Find Ancestors

Can anyone help with finding the marriage of Catherine Macceachran born about 1755 to John Macclellan also born about 1755. They had one son Duncan born in 1775. Would also be grateful if anyone can find either of their parents. Most of the family were born and lived on Islay in Scotland. Many thanks

I can't see that marriage, nor the birth of Duncan, anywhere in Scotland, on Scotlands People.

I have made liberal use of wild cards, because both those surnames have many possible spellings, but no luck.

Presumably you have found Duncan's birth record somewhere, to have his parents' names. Where was he born? Where did you find the record?

Have you tried family search site???

Nothing there, either, Shirley.

The nearest would be this one, which isn't the right one - wrong date; not on Islay; no mother's name shown:


Duncan Mclellan
Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name Duncan Mclellan
Gender Male
Christening Date 12 Jan 1772
Christening Place KILNINVER AND KILMELFORD,ARGYLL,SCOTLAND
Father's Name John Mclellan

There's a Duncan McLellan, born c1774 in Argyll, living on Islay in 1851, but of course that's no help with his parents - even if he's the right Duncan..

Unfortunately both Maceachran (or variant) and McLellan (or variant) are very common names, in many places in Scotland.

We need some hard facts - where was Duncan born?

You say, "Most of the family were born and lived on Islay in Scotland". Can you be more specific, please?
When? Who? Was it around the time of Duncan's birth?

Southend, for instance, in the record posted by Malyon, isn't on Islay.

could this be Duncan married to sarah

Duncan Macclellan
mentioned in the record of Mary Macclellan
Name
Duncan Macclellan
Gender
Male
Wife
Sarah Mckellar
Daughter
Mary Macclellan
Other information in the record of Mary Macclellan
from Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name
Mary Macclellan
Gender
Female
Birth Date
23 Mar 1796
Birthplace
GLASSARY,ARGYLL,SCOTLAND
Father's Name
Duncan Macclellan
Mother's Name
Sarah Mckellar

Unfortunately, Malyon, as said before, McLellan (or other spelling) is a very common name. and Glassary's near Lochgilphead on the mainland - not on Islay.
Not that that necessarily rules out your find - just that he is one of many people of the same name, and we have no way of knowing if he's the right one or not.

We really need Katqueen to come back and give us more facts to go on.

If the son Duncan died after 1855, perhaps Katqueen got the names of his parents from the death registration.

Apologies everyone for not getting back sooner but I have not been able to get online for 2 days. Will look for all information I have and post it shortly. Thank you for your patience.

My information comes from another tree which states that Duncan Maclellan was born in 1775 in Cladville, Portnahaven and died in Ellister, Islay on 26th March 1855. He married Margaret Currie born in Portnahaven, Argyll in 1781 and died in 1860. Their children were Alexander 1801-1849, John 1803-1876, Donald 1811, Hugh 1812-1885 and Catherine 1819. The same tree has John Maclellan and Catherine Macceachran as his parents but there are no sources stated which is why I was trying to find some info about them. Like you I can't find any definite sources for either marriages. Hope you can help.

There is this Duncan showing for the dates and places you have given. Different wife though.



1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Portweemys, Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland

Learn more
Print transcription
Household Members
First name(s) Last name Gender Age Birth year Birth place
Duncan McLelan Male 66 1775 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Mary McLelan Female 64 1777 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Hugh McLelan Male 30 1811 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
John M McLelan Male 25 1816 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Mary McLelan Female 24 1817 Argyllshire, Scotland



1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Ellister, Kilchoman, Islay, Argyllshire, Scotland

Learn more
Print transcription
Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Duncan McLellan Head Married Male 77 1774 - Kilchoman, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Mary McLellan Wife Married Female 74 1777 - Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Mary McNiven Grand Daughter - Female 13 1838 Scholar Lanarkshire, Scotland
Transcription
John McNiven Grand Son - Male 10 1841 Scholar Bowmore, Argyllshire, Scotland

Right, so I assume this is the correct family here?



1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Ellister, Kilchoman, Islay, Argyllshire, Scotland

Learn more
Print transcription
Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Duncan McLellan Head Married Male 80 1771 Herd Man Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Margaret McLellan Wife Married Female 70 1781 - Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Donald McLellan Son Unmarried Male 40 1811 Ag Lab Kilchoman, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Anne McLellan Daughter-In-Law Married Female 37 1814 - Bowmore, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
John McLellan Grand Son - Male 14 1837 Scholar Kilchoman, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Margaret McLellan Grand Daughter - Female 11 1840 Scholar Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Marrion McLellan Grand Daughter - Female 9 1842 Scholar Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Gilbert McLellan Grand Son - Male 7 1844 Scholar Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Alexander McLellan Grand Son - Male 3 1848 - Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Christina McLellan Grand Daughter - Female 0 1851 - Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland


Same family in 1841? Duncan's year of birth varies quite a bit as does Margarets. Of course, it could be a mistake in the transcription.





1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Elister, Portnahaven, Argyllshire, Scotland

Learn more
Print transcription
Household Members
First name(s) Last name Gender Age Birth year Birth place
Duncan McLellan Male 60 1781 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Margret McLellan Female 58 1783 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Donald McLellan Male 30 1811 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Ann McLellan Female 25 1816 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Flora McLellan Female 6 1835 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
John McLellan Male 4 1837 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Margret McLellan Female 2 1839 Argyllshire, Scotland
Transcription
Nk McLellan Female 0 1841 Argyllshire, Scotland

Hello Alviegal. That's fantastic. That absolutely sounds like the right family. Now I just need to hopefully find out if John and Catherine were Duncan's parents as stated in other trees. Many thanks.

Maybe of some help to you - email addresses of some people researching particular Islay surnames, including McLellan of Kilchoman, and various spellings of Macceachran, Kilchoman:

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~steve/islay/surnames.htm



Islay parish registers are patchy:
http://www.islay-lives.co.uk/islay-old-parish-registers/


And from this page:
http://www.islayinfo.com/islay-genealogy.html

"The District Archivist: The Archivist, Mr N MacDonald, has now retired, but teh Council retains Poor Law Records dating back to the 1840s, Valuation Rolls from the 1850s, Voter's Rolls from 1889, Education records from 1873 and various other sources of information about Islay and its people. The archive office is located at Manse Brae, Lochgilphead and he can be contacted on tel +44 (0)1546 604776.

Jackie Davenport from the Argyll and Bute Council is the Council Archives and Administration Manager. She has a special Archives email address for Genealogy related questions. Your enquiries can be sent to [email protected]"

Thankyou so much for that. I shall certainly follow up on your suggestions and if I find out anything I will post on here to let you know. With many thanks.