janet ( 1959 ),,

Alison [ 1950 - ] married Geoff Morley ( 1950 - )

Sampson's ( 2 ) birthplace was said to be Armagh. The entry in the 1881 Census shows this, The information shows him to be SANSON McKendrick born 1835, this is definetly the correct family, but as to why ( ? ) they were entered as ' such ' will always be a mystery ! Mary, his wife is shown as being from ' Bellabagh ', which could be ' Ballaghbeg ' In County Down ( ? ). A recent discovery shows that Sampson (2) was married in Eccles, Salford which is about 5 miles from where his GGGrandaughter now lives ! I will be happy to receive any information that you may feel like sharing.

Mail me at :-

• geoff.morley@virgin.net
  

        
  
  
  
  
  
          William John McKittrick
          b 11th November 1857