William McIntosh of Millbank, Nairn

[Guyon]

Dear Jane- no mention of Camerons I don't think. Did you find out which side the Macarthurs were on at Culloden? Hannibal's son Major General John also married a Macarthur from Loch Fyn- apparently they were second cousins but there is so much myth and legend- John Macdonald (Guyon)

[Guyon]

Dear Jane- a slight error in my last- Major General John McArthur was a brother of Hannibal -
         regards John Macdonald

[janiamac]

Hello John, Many thanks... have little unfortunately of interest in reply to your questions. I think that William McArthur (m to Elizabeth Smith) who became tenant of Earl of Cawdor must have had him as protector post Culloden, so Jacobite. "The Seven Sons of John McArthur" (on web) describes Wm's son John as being a friend of Lord Nelson.  Interestingly, it was presumably his cousin Neil Smith described below, so together with him.
Nelson doctor's forgotten grave restored by Chris Holme, in The Herald, Mon Sept 17th 2001
 (extracts)
Enthusiasts yesterday celebrated the restoration of the forgotten Highland grave of a doctor who played a key role at the battle of Trafalgar.. Niel Smith was an assistant ship's surgeon who fought to save the life of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson on HMS Victory after the British commander had been shot by a French sniper. He appears in two celebrated paintings of Nelson's final moments..(..)
…a chance discovery by local historians and the efforts of the 1805 Club… Dr Smith's overgrown grave was discovered after Cawdor Heritage Group carried out a survey of gravestones in Cawdor cemetery in the mid 1990s… Unveiling the plaque, Ewen Brodie of Lethen, the lord-lieutenant of Nairn, said 'We never knew that such an important character in our country's history who has been immortalised on canvas was actually a son of Nairnshire and the Highlands..'
Smith's family originally came from Nairn - the seaside holiday resort that was a favourite of Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin. His father was Duncan Smith of Howford and his mother was Anne Macpherson (*). He was born at his grandmother's house on April 12, 1780. .. In 1812 he returned to the Highlands, where he married his cousin, Anne Macpherson of Ardersier, daughter of the factor of Cawdor Estate.
They retired to Forres, but Dr. Smith died in 1819 at 39 and was buried at Cawdor cemetery.
 (*) This should read Margaret Macpherson. Her sister Anne Macpherson was married to John Macgillivray of Tierfognian and Keppernach)
Interesting about John McArthur in Laggan.
I am particularly interested in Peter McArthur genealogy because he was legal representative for a family of Falconers in Nairnshire in an inheritance case 18th century (his mother was a Falconer). I am trying to work out the different trees that are described. Jane

[Guyon]

Dear Jane- My Macdonald family were intermarried with Macphersons and Grants for hundreds of years. W K Macdonald married Annie Macpherson in Melbourne in 1859. She was I understand descended from the same branch of the clan as the Macphersons of Ardesier- her father Captain Eneas Macpherson was a Macpherson of Clune and Strathnoon in Strathdearn. I had a visit recently from a descendant of the Ardesier family but I understand the connection between the Strathnoon and Ardesier family has never been established altho Captain Eneas and Colonel Ewen Macpherson (my visiter's ancestor) appear to have acknowledged each other as distant cousins (they were neighbours and great friends in New Zealand)- anyway I thought that little thread might be of interest to you. regards from John Macdonald

[Guyon]

Hello Jane-
 I rang Bob Barrack who is of the Ardersier family-his E Mail  (*) regards John

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[francesr]

Dear All,
Sorry to be late in responding - we have been suffering a heatwave this last wk - apologies to all those in the northern hemisphere!
Well, this is amazing, to have galloped so far ahead so quickly! Thank you so much for all this wonderful new information. I feel we are all continuing on with the connections begun all those years ago. I will try and answer as much as possible.
Firstly, my interest in Gallaway began with our family's 4 miniatures by him. As I only have a possibillity as to who they are - we have no Scottish connections - I thought I'd see if researching the artist might help. The result is I am now planning a book on Gallaway! So anything anyone can add will be gratefully received.
I will of course consult with you as to permission and privacy matters as they arise.
John, you will be pleased to know that the McIntoshes and Macarthurs were indeed related: Jane McIntosh nee Gallaway was the sister of Anne Macarthur nee Gallaway. So there are probably quite a lot of other miniatures by AG about in private hands. That I have 'found' some new ones is a thrill. The date, c. 1810, certainly fits in with AG's period and the sitters being elderly helps as William McIntosh snr died in 1814. 1810 is also the yr that William jnr and Jane married! (I'm pleased to now know, though not for them of course, that they had no children - one less line to track.) Marriage portraits were a tradition of this period, so it is not unlikely they were all painted at the same time. AG did sign in full with an address on the back, so if your miniatures are still intact and sealed (often in red leather cases), the only way to identify the artist is to compare them with others. AG painted many family portraits - it isn't known if they paid him! My feeling is yours are by him. I am hoping you might have images you could email, as that may reveal more?
Monica and Jane: there may be some info re Aeneas McBean on this excellent site for Hugh William Williams: http://sites.google.com/site/hughwilliamwilliams/exhibitions-and-exhibiting-societies
Jane, I will follow up the notes I find in Sydney. Not sure when this will be. I found this in my wanderings on the London-Nairnshire Soc. -see ref. to Falconer:
http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/george-bain/history-of-nairnshire-nia/page-41-history-of-nairnshire-nia.shtml
Here is a great portrait of James August Grant of Viewfield, m. Elizabeth McIntosh
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/james-augustus-grant-esq-of-viewfield-17771868-166931
This is also a brilliant site for following up paintings of people and places as all the locations can be cross-referenced. I find if I have a portrait in front of me, so much more is revealed - my art training I suppose.
All for now. Thanks again everyone so much.
Kind regards,
Francesr

[Guyon]

Dear Jane- delighted with the picture of J A Grant. The miniatures of Colonel and Mrs Mackintosh are unsigned. Perhaps they are not by him and I doubt if the other Mackintosh miniatures are of the right period- however the portrait I have of Aunt Eliza (J A's wife) is a fine picture of the right time but unsigned. It was acquired after the death of their grandson Harry Rose of Ruallan in 1930s. I think the best bet for Gallaway pictures would be through the Macarthur descendants in Australia. We don't even have a picture of Uncle William Mackintosh- the heirlooms from him were mostly from the Guyons- regards John

[janiamac]

I haven't worked out how to use the Personal Message board...
Thank you John for the McPherson/McDonald/Grant connections. I have corresponded with the descendants of Peter McArthur many years ago, and can give the address if you would like to get back to me by email Frances for Galloway as I think they have info of interest.
 
I also know the descendants in Australia of the Ardersier McPhersons. Re how the Strathnoon McPhersons and Neil McPherson (father of James factor)  could be related - and I think they are indeed because descendants of the latter branch are W at baptism of a child of the former - I am guessing that Paul McPherson of Strathnoon had interalia a son called Donald (ie Neil) as per this reference in book of Inverness freemasons

John Tulloch seemed not to be respecting the boundaries erected by the wrights incorporation.  In toucble with the masons.  His next crime on 25.3.1756 was having ‘received, entered and admitted four apprentices without the advice and consent of the Master and Wardens.  John’s friends were of good standing:James McPherson in Calder, Donald McPherson, brother to Cluney,
McIntosh of Corribrough and his brother-in-law, one McKerquhar ' (my note: McKerchar: McGillivray or McArthur)
Jane

Note Cluney, but as specialists point out so much confusion between Clune and Cluney.

[janiamac]

Frances,
Alexander Gallaway
Have you considered that AG may have been a military painter and away in the campaigns late 18th century (which may explain why his daughters were born with such a gap) or Peninsular wars early 19th.  I think miniatures would have been a military technique to capture a fleeting battle. I note that two daughters that we know of married men who had military careers. Just a thought. Jane