Post by mcduck on Feb 21, 2006 11:27:08 GMT -6
Hello. This is McDuck, an Italian boy who loves Scottish history. I see that you are missing information on the McOstrich sept. Here is what I found:
When Bonnie Prince Charlie was raising a Jacobite army to fight the English for the Scottish Throne in 1746, he gathered mercenaries from all over Europe. Some 250 men came from Austria, (D'Austeriche, meaning 'of Austria'). The 'Gaels' did not understand them or their language, so they phonetically spelt the collective name as 'Austrich'. There is no 'Au' in the 'erse' language, so 'Au' became 'O' and the final 'e' from Austeriche was dropped, leaving Ostrich. The 'D' (which means 'of') became Mac. So the soldiers became 'Mac Ostrich' or 'Sons of Austria' to the Scots. After the fateful battle of Culloden, most of the Austrian soldiers fled, but some stayed on and intermarried with the Scots, hence the name stayed. About 1802, one McOstrich went to Cork, Ireland, to be Laird of some Scottish landed estates. Early in the 1800s St Anne's, better known as Shandon church bells fell into disrepair. To be saved by Potter McOstrich's money. In gratitude, the Parish decreed "the church bells would ring anytime a McOstrich got Married, anywhere in the world."
Link to the original article by John McOstrich (jfmfit@mail.com):
genealogy.about.com/library/blquery102800.htm
When Bonnie Prince Charlie was raising a Jacobite army to fight the English for the Scottish Throne in 1746, he gathered mercenaries from all over Europe. Some 250 men came from Austria, (D'Austeriche, meaning 'of Austria'). The 'Gaels' did not understand them or their language, so they phonetically spelt the collective name as 'Austrich'. There is no 'Au' in the 'erse' language, so 'Au' became 'O' and the final 'e' from Austeriche was dropped, leaving Ostrich. The 'D' (which means 'of') became Mac. So the soldiers became 'Mac Ostrich' or 'Sons of Austria' to the Scots. After the fateful battle of Culloden, most of the Austrian soldiers fled, but some stayed on and intermarried with the Scots, hence the name stayed. About 1802, one McOstrich went to Cork, Ireland, to be Laird of some Scottish landed estates. Early in the 1800s St Anne's, better known as Shandon church bells fell into disrepair. To be saved by Potter McOstrich's money. In gratitude, the Parish decreed "the church bells would ring anytime a McOstrich got Married, anywhere in the world."
Link to the original article by John McOstrich (jfmfit@mail.com):
genealogy.about.com/library/blquery102800.htm