The question, 'Who do you think you are?' is answered by knowing the history of your ancestors. Some know this from ancestral records tracing their family back in time over many generations. For others their family history is lost in the ancient mists of time. This book explores a tenuous trail going back in history when men and women survived or perished on the outcome of conflicts between powerful forces that exerted unconditional control over their fate. The book is built around a time frame spanning more than a millenium. It covers times and events when families were forced to seek new lives, sometimes setting sail to distant lands in search of freedom from hardship and oppression. It is from the consequences of such events that the author's ancestors were forced to leave Ireland during the potato famine in the 19th century to a new life in Scotland. Although this is a personal story it will appeal to readers with an interest in how the past has made them what they are today.