This account obviously doesn’t provide information about all British and American Kirkmans. It’s impossible to determine how many of today’s British and American Kirkmans are descendants of the ancient Danes who invaded England and the adventurers who migrated to the American colonies.

This much is obvious. During the past 1,000 years Kirkmans have been remarkably tough, hardworking risk-takers, and some family members were eye witnesses to momentous British and American triumphs and tragedies. Kirkmans were at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, London’s Blitz, the Bataan Death March, El Alamein and Apollo 11.

A final observation. This family history is especially offered to those researching and writing their versions of the Kirkmans’ British-American experience. The memoir does contain a number of speculative characterizations that readers may question or challenge.

Donald Christian Kirkman