What's New (past 30 days)
Welcome to the Scotson Family History website!
I do hope that you find that the numerous trees on this website will bring you great pleasure and will be most useful for your family history, whether setting out as a beginner, or as an experienced genealogist. There are over 13,700 names on the website, 1,801 being born with the name Scotson and 30 with Scottson spelling. Other names are their spouses, descendants and those in families linked to the Scotsons by a marriage.
A Surname list is found by clicking on "Surnames" under "Search" menu on the right of the home page.
For photographic material, click on the links in the left-hand menu on the homepage for "Photos" (portraits), "Cemeteries", "Headstones", and "Documents".
If you could contribute further Scotson information, documents, certificates, newspaper articles, obituaries, anecdotes, internet items, just anything relating to the family, it would be warmly appreciated. This will provide additional life to the bones of this research. Photographs of people, headstones, related buildings, and scans of documents are requested in jpeg format in medium resolution.
The website is a means for a Scotson photograph bank, by which similarities and traits can be compared between members of the family in different trees? So please help.
The website also includes information on living Scotsons. If you belong to the Scotson family, then you are welcome to register via the homepage for access. Please let me know how you are related during registration. Any information on living individuals is strictly for personal use, and may not be published in any form.
Registration
The link for "Registration for a New User account" is under the photograph on the homepage.
Please contact me via the website line or at the email address below if I can answer any of your questions or assist you with your Scotson or related research.
Scotson Surname DNA Project
The SCOTSON DNA PROJECT
Early this year I received results for the big DNA Y-700, meaning that 700 markers were tested. My results show that I have 41 SNP marker mutations not shared by anyone in the huge FamilyTreeDNA Database, this meaning that the Scotson DNA is quite unique. Maybe this fact is not surprising considering the rarity of our name.
The sad fact is that out of ten Scotson family trees found in the 19th Century, today male descendants only survive in five. I really would like to discover if all Scotsons share the same forefather, the only answer being Y-DNA testing - the reason I was tested.
Why Y-DNA? Because it is passed down almost unchanged from father to son, meaning that if all Scotsons are related, then all males should have an almost identical DNA.
My request now is for male volunteers to be tested, preferably 2 representatives (not too closely related) from each tree. A 37-marker test is recommended. If you are female, perhaps you could considering sponsoring a male Scotson relative. Do let me know If you are interested, and do not let finances be a problem as I can get considerable reduction by being a project administrator.
Whether you be male or female and have had Autosomal or mtDNA testing with any company this too is of interest. I would be grateful if you too would consider joining the Scotson DNA project by sharing your results for comparison.
Please contact me via scotson@one-name.org
The SCOTSON DNA PROJECT
Early this year I received results for the big DNA Y-700, meaning that 700 markers were tested. My results show that I have 41 SNP marker mutations not shared by anyone in the huge FamilyTreeDNA Database, this meaning that the Scotson DNA is quite unique. Maybe this fact is not surprising considering the rarity of our name.
The sad fact is that out of ten Scotson family trees found in the 19th Century, today male descendants only survive in five. I really would like to discover if all Scotsons share the same forefather, the only answer being Y-DNA testing - the reason I was tested.
Why Y-DNA? Because it is passed down almost unchanged from father to son, meaning that if all Scotsons are related, then all males should have an almost identical DNA.
My request now is for male volunteers to be tested, preferably 2 representatives (not too closely related) from each tree. A 37-marker test is recommended. If you are female, perhaps you could considering sponsoring a male Scotson relative. Do let me know If you are interested, and do not let finances be a problem as I can get considerable reduction by being a project administrator.
Whether you be male or female and have had Autosomal or mtDNA testing with any company this too is of interest. I would be grateful if you too would consider joining the Scotson DNA project by sharing your results for comparison.
Please contact me via scotson@one-name.org
The Trees
All the main SCOTSON trees in Lancashire, Yorkshire and County Durham can be found, and are being constantly updated.
LANCASHIRE AND NORTH WEST ENGLAND
1. COLTON TREE: Although the original Scotsons lived in Lancaster and in Colton in the Furness Fells (near the Lake District) in the 14th century, this is the earliest Scotson tree that can be compiled from church records. Unfortunately known male descendants died out in the 18th centuy, although living descendants through the maternal line are known in Canada. It is highly likely that the Scotsons in southern parts of Lancashire originated from this family, but documentary evidence is still required to prove this.
2. RADCLIFFE TREE: This is the largest Scotson tree, originating in the early 17th-Century via John Scotson and Ann Heywood in Bury. It is thought that their son Edmund Scotson, born in Bamford, Rochdale in 1659, moved to the Radcliffe area, and it is assumed that this family and/or his children would have lived in the 18th century at SCOTSON FOLD FARM, in Radcliffe near Bury. This 16th century farmhouse still survives today. Edmund's descendants moved first to Abram before spreading to localities such as Hindley, Wigan, Lowton, Leigh, Warrington, Prescot, Rochdale and Stretford. Branches of this tree are also found in other parts of the world, such as Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Montana in the United States.
3. ATHERTON TREE: These Scotsons are mainly in Atherton and Leigh, and easily confused with those in the Radcilffe tree who also settled in the Leigh area. They are descendants of a William Scotson and Mary Morgan who lived in Liverpool in the late-18th Century.
4. HEAPEY - STANDISH TREE: Descendants of John Scotson who lived in Heapey,near Chorley until 1732. Large families lived in Whittle-le-Woods and Charnock Richard in the early 19th century. Descendants spread to Liverpool, Wales and Victoria, Australia where they still live.
This tree includes a small line descended from John Scotson and Margaret Wignal of Standish, north of Wigan. Besides Standish, the family lived mainly in the Wigan and Warrington areas in places such as Coppull and Upholland in the 19th and 20th centuries. All Scotsons in the Standish line have evidently passed away. There was an intermarriage between the Heapey and Standish branches of Scotson, hence these being combined.
5. CHORLEY TREE. This branch lived in Chorley from the 1780s starting with Samuel Scotson who was born in 1771. He married Mary Parkinson in 1788. These Scotsons mainly lived locally and in nearby Darwen where the Scottson spelling was frequently used. Evidently there is only one male survivor.
6. LIVERPOOL TREE: A small family of Scotsons produced by William and Ann Scotson in the early-seventeenth century in the Kendal area of Westmorland. Their son Isaac married an Ellen Park in Liverpool in 1759. Children were born to Isaac in Liverpool and Radcliffe, but the Scotsons to have died out in 1953 with James Eustace Scotson who was unmarried.
7. CHESHIRE TREE: A family in the closely knit community in Pownall Fee, Styal in Wilmslow. A James Scotson (b.1911) in Liverpool married Mary Bayley (Bailey) of this village in 1833. Although they had eight children, the Scotson name had become extinct there by 1900. However, descendants through the matriarchal lines of HENSHALL and BURGESS survive.
YORKSHIRE AND NORTH EAST ENGLAND
8. COUNTY DURHAM TREE: This is the large of the north-eastern trees. These are descendants of a William and Elizabeth Scotson who had three grandsons in Yarm, Yorkshire between 1777 and 1788. Today we find large pockets of descendants through John (b.1777 in Yarm) in the Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough areas. Other descendants spread to Birmingham, Leicester and Salford.
9. LEEDS TREE: Another tree with its roots in Yarm. The earliest known ancestors, Thomas Scotson, born there in 1785 could well be a brother or cousin of the three mentioned in the Co. Durham tree. This smallish tree was mainly concentrated in the Hunslet and Fewston areas. It seems that all male members of the family had died by the 1890s. Thomas Scotson and Mary Stead did have twelve children between 1853 and 1874, but only Louisa b. 1870 had a child.
10. NORTH YORKSHIRE: The founder of this tree was George Scotson b. 1727 in Danby Wiske, North Yorkshire. His ten children were born in Kirklevington, but the family was mainly found in Hartlepool before the 1850s. A few descendants are known to live in Country Durham and London, but it would appear that the last Scotson male passed away in 1998
11. CARLTON: A very small pocket of Scotsons, descending from George Scotson and Elizabeth Wilson of Bishopton, County Durham. This family mainly lived in Carlton-in-Cleveland until about 1885.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
12. PENNSYLVANIA SCOTTSON TREE:
This family with the Scottson spelling will not be related to the Scotson trees
of England. These are descendants of Carl Skadsen who evidently emigrated from
Norway to America in the 1880s. The SKADSEN name was changed to SCOTSSON and used by his children
Martha, Anfin, Carl and Harry and their descendants who were all born in
Pennsylvania.
Accuracy has been sought at all times. Documentary evidence is fundamental, but because sometimes there is the danger of misinterpretation of evidence, typos or transcription errors, mistakes are always likely. Please forward corrections, omissions, extra information of people, places, events and dates via the website link or email address below.
Wishing you much enjoyment in your moments of research
Allan
Allan Scotson
European Representative of the Guild of One Name Studies, member No. 3869
Suggested links:
Scotsons in North East England www.scotsonfamilyhistory.webeden.co.uk
Facebook pages: Scotson clan https://www.facebook.com/groups/116749205751/
Scotson Surname DNA Project https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/scotson/about
Guild of One Name Studies: http://one.name.org
Contact email address: scotson@one.name.org
Photos
| Thumb | Description | Linked to | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Vernon Thomas Scotson + Lucille Elenore Wallace marriage 1940 Vernon Thomas b.1915 Montana d.1954 Spokane, USA Lucille b.10.10.1918 North Dakota, d.April 1967 USA | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld. | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Sidney James Scotson b. 28.11.1911 d. 15.5.2007 Portsmouth, Hampshire | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Robert Scotson b.16.9.1912 Lowton, Lancs d.3.11.1992 Coventry, Warwickshire and wife Ellen Collinge b.6.2.1916 Leigh, Lancs | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Rhoda Taylor (wife of James Scotson) b.21.7.1903 d.12.3.1995 Leigh, Lancs | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Mary Scotson (Jones) Holden b.21.5.1903 Rhyl, Flintshire Daughter of John Owen Jones and Sarah Scotson | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | John Scotson b.1.5.1939 Leigh d.1943 Westhoughton, Lancs John was drowned in suspicious circumstances | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | John Scotson + Amelia Bland marriage St Peter's Church, Westleigh, Lancs John Scotson b.11.7.1914 Lowton, d.5.10.1992 Westhoughton, Lancashire Amelia Bland b.13.7.1911 Hindley d.26.8.1959 Farnworth, Lancashire | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | John Hector Scotson MB, ChB, MRCS (b.24.5.1929 Warrington, Lancs d.1 Dec 2016 Cheadle, Cheshire John Hector Scotson served as a family doctor at Timperley, Cheshire 1956-2001 | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | James Scotson b.3.11.1841 Lowton, d.8.7.1911 | 26 Mar 2020 |
Documents
| Thumb | Description | Linked to | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Trevor Scotson GRO death certificate d.11 Nov 2017 Alma Court Care Centre, Cannock, Staffordshire | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Thomas Scotson GRO death certificate d.28 June 1891 45 Wigan Road, Hindley, Lancashire 59 yrs | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Robert Scotson (b.1912) + Ellen Collinge (b.1916) GRO marriage certificate m.11 May 1940 St Thomas' Church, Bedford, Leigh, Lancashire | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Mary (Ackers) Scotson GRO death certificate d.22 Oct 1906, Grafton Villa, 62 Wellington Road, Rhyl, Flint, North Wales 68 yrs | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Margaret Scotson (b.1907) + Thomas Earl Wilson State of Montana marriage certificate m.24 Nov 1926, Great Falls, Cascade, Montana, United States | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | John Scotson GRO birth certificate 1 May 1939 Firs Maternity Home, Leigh, Lancashire s.John Scotson + Amelia Blande | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Jane (Scotson) West GRO death certificate b.1805 Bedford, Leigh d.6 June 1848 Abram, Lancashire 43 yrs | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | James Scotson GRO death certificate d.8 July 1910 Little Byrom Farm, Lowton 68 yrs | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | James Scotson GRO birth certificate b.23 Nov 1841 Wigan s.Robert Scotson + Hannah Glover | 26 Mar 2020 | |
 | James Scotson (b.3.11.1841) & Mary Ackers (b.18.5.1838) GRO marriage certificate
20 Sep 1864 St John the Evangelist, Abram, Lancashire | 26 Mar 2020 |
Headstones
| Thumb | Description | Cemetery | Status | Linked to | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | William Scotson b.20.12.1906 d.28.1.1975 WILLIAM SCOTSON AMM 3 US NAVY DEC 20 1906 JAN 25 1975 | Long Island National Cemetery 2R, 405 |
|
26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Thomas Scotson b.25.7.1879 d.4.9.1942 THOMAS SCOTSON 1879 - 1942 | Sand Coulee Cemetery |
|
26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Sarah (Ackers) Scotson b.1833 d.28.10.1874
Thomas Scotson b.1839 d.5.10.1875 In Loving Memory of SARAH SCOTSON Died 28 Oct 1874 aged 41 years THOMAS SCOTSON Died 5 Oct 1875 aged 36 yrs Thy will be done | St John the Evangelist Churchyard |
|
26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Samuel Scotson b.1847 d.31.5.1921
Margaret Scotson (Finney) b.1851 d.30.4.1930
Minnie Lyon (Scotson) b.1873 d.25.8.1925
William Gatley Lyon b.1871 d.23.12.1936 In loving memory of SAMUEL SCOTSON who died May 31st 1921 aged 73 years Forever with the Lord. Also MARGARET Wife of the above Samuel Scotson who died April 30th 1930 I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Also MINNIE daughter of the above Who died Augst 29th 1925 Aged 52 years Thy will be done. Also WILLIAM GATLEY LYON Beloved husband of the above Who died Dec 23rd 1936 Aged 66 years |
|
26 Mar 2020 | ||
 | Robert Scotson b.6.1.1886 - 1963
Jennie Scotson (Mayberry) b.5.11.1888 d.1981 SCOTSON In loving memory of ROBERT SCOTSON 1886-1963 JENNIE MAYBERRY 1889-1981 | Woodland Cemetery |
|
26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Robert Scotson b.1802 d.16.11.1854
Hannah Glover b.28.3.1807 d.19.7.1888
Robert Scotson b.22.2.1830 d.5.3.1848
Sarah Scotson b.26.5.1849 d.22.11.1854
Sacred. To the memory of Robert Scotson of Abram who departed this life on the 16th day November 1854 Aged 52 years. Also Hannah Scotson his wife who died on the 19th day of July 1888 aged 81 yrs. Also Robert Scotson Son of the above who died on the 5th day of March 1847, Aged 18 years. Also Sarah daughter of the above who died on the 22 day of November 1854 Aged 5 years. Thy will be done. Thy will be done | St John the Evangelist Churchyard |
|
26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Robert Marshall Scotson b.20.4.1918 d.19.10.1970.jpg ROBERT M SCOTSON Montana PFC Infantry World War II April 20 1918 Oct 19 1970 | Highland Cemetery |
|
26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Richard Russell Scotson b.14.6.1935 - 3.5.1998 Son RICHARD R SCOTSON June 16, 1935 . May 3, 1998 | Highland Cemetery |
|
26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Muriel Elizabeth Scotson (Campbell) b.7.8.1913 d.10.3.2007 MURIEL E SCOTSON AUG 7 1913 MAR 10 2007 BELOVED HUSBAND'S WIFE | Long Island National Cemetery Section 2R Site 405 |
|
26 Mar 2020 | |
 | Margaret (Scotson) Wilson b.28.7.1907 d.7.6.1991 MARGARET WILSON 1907 - 1991 | Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Mausoleum Lilac B north Crypts, Tier 4 |
|
26 Mar 2020 |
Individuals
| ID | Last Name, Given Name(s) | Born/Christened | Location | Tree | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I10545 |
 CALDWELL Beatrice Violet |
b. 1886 | Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire  | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I9508 |
CALDWELL Joseph |
b. 1865 | Golborne, Leigh, Lancashire | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I10541 |
FORD Janet |
b. 1866 | Bucklebury, Berkshire | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I10727 |
GREEN Joseph |
b. 2 Aug 1909 | Croft, Warrington, Lancashire | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I10699 |
MAINES John |
b. 13 May 1881 | Croft, Warrington, Lancashire | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I10700 |
MAINES Margaret |
b. 22 Mar 1910 | Croft, Warrington, Lancashire | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I10724 |
MAINES Wilfred |
b. 18 Feb 1915 | Croft, Warrington, Lancashire | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I224 |
MONKS Edward |
b. 1881 | Croft, Warrington, Lancashire | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I295 |
MONKS Mary Eliza |
b. 2 May 1879 | Croft, Warrington, Lancashire | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
| I368 |
MORGANS Margaretta |
b. 1878 | Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, Wales | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |
Families
| ID | Father ID | Father's Name | Mother ID | Mother's Name | Married | Tree | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F2821 | 21 Nov 1874 | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | ||||
| F2436 | I8189 | AINSWORTH Richard | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | |||
| F1400 | I900 | APPLETON Alice | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | |||
| F3075 | I10244 | ARROWSMITH Betty | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | |||
| F557 | I2605 | ASHWORTH Elizabeth | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | |||
| F687 | I1889 | ATHERTON Beverley | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | |||
| F1813 | I6079 | BIRK Maria | 17 Nov 1817 | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | ||
| F3172 | I217 | CALDWELL Sarah Hannah | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | |||
| F1952 | I4092 | CROFTS Dinah | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 | |||
| F2244 | I7588 | DOOTSON Betty | RADCLIFFE | 25 Mar 2020 |