I’m Richard McKendrick and have been interested in family history since a school project back in the 1980s but it’s really only been in the last 10years that I have improved my skills to undertake more detailed research (and created time to do it).

My maternal ancestry is predominantly from the English Midlands (Staffordshire/Warwickshire) with a bit of south coast (Isle of Wight/Sussex) and my paternal ancestry is mainly Scottish (Ayrshire/Perthshire) with a smidge of Irish (probably Roscommon).

My father passed away in 1996 and in, about, 2016 I came across some correspondence between him, his mum and a couple of other McKendrick’s (Kent/Manchester) from the late 1980s/early 1990s indicating there was a whole body of work that had been done on the McKendrick lines (manually of course) but alas, 30+years on, that trail has gone cold.

Throughout my life I have been fascinated by ‘connection’, stories and relationship and undertaking a One-Name Study into McKENDRICK is going to enable, and challenge, me to see where this journey goes, and hopefully connects with others in the world and that trail from the 1990s can be reawakened.

The initial variant I am including with this study is MacKendrick.

The name McKendrick is patronymic in origin and is simply ‘son of Henry’.

According to Black’s, Surnames of Scotland, the name (including all variants) is a Highland border name, in Gaelic MacEanruig and there are recorded occurrences back to the 14^th Century.

Black, George F. & Black, Mary Elder. (2015) The Surnames of Scotland. Churchill & Dunn Ltd

There are several historical or famous occurrences of the surname McKendrick/MacKendrick, including:

• Alexander MacKendrick (1912-1993) Film Director & Screenwriter. Most notable films for Ealing Studios include – Whisky Galore! (1949 – Director), The Man in the White Suit (1951 – Director & Screenwriter) and The Ladykillers (1955 – Director).

As you would imagine the biggest frequency of the name McKendrick has been in Scotland but with migration and accessibility of travel this is shifting more in favour of USA/Canada.

1881 (Findmypast)

Scotland 876

England 79

USA/Canada 304

1901 (Findmypast)

Scotland 1121

USA/Canada 487

England 197

• BMD indexes (Civil records)
• Birth registrations
• Baptisms (Parish records)
• Marriages (Civil/Parish records)
• Deaths registrations
• Burials (Parish records)
• Census Returns - UK (1841-1901), England & Wales (1911-1921), Scotland (1911-1921)
• Census Returns - Ireland
• Census Returns - other countries 
• Probate & Wills
• Obituaries
• Monumental Inscriptions
• Military Records
• Trade Directories & Employment Records
• Newspapers Articles
• Photographic Material
• Biographies
• Family Ephemera
• Immigration/Emigration records
• Miscellaneous records