Hi all
I am also a descendant of Colin Cowan and Sarah McCallum, via their daughter Agnes who married James McColl in Glasgow in 1817 and then Alexander Young in 1835. Colin and Sarah seem to have married in Fortingall, Perthshire in about 1780-3, but they seemed to be living in Ardchattan, Argyll when their eldest daughter Jane was born about 1782 (Jane married John McLaren in 1807 in Appin).
The Cowans seem to have been in the north part of Ardchattan parish, in or around South Shian/Seabank/Black Crofts, on the south shore of Loch Creran. The McColls were from the opposite shore in Appin parish.
I have some notes that were prepared by James McColl's eldest son Hugh, who identified his mother's parents as being Colin and Sarah. They were described as being "from Perthshire", consistent with their place of marriage, although this might only be Sarah as all other references to Colin are to Argyll. These notes were made soon after Hugh's marriage in 1843, and I think the implication was that both Colin and Sarah were dead by then, although if I find the notes easily I might check this.
There is a Colin Cowan at Seabank in Ardchattan parish in the 1841 census that looks about the right age. If this is the right one, he was not with anyone, so Sarah would have died by then. At this time his daughter Agnes lived in Glasgow and his other daughter Jane McLaren lived at Tynribbie in Appin.
There would appear still to have been some relatives in Ardchattan in 1851, as Hugh McColl's wife vistied family here in that year, and a letter was sent to her at South Shian via Ledaig P.O.
Would be interested in anything else that people have managed to glean about Colin and Sarah.
Peter
