By J. Parnell McCarter

 

It is my plan to compose a series of online articles at this site, which I hope to eventually compile and edit into a book, on the history of mankind from the perspective of my own genealogical journey.  I plan to weave the results of my own personal genealogical discoveries in with the greater history of the whole family of nations.  As incredible and improbable as it may appear, I am becoming persuaded that I may be able to trace my personal genealogy through the successive generations back to Adam, according to the following steps:

1. From Adam to Noah (to Japheth to Tiras) – Holy scripture provides this genealogical record for me, as it does to this level of descent for all of humanity.
2. From Tiras (progenitor of the Thracian people) to Dardanus (founder of Troy) to Aeneas (Trojan founder of Rome) to Brutus (founder of Britain) to King Arthur of the Britons – The British/Welsh chronicles appear to provide this genealogical record through the generations.  While modernist critics scoff at these chronicles, even as they do the Bible and its genealogies, I think their critical analysis is flawed.
3. From King Arthur to Donald MacArthur- I am becoming more persuaded that the Scottish noble family of the MacArthurs [which literally means ‘son of Arthur’] (variant spelling McArthur) is descended from King Arthur and kept genealogical records through the centuries down to one Donald MacArthur of the 17th century (and later).  The MacArthurs historically alleged such descent, and they maintained genealogies to support their claim.
4. From Donald MacArthur to Moses McArthur (who changed his last name to McCarter when he came to America in the 18th century)
5. From Moses McCarter to myself – Genealogical and other records seem to support a certain descent by generations to the present.

My genealogical journey may lead me to amend significant portions of the genealogical outline above, as I obtain more information.  My goal is to find out the truth, and then to present my findings on this website and in a book.  Whether I am ultimately able to trace my genealogy by generation from Adam to myself, I am nevertheless persuaded that I along with all of humanity are descended from Adam, who lived approximately 6000 years ago, having been supernaturally created by God.  Certain peoples kept more detailed records of their genealogy through the generations, especially when their social position depended upon it.