My Father had this inclination but could not prove it! that Allan Pinkerton was a relative through Fathers mother a Pinkerton.
Allan Pinkerton is known for setting up the detective agency and being a spy for one of the sides in the Civil war. The dectectve agency still continues in a form of a company working in risk management, an area I have been involved in over the years.
When I began to look into family history, firstly for my wife, that niggle of could we find the link was
there so back in 1994 I started the search ...not everyday. Dad wanted to have the link confirmed and I remember him saying to me, while we worked over a car engine, in a way that he wanted me to find out but did not ask specifically. The confirmation maybe would give a sense of belonging. That need we all have.
So about 4 years ago we had contact with Pinkertons who had been born in USA and on the face of it seemed to be related through grandparents and to my dads Mother. They are now friends and the group has grown to near 30 and we communicate off and on. DNA tests have also confirmed the links. Unfortunately like me these new Pinkerton cousins had not got the link to the Detective.
I suppose if its easy then it would be in front of you. My search in family history is through parrallel ways or outside the obvious. I have found that this method comes good particularly if research detail is limited.
So very recently I was working off the Allan Pinkerton tree at relations in ancestors and found a James Pinkerton and Margaret Farie.
I recognised the names and checked my tree and side connections- and there they were. Most details matched and then the grand parets so ... I got excited at the descovery.
I sat on for 24 hours and then revisited to check and sure enough Allan Pinkerton was connecting albeit fairly distant. He is my fifth cousin 5 times removed for the technical. So I was able to tell the "Pinkerton" group which means they are all connected as well in a similar way.
My brother, sister, and I, have laughed in the past about the questioning nature and operation talent we have and I see it in other Pinkertons in the USA and around the world that we have got to know over the last 4 plus years.
It is worth sticking at a project not so you can score it off the list, which is nice but to complete the search and affirm the theory or hypothesis, proposition or premise.
So Dad you are 5 th Cousin 4 times removed to Allan Pinkerton (1819 1884) Born Glasgow died Chicago Illinois USA. Job done.
Now back on Captain Robert Pinkerton ( 1646 or 1654-)
and John Pinkerton( Writer) who are hiding somewhere!
John Pinkerton Wikitree
