Trump Wha Hae

It is tempting to suggest that Donald Trump could be described as a  Scot who has somehow strayed into American politics but not quite accurate.  Whether it would be unfair to the Scots or to Trump is a matter for a debate I would prefer to avoid.  Nevertheless, there is that touch of Scots acerbity and directness in his approach to the issues in his Presidential campaign.  There is a reason for this.

Donald's Scottish Ancestors  are described here.  His mother was Mary Ann MacLeod (or McLeod) from the Western Isles. This is a notable Highland Clan that turns up in my own ancestry, albeit from another island at a distance.  We should take into account the marriages and other branches that extend the connections.

To see where those of the Macleod name lived in Scotland in the 19th Century there is this diagram.  The family history buffs know that there are close cousins of immediate family, near cousins from say three or four previous generations before and then all the outer cousins and relations from earlier generations.

Mary was a Christian name favoured among the Macleod's, the fact that state registration did not begin in Scotland until 1855 and problems of trying to find people in parish registers of variable quality and accuracy means that there are many unknowns out there.  It is a fair guess that Trump will have many among the ordinary people, some of who may have done interesting things.

There is a chance that some relation or other was with the British Army at Waterloo or perhaps at Bladensburg and Washington earlier; or at sea with Nelson's navy.  DNA testing of those with the surname has led to claims many have a common parentage, if distant in time.

Then there are the ones that he might not want to be one of the wider family.  John Law, an economist, 1761 to 1729, Wikipedia, is a person that he might want to avoid.  Another might be the James Sturgeon, a butter merchant, bankrupted in Glasgow in the summer of 1865.  Evidently a slippery business with other peoples' money being lost.

When the Trump nomination was being flagged as a no-hoper by experts, Prime Minister Cameron went in for some cheap virtue signalling in intervening with some critical comments.  He really is an expert in creating problems for himself in the future.

What this means is that if there is a President Trump, then he will have a President of the USA to deal with who will want to pay close attention to Scottish affairs, indeed someone with a lot of hard cash already invested there.  If Cameron can intervene in American politics then Trump can repay the compliment.

Even if Trump fails to win Office, he might well to chose to give his attention to this field.  He is a man who does deals and there are plenty to be done north of the border.  Quite what, who will be involved and to what purpose who knows?