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Geography & Settlement Patterns

Understanding where the McCreary family lived and migrated over the centuries is crucial to understanding their story. This chapter explores the geographic journey of the McCreary family from prehistoric Celtic Scotland through Ulster (Ireland) to colonial America and beyond.

Interactive Migration Maps

We've created a series of interactive maps showing the McCreary family's migration journey across centuries and continents. These maps feature animated migration routes, clickable locations with historical context, and timeline controls.

đź“Ť View All Migration Maps

Available Maps:

  • Celtic Origins & Early Scotland (c. 400 BCE - 843 CE) - Explore the Celtic migrations from continental Europe to Ireland and Scotland, the migration of Gaelic Scots from Ireland to establish Dál Riata, and St. Columba's mission to Iona. Features 5 distinct migration routes showing the deep historical roots of Gaelic culture.

  • Medieval Scotland & Surname Emergence (843-1600) - Trace the formation of the Kingdom of Alba, the emergence of the MacRory (McCreary) surname in western Scotland, Norse Viking invasions, the Wars of Scottish Independence, and the Protestant Reformation. Features 6 historical routes showing clan territories, battles, and cultural transformations.

  • Ulster Plantation Migration (1603-1718) - Watch animated routes showing how Scottish Presbyterian families crossed the North Channel to settle in Ulster counties. Features 4 distinct migration paths with historical details.

  • Transatlantic Migration (1717-1775) - Follow the great Scotch-Irish exodus across the Atlantic Ocean. See ship routes from Belfast and Londonderry to Philadelphia and New Castle, Delaware, including the three major emigration waves (1717-1718, 1725-1729, 1740-1741) that brought over 100,000 Ulster Scots to colonial America.

  • American Frontier Expansion (1718-1800) - Trace the southward migration along the Great Wagon Road from Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley through Virginia's Shenandoah Valley to the Carolinas. See the trans-Appalachian routes through Cumberland Gap to Kentucky and into Tennessee. Features 6 migration routes showing how McCreary families and other Scotch-Irish settlers moved into the American frontier.

  • 19th Century Westward Expansion (1800-1900) - Follow the continued westward movement from the Appalachian base into the Old Northwest (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois), across the Mississippi into Missouri and Texas, onto the Great Plains (Kansas), and via the Oregon Trail to the Far West. Features 7 migration routes showing the full scope of 19th-century American expansion including the Civil War era and railroad age.

  • Modern Distribution (1900-Present) - Explore where McCreary surname bearers live today across the United States. See concentration circles sized by population density in 14 states, from the highest concentrations in Kentucky and Tennessee to modern dispersal patterns. Includes analysis of 20th-century urbanization, Sunbelt migration, and how families maintain cultural continuity despite geographic dispersal.

Geographic Origins: Scotland

The McCreary family name originates in western Scotland, particularly in the Lowland regions of:

Primary Scottish Regions

Ayrshire - Southwestern Scotland, facing Ireland across the North Channel - Presbyterian stronghold after the Scottish Reformation (1560) - Just 13 miles from Ulster at the narrowest crossing - Gateway for emigration to Ulster during the Plantation period

Galloway - Southwestern Scotland, south of Ayrshire - Rugged coastal region with strong clan traditions - Presbyterian communities faced persecution in the 1600s - Many families emigrated to County Down, Ulster

Dumfriesshire - Southern Scotland, near the English border - Part of the Scottish Borders region - Mixed Highland/Lowland culture - Source of settlers for County Tyrone, Ulster

Why Western Scotland?

The Mac Ruaidhri (McCreary) surname was particularly common in western Scotland for several reasons:

  • Gaelic Language Zone: The name derives from Scottish Gaelic, indicating Gaelic-speaking ancestry
  • Clan Territories: Western Scotland had established clan systems where surnames became hereditary
  • Proximity to Ireland: Close cultural and geographic ties to Ulster across the North Channel
  • Presbyterian Heartland: After 1560, this region became strongly Presbyterian, shaping family identity

The Ulster Connection (1609-1718)

The Ulster Plantation

The Ulster Plantation (1609-1718) brought approximately 50,000-100,000 Scottish families to northern Ireland. McCreary families were among these Presbyterian Scots who settled on land confiscated from native Irish Catholics.

Primary Ulster Counties

County Antrim - Northeastern Ulster, closest to Scotland (13 miles) - Heaviest Scottish settlement area - Presbyterian majority by 1640s - Many McCreary families settled here first

County Down - Southeastern Ulster - Significant Scottish Lowlander immigration - Good agricultural land - Presbyterian community centers

County Tyrone - Central Ulster, largest county in Northern Ireland - Heart of the Ulster Plantation scheme - Mix of Scottish and English planters - McCreary families received land grants here

County Donegal - Northwestern Ulster - More remote and less heavily planted - Scottish settlers in coastal areas - Mixed settlement patterns

Why Ulster?

Several factors drove Scottish families to Ulster:

  1. Proximity: The North Channel crossing was only 13-25 miles, easier than traveling to other colonies
  2. Economic Opportunity: Free or cheap land compared to crowded Scotland
  3. Religious Freedom: Initially promised to Presbyterians (though later discriminated against)
  4. Royal Encouragement: King James I actively recruited Scottish Lowlanders
  5. Familiar Environment: Climate and landscape similar to Scotland

Life in Ulster

McCreary families in Ulster: - Built Presbyterian churches and schools - Established farms and trading communities - Maintained Scottish cultural identity - Faced "double discrimination" from both Catholics (for taking their land) and Anglicans (for being Presbyterian) - Eventually emigrated to America in large numbers (1717-1775)

The North American Migration (1717-1800)

Colonial America Entry Points

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Primary port of entry for Ulster Scots - Between 1717-1775, approximately 100,000-150,000 Ulster Scots arrived - McCreary families first documented in 1718 - Gateway to Pennsylvania's interior

New Castle, Delaware - Secondary port near Philadelphia - Served overflow from Philadelphia - Some McCreary families landed here

Initial American Settlements

Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania - Western Pennsylvania frontier - First major settlement area for Ulster Scots in America - Rich agricultural land - Presbyterian church communities - Base for further southward migration

The Great Wagon Road

The Great Wagon Road was the primary route for Scotch-Irish migration from Pennsylvania southward through:

  1. Shenandoah Valley, Virginia (1740s-1760s)
  2. McCreary families settled here by 1760
  3. Fertile valley between Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains
  4. Presbyterian communities established

  5. Similar landscape to Ulster and Scotland

  6. Western North Carolina (1760s-1770s)

  7. Backcountry settlement
  8. Presbyterian churches and schools

  9. Scotch-Irish cultural dominance

  10. South Carolina Backcountry (1760s-1770s)

  11. Piedmont region
  12. Frontier settlements

  13. Presbyterian communities

  14. Kentucky and Tennessee (1780s-1800s)

  15. Post-Revolutionary War expansion
  16. McCreary families prominent in both states
  17. McCreary County, Kentucky established 1912
  18. Maintained Presbyterian traditions

Why the Pattern?

McCreary families followed this migration pattern because:

  • Land Availability: Frontier land was cheap or free
  • Community Networks: Scotch-Irish families moved together, recreating Ulster communities
  • Presbyterian Connections: Churches provided social structure and information about opportunities
  • Familiar Landscape: Appalachian valleys resembled Scotland and Ulster
  • Independence: Frontier life suited the Presbyterian emphasis on self-reliance
  • Economic Opportunity: Land ownership was achievable on the frontier

Geographic Characteristics

Common Environmental Features

McCreary families consistently chose locations with similar geographic characteristics:

Landscape Preferences: - Valleys between mountain ranges - Rolling hills rather than flat plains - Rivers and streams for water and transport - Mixed woodland and cleared land - Moderate elevations (not extreme highlands or lowlands)

Climate Preferences: - Temperate climates with four seasons - Adequate rainfall for agriculture - Not too different from Scotland or Ulster - Suitable for crops familiar from home (wheat, oats, flax, vegetables)

Strategic Locations: - Access to transportation routes - Defensible positions (important on frontiers) - Near other Presbyterian Scotch-Irish families - Proximity to natural resources (timber, water, stone)

Comparison of Regions

Region Climate Landscape Why Chosen
Western Scotland Cool, wet, temperate Hills, lochs, coastal Ancestral homeland, clan territories
Ulster Cool, wet, temperate Hills, valleys, coastal Close to Scotland, land available, royal encouragement
Pennsylvania Moderate, four seasons Rolling hills, valleys First affordable American land, ports of entry
Shenandoah Valley Moderate, four seasons Valley between mountains Familiar topography, good farmland, Presbyterian community
Appalachian Frontier Moderate, four seasons Mountains, valleys, forests Land availability, similar to Scotland, independence

Modern Distribution

Today, McCreary surname bearers are distributed across the United States, with highest concentrations in states where Scotch-Irish families originally settled:

Highest Concentrations: - Kentucky - Tennessee - North Carolina - Virginia - Pennsylvania - South Carolina

Why These States? These were either original settlement areas or destinations of 19th-century westward expansion from Appalachian bases.

For Heritage Tourists

If you're visiting ancestral locations, consider:

Scotland

  • Ayrshire: Visit coastal towns like Ayr, explore countryside
  • Galloway: See rugged landscapes, historic sites
  • Glasgow and Edinburgh: Presbyterian historical sites, National Records of Scotland

Ulster (Northern Ireland)

  • County Antrim: Belfast, Giant's Causeway, coastal areas
  • County Down: Ulster Folk Museum, Presbyterian churches
  • Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI): Research ancestral records in Belfast

United States

  • Pennsylvania: Cumberland Valley, Presbyterian Historical Society (Philadelphia)
  • Virginia: Shenandoah Valley, historic Presbyterian churches
  • Kentucky: McCreary County, county historical societies
  • Tennessee: Eastern Tennessee Presbyterian communities

Conclusion

The geographic journey of the McCreary family—from western Scotland through Ulster to the American frontier—was shaped by a combination of push factors (persecution, economic hardship, lack of land) and pull factors (opportunity, religious freedom, land availability, community networks).

The consistent pattern of settlement in hilly, temperate regions with Presbyterian communities shows how families maintained cultural continuity even while adapting to new environments. Understanding where the McCrearys lived helps us understand who they were and why they made the choices they did.

References

  1. The Scotch-Irish: A Social History - James G. Leyburn - Comprehensive coverage of geographic migration patterns

  2. Ulster-Scots Migration Studies - Research on Ulster Plantation geography and settlement

  3. The Great Wagon Road - National Park Service - Historic trail documentation

  4. Appalachian Settlement Patterns - Encyclopedia Virginia - Scotch-Irish in Appalachia

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