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Hendershott is an ancient Pictish-Scottish name. It is derived from the personal name Hendry, which is a chiefly Scottish derivative of the name Henry. There were two main branches of the Hendershott family, one at Glencoe, in the lower Highlands, and one at Caithness, in the extreme north of Scotland.
The surname Hendershott was first found in Caithness, Glencoe, the Shetland Islands, Liddlesdale, and Fordell. One origin claims the Hendershott family descend from Great Henry, son of King Nechtan, who was also the progenitor of the MacDonalds of Glencoe. However, the branch of the Hendershott to whom this story relates also claim to have settled in the Glencoe territory many years before the Maclains or MacDonalds arrived there. This is consistent with the theory that this family are a branch of the northern family who moved south and became attached to the MacDonalds.
Generally noted as great fighters, they became bodyguards of the Chief of the MacDonalds. They were also the hereditary pipers of that Clan, sometimes referred to as the Maclains.
Later, in about 1530, there emerged another section of the Henderson Clan in the Border country of Liddesdale but the connection between this group and the main Clan is somewhat tenuous. However, it is known that many of the Highland Clans were invited, coerced or transported, sometimes as a whole sometimes as a branch, to the border country to provide better defenses against English attacks along the Border.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hendershott research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1420, 1430, 1460, 1494, 1500, 1506, 1510, 1511, 1583, 1590, 1600, 1606, 1618, 1638, 1646, 1692 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Hendershott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Hendershott has appeared Henderson, Henreyson, Henryson, MacKendrick and many more.
Notable amongst the Clan at this time was James Henderson, of the Fordell line, who became Lord Advocate of Scotland in 1494.
Perhaps the greatest Henderson of all was Alexander Henderson (c.1583-1646) of Fife, minister of Leuchars, who attended of St. Andrews University. In 1638, he drafted the National Covenant of Scotland, and is generally considered the "2nd founder," after Knox, of the Presbyterian church in Scotland.
Robert Henryson (1430?-1506?) was a poet who flourished in Scotland in the period c. 1460-1500. He was...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hendershott Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 129 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Hendershott name: