"From what I've read, many of those who called themselves "Scots-Irish"
camefrom presbyterian Scot families who left Scotland to relocate in
Ireland to avoid religious persecution from the English at the time. As
I understand it, they didn't want to embrace the Church of England,
preferring to remain presbyterian. At least that's what I read in some
history books several years ago. They lived in Ireland a while, probably
marrying and raising families, then emigrated to the States. My
grandparents were Baptists (and also claimed to be "Scots-Irish") but I
believe there may have been Presbyterians further up the line."
Let's clear up a little misunderstanding. Anyone coming from Northern
Ireland whose ancestry was Scottish is called "Scots-Irish." That is
what "Scots-Irish" means. Being Presbyterian or not has nothing to do
with it. Being Presbyterian does not prevent one from being Scots-Irish.
In fact, most Scots-Irish immigrants were Presbyterians. The same goes
for anyone emmigrating to any nation for whatever the reason. If your
ancestors came to America from Sweden, for example, they would have been
called "Swedish-Americans" This practice has fallen into recent disfavor
(i.e., it's not P.C. to call people "Mexican-Americans" or
"Vietnamese-Amercians," etc.), but, it was once how recent immigrants
were designated. I'm of Scots-Irish descent, myself. My ancestors were
from Kintail, Wester Ross, Scotland and were among those who emmigrated
to County Down, Northern Ireland in the late 1600s. My family remained
in Ireland for about a century before descendants emmigrated to
Pennsylvania in 1774/1775, just before the Revolutionary War broke out.
Interestingly enough, one of my ancestors, who was a Presbyterian,
married a Catholic in County Down, and there are Reas buried in Dromore
Cathedral Graveyard, a Catholic church. However, my emmigrant ancestor
was a Presbyterian. Go figure.
Gary Rea