Hello fellow relatives of William Erskine Marrs,
I took a free automsomal DNA (atDNA) test and had my haplogroup analyzed by Chris Morley's Y-SNP Subclade predictor, a free online too for deriving haplogroup information from autosomal results.
My paternal (Y) haplogroup is R-DF41 (R1b1a1a2a1a2c1a1d) which is linked to Clan Erskine ancestry via a Family Tree DNA research project.
https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/r-df-41/about/background
This is stellar news for us descendants of William who trace him, through several sources, back to his father, John Erskine, the 23rd Earl of Mar who lead the Jacobite Rising of 1715. This is largely because I am a direct male descendant of William Erskine Marrs and thus John Erskine, which means I inherit these markers through them virtually unchanged over the generations.
I have a tree on Geni and elsewhere which indicates as much, but for convenience, I am
Zachary Adam Marrs (Erskine)
son of Anthony Jay Marrs
son of Sylvan Leon Marrs
son of Oda Herbert Marrs
son of William Henry Marrs
son of James Marrs
son of William B Marrs
son of Samuel Wayne Marrs, Sr.
son of William Erskine Marrs
son of John Erskine, 23rd Earl of Mar
To further make the case, here are some of my sources of information on William Erskine Marrs.
"William Erskine Marrs of Scotland, the youngest son of the Earl of Mar, came to the Colonies sailing from the Port of Bristol England to escape punishment. He raised three sons, Henry, Samuel, and Barnabus. While in Scotland he lived in the Royal Castle of Balmoral located in the Mar district of Scotland"
-- from "Genealogical History of Washington DC #3007"
"William Erskine Marr. Said to be the son of the Earl of Mars. In abt 1720 he came to America from Bristol, England to escape punishment for participation in the Jacobite Rebellion. The Jacobite Rebellion was in 1715, lead by John Erskine, the 23rd earl of Mar. The Earl fled to France, others fled to Ireland and other lands."
-- from Broderbund World Family Tree CD, Vol.12, Record #0434 (1997) (sourced from The History of Shelby Co, Ohio by W.H. Beers)
"(Francina Bradshaw) married Samuel Marrs. According to Thelma Vardeman he was the oldest son of William, who was the youngest son of the 7th Earl of Marr & his 2nd wife Lady Mary Stewart, daughter of Duke of Lennox. Said William Marr came to America 1720 to avoid being put to death as a religious heretic, adding an s to his name to avoid detection, locating near Little York, in York Co PA."
-- from "The Bradshaws in America" quarterlies in an 1886 letter by old Rev. Thomas Rankin Bradshaw.
"Records say he had 3 sons born in PA. Samuel and Henry Munday, and Barnabus. The year 1720, a William Erskine Marr, Nobleman of Scotland leaving a vast estate in Scotland which none of the rights belong to his American decendents emigrated to America in order to avoid being put to death of severe torture as a religious Heretic. The dominate religionist had passed his sentence, which was that he be tied to the tail of a wild colt and it be turned loose in the streets of Edinburgh.To avoid this fearful fate, he fled his country & left friends & property behind. Originally, the name was spelled Marr, but he to avoid detection added an S since which time it has been written Marrs. Upon his arrival in the land of religious freedom he located near the town of Little York, PA. He previously lived in the Royal Castle of Balmora in the Mar District of Scotland."
- from "Marrs & Allied Famlies," by Four Sisters in Texas, Louise E. Marrs (1965)
"William Erskine Marr immigrated from Scotland to Little York, Pennsylvania (via England) in 1720. He was a son of the Earl of Mar. Descendants lived chiefly in the midwest."
- "Marrs" by Mabel Marrs (1977)
