Archibald MCKINNON

[argyllshiregirl]

Hello,

My father and I have been on the hunt for my missing great great grandfather for many years and I just saw a clue that might finally end our search in Dunbartonshire. Hoping someone here can help.

Archibald MCKINNON was born around 1810 on the Isle of Mull in the parish of Kilninian, Argyll. He married first to Catherine MCARTHUR in the 1830s and had 3 known children, Catherine, Donald and Neil at Burg, Kilninian. Between 1847 - 1849, Catherine MCARTHUR died and Archibald married again. He married for the second time in 1849 to Christine/Christina/Christy/Chrissy MCDOUGALL on the island of Coll. The couple is next found on the 1851 census, along with Archibald's son, Neil, on Tiree. Then they vanish.

I had an idea that they might have gone to Inverness or Skye but no luck there so far. Today, I saw a clue, on a website that I have no subscription to, mentioning an Archibald and Christina  MCKINNON from Kilninian living somewhere in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire in 1861. Could it really, finally be them??

Thank you for any answers!

Mary

[crisane]

1861 Scotland census
Church St Downies Land, Bonhill Dumbartonshire
 Archibald McKinnon  50 Laborer at Dye works born Kilninian, Argyllshire
 Christina McKinnon  48 Kilninian, Argyllshire

I only have access to the transcription as above.  I can't see them on the 1871 as yet.

[argyllshiregirl]

Wow, thank you, Crisane. That must be them! I wonder what else we can dig up? What a travelling man that great great grandfather of mine! Maybe he even died elsewhere.

[argyllshiregirl]

Goodness gracious, they seem to be gone again! Cannot find them on 1871 census for Bonhill or otherwise in Dunbartonshire, unless I am missing them. SP is tricky to use sometimes ... need just the right search terms and spellings.

However, I did find a death for Christina MCKINNON in 1886 in Hutchesontown, Lanarkshire. She was a 71 year old widow by then. What became of her husband, Archbald MCKINNON, and where/when? I found an 1869 death for an Archibald MCKINNON, age (about) 62 years in a poor house in Dumbarton but the details are so few that I cannot tell what Archibald MCKINNON this might be.

Mary

[crisane]

I can't see either of them in 1881 but there is this one and the place name Tirie as place of birth caught my eye as that is where Archibald, Christina and Neil were in 1851. Was Christina a widow when she married Archibald. This one could only be yours if she was the mother of a Flora.
1891
Stirling Street Denny Stirlingshire
Robert Sneddon  39 coal miner O'Monkland, Lanarkshire
Flora Sneddon  45 O'Monkland, Lanarkshire
Alexander Sneddon  19 coal miner Shotts, Lanarkshire
James Sneddon  17 St Nimans, coal miner Stirlingshire
Elizabeth Sneddon  12 scholar Denny, Stirlingshire
Margaret Sneddon  10 scholar Denny, Stirlingshire
Christina McKinnon  77 mother-in-law Annuitant, Tirie, Argyleshire

[greeneyedgirl]

Hi, I was looking about and found some info for you and something interesting.

Births for Archibald McKinnon:

bap. 4 July 1790
Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll
father: Dugal McKinnon
mother: Catherine McKinnon

bap. 2 Feb 1790
Tyree, Argyll
father: Donald McKinnon
mother: Mary McDonald

bap. 9 Feb 1806
Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll
father: Archibald McKinnon
mother: Flora Morrison

bap. 10 Jan 1807
Tyree, Argyll
father: Donald McKinnon
mother: Effy McPhail

Marriage:
Archibald McKinnon & Cathrine McArthur
26 April 1831
Iona, Argyll

children to Archibald McKinnon & Cathrine McArthur:
Allan  born 8 March 1832  Kilfinichen & Kilvickeon, Argyll
John  born 2 July 1835  Iona, Argyll
Rory  born Aug 1837  Iona, Argyll
Cathrine  born 12 Oct 1839  Iona, Argyll
Mary  born 10 Feb 1842  Iona, Argyll
Hugh  born 2 March 1844  Iona, Argyll
Thomas  born 8 April 1848 Iona, Argyll
** I could not find the births for Donald, or Neil but as you can see there are quite a few gaps.

1841 census
Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll
Archibald McKinnon  age 35  born Argyll  occ: agricultural labourer
Cathrine McKinnon  age 35  born Argyll
Catharine McKinnon  age 4  born Argyll

this is where it gets interesting.

Marriage:
Archibald McKinnon & Chirsty McDougall
5 July 1849
Tyree, Argyll

Birth:
Margaret McKinnon
born: 29 March 1851
Iona, Argyll
father: Archibald McKinnon
mother: Cathrine McArthur
** Archibald had a child with Cathrine after he married Christina

Death:
Catharine McKinnon (alias Mrs Melvile) sister in law of Lachlan McKinnon pensioner deargphost(?) died of fever
1st November 1851  Iona, Argyll

I don't know for sure if this is the Catherine who was married to Archibald but her name, date & place of death correspond with the birth of last child Margaret. Even being a sister in law to Lachlan fits. Also, I found this entry in parish registers listed just under the births of Thomas & Margaret McKinnon children of Archibald McKinnon & Cathrine McArthur.

Births for Cathrine McArthur:
20 Sept 1807  Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll  p.  Malcolm McArthur & Catharine McColl

21 July 1805  Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll  p. Donald McArthur & Mary McDonald

25 May 1806  Kilninian 7 Kilmore, Argyll  p. Malcolm McArthur & Catharine McNeil

28 Feb 1808  Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll  p. Hugh McArthur & Catharine Kennedy

18 Nov 1810  Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll  p. Angus McArthur & Catharine Gillis

12 Oct 1801  Tyree, Argyll  p. John McArthur & Marion McArthur

6 Nov 1805  Tyree, Argyll  p. Archibald McArthur & Flory McKinnon

8 Jan 1813  Tyree, Argyll  p. Donald McArthur & Marion McInnes

births for Christina McDougall:

20 Aug 1803  Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll  p. John McDougall & Mary McQuary

12 July 1810  Tyree, Argyll  p. Dougd McDougall & Cathe McDonald

12 July 1812  Tyree, Argyll  p. John McDougall & Marion McDonald

17 May 1812  Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll p. John McDougall & Mary Beaton

11 Jan 1815  Tyree, Argyll  p. Alexander McDougall & Ann Campbell

16 Sept 1816  Klninian & Kilmore, Argyll  p. John McDougall & Christina McNeill

24 March 1817  Kilninian & Kilmore, Argyll  p. John McDougall & Mary McInnes

** these are the births I found in the area where it is said both Cathrine & Christina were born.
*** I also found 3 marriages for Christina McDougall prior to her marrying Archibald McKinnon-they are 1836 to Archibald McQuarie,  1842 to Donald McDonald, and 1835 to Hector McDonald.I found children for each of these marriages but no Flora.It is possible however that like the births for children to Archibald & Cathrine some records may be missing.
Hope this is helpful, Kim 

[argyllshiregirl]

Hi Kim,

Wow, thank you very much! That's a lot of digging you did for me there.

The McKinnon couple on Iona is a red herring, Kim. Many times I have run into their data, but they are not the same Archie and Catherine that I have.

My Archie McKinnon was born about 1810 to Neil McKinnon and Margaret McArthur at Kilninian. His wife, Catherine McArthur, was born about 1813 to Archibald McArthur and Catherine McLean.

Both Archie and Catherine were Kilninian natives. They are missing from most records though. You did find them on the 1841 census I see, with their daughter, Catherine age 4. All the children, including Neil and Donald, remained in the area for years, married and worked there. I have no marriage for Archie and Catherine, no deaths.

It looks like the family blew apart after Catherine, Archie's first wife, died. Even though Archie and his second wife, Christy McDougall, were both Kilninian natives they married on Coll and went to Tiree after that, never to set foot on Mull again. Young Neil went to Tiree with his father, Donald went to live with his McArthur relatives and Catherine is missing entirely in 1851. Archie and Christy turn up in Dunbartonshire in 1861, but Archie seems to disappear forever after that.

It would seem that the 3 McKinnon children had no contact with their father, Archie, after he married a second time. We have the feeling that family relationships soured after that. In a family that adhered very strictly to the traditional naming pattern (even up to my birth), not one of Archie's grandsons ever received the name Archibald. This was just not done.

Christy McDougall was the daughter of John McDougall and Mary Beaton. I haven't found any connection yet with these McDougalls to the James McDougall that young Catherine McKinnon eventually married in 1866. I'm sure I'll find one though, knowing Mull!

Mary

[nikki68]

Hi Mary,

My third great grandfather Alexander McDougall (son of John McDougall and Mary Beaton) was the brother to Christina McDougall. Do you have a death record for the Christina/Christy who married Archibald Mckinnon that confirms her parentage?

Many Thanks 
Nikki

[argyllshiregirl]

Hi Nikki,

Yes, actually I do have a death record for Christina (MCDOUGALL) MCKINNON. Send me a private message and I will forward it to you if you do not already have it.


Mary