Good news, we are researching the same family.
INFORMATION
It is worth looking at :-
• The big red book (BRB) “The History of Donald and Christina Mclean and their descendants” – printed in 1995
• “Their Name Liveth” by John Mathews – printed in 1998
I can help you get copies or extracts if you have not already come across them.
DONALD
It is interesting that you say that there is a large number of people on ancestry.com who have his parents as Alexander and Margaret. This might not be correct. The reason I think that they are NOT his parents is that there are no indications that they were living in the general area of Fort William. It is certain that Donald had connections with Duisky which is next to Blaich – both of these are near Fort William, across Lock Eil.
As I see it, the alternatives are :-
• 16th May 1772 - The BRB has Donald born in 1772 but this has not been able to be confirmed. GROS, the General Register Office of Scotland is the government body responsible and they operate a website
www.scotlandspeople.gov.au. A search of parish records for Kilmallie, Argyll on this website did not find birth records for a Donald McLean in 1772. Maybe it was never registered. This date might still be correct as, although someone might guess the year, 1772, perhaps based on a statement of how old he was at a certain time, but it is not likely that someone has guessed the 16th May – so where did this come from? We need to check the sources which were accessed by the BRB.
• 23rd October 1774 – Donald McLean, son to John McLean and Christian McLean in Blaich (ref Scotland’s People, OPR births 520/00 0010 0011, Kilmallie, Argyll). This is the one nearest to the BRB. But the family bible indicates that his father was Alan (p6 of BRB).
• 17th September 1777 - Donald McLean, son of Duncan McLean and Catherine McMillan in Blaich (ref Scotland’s People, OPR births 520/00 0010 0029, Kilmallie, Argyll). But again, the family bible indicates that his father was Alan (p6 of BRB).
• 26th September 1779 – Donald McLean to Allan McLean & Rachel Rankon in Blaich (ref Scotland’s People, OPR births 520/00 0010 0040, Kilmallie, Argyll). This is the only one which is consistent with a note in the family bible (held at the Strathalbyn Museum)
CHRISTINA
I have no better indications about Christina McPhee’s birth except, as you say, she was born in 1791. Her father might have been Ewen McPhee and mother Mary. You say she was born in Fife but if so, I wonder how she met Donald as this is a long way from the Fort William area.
MARY
The following is the information that I have put together about Mary. Most of this is from the BRB.
Mary – born 2nd April 1818, baptized 5th April 1818 in KIlmarlie. Her parents were Donald and Christina.
• 1st husband : Adam ABERCROMBIE. Married on 29th Sept 1840 (ref Bev Hofman). It is reported that Mary and Adam were living in Hindley Street Adelaide in 1841. (H, p13) In 1846, when Donald was preparing his will, he named Adam as one of the executors - at this time he was a dealer in timber of Hindley Street, Adelaide. The will left him one of the lots in Hindley Street (maybe the place he was currently living) – it was number 4 and was only 16 feet wide because there were complications due to another road taking part. (H, p17). Adam died on 24th July 1849 – this was before Donald. Indeed there were 4 deaths in Mary’s little family within two years – three children and her husband. Much later she lost two other sons prematurely (at 19 years and 29 years). After Adam’s death, Mary moved to Strathalbyn with the one remaining child, Rachel. Their children were :-
o Christina : born 1841 in Adelaide, died 1849 in Adelaide
o Rachel : born 1844 in Adelaide, married xxxTURNER???
o Adam : born 1846 in Adelaide, died 1848 in Adelaide
o Mary : born 1848 in Adelaide, died 1849 in Adelaide
• 2nd husband : James BYRNE, born xxx in xxxx. Mary and James married on 4th May 1850 in the Holy Trinity Church in Adelaide. This was 9 months after Adam’s death. Maybe James died very soon because Mary married Duncan less than two years after marrying James. [Question : Maybe she never married James? What evidence to we have?]
• 3rd husband : Duncan McRAE. They married 25th Feb 1852. Duncan farmed in Lake Plains and later in Strathalbyn. He was one of the first trustees of the Milang Primary School in 1864. This school is claimed to be the oldest school building in South Australia still being used. Mary and Duncan had three children :-
o Duncan : born 29th Nov 1852 in xxxx, died on 2nd April 1881 in Strathalbyn.
o Catherine : born 1854 in xxxxx. Married William MORRIS in 1874 in Strathalbyn
o Allan : born 16th Nov 1856 in Milang. Married Berthe Aughusta SCHULTZE in 1881 in Port Augusta.
o Donald Hugh : born 9th Aug 1858 in Strathalbyn. Married Mary Ann GOLLAN, nee LAIDLAW in 1884 in Strathalbyn.
o Mary Anne Jane : twin born 7th Aug in 1860 in Kintail, SA. Married George WALLACE
o John James : twin born 7th Aug 1860 in Kintail, SA, died 17th January 1880.
• Mary died 22nd Sept 1889 – She was survived by her husband and four children but she saw the deaths of 5 of her children and two previous husbands.
From Don Gordon