RootsChat.Com

I just wanted to get back to you . . . the information I have only goes back three generations from the Robert Rutherford I mentioned. The three generations I have before Robert show they lived in Nesbit, Knowe, and Hall. There are no dates for the first two generations (Nesbit and Knowe).

However my grandmother cited a resource you might find interesting:

http://www.rentalsoftware.com/rutherford-books.htm

and a description here of the same books
https://familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=347711&disp=Genealogical+history+of+the+Rutherford+f

My grandmother was able to track down these books somewhere and get useful information from them. It was part of her job to drive around the United States, and she used this to her advantage to search various places that kept records. I am sure she must have laid her hands on this book because she quotes part of it. She says that according to this book, the Rutherfords' records go back to the 12th century.

Unfortunately my grandma, currently in her 90's, suffers from dementia and is unable to provide any helpful information beyond what she left in her notes. I wish I could ask her questions. She once had a wealth of information in her head, and sadly when she did, I was too busy and too young to take the time to talk to her about it.

Forgive my ignorance if I am misunderstanding your question-- my grandmother was the genealogist of the family and I am just exploring aspects of some of her work. My Rutherford ancestors and yours must be related somehow because of the name and location of origin, however my direct ancestor left Scotland sometime between 1640 when he was born, and 1728 when he died in Virginia. I think you are looking for Scottish Rutherfords after this period. My grandmother's research in Scotland ends with our ancestor's journey out of Scotland. Are you asking about Rutherford's in Virginia in the 1800's or in Scotland? My Rutherfords stayed in Virginia for several generations before moving to Ohio. My great-grandmother's maiden name is Rutherford.

If there is any way I can assist you further using my grandmother's research using the earlier Rutherfords please let me know and I'll try to answer your questions.

As far as my name Sparrow-- I am embarrassed to tell you that while I like the name Sparrow very much, I don't claim kinship with any Sparrows. I use this name as a pseudonym of my real last name while using the internet.

I am writing from the US. Regrettably we are not taught anything about Scottish history in school. I have inherited my grandmother's geneology books and have become fascinated with my family roots. I have many Scottish ancestors, the oldest being Robert Rutherford who was born in 1640 in Roxburgh and died in Virginia in 1728. I don't know anything about the circumstances of those times that would cause a man to leave his family and culture and set off to a new land. The Rutherfords did well once reaching Virginia and were land owners within one generation.

Can anyone point me to some good basic history of the times, or provide some common reasons a man might leave at that time in history?

Thank you

Greetings!

I have very deep Rutherford roots from this area, but your questions are much later than my connections there. I am descended from a Robert Rutherford who was born in Roxburgh in in 1640 and died in Essex County, Virgina in 1728. My grandmother has done extensive geneology work. The earliest date we have Robert's father Adam (Hall, Scotland died 1648). We have names going back three more generations but no dates.

I just wanted to post here and say hello. Would love to someday make the trip to Jedburgh to see where my ancestors walked or meet some very distant cousins.