There is longstanding speculation as to whether or not the Chesapeake Hendersons came directly to Virginia from Scotland, or whether the family may have been in Ulster for one or two generations prior to emigrating to America. A recent DNA match with a line of Hendersons first identified in Baltimore in 1833 fuels the speculation further. 1880 census information from two Baltimore Hendersons believed to be brothers gives conflicting "place of birth" information for their father. One says "Scotland," the other "Ireland." Unfortunately, later census information says the father of the men was born in "Maryland," so no firm conclusions can be drawn.
In an effort to explore a possible connection to Ulster, I am seeking to correspond with Hendersons who can document their ancestry back to that area of Ireland. I was recently contacted by Bill Henderson, a resident of the Isle of Man, who can trace his family back to County Londonderry in the early 1700's. Bill is interested in DNA testing, and while it's definitely a long shot, I find myself hoping he is a match to us. If any readers of this blog are Hendersons who can document their ancestry back to the Ulster Plantations, please leave me a comment with your contact information.
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As a follow-up to this post, Bill's DNA test results are in, and he is not a match to our line. Nevertheless, I am confident that the more we test, the more we'll know! Please contact me if you are a UK male Henderson who can trace your roots prior to 1800 and would be willing to participate in the Clan Henderson Society's DNA project to help other Hendersons discover their origins!
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