The Maine Ulster-Scots Project  began with the purpose of increasing awareness of the Ulster-Scots' heritage within the state; specifically, to tell the story of the Means family. The project has since begun collecting archiving the histories of other Maine Ulster-Scots families.

U.S. Census  Data (2000) confirms that Maine has, per capita, the highest percentage  of Scots descendants in the entire USA, and ranks third in the country for Scots-Irish descendants. And yet, we know practically nothing about  them because their stories have never been told...

  Until now.   

Bill McKeen
Immediate Past President,
St. Andrews Society of Maine
Family Historian

I started my genealogical research on the McKeens about 30 years ago. I started with my own family here in Maine and backtracked to Maugerville New Brunswick, New Hampshire, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Since then I have expanded the research to all McKeens related and un-related. Lately, I have been studying all Scots-Irish that settled in New England, Nova Scotia and in particular, Maine. Also, I am now using DNA to compare my research with others. My DNA markers are quite common and match perfectly with Niall of the Nine Hostages. Family names that I am working with in addition to McKeen are McCain, Corliss, Bell, Hackett, Main, Christie, Thorpe, McKenney, Lord, Preble and others. I am also collecting any Scots-Irish family names and also places of Maine or New England settlement.

John T. Mann
Chair, Maine Ulster-Scots

Val Mann
Musician
Family Historian

She is also the organizer of Maine Highland Fiddlers, a group dedicated to the traditional music of Scotland and Cape Breton. Val is also a member of Fiddle-icious, a Maine based Orchestra which promotes the continuation of Maine’s traditional fiddle music including, Franco-American, Irish and Scottish tunes.

Val is the granddaughter of Leon Maybury. Leon was a fiddlemaker, fiddle player and amateur historian. The Maybury’s came from Balleymoney, Ulster Plantation, Northern Ireland in the 1730’s and were the second family to settle the frontier town of New Marblehead, now Gorham, Maine. Val continues the family tradition by playing one of the fiddles made by her grandfather, and share’s that joy with others at her various concerts, jams and school programs.

To learn more of the MUSP school programs visit School Programs on this website.

Dianne Bergstedt  FSA Scot
MUSP Webmistress and 
Public Relations Director 
Generational Historian



Founder and Director,
CherokeeScots
Chair, National Tartan Day Coordinators
The Scottish Coalition Communications Committee
Scottish Coalition Speakers Bureau