[dropcap]M[/dropcap]any genealogists researching their Sevier County, Tennesse ancestors know the name, John Sevier Trotter. My husband’s great-grandmother Hattie Mae (Webb) King is a (Ruthven) Trotter descendant.
I’m amazed when talking to Trotter descendants and family historians that they don’t know the origin of the surname. The juicy bits begin with Alexander, ancestor of John Sevier Trotter.
Alexander, Master of Gowrie, was born 1569 in Ruthven Castle, Perthshire, Scotland. Alexander was the son of William and Dorthea Stewart. William Ruthven is the son of Patrick Ruthven and Janet Douglass. His wife Dorthea Stewart is the daughter of Henry Stewart and Margaret Tudor. Alexander married Lady Trotter, daughter of Lord Trotter and became known as Mistress Trotter.
Ruthven’s and other Royalty and Nobility
The relationships between the Ruthvens and other royalty is important to understanding the events in this family. A greater understanding of politics in Scotland around 1600 is also of importance. Research into the Raid of Ruthven is also helpful.
- It was not uncommon for people to attempt to kidnap a sovereign in hopes of coercing them to your will in exchange for their life. It was successful for families before and the Ruthven family was well known for taking part of many of them through the generations from the time that they became landed after being granted such land by William Wallace.
- The relationship between England and Scotland, as normal in older history, was strained at best.
- The Earl of Gowrie supported the cause of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Lord Gowrie was a hereditary rival of King James VI of Scotland for the crown of Scotland he made a powerful ally to Queen Elizabeth.
- The Ruthvens felt that Gower’es fathers murder was an act of treason and treachery.
- The Ruthvens mother was publicly insulted by the King’s Favorite Minister. No formal or informal apology ever made by King James or his minister.
- The Crown had owed large sums of money to the Ruthven family. King James owed an especially large amount of money to Gowrie estate.
- It is believed that Lord Gowrie or his brother Alexander was the lover of the wife of King James.
Have you done any DNA testing? My husband John Trotter is from the group you are speaking of, and we have always thought they were of Scottish decent, and they even look Scottish, but when the DNA was run it came up Irish and British. My husbands first ancestor in America was James Trotter. I have questioned the DNA testing and we are going to have another lab do the testing again.
My husband has tested his DNA with several companies. The results all vary. Even if the were the same test to test, company to company it would still be difficult to use DNA for this part of the family. There are so many factors. The royal families historically all married in to one another, to keep peace. This means the French, English, Irish, Scottish and other bloodlines are very intermingled. England being the largest world power is what most married in and out of most frequently. We also do not know the heritage of Lady Trotter where some Scottish descent could come from. The Scots and Irish also married one another with high frequency, especially at times where one or the other had a gripe with the Crown of England. Finally that leads us to the randomness of DNA.
I know I am very, very German by heritage but it just skipped over my mom and then me allot. My DNA would never lead you to see who I really am and where I really came from. The card shuffle of DNA is what leads to someone not showing, lets say Irish, when they have a grandparent who is Irish through their mom and a half Irish grandparent through their Dad. My husband does show Trotter and Webb DNA connections on Ancestry as well as many other surnames from Sevier and surrounding Counties of Tennessee. He is maybe one third Irish and Scot, most of what is left is British.
Thank you for reading! I hope this helps. Good luck with the DNA testing.