RootsChat.Com

Forfarian
              Thank you for taking the time to update me on the History of the counties and parishes.
I had done a search on maps and had arrived at an understanding of the area. Also for the McGregor family History.
   We are still left with the problem of the 1851 Census as Kay99 has kindly shown it is definately recorded as Wigton. My thoughts on this are that there were Census collectors who wrote down what they thought they heard the individual say, speech and accent could very well have made Wigtown sound like Wigton. But that doesn't alter the fact that it is not in Dumfrieshire. He was at that time an old man and maybe was confused in his thinking.
   As you say trying to see if there are any records surviving for the pauper payments in the Dunoon Parish might be my only avenue left. Alexander's wife Helen was also listed as a pauper in the 1861 Census, she had also reverted to her maiden name of McKellar in that census and was living with a sister at Ardentinny
   There were too many Peter McKellars in the area for me to be able to find his parents but i had more success with his wife Margaret Campbell who came from Lochgoilhead. Again I had to negotiate a change of names . her father was Duncan Campbell and wife Nancy McKoel but the McKoel name was dropped and they reverted to the sept name McNaughton. They were narried in 1775. I was able to trace Duncan Campbell back to a Donald Campbell at Guananbeg Argyll
Wyanga

CaroleW
                 I was unaware that ages were rounded down in the 1851 Census. This would explain other differences in ages that I have had with other Scottish ancesters.
  Also my other Gt Grandmother Ann Taylor had reverted to her maiden name of Wilson in the 1881 Census in Glasgow . So I was not surprised by Helen Grierson  reverting to her maiden name of McKellar in the 1861 census.
She was the daughter of Peter McKellar and Margaret Campbell. He was a shepherd at Cuil near Barracaber in Argyll.
Wyanga

Forfarian,
              Thank you for your detailed reply, I may just have to let him rest in peace.
 They were my Gt Gt Grandparents and Alexander is a bit of a mystery. In the 1841 Census his birth place is given as Wigan but I have been unable to find a birth record for him about 1770.
 I have Helen's death record as 28th May 1862
 A daughter Helen migrated to Australia in 1857 and is my Gt Grandmother, the second daughter Sophia also migrated in 1867
 Wyanga
 

Just to add,
      If there are any records from the Church at Ardentinny they just might record a death.
I believe that this was the Church used by the Glenfinert estate. Barnacabber was the farm for Glenfinnert Estate, and Alexander worked as a mason on the renovations at Glenfinnert in the 1840's
Wyanga