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Weir Family Some years ago, the Weir family of Scarborough donated about £80 to the Lesmahagow Parish Association. This sum was raised through a re-print of "The Annals of Lesmahagow". Long out of print, this local history classic includes summaries of the leading families of the Parish, including the Weirs of Blackwood and the Weirs of Stonebyres. Some of the most interesting folklore in Lanarkshire is woven around the exploits of this old clan of Norman origin. We may never know if the Weirs of Scarborough are direct descendants of that first "de vere" knight of old who arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror. But there is a project about to get underway that may possibly bring many Weirs around the world to realize that they share a common ancestor who once lived in Lesmahagow. The following information has been received from organizer, Ray Isbell (isbell2@hotmail.com). The Weir DNA Project web site address will be announced shortly. This Y-chromosome DNA study is for males only who bear the name Weir, Wier, Vere, Ware, Wear, and other variations and who (so far as is known) are not descended from adoptees in the male line. A properly licensed lab will do the testing (through the mail) on a small saliva sample (cotton swab) and provide the results to be posted on the webpage. The subject's identity may or may not be withheld (depending on their privacy concerns) but their earliest ancestors will be listed and, where allowed, the full descent chart of the subject, which may aid other participants. The study of the Y chromosome is to show the Weir lineage in the male line only, and this chromosome's rate of mutation allows for a fairly accurate estimate of the degrees of relationship or a good guess at the time period in which a common ancestor was shared. The study would show whether or not Weirs of the tenant class shared a common male ancestor with the other Weirs, including lairds of Blackwood and Stonebyres and some of the other landed families in Lanark.
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