My name is Jan Morrison . I started this site by investigating my maternal grandfather's line as there was an old story in the family that a Macfarlane had married a Macfarlane. The first instance I found was my great grandfather who married a Mary Macfarlane. However if his father had married his mother, Elizabeth Macfarlane his name would have been Stark so I suppose that instance doesn't count. As I went further back I found 4 more instances of Macfarlanes marrying Macfarlanes. None were relatives as far as I can see. I got as far back as Parlan Macfarlane  in the early 18th century before moving to my father's family, Gourlay where i'm stuck in the late 16th century in Fife.  I've had less luck with my maternal grandmother's line, Stewart. I've also investigated the paternal grandmother's line, Johnstone where one branch takes me back to Denmark.  I'm delighted to find that I am related to the original Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern!

It is in this side of the family that I have proved the saying that if you get back far enough we are all related to Royalty. I appear to be descended from almost every Royal family of Europe including, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, England, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and both Holy Roman Empires.

I found it fascinating to uncover ancestors who I had first read about in history books, Alfred the Great, Charlemagne and Atilla the Hun. I also came across brothers of my ancestors who were pretty well known, Good King Wenceslas, Canute, and Julius Caesar.

It's just a pity that the peasant side of the family didn't keep such good records!  

I can be contacted at info@the-leith-galley.co.uk