y

 The McCord On-Line Newsletter 

Updated: May 11, 2009.

McCord News

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!

A Great Slate of Officers for The McCord Society

Ambassador Weston and Dr.Elizabeth Adams.

Weston Adams was elected President of The McCord Society (Clan McCord and McCord Family Association) for a three-year term effective 3 June 2008 by ballot of voting members. Murdo Ross was re-elected V-P For Scotland and Debbie Skousen, was elected V-P for Internet Research Coordination. Their photos appear below. This is a great slate of officers and we look forward to their fine leadership in the years ahead!

Now plan to be with them and our members at The McCord Society Reunion on July 4-6, 2010 at New Holland PA. The Reunion date has been changed from 2009 to July 4, 2010 due to a family illness in President Adam's family. You won't want to miss the Reunion next year! Stay tuned to www.McCordClan.com for details of the 2010 Reunion as they develop! Much will be posted about it on this website.

NEWS ABOUT THE LAST REUNION JULY 4-6,2007!

THE REUNION WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS, THANKS TO THE EXCELLENT PRESENTATIONS OF WESTON ADAMS AND PRESENCE OF HIS GRACIOUS WIFE ELIZABETH AND TALENTED SON JULIAN, AND TO THE GREAT WORK AND SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS WHO WORKED SO HARD AND SUCCESSFULLY TO MAKE IT A REUNION TO REMEMBER! IT WAS!!!

66 PHOTOS OF THE 2007 INTERNATIONAL MCCCORD REUNION!!!

SIXTY-SIX EXCELLENT PHOTOS TAKEN OF THE 2007 REUNION BY GARY MCCORD OF PENNSYLVANIA CAN BE SEEN BY CLICKING ON THE FOLLOWING:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jaymoss61/McCordReunionJuly56

THESE SUPERB PHOTOS WERE TAKEN ON JULY 5 AND 6, 2007 AT VALLEY FORGE, FT. MCCORD AND DERRY CHURCH, HERSHEY, PA BY GARY AND POSTED BY OUR ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER JAY LYNN MOSS, RETIRED CHIEF PETTY OFFICER, USN. THANKS GARY AND LYNN!

2007 REUNION REVIEW

THE 2007 INTERNATIONAL MCCORD FAMILY REUNION WAS HELD  ON JULY 4-6, 2007 IN NEW HOLLAND, PENNSYLVANIA! IT WAS A GREAT ONE! AMBASSADOR ADAMS, A MEMBER OF OUR MCCORD SOCIETY, WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT OUR INTERNATIONAL MCCORD SOCIETY REUNION ON JULY 4TH 2007 AND WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!

AMBASSADOR (MAJOR GENERAL AND FORMER ASSOCIATE COUNSEL, SELECT COMMITTEE ON CRIME, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1970-1971, MEMBER SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1972-1974 ) WESTON ADAMS, IS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE NEW FILM , THE LAST CONFEDERATE. THE STORY OF ROBERT ADAMS (FORMERLY STRIKE THE TENT).THOSE OF US AT THE REUNION WERE ABLE TO SEE IT, IT WAS GREAT!

 GWENDOLYN EDWARDS, ERIC HOLLOWAY, JOSHUA LINDSEY, LEE MAJORS, MICKEY ROONEY, TIPPIE HEDREN, BOB DORIAN, AND AMY REDFORD, DAUGHTER OF ROBERT REDFORD, STAR IN THIS NEW FILM ABOUT CIVIL WAR CAPTAIN ROBERT ADAMS. SIX ADAMS AND SIX MCCORDS ARE PORTRAYED  BY THEIR TRUE NAMES IN THIS ROMANCE SET IN THE CIVIL WAR IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SEVERAL OF THOSE PORTRAYED IN THE FILM ARE DESCENDANTS OF CPL. MARK MCCORD, VALLEY FORGE VETERAN OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION THROUGH HIS SON DAVID MCCORD.

PRODUCER JULIAN ADAMS STARS IN THE FILM AS DOES HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, WESTON AND MRS. ADAMS. THE FILM HAS RECEIVED 10 AWARDS AT FILM FESTIVALS AROUND THE NATION, HAS BEEN WRITTEN UP IN VARIETY, IS DISTRIBUTED BY THINKFILM,. IT IS A VERY OUTSTANDING FILM.

INDEPENDENCE HALL AND THE BETSY ROSS HOUSE, PHILADELPHIA : ON JULY 5, 2007, AMBASSADOR ADAMS  SPOKE IN PHILADELPHIA ABOUT INDEPENDENCE HALL AND THE BETSY ROSS HOUSE, PHILADELPHIA PA. AMBASSADOR ADAMS AND A LINE OF THE MCCORDS ARE DESCENDED FROM TWO BUILDERS OF INDEPENDENCE  HALL (PROVINCE HOUSE, STATE HOUSE) , PHILADELPHIA WHERE THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS MET. THE NAMES OF THE TWO MCCORD-ADAMS' ANCESTORS WHO HELPED BUILD INDEPENDENCE HALL ARE INSCRIBED IN THE FAMED CARPENTER'S HALL OF PHILADELPHIA. A FORMER PRESIDENT OF CARPENTERS HALL SPOKE ALSO ABOUT THE GRISCOMS AND CARPENTERS HALL!

THE ORPHANED DAUGHTER OF BETSY ROSS'S SISTER WAS RAISED BY BETSY FROM AGE 14 AND SHE NO DOUBT HELPED BETSY MAKE SOME OF THE EARLY AMERICAN FLAGS. THE ORPHANED DAUGHTER MARRIED DAVID MCCORD, SON OF CPL. MARK MCCORD, VALLEY FORGE VETERAN.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S LIBRARY COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA MOVED TO THE STATE HOUSE (INDEPENDENCE HALL)  IN APRIL 1740. JEAN MCCORD LOWRY WAS  THE SISTER OF WILLIAM MCCORD WHO BUILT FT. MCCORD NEAR CHAMBERSBURG PA WHICH WAS DESTROYED BY THE INDIANS APRIL 1, 1756 AND SHE WAS AMONG 27 PEOPLE KILLED OR CAPTURED THERE. SHE WAS TAKEN PRISONER BY THE INDIANS AND FRENCH, REMOVED TO CANADA, AND THEN TAKEN OVERSEAS BY FRENCH SHIP TO ENGLAND, WHERE SHE AND SOME OTHERS WERE EXCHANGED FOR FRENCH PRISONERS HELD BY THE BRITISH. ON HER RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA SHE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES AS A CAPTIVE...

SINCE 1760, JEAN MCCORD'S BOOK HAS BEEN IN BEN FRANKLIN'S LIBRARY COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA (ORIGINALLY LOCATED IN THE STATE HOUSE, INDEPENDENCE HALL) . SEE "MCCORD HISTORY' BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT JEAN MCCORD LOWRY'S CAPTIVITY.

OUR MCCORD SOCIETY  WAS AT VALLEY FORGE PA THE AFTERNOON OF JULY 5, 2007 FOR A CEREMONY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE 100 MCCORDS WHO SERVED WITH WASHINGTON IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, ELEVEN OF THEM AT VALLEY FORGE. THAT WAS VERY SPECIAL. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF VALLEY FORGE MILITARY PARK, MIKE CALDWELL WELCOMED THE SOCIETY AND GRACIOUSLY ARRANGED A TOUR OF VALLEY FORGE AND THE FRIENDS OF VALLEY FORGE HOSTED A RECEPTION FOR OUR SOCIETY! IT WAS GREAT!

ON JULY 6, 2007 WE WERE AT FORT MCCORD, PA. FOR A CEREMONY OF REMEMBRANCE IN THE MORNING. THAT AFTERNOON WE HAD A CEREMONY OF REMEMBRANCE AT DERRY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, HERSHEY PA THAT  WAS FOUNDED BY WILLIAM MCCORD IN 1724, ALONG WITH A DOZEN OTHER SCOTCH-IRISH PIONEERS. SO WE HAD MUCH EARLY AMERICAN AND MCCORD HISTORY TO CELEBRATE!

AMBASSADOR WESTON ADAMS ADDRESS AT THE 2007 REUNION FOLLOWED TWO OTHER EARLIER  OUTSTANDING KEYNOTE SPEAKERS FOR THE MCCORD SOCIETY.  DR. CHARLES REYNOLDS (O.B.E., ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE), AUTHOR OF HE LEADETH ME, A SAGA OF THE TRAVAIL AND TRIUMPH OF THE SCOTS-IRISH, FORMER MEDICAL MISSIONARY TO INDIA AND ROYAL AIR FORCE OFFICER, AND PRESIDENT HAROLD ALEXANDER OF THE SCOTCH-IRISH SOCIETY USA, DISTINGUISHED FORMER AIRCRAFT ENGINEER DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH SOME OF BOEING'S MOST STATE-OF-THE-ART AND REVOLUTIONARY AIRCRAFT DESIGNS. BOTH DR. REYNOLDS AND PRESIDENT ALEXANDER WERE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT OUR INTERNATIONAL MCCORD REUNIONS IN 2004 AND 2002, RESPECTIVELY. AMBASSADOR ADAMS IS ONE FINE MAN. IT WILL BE A GREAT PLEASURE TO HAVE HIM WITH US IN 2007!

WE HAD AN EXCELLENT PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE 2007 REUNION, HEADED BY CO-CHAIRMAN JEAN HAYTER, JOINED BY HENRY SIMS AND DR. CARL STEM, PH.D., RETIRED CHAIRMAN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AT TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY.  JEAN HAS CO-CHAIRED MAJOR AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND OTHER PATRIOTIC CELEBRATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY. SHE CAN BE REACHED AT jean.hayter@worldnet.att.net.

THE THEME OF THE 2007 INTERNATIONAL MCCORD FAMILY REUNION WAS: "GOD, COUNTRY AND FAMILY" AND "BAND OF BROTHERS: A BAND OF HEROES."

OTHER NEWS!

Great news! The Clan Armstrong Chieftain was with us the afternoon of July 5th 2007 at Valley Forge for a joint  laying of a wreath at the monument there of Major General John Armstrong, Commander of all the Pennsylvania Militia Troops in the American Revolution. As then-Colonel John Armstrong he took a regiment of Frontiersmen to Kittanning in September 1756 and rescued some of the captives taken five months earlier at Ft. McCord when the Indians attacked on April 1, 1756. For this daring rescue the Penn Family struck a medal for Armstrong and his officers.

Valley Forge National Park Superintendent Mike Caldwell welcomed our McCord Society to Valley Forge on July 5th. He is giving superb leadership to the Park and it shows.

On the morning of July 5th at Independence Hall Visitors Center, Philadelphia, Ambassador Adams  showed photos of some of his rare and remarkable collection of paintings and drawings of Betsy Ross, and of General George Washington, George Ross and Robert Morris who contacted Betsy Ross asking her to make the first American flag in 1776.

WESTON ADAMS NOW PRESIDENT CLAN MCCORD SOCIETY (MCCORD FAMILY ASSN)

 Ambassador (Major General) Weston Adams of Columbia, South Carolina, became  President of the McCord Society in June 2008, replacing James McCord who retired as President. Weston's email address is Glenda@WestonAdams.com and his postal address is P.O. Box 291, Columbia SC 29202.

Elections of officers of Clan McCord Society (McCord Family Assn) was held in June, 2008 with Ambassador Weston Adams elected President, Murdo Ross, Vice-President for Scotland, and Debbie Skousen, Vice President for Research Coordination. Congratulations all! Ambassador Adams photo is shown below as is Murdo Ross.

Clan McCord Society President Ambassador Weston Adams is shown with member Kay F. McCord James's grandson, Adrian Miller at Valley Forge during the July 2007 Reunion.

McCord Society Vice-President for Scotland Murdo Ross's family, at his and Sue's beautiful daughter Catriona's at their wedding in Scotland. Murdo and Sue's son Andrew is on the right.  The most handsome new couple, now Graham and Catriona Reekie, will be living in Edinburgh, Scotland. Congratulations and best wishes to all! Murdo Ross is related to David McCord of Derry, son of the Patriarch William McCord who came to Pennsylvania ca.1720 and who helped found the Derry Presbyterian Church in Derry (Hershey) PA in 1724. Murdo's grandparents lived on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Debbie Skousen (on right), Vice President for Research Coordination, with children Aaron and Sarah and Aunt Gerlene McCord

FAMILY RESEARCH: We are most fortunate to have two long-time and expert Senior McCord family researchers in Dr. Thomas Hill, M.D. and Don E. McCord,. They have massive databases on the McCords and have been collecting this invaluable information for 30-40 years. Your incoming queries to us seeking information about your family histories are forwarded  by Acting VP for Research Coordination Debbie Skousen to Dr. Hill and Don E. McCord for a search in their databases. If you are seeking information on your McCord ancestors, you can contact us by email for a search on your family at Research@McCordfamilyAssn.com, or by postal mail at Clan McCord Society, P.O. Box 291, Columbia SC 29202. Please feel free to do so, there is no charge for this service.

Dr. Symm McCord, M.D., has his excellent and valuable McCord Bible Pages online at http://symmmccord.com/welcomebibles.htm. You will want to look at those and see if there are any Bibles associated with your families. Mississippi and Alabama McCords will especially want to take a look at the William J. McCord Bible there, since a number of McCord descendants listed in his Bible settled in Alabama and Mississippi in the 1800's. Dr. McCord is continually adding new McCord Bibles to his very helpful home page.

Dr. Symm and Jackie McCord

NEW BOOK OUT!

A new science-fiction novel has just been published . This one by Dr.Symm McCord  M.D. entitled THE CHALLENGE OF JHWH, which stands for Jehovah. The book can be found at the website www.TheChallengeOfJHWH.com. Email for Symm is: TheChallengeOfJHWH@hotmail.com This is one exciting novel you will want to read! Dr. McCord has some extra authors'copies of his book which members can obtain free by emailing him at his email address above

SAILING, SAILING, OVER THE BOUNDLESS MAIN: Jack McCord has been last reported sailing aboard his ship along the East Coast and up the Hudson River in New York last headed for Canada! We look forward to receiving photos of Jack on his superb trips when time permits. Jack no doubt visited the famous McCord Museum in Montreal Canada when sailing there. The McCord Museum is one of the most famous in Canada.

Photo of our Brazilian McCord Society Representative Henrique MacCord

McCord Society Brazilian representative Henrique MacCord at a recentfamily gathering in Brazil.  Henrique is standing with his wife, other family members are seated, note the family resemblance! There are over 400 MacCord family descendants in Brazil now of their original Colonel Russell MacCord who brought a colony to Brazil after the Civil War where he was a Surgeon. Colonel MacCord was from South Carolina and last served at The Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi! Earlier he reportedly had served with the American Army in the U.S. War  with Mexico.

John McCord "Swamp Fox" Pistol from the American Revolution

John McCord pistol, said to have been carried by him while serving with "The Swamp Fox" Francis Marion in the Revolutionary War in the South. Photo courtesy of our member Glen McCord whose aunt gave it to him, stating that the pistol had been carried by John McCord who operated on the Pee Dee River in South Carolina with Marion.

South Carolina Major General Francis Marion is famous for his highly successful guerilla warfare against  the British in South Carolina in which he and his men made "hit and run" attacks against British troops and then Marion and his men would disappear into the S.C. swamps where they could not be found. Glen McCord promises to bring the pistol with him and display it at our next Reunion! Be there, you won't want to miss it!

NEW ARRIVALS!

Molly Rhiannon Hughes born in Hendersonville TN is the daughter of Paul and Amy Lee (Waldrop) Hughes and granddaughter of the Max Waldrops. She is a descendant of Thomas Nicely McCord who settled in Northern Mississippi in Pontotoc and Calhoun Counties in the 1830's. Our congratulations to the  Waldrop and Hughes families! She is a beauty!.

CIVIL WAR HISTORY! Was "Tara," the famous home in the movie classic, Gone With The Wind, a home of a McCord family in Georgia, used in the movie to make the film because of its dramatic setting and structure? Yes, writes Dr. Symm McCord, M.D., former Vice-President of the McCord Society. He says that Robert was the son of Elisha and Sally McCord and that Elisha was son of John McCord and Alice (Else) Hyatt of Lincoln County GA. Robert was master of the "Stately Oaks" plantation near Jonesboro, GA. This plantation was used by Margaret Mitchell as a model when she wrote Gone With The Wind. The Plantation House has been moved about 4 miles from its original location. Symm is a descendant of William McCord who built Ft. McCord PA.

One of the great recent stories of our McCord Society is that of four orphans, separated when they were very young children and placed in different homes, unknown to each other by name or location. Each was adopted by families with different last names and locations, and adopted under those last names, not the name McCord. One of the four, Kirk, contacted us a few weeks ago trying to find any connection to the McCords, knowing only his father and mother's name and possibly his grandfather McCord's name. Our Senior Researcher Don E. McCord immediately advised him of his ancestry, telling him also that the four came from Don's own family line, Family A, going back to David McCord of Derry (Hershey) PA, and earlier in Northern Ireland and Scotland!

Yvonne Houseman pictured above had, after some 25 years of separation of the four, and not knowing where the others had been placed as orphans or under what names, through much diligence and searching finally located the other 3 children! Privacy adoption regulations make it most difficult to find others in such cases but she persevered until she did so! She wanted to know where her 3 brothers were, and under what names. She located them, much credit to Yvonne! The picture above is Yvonne with two of her three brothers.

This is one of the great success stories of our Society! And of the superb work our Senior Researchers Don E. McCord, Dr. Tom Hill, M.D. do, and earlier Researchers David McCord and Mrs. Guyte (Jean) McCord did, and the sort of help that Dr. Symm McCord, M.D. does for those of his family line, the Ft. McCord line, and to help others with his Bible Pages Online. Their research is invaluable, unequalled by any Society researchers anywhere, to our knowledge! We are very proud of them all and the fine work they have done all through the years, and are doing, with little or no publicity. They do not seek publicity, only wanting, out of family love, to help others learn their McCord descendants.

Our thanks to each of you, and especially to Yvonne Houseman McCord for your persistence in research, to Kirk for contacting us, and to Don E. McCord for your putting all of the story of the four children and their ancestors in historical perspective! May God bless each of you! We hope we can see each of you at our International McCord Family Reunion in New Holland PA July 4-6, 2007! It would be great to share our family love with you! -Jim McCord, President, Clan McCord Society (McCord Family Association) July 2006.

GREAT HONORS INDEED! KNIGHTHOOD FROM THE QUEEN AND AN HONORARY DOCTORATE!

Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth of England, Scotland, and Wales

The Queen of England Elizabeth II  has approved the promotion of our McCord Society Member Weston Adams, to Knight of Grace (KG) in The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem.  The Investiture Service of Weston Adams was on November 4, 2006 in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO (Richard Alexander Walter George Windsor).

Prince Richard is the grandson of King George V, and his father, Prince Henry, was Governor-General of Australia 1945 to 1947. On his father's death, Prince Richard also succeeded to the titles of Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden. Now his own son, Alexander, bears  the title Earl of Ulster. Ulster and Culloden have special meanings to the McCord families since they originally came from Ulster and Scotland.

A distinguished public servant and attorney, Ambassador (Major General, and former South Carolina House of Representative member) Weston Adams received an honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of South Carolina in May 2007.  We are very proud of our member Ambassador Adams for these many honors of great distinction! Our congratulations, Ambassador Adams!

Health Reports and Prayer Requests: Kay James McCord has advised that her beloved husband Charles passed away. Charles was one fine man and will be sorely missed by his friends and family. Please pray for comfort for his family. Kay's email address is Katie11@ajinternet.net. Please let us know of any others for whom you would like prayers.

Financial Report: Clan McCord Society (McCord Family Association) balance in Fulton Bank, Leola, PA on August 23, 2008 was $1,568.16 which was then transferred on that date to President Weston Adams of Columbia SC for his Clan McCord Account there. The Fulton Bank account in Leola was closed on that date. 

Financial Report on the 2007 Reunion: Utilizing funds in the bank account of the Clan McCord Society at Fulton Bank, Leola and with income and expenses at the Reunion, the ending bank balance in the Fulton Bank account after the Reunion then  stood at $1058.07. That Fulton bank account by August 23, 2008 reached the $1,568.16 mentioned above when the account was then closed at Leola..

It was a highly successful 2007 Reunion with many letters having been received from our members on how much it was enjoyed!

Now plan to be with us at New Holland, PA  on July 4-6, 2010 for the next great McCord Reunion! The 2009 Reunion is being deferred until then. Check this news website from time to time for details as they develop for the next Reunion!

Membership Dues: Our thanks to you if you have sent in your 200\9 membership dues which are now due, The fee is only $15 for membership renewals and $25 for new members! The address for dues payments is Clan McCord Society, P.O. Box 291, Columbia SC 29202