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For our Bamberg,SC line, we are part of the Dutch immigration to New Amsterdam, present day New York. Kier Wouterse from Drenthe, Amsterdam sailed to New Amsterdam with his family. Dutch surnames were patronymic in the 1600's at that time. His children's surname was Kierse/ Kersen/ and later Kearse according to early New York records. William Kierse came down to Charleston ,SC on the Ship Albert circa 1748 and fought in the Revolutionary War with the Saltcatcher / Salkehatchie Patriots. This fact explains why the greatest number of Kierse/ Kearse family is found in these two areas and males of this line carry y- dna which is common in the lowlands of Europe and not in Ireland.