McCain's claims to be descendant of Robert the Bruce? Baloney

[kskiska]

John McCain, veteran war hero: yes.
But a descendant of Robert the Bruce? Baloney

Of all the claims in support of John McCain's bid for the White House, perhaps none is quite as grand as this. As he arrived in London yesterday, the publishers of his new book insisted the Republican senator's family was descended from the Scottish king, Robert the Bruce.

For a veteran war hero staking his presidential campaign on military credentials, an ancestral link to a warrior who overcame the English to reclaim Scottish independence in 1314 has obvious appeal. But according to experts, the story may be no more than that. Asked by the Guardian to investigate McCain's family history, genealogists and medieval historians described the link to Robert the Bruce as "wonderful fiction" and "baloney".

(snip)

Wild Bill, he wrote, "joined the McCain name to an even more distinguished warrior family. His wife, Mary Louise Earle, was descended from royalty. She claimed as ancestors Scottish kings back to Robert the Bruce." The passage goes on to say that Mary Louise Earle was also "in direct descent" from Emperor Charlemagne.

(snip)

A spokesman for McCain said last night: "The ancestry claim is based upon a genealogical study the McCain family had in their possession, which traced the McCain family roots back to Robert the Bruce."

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/21/johnmccain.uselections2008

[ananda]

1. So.. what..

.. he needs royal street cred? lol

[patrice]

2. Royalty again!?!!! Repuglicans ARE nutz!

They have no idea what people are feeling these days.

[juno jones]

3. Him and at least several thousand other people.

It's pretty diluted what with the intervening generations between then and now. They gotta share him. A gene here, a gene there.

A friend of mine got into geneology and discovered Bruce is an ancestor of hers. She's a single mom and a master gardener.

But she takes out weeds with extreme predjudice. Does that count?

Maybe Obama has some Bruce blood as well. Then he and McCain can be cousins too

[Warpy]

4. Scots don't know who they were descended from any more

than most of the rest of us do because surnames passed down from one generation to the next are a very recent introduction to a lot of people in the world.

I know one of my ancestors was hanged by Henry VIII, enough of a pain in the ass that old Hank signed the warrant himself, but that's about as far back as it goes.

Besides, if he really wanted to brag about his Scots roots, he'd change the Mc to a Mac.

[Demit]

8. Actually they're the same. You can be Scottish with the "Mc", and Irish with the "Mac".

[DRoseDARs]

10. Well, my clan name has been passed down for about 700 years...

or closer to 800 years, depending on the account.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Rose
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/ntor/rose2.html

Anyway, the records are continuous after 1390. Few others have been able to keep records that long, or maybe us Roses are just anal. ;)

[DefenseLawyer]

5. That would mean he is also descended from that creepy old leper guy

up in the attic, at least according to Braveheart.

[tblue]

9. ROFLMAO!!! Aye, surely be right, lad (or lass?)!

[Donnachaidh]

6. oh I would LOVE to see that *supposed* lineage line

And it could probably be reduced to the value of used toilet tissue in just a matter of hours. On both HIS and his WIFE'S side.

In the last century there were plenty of BOGUS genealogists who would *connect* your family to a lineage, for an appropriate fee. :grr:

[Demit]

7. Haha! The Scots don't mince words in describing McCain's claim: fantasy, ludicrous, baloney.

The only connection McCain would have to Robert the Bruce would be, tellingly, based on character: "he was a self-serving, vainglorious opportunist who was determined to be king at any cost."