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During the 18th century as many as 100,000 Scottish Lowlanders relocated to the Plantation of Ulster (Northern Ireland). Within a few generations the descendants of these Ulster Scots emigrated in substantial numbers across the Atlantic, where, as the Scotch-Irish (Scots-Irish), they made a major contribution to the settlement and development of colonial America.

This is the fourth volume (fifth part) in a series compiled by Mr. Dobson to identify the Lowland Scots who migrated to Ulster between 1575 and 1725—many of whose progeny may have emigrated to America (see also Parts One and Two; Part Three; Part Four; Part Six; and Part Seven). As he has for the prior books, the author here relies upon primary and secondary source material found in Scotland and Ireland. With one or two exceptions Mr. Dobson has extracted his findings from sources not consulted for the previous books, such as the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, the Acts of the General Assembly of Scotland, 1648–1842, the Calendar of State Papers, Ireland, Records of the General Synod of Ulster, 1691–1820, and a score of other sources. A special feature of this volume is the inclusion of a number of shipmasters from Ulster who traded with west of Scotland ports. (It is highly likely that they were residents of the port to which the ship belonged and that the skipper owned part of the vessel.)

Typically, each listing provides the Scots-Irish person’s name, occupation, place of residence, a date, and the source. In all, Mr. Dobson has come up with an additional 1,700 Lowland Scots who re-settled in Ulster, and many of their progeny would travel the Atlantic.