You ask why the name Lees would be Protestant. It is not a traditional Irish name, and would therefore be an incomers name. Most incomers were Protestant, especially in Ulster (which is where your ancestors most likely came from if involved in the Linen trade as your research suggests).
The first batch of settlers from Britian came as a result of the Plantation of Ulster and then later various non conformist religious minorities came too. One way and another, my guess would be that your Lees ancestors originally came from England or Scotland, settled in Ireland. Then at least one of their descendants made the return journey back across the water. As other writers have said, multiple journeys to and fro were very common (and still are to this day), with rural families going back for weddings and funerals as well as to help with the potato harvest.
Protestants with a C of E background would associate with the Church of Ireland. Those with a C of Scotland background would tend to join one of the many Presbyterian Churches in Ireland (and as with Scotland there were various schism factions within Presbyterianism eg non-subscribing Presbyterians, eahc of which maintained their own records, making research time consuming).
Elwyn
Results 11 to 19 of 19
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11-02-2009, 9:28 PM #11
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Location
- Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Posts
- 627
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15-02-2009, 4:27 PM #12elvisrulesGuest
I know Lees can be English name, but I also read that it also exists as a bastardization of the Gaelic surname Mac an Leagha. I suppose I have no way of knowing...
-elvisrules
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15-02-2009, 7:10 PM #13
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Location
- Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Posts
- 627
Mac an Leagha implies an Irish and therefore Catholic ancestry. No Catholic would normally name their child Oliver, because of the Cromwellian associations.
I could be wrong but the combination of name and the particular trade suggests Protestant and Ulster to me.
Elwyn
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25-09-2017, 2:56 PM #14
- Join Date
- Sep 2017
- Location
- Glen Cove, New York
- Posts
- 1
I am the great granddaughter of Agnes Less of Aberdeen, Scotland. My grandmother, Nellie Lees, came over with Agnes as an adult. My great grandfather owned a large fish hatchery in Aberdeen. They were Protestant.
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26-09-2017, 9:30 AM #15
I don't often reply to old threads, but since this one has revived and my new copy of Black's "Surnames of Scotland" has arrived (the old one having been so heavily used that it has lost pages), I'll point out that the earliest record of Lee (and variants) is English in 1177. Lees is shown as deriving from the highland gaelic Mac Gill'Iosa and its simpler form Líos.
Mac an Leigh (also highland gaelic) modernizes to Maclae (MacLay and variants), the full original form is Mac Dhunnshleibhe - earliest records 1388 in Argyll.
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04-10-2018, 12:06 PM #16
- Join Date
- Oct 2018
- Location
- Peterborough UK
- Posts
- 2
Margaret Lee
Margaret Lee left Edinburgh and moved to Bridlington in Yorkshire. She had two sons one called Leslie and one called Alan. My Dad is Alan Lee. Hope this answers your question on Margaret. She died earlier this year well in to her 90s.
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04-10-2018, 12:09 PM #17
- Join Date
- Oct 2018
- Location
- Peterborough UK
- Posts
- 2
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24-02-2020, 9:52 PM #18
- Join Date
- Feb 2020
- Location
- virginia
- Posts
- 2
Hi, I am a direct descendant of Alexander Lee(1846-1949 Scotland) and Isabella McMillan/MacMillan(1881-1919 Scotland) I know they were married in 1897 but thats pretty much it . I have birthplace and death locations for them but also have conflicting information that confirms its accuracy.
I dont know anything else about these lines and cant seem to get much information regarding them or those that came before them. Im wondering if they can be connected to the names in your posts? As both passed on in Edinburgh , Im curious if there is a connection to your lines
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24-02-2020, 10:06 PM #19
Welcome to British Genealogy.
Scottish genealogy is normally fairly simple until you get back to 1855 because you can buy copies of birth, marriage and death certificates from Scotland’s People. I suggest that you go to our General Scottish section and look at the starter guides at the top.One of hem is all about Scotland’s People.
For a start, their marriage certificate will give you both sets of parents, occupations, etc.
Helping you trace your British Family History & British Genealogy.
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