McCREARY ORIGINS

A cousin of mine, who also descends from Hugh McCreary (b. 1744, Pennsylvania), has done extensive research on our McCreary ancestry. This includes research within Scotland and Ireland, as well as yDNA studies. It seems most likely that our particular line of McCreary was associated at one time with Rerrick Parish, Galloway, in southwest Scotland. See http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mccreery/mccreery.html

Several surnames derive from the word Rerrick, which itself stems from a surname. Think “Mc-Rerrick”. McCreary guys of old Rerrick Parish had a variety of unrelated genetics. And McCreary-like surnames also originated in other places. Biologically unrelated persons with McCreary-like surnames might have been found living in close proximity with one another in Scotland, northern Ireland, and America.

My cousin’s 37-markers STR (Short Tandem Repeats) yDNA results may be viewed at www.ysearch.org under ID VVAHB. STR markers are useful for estimating number of generations back to a Most Recent Common Ancestor. Additionally, his yDNA was analyzed for SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms), which markers define haplogroups. Haplogroup designations keep changing regularly, so it is easiest to just note that my cousin was positive (= “derived”, mutated) at SNP marker L21, within the R1b Haplogroup. As of early 2011 reclassification, the haplogroup subclade designation is R1b1a2a1a1b4. See www.isogg.org/tree/ISOGG_HapgrpR.html

The L21+ mutation can be found in both Celtic and West Germanic groups. See www.eupedia.com/europe/origins_haplogroups_europe.shtml

Our McCreary line may have been associated with the Brythonic Celts of southwest Scotland. There was migration into northern Ireland, and then our line turned up in Pennsylvania.

As of early 2011, our line of McCreary yDNA has no matches at all within the McCreary surname yDNA project. www.familytreedna.com/public/McCreary/default.aspx?section=yresults

In that project, Pennsylvania samples are as yet small, and more data is needed. Our McCreary line is genetically unrelated to McCreary (& variant spellings) of South Carolina & beyond.

The parentage of Hugh McCreary (b. 1744) has not been established beyond doubt, although plenty of researchers are prepared to state that William McCreary Jr. & Deborah Clark were Hugh’s parents. Lingering doubt was an impetus for the yDNA testing, which may yet prove helpful if more Pennsylvania samples turn up. It is thought that William McCreary Sr. (Hugh’s grandfather?) came to America in 1720 with his mother and brothers John and Thomas. Genetic testing of descendants from any of this bunch would be a great boon to our knowledge.  See:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?Hugh,2005::mccreary::780.html

Interestingly, my cousin’s yDNA matches 34 of 37 markers with a man in New Zealand, “…whose part-Maori family traces its descent from a visiting New England sea-captain in the 19^th Century.” A Most Recent Common Ancestor might be scores of generations back, but it is still a closer match than my cousin currently has with other McCreary guys in the yDNA project. At the rapid rate of expansion of genetic genealogy, I am optimistic that yDNA matching our McCreary line will eventually emerge.