The Internet is pretty cool when you want to research something. A number of years ago I found a website dedicated to a branch of my ancestry. The family name McCornack is not that common, so anyone with blood connections to that name is probably a blood relative of mine. That site, and Mr. McCornack himself, were helpful when I was planning our 2002 visit to Scotland. I’d always wanted to see our ancestral home and maybe meet some Scottish relatives – but never really thought I’d get the chance. Here was a man that had done it – 
he visited Annabaglish in Kirkcowan, near Newton Stewart (which is in Dumfries and Galloway), Scotland and was willing to assist anyone else who wanted to do the same.
My mom was along on the trip – it is through her that I am related to the McCornacks. Her father’s grandmother was, I think, a McCornack. I’d have to check the family tree to be sure.
Anyway, we visited the farm and met the current (non McCornack) owners. They said that every so often Americans stop by to visit the ancestral home. They invited us into the house and onto the grounds where we had a bit of a look around.
A couple of years after our visit I looked up Annabaglish, hoping to get to the McCornack site again, but misspelled it Anabaglish. I was taken to this site (no longer working but try this instead). It turned out that a distant relative of mine, Jane Freeburg, had also taken the trip to Annabaglish and used a photo of the house as the cover of a CD she and her band, Queen Mab, released. After a couple of false starts I ended up getting in contact with Jane Freeburg. We exchanged a few emails and she sent me a small handmade book she’d put together about her trip to our ancestral home.
I also bought a few copies of the CD – one for me and one for my mother and aunt. I love Celtic music so this was a perfect find.
Listen to some samples of some of the songs from that CD. (no longer working but you can find these songs here.)
An Phis Fluich
Clutch Cargo Lips 
Very cool stories. Amazing.
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Hi Dona,
I came across your website after doing a Google search of Annabaglish. If you are a McCornack, then we are probably related. My great (great?) grandfather was Andrew McCornack. I too have been to visit the ancestral homestead, back in 1999. Also drove around the middle of nowhere looking for a cemetery where some McCornack’s are buried. It was a wonderful trip!
Carrie
P.S. I found a copy of the CD online and bought it for my father for Christmas.
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Hi Dona, Thank you for including the location of Annabaglish. I think I might be related indirectly to the Jean DALRYMPLE who married John McCORNACK in 1744, as when my known ancestor James DALRYMPLE of Blairdirrie in Glen Luce married Jannet DOUGLASS of Holland (Parish of Kirkcowan???) in 1749, the witnesses were John & Archibald DALRYMPLE of Annabaglish. According to Mr McCornack’s website the DALRYMPLEs were tenants of the farm before the McCORNACKs. The Earls of Stair were DALRYMPLEs. Regards Ailsa
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Greetings, another descendant of Archibald, who’s daughter (Elizabeth) Jean Dalrymple was a great ++ or so od minw, need to check the poster sized fam. tree as well… Annabaglish and Barwinnock are family homes that I’ve visited… very nice tenants currently… and yes, the Lord Stair is still a living “Dalrymple.” Dalrymples by the dozen are located in the Kirkyard at Kirkowen… Go for a lovely visit to the pub in the village of Dalrymple, north of Barhill and you will find Dalrymple history in a book… simply ask to see it. My great,great grandfather ( another McC.) was quoted in a book about Spokane pioneers, that his mother Maria Eakin was descended directly from the royal Stuart line…. now there’s a wee bit of a rabbit to chase. For those from Helen McGeough, one of the earlier names on the McC. family tree, they are reported to have descended from one of the Three Collas ( ancient high kings of Ireland.) Anyway, enjoy your research ” Cousin ” and a trip to beautiful S.W. Scotland !
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I am a MacCornack, daughter of Irene MacCornack Lamprecht, and granddaughter of Dr. Robert Lee MacCornack who lived in Whitehall, Wisconsin and died there in 1966. I am hoping to visit Annabaglish at the end of this month (August 2011). I was born in March of 1958 and was the last entry in a red book about the MacCornacks that was published within a year or so of my birth.
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I am related to Andrew MacCornack also, but there were two of them–I think there were cousins. They settled near Elgin, Illinois.
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Hello! I am a descendant of the McCornacks of Annabaglish, as well, and I visited the ancestral home in the mid-1980’s. The couple who lived there at the time were more than happy to show me around and let me spend some time wandering the property. It’s a beautiful, peaceful place! 🙂
Robin
My grandmother, Helen McCornack Colton, was the daughter of Robert John Knox McCornack of Spokane, Washington. He was a well-known banker and member of the community.
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Hello! I think I am a descendant of the McCornacks.. Well my last name is McCornack so I must be… Anyways. I plan on taking a trip to this area this coming fall/winter. I was wondering if I should contact the family that lives there and if you have their contact info.
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Hi Morgan. I don’t have any contact info — we just showed up and they were very gracious about letting us walk around.
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Dona,
My brother Robert Douglas O’Donovan, a Scottish friend from the Outer Hebrides, and I are going to Scotland for the Islay Malt Whiskey Festival in May 2016, and would like to visit Annabaglish, Kirkcowan, and Newton-Stewart while we are there.
I would like to purchase a tartan (or even better, a kilt) with the McCornack or Eakin colors. However, despite my efforts, I cannot find either name in the Scottish tartan registry.
Do you know if they exist and if so, can you direct me to somewhere that I can get a sample to use in my quest?
Also, do you know of anyone who lives at the Annabaglish Farm so that I might contact them in advance, for a visit?
I have a copy of a family tree Andrew McCornack, that was prepared and complied by Albert James Gage of Chicago, IL and Mrs. Olive gage Hamilton of Alberta, Canada, in the early 1950s. In is a page that shows my mother’s link to Andrew Mc Cornack (1778-1896) and Helen Mc Geough (1782-1860). My mother, Margaret Eugenia Eakin, was born in Elgin Il in 1914 and grew up in Berkley, CA. Her father, Leslie Edgar Eakin (married to Hilda Peterson) was the son of Margaret Janet McCornack and Matthew M. Eakin.
Thanks for your consideration with this request.
Michael O’Donovan
Hershey, Pennsylvania
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My Dalrymple / Mc C ancestors always wore Royal Stuart – was our family tradition, apparently, our branch’s family legend of having paid homage in the auld days. Interesting note: The Mc C’s were Covenanters.
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Hi Dona,
I am Andrew Gage, brother of Carrie Gage, and a descendant of Andrew McCornack (who I was named after). I came across your blog while doing some family research and thought you might be interested in a piece of information regarding The Memorial Washington Reformed Presbyterian Church in Elgin Illinois. This church, which many of us refer to as “The Old Church” was built in 1844 on land donated by Alexander McCornack (Andrew’s son). The McCornacks were early founders of that Church after having relocated to the US from Scotland and relatives have been attending services at the Old Church for many decades. This year, the Church celebrates its 100th year as a once-a-year church. I thought you may want to consider visiting the Church during the celebration, if possible. Here is information on the MWRPC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Washington_Reformed_Presbyterian_Church
And here’s a link to the Facebook page about this year’s event. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570551226588875/
If you can attend I think you will enjoy spending an afternoon in the church that your ancestors built and meeting other descendants in the McCornack family lineage..
Sincerely,
Andrew Gage
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