Hello Carl,
Fascinating! Yes, to go back to the beginning, the Fletchers were originally Irish migrants maybe 5,000 years ago, as were most of the Celts in Argyll. In fact, Argyll is actually Earra-Ghàidheal meaning land of the Gael. The Fletchers were originally MacInleisters. They reportedly first emerged as a clan from the barren looking Glen Orchy where the ruins of their 16th century castle Achallader can be found today. They were cattle people and drove herds back and forth across the highlands, out to green islands to fatten and down to southern markets. Likely around the time of the Union of the Parliaments in 1707, when English markets opened up to Scottish traders, The Fletchers became wealthy. The 9th Chief of Clan Fletcher, Archibald "Gillesbuig Na Crannich" Fletcher, purchased Dunans, a manor house on the Cowal Peninsula, and he and subsequent generations added onto it until it became a castle. The chiefly family lived there until their lines ran out. It is in bad shape (had a fire) and is now in private hands, but the owners are making a great effort to repair and restore it.
As for me, I descend from the 9th Chief's younger brother, John of Inveroran. The 8th Chief, their father, also an Archibald Fletcher, had 2 other sons - Angus and Donald. My father has been trying to piece together our ancestry for many, many years. We believe that a son of John of Iveroran, yet another Archibald Fletcher, was my 5x great grandfather. My particular branch was involved in cattle too, but also in sheep, working as shepherds for many generations right down to my grandfather and father.
My 2x great grandfather, Alexander Fletcher, went to the Isle of Mull in the mid 1800s to work with a cousin at Glen Aros. He married there and had 10 children. Mull has several Fletcher branches, all brought to the good grazing in previous centuries. They all claim to be "different" Fletchers, but my father always believed there is only one (spread out) Fletcher family in Argyll. A Y DNA test done by my father and one of the Mull Fletchers proved that we are indeed related. You will also find traces of Fletchers on islands such as Islay and Jura. I bet grazing is why your Fletcher was on Cara! You will also find Fletchers at points of land where sea crossing was favourable.
Shepherds can be found in multiple locations over the years. Agricultural families might stay "a lease" in a house and find it unsuitable, then move along. My father has letters of recommendation for both his shepherd grandfathers, given as they left their jobs, and it's a big pile of letters!
We have been in touch with 2 branches of Ontario Fletchers since our own arrival from Scotland in 1967. There are the descendants of Alexander "Squire" Fletcher in the Bowmanville area (another DNA match) and Fletchers in Oro Township, Simcoe County, who came here from Islay in the 1820s. We are located in Simcoe County too.
Mary Fletcher Harris
scotincanada@gmail.com