Ten years ago I had never heard of Duncan Paterson, aka Duncan MacIver Campbell, far less that he was my great great grandfather, via his second daughter Flora. Duncan came to light when I was tracing my family tree and discovered that Flora did not have a birth certificate, a hint that she was illegitimate, but her father was named as Duncan on both her wedding, and death certificates.

Little did I know that finding the name of Flora’s father would lead to a ten year quest to tell his fascinating story, a story that would take me to Kilrush and Limerick in County Clare, as well as countless trips to the Records office in Edinburgh to transcribe the documents that would help tell his story.

Being a descendant, there could have been the temptation to paint Duncan in a positive light, but I have resisted that temptation, and have written a book that examines his life and family, warts and all, much of it in his own well crafted words.