Rockett: Notable Ancestors

 

UPDATE: As of September 2026, DNA testing has revealed that our line has changed since the original post in 2024. Even though some names have changed, the importance of their lives has not changed. Enjoy!

“One picture is worth a thousand words.” Fred R. Barnard

After compiling and documenting the Rockett Complete Ancestry at my lineage website https://rockettslanding.neocities.org/RockettCompleteAncestry, I inserted a paragraph listing notable ancestors. Since most of us have never heard of many of these people, I decided to look for pictures and interesting facts about these ancestors that might help us appreciate their lives.

Alfred the Great, King of Wessex (849-899) silver penny ~875-880 A.D. by Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=142995994 

• u Was the most famous king of the Anglo-Saxons
• u Defended Wessex against the Vikings
• u Introduced reforms in defense measures, law, and coinage

Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Italy (748-814) silver coin ~813 by PHGCOM - Own work by uploader, photographed at Cabinet des Médailles, Paris., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5729324 

• u United most of Europe spreading Christianity
• u Reformed military, economic and governmental areas
• u Reformed cultural, educational and religious areas of life for everyone

Duncan I, King of Scotland, “The Diseased” (1001-1040) 17th century portrait by Jacob de Wet II, Gallery in Holyrood Palace https://www.britannica.com/biography/Duncan-I#/media/1/173642/10196   

• u First king of Scotland of the House of Dunkeld
• u Was neither a very good nor a very popular king
• u Made famous by Shakespeare regarding his murder by his cousin, MacBeth

Isabelle "Elizabeth" de Vermandois, France (1085-1131), portrait from https://www.boothancestry.wordpress.com   

• u Writers from her time describe her as ambitious, independent, lively, and strong-willed
• u She created the first matrilineal coat of arms for the Vermandois line
• u She is related to the Kings of England and France, and most noble European families

Kenneth MacAlpin, King of the Picts and Scotland (810-858), by William Hole RSA (1846-1917), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1834097 

• u Founded a dynasty that united the Picts and Gaels founding the Kingdom of Alba
• u Credited with setting the ancient Stone of Destiny at Scone, Scotland
• u Successfully drove off the Vikings

Mieszko I, Prince of Poland (930-992), monumental tomb by Christian Daniel Rauch at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mieszko_I#/media/File:Z%C5%82ota_Kaplica._Pomnik_Mieszka_I_i_Boles%C5%82awa_I_Chrobrego.jpg 

• u Founder of the first unified Polish state
• u First Christian ruler of Poland
• u He was a talented military leader, politician, and ruler

Nominoe, King of Brittany (~800-851), by Investigator64, Ivanovo, Russia at TripAdvisor.com

• u Was first Duke of Brittany and Father of the Bretons
• u Defeated Charles the Bald
• u Became a crowned king and independent ruler of the Bretons

Olof Skötkonung, King of Sweden (985-1022), sculpture by Ansgar Almquist, Stockholm City Hall at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Sk%C3%B6tkonung#/media/File:Stadshuset_Olof_Sk%C3%B6tkonung.jpg 

• u First king of Sweden to be baptized and remain Christian until his death
• u First Swedish ruler to issue coins
• u His wife and his mistress and the children by both of them were treated equally

Robert de Ros, Magna Carta Baron and Knight Templar (1172-1227), from FindAGrave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7645768/robert-de_ros#view-photo=99417565 

• u One of the Magna Carta Sureties appointed to enforce observance of the Magna Carta
• u Was a Holy Land Crusader and Templar Knight
• u From an early age was an effective administrator of inherited and gifted lands

Rollo the Viking, Father of the Normans (~860-~930), Grave effigy at the Cathedral of Rouen By © Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55818199 

• u Founded the Duchy of Normandy
• u Laid siege to Paris for 13 months with a fleet up to 700 ships
• u Was an independent Viking raider, warrior and leader

William I de Warenne (~1035-1088), 1st Earl of Surrey, by Storye book, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 via Wikimedia Commons  

• u Fought under William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066
• u Held extensive lands in 13 counties in the Domesday Book
• u Was one of four prominent Normans appointed to govern England during William the Conqueror’s absence

Rockett: Scottish Clans

 

Kilt: It’s what happened to the last person who called it a skirt! Anonymous

UPDATE: As of September 2026 we are no longer linked to this line. DNA testing has proven that our link to this line actually goes in a different direction.

I am going to leave this post from June 2024 in case we should link back into the MacKenzies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most Americans with Southern roots have Scottish blood in their lineage. So, it becomes a matter of which clan do you want to claim? In the old days in Scotland, picking a clan would have been a matter of life or death, but as modern Americans, it is for fun and for a sense of belonging!

After compiling and documenting the Rockett Complete Ancestry at my lineage website https://rockettslanding.neocities.org/RockettCompleteAncestry, I noticed a LOT of Scottish ancestors that I didn’t know we had in our lineage. Many of the Scottish ancestors in this lineage are associated with clans that don’t have a modern, living chief with a physical seat. So, I decided to see how many clans we descend from who do have a living chief and physical seat. The number is seven: Bruce, Buchan, Campbell, Forbes, Keith, MacKenzie, and Munro.

Now just looking at these seven clans, Bruce and Buchan are Lowland families and the other five are Highland clans. Here are the numbers of generations we descend through for each clan: Bruce (2), Buchan (6), Campbell (3), Forbes (3), Keith (5), MacKenzie (8) and Munro (3).

Clearly, we have more Highland MacKenzie blood in our line, since we descend from eight generations of MacKenzies. So, this post will focus on our new-found Highland MacKenzies!

Highland Clan MacKenzie:

We are descended from Chief Alexander MACKENZIE “The Upright” (b. Bef 1436, d. Bef 2 Sep 1488) through eight generations:

1. Chief Alexander MacKenzie;

2. Chief Kenneth MacKenzie;

3. Chief John MacKenzie;

4. Chief Kenneth “of the Whittle” MacKenzie;

5. Chief Colin MacKenzie “Cam (One-Eyed)";

6. Alexander MacKenzie of Coul and Applecross;

7. Sir Kenneth MacKenzie of Coul, First Baronet; and

8. Jean MacKenzie of Coul.

Crest Badge: A mount in flames

 

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_clans#/media/File:Mackenzie_crest.gif by Tomasz    Steifer, Gdansk.

Motto: Luceo non uro “I shine not burn”

Plant: Variegated holly or deergrass

Clan Chief: John Ruaridh Grant MacKenzie, 5th Earl of Cromartie

 Photo posted by Debbie Banes on Pinterest

Clan Seat: Castle Leod, near Strathpeffer in east Ross-shire, Scotland, built on the site of a very ancient Pictish fort. It is open to the public on a limited number of days. Visitors can plant a tree on the grounds. Address: Castle Leod, Strathpeffer, Ross-shire, IV4 9AA.

Castle Leod photo by Craig Wallace CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36322284

Clan Tartan:

What’s the difference in tartans? The Tartan Plaid website gives a quick description with MacKenzie tartan pictures from LochCarron of Scotland:

MacKenzie Ancient - Before the 1860s, the only materials available to artisans were vegetable colors derived from plants and animals. As a result, the final results of these very rudimentary dyes were not particularly stable, and the color faded fast. After only a few years of fading, the tartans’ colors became light and delicate, and this is what today’s Ancient Tartans strive for. Greens and blues, for example, are particularly muted, while red frequently appears more orange in Ancient Tartan designs.

 

MacKenzie Modern - Modern tartans are based on historical tartan designs established after 1860. At this point in history, more chemical dyes became accessible, allowing tartans to be more color-fast (that is, maintain their color better). These synthetic dyes gave rise to the unique bolder, deeper colours of Modern Tartan. Blues appear dark, while greens appear more bottle green.

MacKenzie Weathered - In contrast to other tartans, weathered tartans use a color palette that imitates tartans exposed to the harshest weather factors that Scotland has to offer, such as rain, sun, and wind. This produces muted colors that are most reminiscent of those worn centuries ago, when Scottish men wore their kilts day and night.

MacKenzie Hunting - Old Scottish clans employed Historical Hunting Tartans while hunting, and modern forms have more greens and browns in them than old and Modern versions, to better blend in with the flora. That doesn’t mean that current Hunting Tartans are just worn for hunting; like many other tartans, they’re also worn for various formal and social occasions.

MacKenzie Dress - Dress Tartans, arguably among the easiest tartans to recognize, are most usually linked with highland dance. Dress Tartans typically have some type of white in their design, a pattern influenced by 18th century women’s dress. Many individuals have noticed that many Dress Tartans are simply versions of typical clan tartans with their main color changed to white.

Allegiances:

ALLIED CLANS	RIVAL CLANS
Clan Campbell (we are also descendants)	Clan MacDonald
Clan Mackintosh	Clan MacDonalds of Clanranald and of Glengarry
Clan MacLennan	Clan MacDonalds of Keppoch and of Lochalsh
Clan MacRae	Clan MacLeods of Assynt and of Lewis
Clan Matheson	Clan Munro (we are also descendants)
Clan Morrison	Clan Rose
Clan Stewart	Clan Ross
	Bain of Tulloch Family

 

Clan Map of Scotland:

Map of Scottish highland clans and lowland families. Originally based on the "Clan Map of Scotland" from The Scottish Clans & Their Tartans, W. & A.K. Johnston, 1939. Also used a map from ScottishRadiance. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_clan 

Clan Website: The Clan MacKenzie Society of Scotland & the UK. Membership open to overseas persons. Active clan participates in Highland Games, events, and publishes a magazine. Single membership £15.00 (US$18.95 as of June 23, 2024). https://clanmackenziesociety.co.uk/ 

 

Sources:

Castle Leod, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Leod 

Clan Chief: John MacKenzie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mackenzie,_5th_Earl_of_Cromartie 

Clan MacKenzie, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Mackenzie 

List of Scottish Clans, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_clans 

Tartan Fabric: LochCarron of Scotland, https://www.lochcarron.co.uk/fabric-cloth-shop/tartan-fabric with an excellent selection of ancient, dress, hunting, weathered, and modern tartan fabrics, clothes, and products in different weights.

Tartan Plaid https://tartanplaid.co/blog/the-differences-between-various-types-of-tartan-fabrics/  

Did Nothing Worth Remembering

De Matilde penitus taceo, quia nihil egit memorià dignum. Joannis Forduni. Translation:

I am completely silent about Matilda, because she did nothing worth remembering. John of Fordun, Scottish chronicler, late 14^th century

Back in November, I decided it would be a good time to go through my mother’s online genealogy research papers from back in the 1990s. Turns out that most of these papers are actually emails from other online researchers sharing bits of unsourced information on family lineages that we “might” tie into. There are thousands of papers.

So, as a diversion, I decided to revisit our old family lineages back to Charlemagne thinking this would be a quick and easy way to post surname lineages back to Charlemagne for my daughter, son-in-law, and husband’s families. Wrong! Nothing is ever quick or easy.

I didn’t know that a major project called Medieval Lands at the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy (https://fmg.ac/) would totally throw out my old lineages and create new ones in the process. The creator of this project, Charles Cawley, set out in 2006 to verify lineages using primary sources, quoting extracts in the original language. It is still being updated as of 2023. While it is very time consuming and labor intensive to compare the old with the new, I really enjoy seeing the final results: lineages backed up by the best sources available in an effort to get to the truth.

Now, flash back to about a year ago: a medical doctor said to me that I have “no meaningful activity in my life.” Really? And, if true, is that something that I need to change? As the granddaughter of a once-wealthy family, it was assumed that I’d be a socialite. That didn’t happen; I’ve lived an ordinary, everyday life. It’s the best thing that could’ve happened to me. So, after giving it a lot of thought, I told that doctor recently that “I’m O.K. with that.”

So, who is Matilda? Last night, I was updating my lineage, and I came across Matilda Bruce. What caught my eye was a comment that she “did nothing worth remembering.” Really? And, if true, is that something she should have changed? Matilda was 1 of 11 children born to ROBERT THE BRUCE! Yeah, that guy! It was probably assumed that she would marry a man who would expand her father’s political ambitions or land holdings and/or would donate heavily to churches, abbeys, or monasteries. Guess that didn’t happen; she ended up marrying Thomas Isaac, a squire (meaning a knight in training), and having 2 daughters with him.

I hope Matilda was content with her ordinary, everyday life, and if she ever ran into John of Fordun, she’d tell him that she “was O.K. with that!”

Sources:

Foundation for Medieval Genealogy project Medieval Lands by Charles Cawley online at https://fmg.ac/projects/medlands (Accessed 17 Dec 2023)

Joannis Forduni, Scotichronicon, Continuator by Walter Goodall, Vol. II, Lib. XI, Cap. XIII, p. 150, online at https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_joannis-de-fordun-scotic_fordun-john_1759_2/page/150/mode/2up?q=150 (Accessed 17 Dec 2023)

Genealogy Websites & DNA Testing

 

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.” –George Burns

With so many people taking DNA tests and then being encouraged to enter their family trees online, you can end up with some really good “pointers” that need to be researched OR you can end up with a hot mess!

While I’m glad that so much genealogy information (in the form of sources) is online, I get tired of correcting and/or emailing people who oversee family history lineages on sites that are trying to build One Big Family Tree. Control Freaks abound in these places, and, if they’re still active, it’s their way or the highway.

I remember now why I stopped doing online genealogy several years ago. I spent almost all of my time policing websites. I also had someone literally copy and paste my personal writing on my blog homepage to their blog page without referencing me or even including a link. This morning, I started a review of current, popular genealogy websites, but, by this afternoon, it looks like Ancestry.com has bought most of them! So, I guess my warning is to be careful of subscribing to multiple sites.

For Genealogists, Thank God for the Mormons!

While I am not Mormon, it is my understanding that Mormons conduct sealings (or rituals) for baptizing and binding the souls of couples and families not only living but also after their deaths. I think that’s how Family Group Sheets entered the mainstream along with the popularity of Family History Libraries at local Mormon churches (called stakes). In order to seal as many ancestors as possible, they needed records. So, along came the International Genealogical Index (IGI) published in 1973. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has since created FamilySearch.org, which is a free website still owned by the LDS. Ancestry broke from the LDS in 2007. So, what started out small and free has branched out into huge and profitable.

Barb’s Review!	Pros	Cons	Subscription
FamilySearch.org (Offered by the Church of Latter-day Saints)	Some lines are well-sourced. Good selection of sources that differs from Ancestry. They have a mobile app.	Prefers merges with existing trees but not mandatory. Anyone can change or delete your tree.	Free
WikiTree.com (Owned by Interesting.com)	Some lines are well-sourced. They have some great projects that volunteer members work on like the Palatine Migration Project, etc. Shows your DNA test results as a percentage of relationship to an ancestor.	One Big Family Tree. May or may not be sourced. I’m noticing fewer pages being sourced, which is disappointing to me. They have a WikiTree Sourcer app for Apple and Mac products but not Androids.	Free
Ancestry.com (Bought in 2020 by Blackstone, an international investment firm)	No one can change your tree. Looks for possible sources “hints” for each person entered. They have a mobile app. Offers top-rated DNA tests.	Discount w/6-month subscription but $25 fee if you cancel early. You can’t view detailed info unless you’re a subscriber.	U.S. Records $22/mos U.S. & International Records $33/mos
MyHeritage.com (Started out in Israel, bought in 2021 by Francisco Partners an equity firm with an office in Utah)	Good collection of French sources. They purchased Legacy Family Tree software. Offers DNA tests $89.	You can’t view detailed info unless you’re a subscriber. All the research hints I’ve noticed in Legacy Family Tree are from MyHeritage.	Basic - Free. 4 plans ranging from $129/year to $299/year
Geni.com (owned by MyHeritage since 2012)	Some lines are well-sourced. Has many lines going back hundreds of years.	One Big Family Tree. May or may not be sourced. I’m noticing fewer pages being sourced, which is disappointing to me.	Basic - Free Pro - $119/year
Geneanet en.geneanet.org Purchased by Ancestry in 2021.	Focus on Continental Europe.	You can’t view detailed info unless you’re a subscriber. Not sure what the future holds since it was bought by Ancestry.	Basic - Free Premium - from $4.13/mos
FindAGrave.com Purchased by Ancestry in 2013.	Focus on cemetery records. Some include well-written biographies.	Information may or may not be accurate.	Free
FindMyPast.com (Owned by Scottish media firm DC Thomson)	Focus is on British and Irish records. Can create your own tree.	You can’t view detailed info unless you’re a subscriber.	British and Irish Records $60 All Records $90

Of course, there are other sites that are linked to Ancestry like Newspapers.com and Fold3.com that are also subscription-based.

So, why are equity and investment firms investing in your family history? They’re not. They are buying data. You supply the data; they sell the data for profit. Data benefits businesses through insights and analytics.

DNA Testing

According to the NYTimes.com/Wirecutter review updated 16 Nov 2023, here are the top 3 DNA test picks:

1. Ancestry - best overall; largest DNA database; cannot track maternal and paternal heritage independently or trace your ancient migration path out of Africa. $119 deeply discounted around holidays.

2. 23andMe - came in second; for male testers, the tests can provide the ancient migration paths of maternal and paternal lines independently; additional paid service for potential health indicators. $160 deeply discounted around holidays.

3. FamilyTreeDNA - runner up; offers a lot of add-on tests that can quickly add up; voluntarily provides access to its customer data to law enforcement. $89

For genealogy purposes, DNA testing works best alongside of traditional research techniques. While DNA might tell you that you have a Western European heritage, it won’t tell you who your great-great-grandmother is in Holmes County, Mississippi!

Common DNA terms:

Haplogroup - it’s a group that shares a common ancestor. While all humans started out as one original haplogroup in Africa, they have since migrated out and reproduced into separate groups. The four largest haplogroups today are European, African, Native American, and Asian.

Autosomal DNA - this is you in all your glory! This is what you get from your mom and dad (or scientifically, the 23 pairs of chromosomes: 22 from mom and 22 from dad). It tells you what your ethnic makeup is and can match you with living relatives within the past 5 generations.

Mitochondrial DNA - M is for Mom! Often called mtDNA or mDNA, this is what mom contributed to your genetic code. It can tell you about ancient migration routes of ancestors on your mom’s side. It doesn’t play well with others: your mDNA is exactly the same as your mom’s mDNA. It is exactly the same!

Y-chromosome DNA - Just for the guys! Often called Y-DNA, in males it makes up half of the 23^rd chromosome pair that determines your gender: males are XY and females are XX. Poor women all these thousands of years being blamed for not giving birth to a son when we now know it was the dad’s “fault” (Do you hear me Henry VIII?). This test is for biological males only and can show ancient migration routes of ancestors on your dad’s side.

While I don’t understand everything about how DNA is used in genealogy, I am certain that big business and insurance will eventually profit by, and misuse, the information.