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Scotland All Shook Up

March 23, 2004 | People
Elvis touched people all over the globe, we thought it was because of his music, but now it seems it is because he is related to a lot of people all around the world. The latest "family" is discovered in a tiny village in northeast Scotland.

The city is all shook up over claims that it is the ancestoral home of Elvis Presley. There is not a chipshop nor cheeseburger to be found in the hamlet of Lonmay in Aberdeenshire, but a Scottish author has found evidence that Elvis' great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was married in the village nearly 300 years ago.

Now the small community hopes it will be placed on the tourist map, with notoriously obsessive Elvis fans paying homage to roots of the King of rock n' roll. Parish records show that eight generations before Elvis was born in 1935, his ancestor Andrew Presley married Elspeth Leg in Lonmay on August 27, 1713. Their son, also called Andrew became a blacksmith and was the first Presley to leave Scotland for America.

Villagers in Lonmay expressed suprise that their sleepy hamlet, which has one hotel, but no shop, post-office,cafe or school, such be linked with such a legendary figure as Elvis Presley.
Source:Email
Arne wrote on March 23, 2004
I don't know what to belive any more. Everything said about Elvis have two or more versions!? About this ancestoral home thing, there is one that says Elvis ancestors (on his fathers side) was German. In that version, someone named Andreas Pressler changed his name to Andreas Presley after he come to Amerika in 1710
Carol K. wrote on March 24, 2004
Elvis is also supposedly related to Jimmy Carter and Oprah Winfrey! No kidding..I've saved the article somewhere that explained it. Carol
hillbillycat wrote on March 23, 2004
Sounds just about right to me...Elvis originating from Gods country
MauriceColgan wrote on March 23, 2004
Whatever the accuracy of the details of Elvis's ancestry, a reporter with the "Evening Herald" Ireland's national newspaper called me this morning at 7.55am for an Irish view of the story. My little bit of info from an Irish magazine and "Elvis and Gladys" by Elaine Dundy, was printed. With a photo of Elvis in Uniform. We also appeared in the British "The WEEKLY NEWS"- BUT that's another story:-)
Charles wrote on March 23, 2004
Great to see the wee village of Lonmay on the world wide news and connected to Elvis, the residents will certainly be woken up with all the newsmen and cameras going about. Plenty of talk tonight about our King Elvis in the Lonmay Fraserburgh area tonight. I must go and do my family research as I had family in Lonmay. Next time I drive past I can look and see if their are any look alike Elvis's going about.
gribz wrote on March 23, 2004
Princess Diana. I didn't know that, and I thought I knew everything.lol. Some details would be appreciated please.
King Of Western Bop wrote on March 23, 2004
This story of Elvis' ancestors (mainly on his father's side) is nothing new. I read about the scottish connection in the book "Elvis & Gladys" which was published some years ago. The uniformed media - who seem quite bemused by it - have jumped on it like it was something new. We Elvis fans have known this for ages. They would no doubt be quite surprised to learn of his Jewish, French and Cherokee ancestry too. Or how about his ancestral links with Princess Diana and the actor Tom Hanks? All known to the well-informed amongst us.