Our AGM presentation in the Friends seminar series 2024/25, will take place via zoom on Friday 8 November 2024 at 15:00 UK time when Ed Sweeney will present ‘The genetic signature of Dougall of Argyll & Lorne and his present-day, male-line descendants’.

Edward Sweeney, an adoptee, will explain the genetic and genealogical research methods used to identify and corroborate his biological parents, and how the same methodology has been used to reveal the genetic signature of Dougall of Argyll and Lorne and his male descendants. It was previously believed that male-line descendants of the three remaining branches of Clan Dougall had expired or “daughtered-out” (where in the absence of male descendants, the chiefly lines continued through the female lines). The Dunollie male line ended in 1953, Gallanach in 1888, and Lunga in 1915. Extensive Y-DNA (male-line) and autosomal DNA testing of MacDougall men has revealed 60 living, male-line descendants of the chiefly line. The genetic signature of one of these testers, and his corroborated pedigree back to Allan of Torsay and Gallanach, and son of Duncan MacDougall, 16th of Dunollie, serves to correlate the genetic signature with this branch of the Clan Dougall. Extensive research of available historical records is helping to build out a fuller Clan Dougall family tree with the aim of stitching the earliest known ancestors of DNA testers to the latest known “twigs” of the Clan Dougall Tree.

Edward Sweeney: PG Dipl, MSc candidate University of Strathclyde. Retired Fortune 500 Company Executive. Edward Sweeney (adoptive surname) used genetic genealogy techniques to discover his biological families, and in the process launched a research project aimed at revealing the genetic roots and branches of the Clan Dougall.

The seminar will be given on Zoom.

Attendance at the seminar is free to members of the Friends. Non-members are asked to make a £10 donation to the Friends at Donate to Friends of the Argyll Papers (enthuse.com).

All attendees should book their place by emailing Alison at: friendsoftheargyllpapers@gmail.com