Mike is the U.S. Genealogist for the Clan Murray Society of North America and the National Genealogist for SAMS. He is a retired “shop” teacher and technology coordinator, and has been researching 28,000+ “cousins” from ~35 generations since the early 1990’s. He currently publishes a weekly newsletter for firearm enthusiasts and Second Amendment supporters, a monthly newsletter for a local gun club, and over the years has published a community newspaper, newsletters and other printed items for non-profit organizations of all kinds.

Mike’s wife, Cynthia, is the direct Murray, but Mike also has Murrays in his lines back to Freskin de Moravia (1107-1172), his 25^th Great Grandfather. Freskin was a Flemish knight brought to Scotland to bring order to the Highlands, and he and his family became progenitors of the Murray, Douglas, and Sutherland Clans.

Mike’s Murrays include Andrew Murray, William Wallace’s co-general at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1298. Mike’s other primary lines include Gordon, MacAlpine (from Kenneth I, first King of Scotland), and Bruce. At least 23 Highlands or Central Scotland Clan appears somewhere in their lines. Mike is also a direct descendant of Brian Boru, the first King of Ireland, with a rich heritage on the island, as well.

Mike has uncovered connections at least to Charlemagne (748-814), all the signatories of the Magna Carta, royalty and nobility throughout Europe and the UK, dozens of clergy from Popes to Pastors, several of the Salem Witches, over 100 ancestors in the Puritan Great Migration, and hundreds of other notables. One ancestor he is especially proud of is Capt. Isaac Davis, the first officer killed at the Battle of Concord Bridge during the Revolutionary War. Isaac is best remembered as the model for the Minuteman Statue and the logo for the National Guard. Mike is also related to thousands of common ordinary folk who simply tried to make their way through history and do the best they could for themselves and their families.

He manages several clans and other sub-projects on Wikitree, a free site: https://wikitree.com/wiki/Thomas-10705 and has personal websites at https://allinthepast.net , https://itsallinthepast.net , and https://allinthepast.substack.com. Mike also has family trees online on several commercial websites, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (FSAScot).

You can contact Mike at: natlgenealogist@s-a-m-s.org . He will be glad to answer general questions and offer advice, but he will NOT do your genealogy for you.