Quick Review
You've seen just a hint of the available history connected to our family. The proof is out there in many forms and I have spent the better part of my life uncovering it. As part of Clan Uisdean, USA, Inc. and this family of Hugh, I am blessed with a number of associates who engage in this detective work, alongside me. Formed in 2000, Clan Uisdean, USA has met in many locations of historical interest to our family, and we have collected archives, and protected cemeteries and other valuable family memorabilia. But all this pales in comparison to the sources we have found that reveal our rich tapestry of family history, which includes descent from kings, relationship to Andrew Jackson, and the claim of "Father of Alaska, Father of the Yukon" by a family member. Read on.
My Sources
I have now made three trips to Scotland and one to Northern Ireland, along with many up and down the east coast to significant early settlement locations of our family. In addition, I own close to 150 books on subjects pertaining to our history. Countless numbers of photocopies were made and many people were spoken with directly. Hints and clues come from many sources and together they tell our story in an increasingly clear way.
I've mentioned a few ancient sources for our origins as a race. Perhaps the most important source I have used for our general family history is a book, written in 1937, by Leona Bean McQuiston, which was called "McQuiston, McQuesten and McCuiston Families".
Leona spent 17 years writing her book and was assisted by Ed McCuistion, who provided many tantalizing hints of our Scottish beginnings. Without a doubt, many other family historians across America and Scotland were tapped for their knowledge. Ed had visited with several people as early as 1895, including Walter McCuiston, of Guilford County. Ed also wrote many, many articles for a Lamarr County, Texas newspaper, which included many McCuistion stories and which were put into a book form recently, called Loose Leaves of Lamarr County.
Leona's book contained a short history of our family and approximately 10,000 family names. This number has been expanded to over 28,000 thanks to the work of Gloria McCuistion, and to many genealogy submissions from various branches of the family. These names are available on the Internet.
To learn more about our remarkable family, stay with this website and also request access to our family newsletter site - FREE OF CHARGE!
To contact our genealogist about information on specific family lines, write to Gloria McCuistion
To contact our Secretary/Treasurer about a password to the family newsletter site or membership in Clan Uisdean, USA, Inc., write to: Billie Joe McCuiston
In 1999, I made a trip to Scotland and there I met with Johnny Ivy (John McDonald), the historian of all historians for Clan Donald. In 2000, I returned to study in the Clan Donald Library. I met briefly with Lord McDonald, Chief of all Clan Donald. I was aided by Clan Donald Archivist, Maggie McDonald and others. On my 50th birthday, in an alcove surrounded by family history books, I was once more greeted by Johnny Ivy. After much conversation, I asked, "Can I be sure my name, McQuiston, comes from Clan Uisdean?"
Johnny answered me with, "Ach, I wunna have a doubt!"
Maggie introduced me to the pronunciation of Uisdean as being "Ooshdn". This was confirmed by Johnny Ivy and also by Margaret Robertson, a student at the premier Gaelic school in the world, the Gaelic College of Skye. I suppose there would be very few others who would qualify as more expert than these three kind souls.
While in this wonderful library I was shown the three volume set of official Clan Donald records, and another Clan Donald book which serves as a condensed, and yet authoritive history of the clan. Since that day, in February of 2000, I have received a complete 2,000+ page copy of the three volume official records, thanks to family member, Robert Worden. Also, my sister purchased the latter, single book and has lent it to me for further research.
These volumes have been added to my library of about 150 books on Scottish, Irish and early American history. In addition, I have an equal number of magazines, along with several videos of Clan Donald and of Scotland and Ireland. Beyond this, I have referenced, I'm sure, another 100 books or so, which provided information for us to weave our tapestry.
In 2005 I ventured to Northern Ireland and in 2006 I went back to Scotland. Each visit has produced a wealth of new information.
In 1975, Carleen McCuistion Daggett wrote a book, "Noah McCuistion", in which she detailed additional family history. I was fortunate to be given a copy of her book by another family member and later, to be in the presence of Carleen, who signed my book.
Captain Jack McQuesten, "Father of Alaska", wrote down his "Recollections" of his days in the Yukon and I was given a copy of this book, by a published historian of that area. This Yukon historian, Ed Jones, found two copies of Jack's book in a burned out meeting house of the pioneers of the Yukon. He gave me the copy that was in better shape. Ed ihas published a book called "All That Glitters" and Captain Jack McQuesten is mentioned in this new book. Ed and his wife, Star, addressed the 2006 meeting of Clan Uisdean, USA, with a great presentation on Jack, along with some museum quality collectibles from the Gold Rush era. Also present was Walter McQuesten, Captain Jack's grandson!
Captain Jack has also been written about extensively on the Internet, in books by Canada's great historian, Pierre Berton, and in many other books on Alaska. A relation of Jack was Tom McQuesten, a great builder of public works in Ontario, Canada, and there is also a book about Tom.
I received, as a gift, the book "Tom McQuesten", the story of Thomas Baker McQuesten, who built the Rainbow Bridge to Canada, the QEW Highway, and was responsible for most of the parks in Niagara Falls, and critical infrastructure across Ontario. I also have "Klondike", by Pierre Berton, Canada's leading historian, which spends considerable time on Captain Jack McQuesten, Father of Alaksa, as well as several other books on Jack.
I have "The Wigton Massacre", which details the last Indian massacre in Pennsylvania, which involved the McQuistion family. I have a 100 year old copy of the Scrubgrass Stone Church "100th Anniversary" booklet. This 200 year old church is one of the oldest in western Pennsylvania and has at least 45 McQuistons buried in its churchyard. The book shows my ancestor, John, as an elder. I was given 200 years of church archives and produced the "200th Anniversary" booklet for the Stone Church, in 2003.
In studying our relationship to Andrew Jackson, I have purchased over 30 books on him. One, "Young Hickory", is by far the best ever written about this American president's youth. I corresponded many times with Professor Rik Booream, the author, and he agrees that our tradition concerning Jackson is most likely true. Professor Booream has taught at Rutgers University, and has published several historical works.
I also corresponded with the Curator of the "Hermitage Museum" in regards to Jackson. She says that she has found family tradition to be quite often accurate. In addition, I visited the Andrew Jackson Center, in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, and spoke with the curator there. She gave me a book on the Ulster Jacksons which states that there is no evidence that Andrew Jackson received any inheritance from a grandftaher in Ireland, the story most often told. This, along with comments from Rik Booream and the Hermitage curator help prove our story of his money being from the Alexander McCuistion treasure.
Another contact is Professor Carlton Jackson, a distinguished professor at Western Kentucky University, and a possible relation to Andrew Jackson. He wrote the book, "A Social History of the Scotch Irish". We had many lively conversations and he gave me an autographed, hardbound copy of his book. At our Kentucky meeeting in July of 2005, Carlton so kindly addressed our group with anecdotes of his attempts to write his Scotch-Irish book and some of the travels and conversations he had, along the way. Carlton Jackson was joined on our speakers list by Robert Valentine, a lively speaker and historian of the Scotch-Irish. The pair provide a first class look at our unique race, perhaps the best we could have found.
I have book after book, some which mention our name directly, some which flesh out the timeline surrounding our family history. I have boxes of photocopies made in various libraries and many smaller publications, which provide help to our cause.
I have made contact with authors and historians across America and in Scotland and Ireland, who have provided many bits of information. I even have a "spy" in the Clan Donald organization, who keeps me up-to-date on the real goings-on of that body.
I have no formal training as a family historian. It has all been on-the-job training, and I have been "on the job" for a very, very long time now.
Perhaps not everything I write will be 100% accurate or up-to-date, all the time. I have found our history to be very dynamic. But everything I write will be highly researched, supported by many sources, and open to additions or corrections by anyone with a better grasp on our family history than I might have.