Where to start? Here’s the McCarroll Origin Story as told by Robert McCarroll, the oldest of John and Jane McCarroll’s twelve children, to Adeline, the youngest. I love the bawdy edge to this.

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Some six or seven hundred years ago, Ireland was divided into several parts, each governed by a ruler or chieftain. The northern part was ruled by an ancient chief called Carroll, who, in his day, governed well and had numerous followers and retainers, who’d made his position there very strong and secure.

At the same time, in Scotland, there was a ruler called Robert the Bruce, who was also in a strong position, with a large following. Bruce, having heard of the fame of this country ruled by Carroll, decided to invade and thus see for himself how true were the reports he had heard, and possibly pick up some loot and further his reputation.

With this object in view, he raised a strong force and sailed to Ireland, landing at a place called Carrickfergus in the north. He was well received, and the visit was mutually satisfactory.

Among Bruce’s retainers was a great chief called McKay, who was one of the leaders of the expedition. He was well known as a Highlander of great repute in all the arts of love and war.

Now this King Carroll had only one daughter, who was much sought after in those times, but who had remained heart-whole until she met McKay. They became lovers and determined to marry if they could get her father’s consent. For this purpose, she interviewed her father, confessing her love for McKay and her wish to marry him.

Her father was much opposed to this, saying she was too young and inexperienced, and had seen little of the world, or the men and people in it. She argued that her father was altogether mistaken, because in those times Highland men wore only a strip of hide, called a “kilt”, around their middle, and she had certainly seen more of McKay than she had ever seen of anybody else. That had made such an impression on her that she would never be satisfied until she married him.

Her father eventually agreed. She returned to McKay and told him that, though they could now marry, she would not go through the world in future known as McKay. He, too, had an aversion to being called Carroll.

After long discussion, they decided to adopt the name McCarroll, and thus established the family that eventually settled in Northern Ireland and produced many descendants.