Book launch of “In Search of Buchanan” by Irene...

23 June 2011, 19:30, Omagh Library, 1 Spillars Place, Irishtown Road, Omagh

Runs to 23 June 2011

Official launch of book linked to the recent BBC NI Documentary on “Are you related to an American President?”

The book tells the amazing story of the search for the history of the name Buchanan and the family migrations stretching from a warrior of the ancient O’Cahan (O’Kane) clan in Ulster, Ireland, to the White House in Washington, over a period of almost 1,000 years from 1016 to the present day.  Irene Martin (Rene Wilson) was raised on a farm outside Omagh in County Tyrone. Her father, Samuel Buchanan Wilson was an internal migrant from Milford, County Donegal where her ancestors had lived since the 17^th century.  Her great-grandfather was “White” Sam Buchanan of Garrygort, Milford.  From the 11^th to the 17^th century her ancestors populated much of the Loch Lomond to Stirling area in Scotland.  From the 18^th century they migrated in great numbers to America from Scotland and Ireland.  Her travels and research have taken her through Ireland, Scotland, and Pennsylvania  - and eventually to the White House in Washington DC.  Irene Martin, the author, was featured in the BBC TV documentary “Are you related to an American President?” in February and  May  2011.

From Scotland George Buchanan immigrated in 1674 to Deroran, Omagh -  near the Sixmilecross, Beragh and Fintona areas. There were many Buchanans located here and many emigrated from here to the USA and Canada. The youngest son, Thomas, migrated to Ramelton, Co. Donegal.  His great grandson, James senior, became the father of President James Buchanan 1857 – 1861.

President James Buchanan’s father sailed from Derry Quay on the 4^th June 1783 on the Ship Providence, the year that the American Revolution ended. He had received a letter from his uncle Joshua Russell with the price of a boat ticket to Philadelphia. In the letter he offered James a job as a clerk in his Trading Post and Tavern in Gettysburg. James had been left an orphan at an early age and was brought up by his maternal Russell grandparents.  The letter arrived when he was 22 years old.  He left his Russell grandparents’ home at Stony Batter outside Ramelton and made his way to Derry to board the ship Providence and sail across the Atlantic to meet his uncle at the quay at Philadelphia. They travelled by horseback the many miles overland to Gettysburg. After a while James had saved enough money to buy a Trading Post himself. He bought a trading post at Cove Gap in the Allegheny Mountains west of Gettysburg. He named it Stony Batter after the old homestead of his grandparents back in Ramelton. James Buchanan married Elisabeth Speer and their oldest son, James, was President from 1857 - 1861.  There is an Ulster Heritage plaque on the house at Deroran stating that this is the ancestral home of President Buchanan.

You can contact the author by visiting www.insearchofbuchanan.com, by emailing rene.wilson.martin@gmail.com or by calling 07771 706 078.