Hello Family McCubbin,
Welcome to our first newsletter, being sent to all who replied to my query letter earlier in the year, plus to email pals & my family. Thanks for your charts, family stories & anecdotes, photos, newspaper clippings & even chapters of an historical fiction in the works. It was all so very interesting! I knew then there was a need to form an association where we can all share in the story of the McCubbins.
Who are the McCubbins?
Early references to the name occur in the 15th century in Ayshire, Scotland. Variants were, Mackowban, M’abin, Mccubine, McKibbon plus several different versions. This was common in many families when illiteracy was the norm. Too, ministers in different parishes would record the name as they heard it spoken. The name was in Ireland at an early time, however so far, it appears the name originated in Scotland.
Beginning in the 17th century, we find the McCubbin name appearing on other continents. By the 18th & 19th centuries McCubbins were living in many parts of the globe; Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand. Still, many remained in Scotland.
A diverse group they were; Ag Labs & Ploughmen, Artisans & Artists, Bakers & Builders, Joiners, Farmers & Fishermen, School Teachers & Session Clerks, Miners, Seamen & Soldiers, Lords of the Castle and Covenanters!
They are all part of the McCubbin story, just waiting to be told.
What is a One-Name Study?
“A One name Study is a project researching all occurrences of a surname, as opposed to a particular pedigree (ancestors of one person) or descendancy (descendants of one person or couple). It may concentrate on aspects such as geographical distribution of the name & the changes in the distribution over the centuries or may attempt to reconstruct the geneaology of as many lines as possible bearing the name. A frequent aim is to identify a single original location of the name.” The aim is to research-study & preserve for posterity, all the relevant aspects of our McCubbin history and currently recognized surname variants, virtually WORLD-WIDE.
In Sept. 2000 I registered the name McCubbin/MacCubbin with the Guild of One Name Studies. Having gathered enough references from census & parish records, Scots Origins & International Genealogy Index, I had enough data to become a member. Upon joining the Guild, I agreed to assist all persons making enquiries regarding McCubbin , using my existing database. This past month I’ve been able to assist four persons get past a ‘brick wall’ in their research.
Getting a database set up, entering the info each of you have sent me & discovering more McCubbin families, began to catch up on me. Just when I was starting to think maybe I’d bitten off more than I could chew, Penny McColm of Australia (granddaughter of Frederick McCubbin, the artist) connected with me by e-mail. We began friendly e-discussions and exchange of information. Penny’s organized way with her research inspired me to get going with the idea of a McCubbin Association. She agreed to help with Australia McCubbins. And now Lynne McCubbin of Ayrshire is going to help too.
McCubbin Family Association Membership
Membership is free. The Association will be non-profit & non-constitutional. I regard genealogy as a hobby & pleasant pastime. Postal costs will be gratis. A free copy of the McCubbin book/or CD book, will be sent to all those who contribute material for the book. The book will take time, possibly a few years or more.
Membership is open to anyone who falls into one of these categories:
-if they have the name McCubbin, either by birth or marriage.
-if their surname was previously McCubbin, though they may have acquired another name by marriage.
-if they have ancestors who were called McCubbin and are genuinely interested in researching the name and ancestry of McCubbin families.
-the above criteria also apply to anyone with a recognized variant of the name.
How will we operate?
The Association will revolve around co-ordinators. They will have research responsibility for geographic areas. Their job is to collect, index and chart the information that we get from members and other genealogical sources. Each co-ordinator may publish a progress report in our newsletter, which eventually will be on-line.
If you haven’t already sent details of your family tree, I invite you to do so. Our aim is to co-ordinate your research with others working on the same line. It will reduce time-consuming and expensive duplication of effort. I’m reminded of a four hour microfilm session at the LDS. As I was finishing up, I saw the person next to me had also been researching the same name, parish & census!! We could only laugh at our situation.
Please send any data you have on the McCubbin family. Every little bit helps.
The Newsletter
Our newsletter, THE ‘CUB’ REPORT, will be issued yearly. It will include a variety of articles relevant to the surname; members’ queries, letters, interesting stories, etc.. Why CUB? A fond nickname, usually used by McCubbin friends and family, seemed to fit.
Jim is my husband of 41 yrs. Genealogy isn’t a hobby for him, and he’s happiest carving wood in his workshop (a true gggrandson of ALEXANDER McCUBBIN, the Joiner, of Stoneykirk.) He always enjoys hearing about his distant cousins & sends his regards.
All the best,
Lorna McCubbin