We announced the completion of the Scottish Census Collection last week, but for those who like to check out the rich and famous in historical records will want to check out some of the celebrity finds in Ancestry’s press release that went out today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

ANCESTRY.COM LAUNCHES COMPLETE SCOTLAND CENSUS COLLECTION,
 1841-1901

Forget Bagpipes and Kilts – Add Cars, Steel, Telephones, Magazines and “The Apprentice” to the List of Scotland’s Influence on the United States

PROVO, UTAH – April 12, 2007 – Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online resource for family history, today revealed the Scottish ancestral roots of five of the biggest names in U.S. business. Trump, Carnegie, Bell, Forbes and Buick all hail from Scotland, as researchers discovered from the more than 24 million names in the newly completed Scotland Census Collection on Ancestry.com.

• Donald Trump: The Donald’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in a small fishing village on Scotland’s Isle of Lewis – home to generations of the MacLeod family. The 1891 Scotland census captures Mary Anne’s 24-year-old father, Malcolm, working as a fisherman on that island. In 1930, 18-year-old Mary Anne immigrated through Ellis Island to America, where she worked as a “domestic” – likely a maid – and married Frederick Trump in 1936.

• Andrew Carnegie: The 19th-century’s “King of Steel” was born in Fife, Scotland, in 1836. The 1841 Scotland census counted young Andrew living at his uncle’s home; his parents lived a few streets away. Just seven years later, Andrew and his parents would immigrate to the United States, settling in Pittsburgh, where father and son worked at a cotton factory.

• Alexander Graham Bell: Celebrated telephone inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, was born into a life of comparative luxury – the 1851 Scotland census records reveal that the Bell household in Edinburgh kept two house servants. His father was a “Professor of Elocution & Vocal Physiology for the Cure of Stammering.” In the early 1870s, Alexander immigrated to Canada with his parents and would later move to the United States.

• Bertie Charles Forbes: The Forbes journalistic roots began in Scotland, before Bertie Forbes immigrated to America. According to the 1901 Scotland census, Bertie’s father, Robert, was working as a tailor while his three older brothers worked for a grocer. However, 20-year-old Bertie had already begun a new family business – declaring his occupation as “Journalist Sub Editor.” Just 16 years later, in 1917, he founded “Forbes Magazine,” today America’s oldest major business magazine.

• David Dunbar Buick: Buick Motor Company founder, David Dunbar Buick’s, ancestors built houses, not cars. The 1851 Scotland census captures David’s father and grandfather both working as “House Carpenters.” Three years later David was born, and the family soon immigrated to the United States, settling in Detroit. In May 1903, the Buick Motor Company was incorporated.

“If you look closely at the lives of these men, there’s one common and uniquely undeniable American thread – the rags to riches story,” said Megan Smolenyak, Chief Family Historian for Ancestry.com. “Each experience shows a rise to prominence within just one generation. Yet, the combined contributions of these and other Scottish-American entrepreneurs continue to change America, from cars to pop culture.”

Almost 5 million Americans who claim Scottish ancestry can now discover their Scottish ancestors among the more than 24 million names in the complete Scotland Census Collection, 1841-1901, on Ancestry.com.

These censuses offer snapshots of history, from names and occupations to place of birth and residence, providing insight into the forces that shaped the lives of many Scottish ancestors. Interestingly, U.S. passenger list records indicate a spike in Scottish immigration during this period, making it easier for individuals to trace their ancestors from America’s shores to Scotland’s Highlands.

The complete Scotland Census Collection adds to Ancestry.com’s growing international census collection, which already includes the only complete online collections of fully-indexed and digitized U.S. Federal Censuses from 1790 to 1930, England and Wales censuses from 1841 to 1901, and the 1851, 1901, 1906 and 1911 Canadian census.

About Ancestry.com
With 24,000 searchable databases and titles, Ancestry.com is the No. 1 online source for family history information. Since its launch in 1997, Ancestry.com has been the premier resource for family history, simplifying genealogical research for millions of people by providing them with many easy-to-use tools and resources to build their own unique family trees. Ancestry.com is part of The Generations Network, Inc., a leading network of family-focused interactive properties, including MyFamily.com, Rootsweb.com, Genealogy.com, and Family Tree Maker. In total, The Generations Network properties receive 9.6 million unique visitors worldwide and over 380 million page views a month ((C) comScore Media Metrix, February, 2007).
Media Contacts

Julia Burgon
Coltrin & Associates (for Ancestry.com)
212-221-1616 ext. 124
[email protected]

Tola St. Matthew-Daniel
Coltrin & Associates (for Ancestry.com)
212-221-1616 ext. 101
[email protected]