Christina Macmillan

[dixons]

I have a 'sampler' made by my relative Christina Macmillan in Kilberry School, dated 2 July, 1894. She names immediate family members as Donald, Mary, Lachlan, John, William, Annabella and Margaret.

Does anyone have any information re any or all of those mentioned? I would be extremely grateful for same.

dixons

[MonicaL]

Hi Dixons

Possible entry for the McMillan family in 1891:

John McMillan 60, agr. lab b. Uist, Invernesshire
Mary McMillan 37 b. Lochawctide (?spl), Argyllshire
Duncan McMillan 14
Mary McMillan 12
Lauchlan McMillan 10
Chirstina McMillan 8 b. Lochgilphead, Argyllshire
John McMillan 6
Annabella McMillan 2
William McMillan 2

Address: xxx Kilberry Argyll

Monica 

[MonicaL]

In 1901, Christina looks to be working away from home as a domestic servant at Cuilghailtro, Kilberry. Father looks to have died by 1901 (original image would let you confirm marital status of wife Mary), the rest of the family that year:

Mary Mcmillan 46
Duncan Mcmillan 24
Mary Mcmillan 22
Annie Mcmillan 12
William Mcmillan 12
Maggie Mcmillan 9

Address: Cretshengan Cottages, Kilberry

Monica

[angusm1939]

The Uist conection suggests this was part of the MacMillan family from South Uist of which three brothers, Angus, Duncan and I think it was Neil, had been imported to Kilberry as pipers, the first named having previously been piper to the Dowager Duchess of Argyll. There is a reference to them in the book Piping Traditions of Argyll and they were mentioned a number of times in her writings by Miss Marion Campbell of Kilberry. Good hunting. Angus MacMillan

[MairiD]

Christina does not feature in my McMillan ancestors but there may be a link with them as they also lived at Cuilghailtro, north of Kilberry.

Angus McMillan, 'farmer', Kilberry, married Mary Galbreath/Galbraith.

Issue:
Betsy 1809-1902, m. George Walker, Keppoch in 1840 (my gt.gt.grandfather)

Margaret 1811

Flory 1814

Angus 1816

Niel/Neil 1819-1899 (gamekeeper, Foriteigan (Sp?), Kilberry, m. Betsy Jonston of Ardpatrick in 1848. issue: James 1850, Mary 1853 and others, not confirmed by me yet.

Mary 1823.

--------------------------------------------------


George Walker (1797-1884) and Betsy (McMillan) lived at  Keppoch, then Cuilghailtro, then Tayvealin (Sp?)

Issue:
Cathrine 1842

John 1846-1910

Angus 1849

George 1851

Neil 1852

McMillans and Walkers were some of the families who worked for the Campbells.

I wonder where your family fit in. The Uist connection is intriguing.

MairiD




 

[angusm1939]

As for my interest, apart from a general one in piping as in Argyll I have both the MacFarlane and MacPhedran piping dynasties in my tree, my MacMillan roots are in the Uists. That, incidentally and despite the coincidence of names, makes an overlap with MairiD's quoted family just after 1800, very unlikely. The origins of my MacMillan family/name has nothing to do with the mainland and specifically Knapdale clan. When the priests had to come up with an Anglicisation of Gaelic surnames or patronymics, they simply borrowed known surnames from the mainland and applied them in the islands, in the case of MacMillan to any name that shared the Maol root.

Whilst part of the piper family may at some point have been located just north of Kilberry, Angus is always said to have been a couple of miles south of the castle at [sundry spellings] Lergnaheuisian. Angus himself was not present in 1911 but what would seem to have been his father was: Donald McMillan 78 farmer Lergnahuision, Kilberry, Catherine 72 wife, Duncan 28 son working on the farm. The next door record was for Neil McMillan 43 farmer Tiretigan, Kilberry. All are shown as born in Knapdale, which fits with the Uist connection always being described in the books as grandpaternal but raises a bit of a puzzle about John from Uist in the earlier message as his father on his 14.3.1900 death record is given as Donald. If his birth date calculated from the 1891 Census was about 1830, then he would presumably have been a brother of the Donald in the 1911 Census, born about 1833. This suggests that, rather than being imported as pipers at the end of the century, the family may have removed to Kintyre between 1830 and 1833.

Hope that makes sense. Best wishes Angus

[angusm1939]

I have been having a dig and must admit to being puzzled. In 1881, John and the younger members of the Christina family were at Red Lodge, Glassary where John 50 was a ploughman and again shown as born Uist. With him were wife Mary 27 b. Kilchrenan, Loch Awe, Donald 6, Duncan 4 b. Lochgilphead, Mary 2 and Lachlan 10months.

I can find no connection with the piper family and, in fact despite the books [add Joshua Dickson's 'When Piping was Strong' about piping in South Uist to the lists making the claim about the origins of the pipers] there is no sign they were, at least in their garndpaternal generation, from South Uist. They were though from MairiD's family. Angus MacMillan born about 1770 and Mary Galbaith had more children than Mairi lists, including Margaret 19.5.1811; Flora 3.1.1814; Angus 12.2.1816; Mary 10.7.1823; John 28.(3?).1825; and Donald ?.8.1831. All the children were born at Cuilghailtro. There was also a son Neil shown as aged 20 in the 1841 Census.

Angus seems to have died between the 1851 an 1861 censuses. Mary Galbraith died 19.12.1871 [d.o. Angus Galbraith farmer and Elizabeth Campbell]. Son Donald, father of the pipers, died as a retired farmer at Tiretegan 31.1.1922 when his father was described not as a farmer but as a master mariner.

Is it possible that the histories have somehow mixed up the Angus family, that had the John b. 1825, who descibed as uncle, registered the birth of Angus the piper 20.12.1871 but died soon after, with the John born Uist, who arrived in the 1880s?

[MairiD]

Hello Angus,

I have been reading your posts with much interest.  Unravelling references to make sense of family history is what keeps me, in part, addicted to genealogy.  Social history is also immensely interesting. 

Looking to see information on birthplaces, I have just had a look at the 1851 Census which shows Angus McMillan, Mary and son John at Tiretigan, Kilberrry. (Tiretigan was incidentally where my gt.gt. grandfather, George Walker was born in 1797.)

The registrar's ink was running out as he got to the end of the village so the entries are difficult to read.  Angus is 70, a farmer and it appears he was born in Argyllshire as shown by the ditto marks. The following place names (after Argyll) in the column seem to be, variously, S. Knapdale, Kilberry, Kilcalmonell.  Apart from Mull, the birthplace of Donald Campbell's housekeeper, they all seem to be the local area. I was looking to see whether Uist was listed.

Will have a search of my notes on different McMillan branches.

MairiD

   

[argyllshiregirl]

Hello folks,

Just wanted to add my bit ... Angus MCMILLAN & Mary GALBRAITH were my 4x great grandparents. Their son John MCMILLAN was my ancestor. I have quite a lot to share on this family, if it's them you are related to.

Mary
in Canada